!-Begin Chapter Eighteen-!

Final Battle

Standing in front of a small lake full of energy was another demon. This one had short dark red hair with streaks of dark purple and black. She had dark purple eyes. She wore a skin tight maroon shirt ending mid-riff. She wore a pair of loose teal pants with thick navy trim. She also wore simple black sandals. In her hand was a sword. The blade was made of gold, the hilt comprising of black diamond.

"So all of you made it here alive, but you won't leave in such a state/"

Yusuke got angry and raised a fist, "Why you!"

Nuema forced Yusuke's hand down, "You've already fought, let someone else fight who hasn't fought already."

"You can fight?" Yusuke stared in disbelief at her. Even though she had shown advanced fighting knowledge, she had never raised her fist before in his sight, so he didn't think she could.

"Of course I can, you idiot." Nuema walked foreword, glaring coolly at the person.

"Ah, Nuema, hold of my sister's soul. My name's Niema, although Delis probably told you about that already."

"Yes she has, and I assume you found out about me from Gura."

"Indeed I have, so we both should know how strong the other is, and you should know you can't beat me as you are."

"Hn. I know well what you wish for me to do, but I won't do so."

"Very well then." Niema stepped sideways and waved behind herself, motioning to the lake steaming every color possible. "You can use the energy stored in the water to refuel yourself, I'd hate to beat someone like you while you're down. You might as well have more of a fighting chance, although it won't affect the outcome."

Nuema continued her calm glare at Niema but moved to lake. She briefly glanced down at the blue waters, "Quite a feat, storing such vast amounts of energy in water."

"Marishi did that before she became a traitor like Delis."

"You must have been planning this for quite a while then."

Nuema closed her eyes and a golden aurora surrounded her. When her hand broke through the water's surface her aurora turned as many hues as the steam. After a while she stood up and faced Niema.

Niema smirked, "Yes we have. And you can't use that lake for the rest of the fight."

"Fine."

Niema charge at Nuema without warning. Nuema jumped to the side and avoided a swipe by the sword. She clenched her hands into fists and moved them into a live level with her shoulders and moved them down to her sides. Energy flew out of her hands. Out of the left came fire and the other was water. She soon held two whips of elemental energy.

As Niema turned to charge at her again, Nuema raised her hands and cracked the fire whip, which caught the golden blade. She then cracked the water whip which caught Niema herself. Nuema flung Niema into the rock wall. She clasped her hand, combining the handles. The energies combined, then changed shape into a blade made of constantly shifting red and blue hues which had steam rolling off of it.

Nuema turned to face where Niema had fallen. She lifted her blade, barely able to parry Niema's sword. Briefly ensuing this was a quick sword fight going back and forth between the two for who was winning. High amounts of energy waves came from both of them.

"Nuema's pretty strong, she should win this."

"No," Kurama replied to Kuwabara's statement, "I supposed you can't sense well enough to tell the difference between which energy belongs to, but Nuema is far out-classed by Niema and is losing her energy faster."

"Have a little faith, will ya, ya pessimist?" Hiei kept from entering the conversation as he looked at Shiei's face.

There was a minor explosion as their swords met again. Both were blown backwards, but remained standing, although Nuema was low on energy from keeping that sword for as long as she had. Actually, that's what the explosion came from. She was now sword less and couldn't risk forming another without risking death.

Niema smirked as she realized that fact.

"Do you mean to tell me that's your best, if so I'm sadly disappointed."

"No its not." Nuema closed her eyes as more aura surrounded her. "I have to be careful this time around. I can use my energy as freely as I did before."

She clenched a hand forming a blade made of pure fire energy. Although her energy and aurora were aura were replenished, she was still weakened slightly from needing to use her reserved energy, although she still gave off the energy of a lower B class demon. As Niema charged at her again, Nuema was barely able to parry, but not in time to keep a gash from being cut into her cheek. When the blades met Nuema pushed Niema's back before jumping backwards. She felt the injury and looked over at Niema. The golden blade was glowing with black energy, the blade itself had streaks of the bloodiest red forming in it.

"This is the famed Red Blood Lust." Kurama looked slightly amazed and Hiei snapped his head up.

The red blood lust. This sword was formed by the most powerful black smith in all of demon world. It was formed after the blades Sealed Fate and the Phoenix Talon blade and is weaker then both. The wielder of the sword gains more power as more blood is spilt upon it. The wounds created from this sword can not be closed and have to heal naturally, and will do so very slowly.

Nuema calmly glared at Niema and slashed her sword, bands of fire flew at Niema. Niema dodged and the bands flew into the wall, making an explosion. Small bits of rubble fell down from the explosion. Niema appeared behind Nuema and started to swing the blade. Nuema turned around to dodge, so only her shoulder was hit. Nuema's hand twitched and the blade disappeared. She used her freed right hand to hold her shoulder and watched as Red Blood Lust glowed black again.

Nuema glowered and let her right hand rest next to her and stood up straight. She clenched her fists as Niema disappeared again. When the demon reappeared behind Nuema, she turned around. The side of her torso was slashed as she made a small cut in Niema's cheek with one quick motion of her hand with a nail as the weapon. Some blood splattered on her hand and Niema's front from Nuema's wound. Nuema jumped back and her side. The blade glowed black again as it absorbed the blood.

As Niema disappeared again, Nuema followed the blood dripping from the cut of Niema's cheek. She dodged in time to prevent herself from being injured again. As she looked back at where Niema was she saw no one. She looked around, barely spotting the telltale blood and moving out of the way again. This time Niema stood still, wiping the blood off her cheek.

"Very smart move, I wasn't expecting you to do something like that. However," Niema smirked and snickered arrogantly, "there is still no way you can beat me, especially now. You've had to use all the energy you had left and you can't heal yourself."

Nuema winced slightly but continued glaring at Niema, "Shut up." She moved towards Niema and raised a hand. Bolts of red and black electricity jumped from the outfacing palm towards Niema. Niema lifted her hand and absorbed all of the chaotic energy.

"It is useless to try, you've been weakened so much that even a low class demon could beat you."

"I won't let you beat me."

"It is unfortunate that you are to stubborn to accept the truth. You could tag out."

"Hmph, only if I can't fight any more."

"Well then, you should have mentioned that earlier."

Niema charged at Nuema again and Nuema dodged by lucky guess, she couldn't follow Niema's blood anymore. When she landed pain coursed through her. Electricity of every color was surrounding her and draining her energy rapidly.

"If this continues," Kurama spoke in shock, "She'll be killed."

"You're kidding me."

"I'm afraid I'm not."

Suddenly the electricity disappeared. Nuema's clothes were frazzled and dirty. She started to collapse forward, but stopped. A strong gold aura surrounded her, causing her brown tresses to float in the air. Her eyes were closed. Her hair turned purple and became longer. She became taller as well. Her outfit changed to become almost exactly like Niema's, however, the shirt had the same coloration as her pants, which ended at her knees, showing white bandages. Also, she gained a sword, it was tied about her waist by a thick red and gold rope. As she stood, she opened her eyes, showing that they were a golden shade.

Those oddly tinted eyes narrowed into a glare although they were devoid of emotion. The face merely appearing to serve as a battle expression.

"Ah, Delis, its always good to see my traitorous younger sister."

"Wait, Delis is Niema's sister?"

"Apparently so, Kuwabara, although I had my suspicions from the way she greeted Nuema."

Delis drew a relatively normal looking katana, "Such a kind greeting. I can't say I'm as pleased to see you." The aura around her body became weaker and easier to see through. Niema charged at Delis and she lifted her sword. The swords clashed. Both of them jumped backwards. Delis tightened her hold on the hilt of her sword.

The hilt glowed and transformed. It was made of what appeared o be the talon of a bird of prey. The four talons hung over the blade itself, embedded in the top of the hilt was a fiery stone that was almost triangular in shape.

Delis lifted her hand and put her other hand on the end of the hilt. She twisted her sword hand so it was in front of the hilt. The blade glowed black and coated itself in flames of the same shade.

Delis and Niema charged at each other when their swords met again, the flames around Delis's sword erupted, nearly burning Niema. Niema jumped backwards, loathing in her eyes. Delis smirked.

"Isn't this the Phoenix Talon Blade you wished to possess so badly that you sent so many demons after Zaira to coerce it from her? Then why do you look at it with such hate?"

"Because I hate you for having it! You shouldn't even be holding it right now. It belonged to the group, but you stole it, and foiled my plants, then left taking it for yourself. I was just going to take back what wasn't yours." Niema's voice was near a growl.

"Are you that different? You took Red Blood Lust for yourself."

"Only to beat you."

"Doubtlessly you planned to return it. I will remind you that you had your eyes on the blade when I owned it."

"You will be quite and die."

Niema charged at Delis once again. Delis jumped up. While she was in the air, Niema sent a blast of fire energy at her younger sibling. The fire only burned away the bandages from Delis's legs. Delis landed on the ground, white scars appearing on her body, mainly her back. On the back of her arms appeared scars that could have been wings, on the back of her calves was something that appeared to be talons.

Delis smirked, "Although I'd be honoring you with the Takabu, I haven't used it in over thirty years. Feel honored."

Delis closed her eyes and raised her arms to be in line with her shoulders. The scaring lit up, some light even filtering through her long purple hair. The light became blinding suddenly as there was a sound similar to an eagle's cry. When the light subsided above Delis was a bird made of pulsing fire energy that was white, red, orange, and black.

The scars had been removed from Delis's body. Her eyes were now opened as she raised the palm of her hand to face Niema. The bird charged and flew into Niema. When it was on the other side of the lake, it disappeared. Niema was covered in burns and her clothes were covered in soot. Niema collapsed to her knees. Delis walked over to her sister.

"Before you die, tell me what you did with the Kiram."

"I can't believe you would use that on your own sister." Niema had a very hollow look in her eyes, her voice was monotone.

"Where are the Kiram?"

"I can't believe I lost.

"My patience grows thin. Tell me where the Kiram are."

"Over there." Niema waved her hand over at a wall, near a small pile of rubble. She collapsed, dead a few seconds later.

Delis sheathed her sword and took it off her waist. She tossed it over at the group, probably more aimed at Kurama, since it landed at his feet.

"When Zaira wakes up, give that to her. If not, you will die."

Delis raised her hand, the hilt of Niema's sword and the abandoned sheath flew into it. She seated the golden blade and put it where the Phoenix Talon Blade had been moments ago. Delis walked over to the wall and rested a hand on it. The wall faded, revealing a small closet sized alcove holding about fifty Kiram. They piled out and stormed around Delis. Delis picked up a rock from the nearby rubble and charged it with energy.

"Place this in the center of the clearing when you get back." She handed it to a Kiram which nodded at her. Delis placed her right hand on the ground. An icy blue symbol appeared on the ground. It was circular in sharp, surrounding the Kiram and Delis. A foot from the outside was another icy blue circle. Inscribed in the inner circle was the outline of a triangle. Between the inner and outer circles were three small circles at the points of the triangle. In between the large circles there were letters, emblazoned in ice blue, of an ancient language.

The symbol flashed and dissipated, taking the Kiram with it. Delis turned back into Nuema who collapsed on her back. Kurama walked over to her, able to see the gentle rise and fall of her chest, as if she was asleep, although she had practically no energy.

Minutes later, Botan flew smiling into the group who were halfway out of the caves, "Good job guys! You did..." Suddenly her bubble burst as she saw Shiei being held in Hiei's arms. She then noticed Nuema who was being carried between Yusuke and Kurama. "Oh dear. We should bring them to Spirit World. Master Genkai is already there."

!-End Chapter Eighteen-!