So, in the last chapter, I was going to add more about Yuki's background but I decided against it. My new plan is just to drop hints about what she might be because I wanna hear your thoughts before I reveal what she is. Yuki's little brothers will make an appearance when I feel like adding a cute chapter or if I need them for a plot device. Other than that, they will mainly stay with Yusuke's mom or Kikyo and that is done for the boys' safety. I own nothing other than the characters that you do not recognize or plot lines that differ from the anime or manga.

Chapter 6: Three Demons

The next school morning was met with two different attitudes from the god siblings. Yuki was excited to have Yusuke back at her side during school and Yusuke was dreading returning to the school. He knew what to expect when he arrived, with no one other than Yuki, Keiko, and Kuwabara thrilled that he was back. Even Takenaka gruffly told the black-haired boy to go to class and his classmates were more interested in Yuki and the win that the kendo team had gotten for their school. Despite his annoyance, he smiled through it because for the first time since he had died, Yuki was in a brighter mood at school and her lips were twisted into a large smile causing her eyes to sparkle. Yusuke could swear he saw shine marks in her eyes as she led him through the school. Yuki sat by her god brother in every class and when gym class came around, Yusuke ditched. Since the gym teacher was a man, all Yuki had to do was tell him that she was experiencing 'womanly issues' and he quickly let her sit out for the day with no questions asked.

The cut on the back of her hand had suffered from punching the thug the previous day and after seeing that the cut had reopened, Yuki was dragged to the hospital to get dissolvable stitches by Yusuke and Kikyo. The older woman was present to celebrate Yuki's win and Yusuke's return from the dead. Her brothers thought that her cut was cool and they enjoyed hearing that the reason she had gotten the cut was that she was jumped by a group of ten boys and the cut was the only wound that she had gained. Hopping up the stairwell, Yuki knew where her god brother was hiding and she quickly approached the rooftop door. Pushing the door open, she popped her head around the door and looked for him.

"Yusuke? Oh, Yusuke? Where are you?" Yuki sang, stepping out to the rooftop.

The answer to her question was soft snores and she looked to the right, spotting Yusuke asleep on the ground. She walked over and sat near him, propping her arms on her knees as she rested one hand in her hair. Her eyes flickered from her brother to the sky before she stretched her arms over her head, sighing in relief when her back popped.

"Yuki, how wonderful to see you again!" Botan said, appearing in front of the girl.

"Hi, Botan! What are you doing here?" Yuki asked, giving a soft smile to the blue-haired woman.

"I came by to see you, in all honesty. I don't feel like we've had a chance to become properly acquainted and I would like to correct that," Botan said, clapping her hands together and resting her cheek on them.

"That sounds nice to me. I have a question about what you meant yesterday," Yuki said.

"All in good time, I do have a rough understanding of who you are, since I got chances to observe you while Yusuke was fulfilling his ordeal, but I figured that since we'll be working together, I could give you a few explanations," Botan said, brushing past Yuki's question.

Yuki looked down from the sky and Botan was standing before her. "Hello, Botan. What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you silly. I don't feel we've been properly acquainted and I want to correct that," Botan smiled.

"That's fine with me," Yuki said, scratching her head.

"I have a slight understanding of you from when Yusuke was going through his ordeal but since you will be his assistant, I owe you several explanations," Botan said.

Yuki nodded and gestured for the girl to sit beside her, Botan quickly sat beside her. Her eyes flickered behind the brown-skinned girl and locked with Gin's acid-green eyes. The man was perched on a rooftop across the street from the school and just like the first time she had seen him, he was wearing a yukata and holding his fan. He smirked and rested a finger in the middle of his plump, pink lip and shushed Botan before he faded from view.

"So, what are Spirit Detectives and what do they do?" Yuki asked, sitting on her legs.

"A Spirit Detective solves cases that involve demons and apparitions that infiltrate the human race," Botan explained as Yuki nodded.

"So, I'm guessing it happens a lot," Yuki stated as Botan nodded.

"More than you realize. Yusuke isn't the first detective and won't be the last. They just...tend to be more undercover is all," Botan chuckled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah, Yusuke isn't the undercover type," Yuki giggled, looking at her god brother. "So, what do I have to do with any of this?"

"Your spirit awareness was awakened after interacting with Yusuke after the dream encounter. I'm certain that if you hadn't been so busy, you would have noticed that a lot of things were different," Botan said.

"Then would spiritual awareness equate to seeing ghosts and things?" Yuki asked.

"Not exactly. You can sense their presence, but you wouldn't be able to see them. Spirit energy is possessed by all humans and can be used as a powerful weapon by those who are spiritually aware enough to channel it," Botan explained as Yuki nodded her head.

"So, what did you give Yusuke this morning?" Yuki quizzed the older woman.

"It's called the psychic spyglass. It can see through walls, clothing, you name it. It's in his pocket right now, I believe," Botan said, pointing toward Yusuke.

"Now it makes sense as to why you whacked him with your oar! He misused the spyglass," Yuki laughed. "I am sorry about him. He doesn't mean much harm, he's just a pain in the ass."

"How are you so polite and happy? After dealing with Yusuke and your father, your attitude is nothing short of a miracle," Botan shook her head in sheer amazement as Yuki bit her bottom lip.

"So, if I'm going to help Yusuke, do I get powers too?" Yuki asked as Botan pursed her lips in thought.

After turning Jyaki over, Botan went to talk with Koenma and the toddler had told her his suspicions about Yuki. He mentioned how her spirit energy was full of light, but hidden behind the light was a heavy darkness creeping into it. With his eyebrows furrowed, Koenma told her he believed her powers would involve umbrakinesis or darkness manipulation. However, he said that he would need to talk with his father concerning the girl that Botan sat with before he left the room.

"Yes, you will. Koenma said that one of your abilities should be manifesting soon!" Botan declared as Yuki's lips pulled into a large smile.

"I think you will…I'm just not sure what they would be." Botan said, choosing her words carefully as she placed her hands into her sleeves. "Though with encounters you had with Yusuke as a ghost and helping him with his missions, I'm sure that they will emerge."

Meanwhile, as the girls talked, Koenma and Jorge walked down the long bridge that led toward Hell itself. The toddler looked at the entrance, which looked like an old temple that had slipped into disrepair and the sky was as red as blood. As they neared the gates with apprehension clear on their faces, Jorge looked toward his boss.

"Umm, Koenma sir? Are you sure that we should be doing this? Your father would disapprove of what you're planning," Jorge said, sweat beading along his forehead.

"Ogre, I have no choice. If Yusuke Urameshi's god sister is who I think she is, then I must be absolutely sure that this was supposed to be," Koenma answered as he stopped moving.

Jorge also stopped, looking at Koenma in confusion before he looked toward the gates. Leaning against a collection of rocks, was a dark-skinned woman. Her mouth, bust, and arms were wrapped in bandages and she wore dark green cargo pants. Long, kinky purple curls were pulled into a large bun on the back of her hair and held in place with a thick headband. Her sangria-colored eyes stared at the pair as she pushed away from the rocks. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she approached the two males and stopped when she was roughly three feet from them. Her ninja tabi was covered in blood and dust as she nodded toward Koenma.

"Well, well, well. Look who has come to see me," She spoke, her voice rough and dry.

"Chiyo Shihoin. The Fearless Tide...It's been some time," Koenma said, trying to keep his composure.

"Seeing how you came to see me must mean one thing: The seal I placed on my daughter is starting to break and you're concerned about what that would mean. Especially since there's only one person who can use the same powers as her, who's still breathing and you had him banned from using his powers ever again," Chiyo said, her eyes sparkling.

"You knew I would seek you out?" Koenma asked shock in his tone.

"I know everything, whether I want to or not. He also knows that soon he'll have to appear in front of her. So, fear not," Chiyo mocked, walking away from the pair.

"Wait! You haven't answered all of my questions yet!" Koenma yelled as Chiyo laughed.

"You have no more questions, just demands. All I will tell you is that you should strap yourself in tight, it's sure to be a wild ride," She teased, looking over her shoulder. "Oh, until he arrives to train her, your darling father should have something to help control her from having a...how would you classify it? Ah, an outburst."

As Chiyo walked back into limbo, she hummed a lullaby and as the large doors closed behind her, it faded into silence. A small bead of sweat fell on Jorge's face as he exhaled loudly, resting a clawed hand against his chest. His eyes flickered toward Koenma, the ruler of the Spirit World, agitated with Chiyo's attitude. However, he was more concerned with what little information she had revealed about her daughter. His teeth began to gnaw on the pacifier in his mouth before he turned on his heel, walking away quickly. With a gasp of shock, Jorge chased after Koenma and he fiddled with his fingers as he retreated into his thoughts.

"Ogre, I need to speak to my father about this."

Back with Botan, Yuki, and Yusuke, the two girls were sitting and talking with each other. Botan was sitting in front of Yuki and her head was tilted back, allowing Yuki to braid her hair. Yuki's fingers nimbly moved through the blue strands as a loud yawn interrupted the moment. Both girls looked to see Yusuke sitting up and stretching his arms over his head.

"Bugs? I would have figured that you were in gym class," Yusuke spoke, rubbing his left eye as he sat up.

"Skipping is healthy when done in moderation, plus I may enjoy watching basketball…doesn't mean I like playing it," Yuki said, shrugging. "Plus, I had a most interesting conversation with Botan, which includes the new detective toy you have on your person."

Yusuke looked at the girls in confusion and his eyes flickered toward their heads, Botan wearing a fish braid as Yuki's hair was pushed back. Shaking his head, Yusuke reached into his right pocket and pulled out the eyeglass, which was the size of a small keyring. Standing up, Yuki stumbled slightly before she rubbed her right leg and she walked toward her cousin. Holding out her hand, Yusuke gently gave it to her and she looked through it, her eye looking larger as she turned her head to the ground. As if there was a large hole in the ceiling, Yuki could see students walking around the lower levels of the school before she pulled the eyeglass away.

"The psychic eyeglass?" Yuki questioned as Yusuke nodded his head, pocketing the glass as he stood up. "It's a very interesting tool. Go to class Yusuke. If you don't, I'll drag you with me for the next dress-up day at the bakery."

A look of fear crossed over his face as he remembered the last time he had to participate in an event; he was forced to wear a mascot costume and dance in front of the bakery. Yusuke sneered at his cousin's triumph smirk and stalked down the stairs as Yuki clasped her hands behind her and turned to look at Botan.

"Thanks for talking to me Botan, it was really enlightening," Yuki grinned before walking after Yusuke.

Once Yuki was out of sight, her smile faded from her face and she clicked her teeth. Running her hand through her hair, she ruffled it back to her normal look. While she enjoyed the conversation she had with Botan, there was an underlying feeling of annoyance. Even though a few questions had been answered, Yuki knew that for her other questions, she would need to ask someone higher up the ladder. As she stepped off the final step, she walked toward class 2B when the sounds of a struggle and arguing rang in her ears. With a confused look on her face, Yuki broke out into a light jog and before she could open the door, Mr. Iwamoto's large frame was storming from the room. Bunched in his fists was Yusuke's uniform collar as Yusuke tried to pull himself out of the older man's grip.

"I think a visit to the principal is in order Urameshi," Iwamoto said, yanking the boy along.

"I didn't do anything!" Yusuke yelled in his defense.

Yuki moved to follow the pair when Keiko wrapped her arms around her waist, trapping her in her spot. The ruby-eyed girl looked back at her friend, confusion clear on her face as she pried her arms from her body. "Keiko, what the hell is going on? Why is Iwamoto dragging Yusuke to the office?"

"Some items were stolen during gym class and everyone is assuming that Yusuke took them!" Keiko answered, the girl's words full of anger.

As Keiko's words sunk in, Yuki turned a fiercesome glare onto the class and stormed inside. Several of the students that stood in front of her jumped back in shock at the amount of anger that caused her eyes to flare as if they were a wildfire barely contained. The students in the back turned their gazes away from the girl, the aura that she exuded making them shrink away.

"So, you've all accused my god brother of stealing?" Yuki asked her voice as cold as Siberia.

"We had our stuff before gym class, now it's gone and he's the only person who skipped. Do you think it's a coincidence?" A boy answered, his bravery quickly fading as Yuki turned her glare onto him.

"Then by your logic, I would have helped him steal your belongings since I skipped gym class with him," Yuki smirked, stalking over to the boy and staring him down. "My god brother may be a lot of things, but a thief is not one of them."

"He's a thug Yuki. You don't have to defend him this time. No one is blaming you for how Yusuke is. We all know that you're better than him," Another boy spoke, though he yelped in fear as Yuki slammed her palm against a desk.

Everyone looked at the girl in slight fear as she removed her hand from the desktop. Once her hand was removed, her classmates could see that the wood splintered from the force of the hit as she took a deep breath through her nose and out of her mouth. Closing her eyes, Yuki forced back the rage that wanted to overtake her and she opened her eyes, the fire in them slowly receding. Spinning on her heel, Yuki walked out of the classroom and ignored Keiko's calls for her to return. Sprinting down the hallway toward the teacher's lounge, Yuki prayed that she got there in time to stop whatever was happening.

"Get off me lug head! I didn't do it!"

"Don't lie!"

Arriving at the lounge, Yuki threw the door open in time to watch as Iwamoto punched Yusuke in the face, leaving the right side of his face raw red. Quick as a bolt of lightning, Yuki glared at the older male in the middle of the two males.

"Don't you dare lay another hand on him or you will regret it," Yuki growled.

"Yuki/Ms. Urameshi?"

Looking over her shoulder, Yuki's eyes followed Yusuke's hand as it wiped away the small blood trail from his mouth before returning to the teacher. "How dare you punch him! What kind of teacher are you?!"

"Don't interfere Ms. Urameshi! Your god brother stole from at least three other students!"

"Mr. Iwamoto! I trust you found evidence before punishing?" Mr. Takenaka interjected sternly as he walked up behind the teacher.

"Yes, all the evidence I need, Mr. Takenaka," Iwamoto replied. "There was no trouble at school when he was gone and the minute he's back, look what we have. This poisonous weed was the only student skipping gym when the items were stolen. Must've learned that trick from your tramp mother."

"Yusuke was with me the entire time as I skipped gym as well. He never stole anything…I'm pretty certain if you checked his bag or pockets that you'd find nothing, Mr. Takenaka," Yuki spoke, her eyes flickering towards the teacher. "Though the same can't be said if you let Mr. Iwamoto check his bag or pockets."

"Covering for your delinquent god brother? How disappointing for you to be involved Ms. Urameshi. It would appear that this vermin has poisoned you as well," Iwamoto spoke, a thin sheen of sweat crossing his forehead.

"Yuki has always been a model student, what grounds would she have to lie?" Takenaka asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"She runs in here and questions my authority while insisting that he's innocent when she knows better than us what kind of a person he is. Model student indeed," Iwamoto scoffed.

"Exactly, so I know that he wouldn't steal. But I wouldn't put it past someone to try and do a frame job to get him kicked out," Yuki spoke, her lips twisting into a smirk as Yusuke stepped out from behind Yuki.

"You can do whatever you want to me…but you won't drag Yuki into this," Yusuke seethed as he raised his fist. "And I won't let you lie about my mother!"

As Yusuke's fist flew towards the teacher, Yuki's eyes caught the look of triumph on Iwamoto's face before she threw her arms out. She had managed to wrap her hands around his wrist, pulling him to a halt, when the world went entirely black and white.

"Hey, Yusuke and Yuki!" Koenma yelled as he popped into the room over Iwamoto's head.

"Wait, Koenma?" Yusuke asked in confusion as the pair looked at him.

"Have I got a big case for you!" Koenma spoke, his words frantic. "Three criminals have stolen the Great Artifacts of Darkness from my father's vault, made slush out of the guards, and escaped to the living world!"

"Can't you see I'm busy with this asshole here?!" Yusuke yelled before realizing what he said and covering his mouth.

"Don't worry about him kids. Right now he can't see or hear us!" Koenma proclaimed.

"It's like you paused the whole world," Yuki muttered, releasing her hold on Yusuke's arm.

"Well anyway, can't you call back later or something?" Yusuke asked.

"Stupid! This is much more important! If these stolen artifacts are used to their potential, the entire living world will be in a state of chaos and suffering. Lost lives, captured souls, and a bunch of other unpleasant things. Got it!" Koenma ranted.

"I'm not going anywhere for some dumb theft case until I clear up my own, okay?" Yusuke snapped back.

"Well, there's your culprit right there!" Koenma informed the pair, pointing to Iwamoto. "Take out your spyglass and look into his left pocket!"

Yusuke fished the spyglass out of his pocket and did what was suggested, Yuki nodded in resignation as Yusuke gasped in shock which confirmed her suspicions.

"I don't believe it!" Yusuke roared.

"Honestly, I can," Yuki sighed.

"NOW HURRY UP AND DO YOUR THING!" Koenma shrieked.

Koenma unfroze time and Yusuke's target changed and his hand dove into Iwamoto's pocket. He pulled his hand out and wrapped in his fingers was a pen with a golden dragon wrapped around it.

"An explanation, Mr. Iwamoto?" Takenaka asked, crossing his arms.

"Well come on, isn't it obvious?" Iwamoto sputtered beads of sweat on his forehead. "This master thief here has slipped it into my pocket! Yes…in fact, I'm so mad about it, I can't even look at him anymore!"

"This is a new low, even for you Iwamoto. Purposely attempting to frame a student, stealing from your students, and assaulting a minor," Yuki smirked as Iwamoto glared at her. "Why these are crimes punishable by the law."

"Out of my way girl," Iwamoto hissed rushing past Yuki as he attempted to flee.

"Iwamoto! We have more to discuss!" Takenaka yelled, rushing after the man.

"He really tried to set me up!" Yusuke seethed as they stood in the hall.

"You've been freed from the charge. Now, get to work!" Koenma yelled, reappearing by the pair.

"Okay, okay, I'll get to it," Yusuke spoke, slamming his hand into his fist. "But first, he pays."

"That's not a smart policy Yusuke. Assaulting a teacher when you've been set free," Koenma scolded.

"Even though I would love for him to suffer, I have to agree with the floating toddler. You'd be expelled for attacking him, which was likely the end goal of his scheme," Yuki explained, resting her hand on his shoulder and giving it a small squeeze.

"I can't just let him go like that!" Yusuke yelled enraged.

"Then attack him invisibly," Koenma suggested.

"Give me a break. Do I look invisible?" Yusuke scoffed.

"It's one of your new abilities. Try to take control of your Spirit Energy and then gather as much as you can into your right index finger," Koenma explained.

Holding up his right index finger, Yusuke and Yuki stared at it as small, shiny particles began to gather around it. "Hey, it's getting warm."

"Good, now all you have to do is aim and shoot. Imagine the trigger in your mind and then pull it tight." Koenma explained.

Yusuke aimed his finger at Iwamoto's back as his face filled with concentration. A bright blue beam of light shot from his fingertip and connected with the base of Iwamoto's neck, knocking the man to the ground. Takenaka knelt beside the man, shaking his shoulders as he tried to wake the man up.

"It worked," Yusuke commented in astonishment.

"I can't believe it," Yuki said, her eyes wide in shock.

"That's your Spirit Gun," Koenma said.

"My what?"

"A human being, as I've explained before, emits both body and spirit energy. While you were a ghost you became more aware of your Spirit Energy and can channel it into your finger. Now, Yusuke, it's far more powerful than a normal punch, but until you can increase your spirit muscle, so to speak, you can only use it once a day," Koenma explained before turning to the red-eyed girl.

"So, his Spirit Gun is essentially compressed spiritual energy that can be used like bullets," Yuki surmised as Koenma nodded in agreement.

As he motioned to speak to the girl, she held up a finger in front of her lips before looking around the hall. "As much as I would love to continue this conversation, can we please go somewhere less conspicuous?"

"A very good point, Ms. Yamamoto. We cannot afford any more delays, so let us be off," Koenma said before snapping his fingers.

"Wait? What do you mean by-" Yuki started before the trio vanished.

In a flash, they reappeared in an unfamiliar and dilapidated room. Yuki had her fingers stuffed into her ears as she moved her jaw around in a circle a few times, waiting for her ears to pop as she looked at Koenma with a glare on her face.

"A warning would be nice next time," She moaned. "Where exactly are we?"

"An old warehouse near your school, but that's not important right now. As I said, three weapons were stolen from my father's vault. Your chief concern will be recovering the items," Koenma spoke before holding out his hand and a purple orb shot out from it. "The Shadow Sword will make a monster from whomever it cuts. The Forlorn Hope emits a cryptic power at the full moon and the Orb of Baast can capture living souls, especially those of children."

"Cheery," Yusuke snarked. "Who came up with that one?"

"Understand Yusuke, these artifacts were forged from darkness and prey on the weak and desperate. They were created eons ago by the universe itself and serve as a vital role in balancing life. But in the wrong hands, they can also destroy and tip the scale towards evil," Koenma told the pair. "Get them, kids. As living humans, you're the best chance we've got while they're on Earth."

"Don't worry about anything else," Yuki smirked.

"You brought me back to life, right? Well, I'm guessing I can do something useful to earn my keep." Yusuke smirked, resting his elbow on Yuki's shoulder.

"So, how am I to help Yusuke? I doubt my kendo sword would do much damage against demons, " Yuki questioned as Koenma held out his hand.

In a burst of purple energy, two black swords appeared in the air and gently landed in Yuki's outstretched hands. The swords were solid black from the blade to the hilt and on the hilt was the word 'styrke' and Yuki racked her brain as to what the word meant.

"So what's with the weapon?" Yusuke asked, watching as Yuki plucked the string a few times.

"Another way to use spirit energy is to channel it into a weapon," Koenma simply answered. "Typically, you can use your spirit energy to form the weapon itself, but seeing as how we are strapped for time, giving her this weapon would be faster."

Swinging the sword in her right hand toward a beam, Yuki and Yusuke looked in shock as a large black with purple outline slash cut the bean in half. The two teens stared at the cut beam and the swords in Yuki's hands, shock and awe clear on their faces as they stammered for words.

"HOLY SHIT!"

"Well, this case is in your hands Yusuke," Koenma bowed to the duo. "Good luck."

The uptown shopping strip wasn't any more crowded than normal, but it did nothing to cheer up Yusuke, who was scowling the longer they walked down the sidewalk. The green-clad boy walked around with an annoyed glare on his face and his hands shoved in his pockets while Yuki walked behind him, humming as she looked around the stores.

"All these rich kids…all shopping. How does Koenma expect us to find them in this mess?" Yusuke seethed as he flopped down on a park bench. "Some help he was. 'We think they're somewhere in uptown,' he says!"

"For starters, Koenma doesn't sound like that. Second, be patient. It will take more than two minutes for them to make an appearance," Yuki spoke, leaning her arms on the back of the bench as she watched the people walking by.

"I still say that stopping so you could change was a waste of time. We could have been here a lot sooner," Yusuke mumbled, looking at the lounging girl with an annoyed face.

Yusuke sent a pointed look toward Yuki, the girl smiling brightly as she stood up and gestured to her new clothes. Yuki was now wearing a red tank top underneath a waist-length denim jacket with a pair of distressed, ripped skinny dark blue jeans and a pair of red high-top Converse. The annoyed boy even noticed the twin cuffs that wrapped around her left ear and hanging on her back was a small duffle bag that contained her new swords.

"Stop pouting, I told you that I was not going to chase and more than likely, fight, demons in my school uniform. Do you know how much those things cost?! Plus, I wasn't going to walk around with twin ninja swords strapped to my back in the middle of uptown. As a detective, shouldn't you want to blend in more?" Yuki smirked as Yusuke gave her a deadpan look with a sweat drop falling down his head.

"That reminds me, what were you and Botan talking about on the roof?" Yusuke asked as Yuki looked down at him.

"Girl talk, among other things, like if I would get powers too," Yuki answered, rubbing her face with her hands. "And as we saw earlier, I will get some kind of power, just not sure what."

Yusuke looked at his Yuki and for the first time since he came back to life, he could read her emotions that crossed over her face. The uncertainty of how life would change for the pair, confusion as to why it had started after he had died, and anxiety from not being able to control what was going to happen. Though as fast as he could read her emotions, they quickly were placed behind her mask and the girl let out a soft sigh, stretching her arms over her head. Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Yusuke turned his head away from her, knowing that she wouldn't want him to comfort her and she would do anything to change the subject, making sure to ignore how she felt.

"Well, that feels awkward," Yuki spoke, her head tilted towards the sky.

At her words, Yusuke looked toward the sky and his eyes widened in shock. The once blue sky had turned blood-red and Yuki gripped the strap of her duffle as Yusuke narrowed his eyes. Before either teen could move, loud frantic voices filled the air and caught their attention.

"Someone, call an ambulance!"

"It's a kid!"

"What happened?!"

"I don't know, he fainted!"

Yusuke jumped up from the bench and Yuki jumped over it before the pair rushed over and slipped through the crowd to see what was happening. Laying in the arms of a passerby, a little boy stared ahead through the crowd. His brown eyes were blank and glossed over and a puff of white vapor floated through his parted lips. As Yusuke gasped, Yuki's eyes narrowed as the realization that they were the only ones to see it crossed their minds.

The Orb of Baast. It can capture living souls, especially those of children. Yusuke thought as the vapor floated into the air.

"We found our lead," Yuki smirked as Yusuke grabbed Yuki's wrist and yanked her behind him.

They chased after the child's soul as it floated along the street before it turned around a corner. Yuki skidded to a halt before dragging Yusuke behind her as they kept up with the soul through several alleyways. Once the pair reached a shady-looking part of town, they both came to a stop as they panted lightly. Looking around their surroundings, the small white vapor was gone from sight and Yusuke let out an annoyed growl.

"Damn it, we lost it! Bugs, are you sure that it came this way?" Yusuke asked in frustration.

"I know what I saw and it came this way. If the soul disappeared, that can only mean that the Orb of Baast is nearby," Yuki answered, the teens seeing the figures looming around the edges of the ally.

"Stay close," Yusuke said as he took the lead.

Rolling her eyes with a smile on her lips, Yuki followed behind Yusuke before nudging him gently. "Why not use the spyglass that Botan gave you? If my hunch is correct, the demon should be around here somewhere."

"Good idea Bugs," Yusuke said, pulling out the spyglass.

Holding the spyglass to his eye, Yusuke began to look around the men that hung around the ally before he started to focus on a large man sitting on an upturned box. The smile that was on his lips was something that caused a shiver to slide down the teen's spine. Yuki's eyes scanned over the man and she saw two horns sitting on the top of the man's head.

"Demon," Yuki whispered to Yusuke as he let out a gasp.

"He's got the Orb of Baast," Yusuke whispered back as the man yawned.

He stood up from the box and started to leave, walking toward a side alley. The teens took a step forward when someone placed a hand on Yusuke's shoulder, holding him in place.

"Hey kid, you got some cash for me?"

"Sorry minor league. I don't have time for you," Yusuke brushed the guy's hand from his shoulder as more unwelcomed guests surrounded them.

Many of the men stared at Yuki, their eyes roaming her body as she stared back with a bored expression.

"Wrong answer." One chuckled.

Yusuke shrugged. "Well, don't say I didn't give you a fair warning!"

Yusuke started to fight the thugs as Yuki's eyes flickered to the demon that was vanishing from sight. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as she cursed under her breath. A man slid up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his body as he smirked down at her. "What's a sweet thing like you doing with a brute like him?"

"We don't have time for this Yusuke. He's getting away," Yuki hissed.

She swung the duffle bag into the man's groin, causing him to bend over in the middle. Once his arm had slackened, Yuki grabbed his wrist tightly with her left hand and spun under his arm. Squeezing his wrist tightly, she lifted her right arm and brought her elbow down as hard as she could, breaking his arm. He screamed out in pain before he fell to the ground, fainting from the intense pain.

"I'm fourteen, you creep," Yuki said as she looked at Yusuke. "We lost him when they surrounded us. The last thing I saw of him was when he went down that alley."

"Well, let's go, Bugs," Yusuke said as they both raced down the alley.