Before the wounded imp was even able to let half of the air slip from its lungs, Kurama’s whip had swirled around its small body a total of three times. The whip tightened, binding its arms to its torso tightly. Any complaint would be nothing more than a wheeze. Wasted oxygen. Realizing the position it was in, the last surviving imp did not attempt a prolonged struggle. In fact, Kurama would almost call it docile now that it wasn’t free to do what it pleased. 

[color=FF7F50][b]“Now then…”[/b][/color] Kurama relaxed his stance and took three short steps closer to the imp, kneeling down to better meet the pathetic creature at eye level. It stared at him fearfully, and one last futile attempt to escape the bonds that choked its body. A weak rocking of its small body followed, then it was done.[color=FF7F50] [b]“You’re not the most intelligent creature but surely you value your life. I’m going to relax my grasp just enough for you to give me the answers I need. I’ll start by asking you who you work--”[/b][/color]

Kurama’s eyes widened, first at the sensation of demon energy that seemed to surge through the imp, and secondly at the deep purple aura that overtook the creature’s body.

With a quick release of energy at his heels, Kurama had abandoned the handle of the whip and shielded his face with his left arm. The last expression he could take away from the imp was one of panic,, then pain, just before its eyes bulged from its body and an explosion followed soon after. Fortunately, it had done little to damage either himself or Botan. Unfortunately, they were now left without any chance of a lead. Their best bet at a hint to who might be pulling strings had now turned to dust, scattering about with another short gust of ominous wind. The sensation of being watched had vanished as the imp before his eyes did. 

[color=FF7F50][b]“That one… it exploded without my attempt at destroying it. It couldn’t have been a suicide it wanted to happen,”[/b][/color] Kurama thought aloud as he moved to retrieve the remains of his whip. Wrapping it in his hand, he examined the space the imp had occupied just moments ago. Not a piece remained. 

He could have stood there for another several minutes to investigate the area, however Botan did not have the same level of energy as him, nor the urge to form a handful of new hypothesis. It was in her voice, and as he turned around he saw it on her face. She was tired from the day’s events, and firing the spirit gun probably didn’t improve her already dwindling energy levels. 

He gave her a smile of understanding, discarding the remains of his rose whip in a nearby trash can before nodding towards home. [color=FF7F50][b]“Right. Mother will be worried, and besides that I think we’ve earned a good night’s rest.”[/b][/color]

Their walk home was peaceful after the skirmish. Try as he might to search out for the same energy he felt spying on them before, he could not find a single trace of it remaining. It was not the relief he was looking for; in fact, it was the exact opposite. He had revealed his ability to the puppet master, and while it may not have been every trick in his arsenal it was enough for them to know that Botan and himself would not be overcome by demons of such a low class and intelligence. What was to stop them from trying again, sending something larger and much more lethal?

The inner turmoil of his thoughts were paused in time to nod in agreement with Botan's joy of seeing the others tonight. Before they had gotten into the trouble they did, it was a good evening with good company. Yet try as he might, he could not pretend that his mind was not elsewhere now. He would have loved to talk to Botan about it before, but the attack had increased the level of seriousness when it came to solving this case. If he had any free time, it would now have to be spent pondering everything they knew so far. A pity that their evening had to change so quickly.

When they finally returned home, Kurama had fished out the house key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. He turned it, but made no further move to open the door. [color=FF7F50][b]“Botan,”[/b][/color] he looked at her from the corner of his eye, a concerned frown in place of a content smile. [color=FF7F50][b]“I know this goes without saying, but I want you to be extra careful as we move forward. Things were far simpler when we were on the sidelines and watching for signs, but I fear the attack we dealt with tonight was more than it appeared at first glance. If I were to guess, I’d say those imps were acting on orders from someone else, likely the one we’re after. We defeated them with ease… but I don’t think the purpose was to harm us.”[/b][/color]

It was a bitter pill to swallow, that was for certain. Letting Botan believe that the attack was an isolated incident may have been easier on her nerves but it was not a kindness he could afford. As his partner for this case she deserved to hear of any suspicions he might have. While he couldn’t prove anything for certain, it was better to be more guarded than remain at ease. 

[color=FF7F50][b]“I will be sleeping on any possibility, but if possible I would like you to send a message to Koenma. Ask him if he knows anything about any criminals from demon world, or perhaps spirit world, who have been known to act through weak underlings and have the capability of detonating things from afar,”[/b][/color] He concluded with a smile to overwrite his concern, returning to the cheerful Kurama she knew well. [color=FF7F50][b]“And great work tonight. I know Yusuke would have been especially proud of that spirit gun of yours.”[/b][/color] 

He opened the door and announced his return with Botan, welcomed by a warm atmosphere and faint aroma of the dinner that Shiori had alone. 

The following Monday had gone as it always had. He was up promptly, took no more time than usual in the shower, greeted his mother and ate what she had prepared for them. Everything went as normal, all except that Botan appeared to have a rough start. She had slept through her first alarm and it had taken a knock at the door to rouse her from her sleep. Her shower was brief despite there being no real hurry. When they shared breakfast together she had poked at her food for a while before making any attempt to eat it. 

She didn’t hold a fever of any kind, and when Shiori had asked him if anything odd had happened recently he had assured her that nothing unusual had occurred. A lie, but a necessary one. Not a single hair on Botan was brushed by the imps they fought off days ago. At first he believed that this was just a slow start for her after the ordeal. Botan had the right to be sleepy and sluggish, as did anyone else who had to shoulder the burdens she did. What really alarmed him was that when his mother hoped she felt better and wished her a good day, Botan had said and done nothing in return.

It wasn’t like her to miss a chance to show respect and kindness to someone who considered her feelings so much. Thankfully his mother had said nothing about it and prepared to start her own day. The walk to school was silent, with Botan repeatedly lagging behind and finding interest in the cement they strode on. When faced with the same longing stares from classmates who desired to know her more, she hadn’t said a word about it, not in the sense of ignoring it but in the sense of not being aware of anyone in particular. 

She daydreamed in class, a complete contrast to the Botan he knew that desired to do better in her studies. When called to stand up and read, she had to be called more than once to grab her attention. This was perhaps the slowest he had ever seen Botan act in such a short time. Was it possible that using the spirit gun technique had caused such a drain on her new body that she hadn’t fully recovered?

Kurama stood up quickly when class was dismissed, freeing everyone to pull out their lunches and move elsewhere. He had managed to grab her attention and nod for her to follow him with her lunch in hand. When they were out of earshot and descending the staircase to the greenhouse, he glanced at her over his shoulder to see that she was already beginning to fall behind again.

[color=FF7F50][b]“Botan, how much rest did you get last night?”[/b][/color] he asked. [color=FF7F50][b]“Did you overexert yourself when you used the spirit gun a couple days ago?”[/b] [/color]