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The air was cold as it whipped around them. The world was consumed in the blackness of night. The stars seemed to hide in the shadows that shrouded them. The pale flaps on the two tents rustled back and forth in the wind. The branches of the tree creaked with the breeze. They stood on opposite sides of the tree’s shadow. The five sapphire demons stood closely together in a bunch. The five emerald demons stood in a line, resembling a military arrangement. The majority of them goggled in disbelief, but the two taller blonds were only cold and reserved. The taller of the two, the one who seemed to have the weaker powers, held the sapphire priestess tightly in his arms. The ribbon at his waist swayed in the same motion as the priestesses’ hair as the wind brushed against it. The other blond smirked wickedly. The emerald priestess stood behind him, cowering and growling all at once. The opposing demons seemed formidable to her, but it was their priestess that she hated. The cold wind blew across their faces in preparation for the confrontation.

Justin drew his sword from the sheath at his side. “How I’ve waited for this day… You foul pest…”

Nick smirked and cracked his claws, “Same here…”

Justin tightened the grip on his sword, “You will never make a mockery of me ever again!”

“You talk a big game, why don’t you show me!”

Justin sneered, “Don’t act so mighty! You are merely a shadow!” Justin leaped into the air toward Nick.

“Nick!” Minako reached toward him.

Nick gripped her hand, then pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, “Stay behind Brian!” He cracked his claws again, the metal on his ring gleamed with the light of the moon. “When I slaughter him, we’ll go in search of the box!” Nick leaped into the air as well.

“Justin!” Renee shrieked.

“Do not act so insolent you cur!” Justin rose his sword.

“No one would know better than you!” Nick spread his claws.

The two men met in the air. Nick raked his claws through Justin’s side. Justin attempted to sever Nick’s arm at his shoulder, but Nick managed to dodge at the last second, creating only a large gash at his joint. Nick stretched out his leg and hit the large tree with his foot, bouncing back toward Justin who had landed on the ground near Minako and the sapphire demons.

“What’s the matter, ‘great demon general’, is a blade the only way to ensure your victory?”

“Don’t say that!” a female voice screamed.

Nick landed on the ground quickly, missing his intended target. “Minako…?” He looked toward her, but she stood next to Brian shaking her head. Nick turned around quickly. Renee stood in front of the emerald demons, clenching her fists.

“Of course Justin is strong! He gave you terrible wounds! That’s how we found you! You’re so weak that you can’t heal yourself!”

“Renee!”

Renee turned to her quickly and sneered, “I’ll handle you in a moment, bitch! Right now I’m talking to this disgusting creature!”

Minako reached her hand out to Renee. “Please, if you’ll just listen…!”

Brian pulled Minako back as she tried to run toward Renee.

Renee ignored her plea and turned back to Nick, “Admit it! You’re weak!”

Nick began laughing disdainfully as he turned back to Justin and punched his cheek, knocking him to the ground.

Renee clenched her fists tighter, “Why are you laughing?”

Nick sneered as he turned back to her, “What have you seen of the world, Renee?”

“Plenty! It’s hell on earth!”

Nick laughed harder as he stepped on Justin’s hand and pulled his sword from his grasp, “What gives you the right to say that?”

“I’ve traveled from Emeradotouhou to Rubiihoppou! I’ve seen the military and war!”

Nick continued to laugh as he started walking toward her, “So seeing means experiencing?” He smirked at her scornfully, “Shut up.” He stabbed Justin’s sword into the ground.

Renee growled, “What?”

Lance put his hand to his chest and pushed the other emerald demons aside, “Let me handle this, Your Eminence.”

“Leave your demons out of this, Renee, I’m talking to you.” Nick stopped and crossed his arms, “If you want to prove your strength, then you’ll listen.”

Renee growled, “You know nothing about me!”

“True,” he nodded as he started walking toward her, “I have been told many things about you, but as far as I can tell, they’re all false.”

Renee loosened her fists. What?

Nick turned his head to glance back at Brian and Minako, “But, what right do I have to say anything? The last time we met, you merely sat on the ground convulsing from the scent of blood. I thought you were weak.”

“I’m not weak!”

He turned back to her and clenched his hand into a fist, “Weak compared to your comrade who stood reaching her arms out to you until the moment she collapsed.”

“You’re biased!”

He glanced back at Minako with a gentle smile. “You’re right… I probably have no right to discuss this particular subject…” He shook his head and faced Renee again. “But I will say this. Your view of the world is narrow. I believed in your heart from the first moment that I heard her voice shake for the blonde haired girl in red barrettes, but… Even I have lost faith. Me, who wanted to believe in you so badly for her sake… Enough is enough.” He started walking toward her again as he untied the sash at his waist.

Renee growled.

“You have seen nothing of the world. Where are your blood and tears? You fought like hell? Don’t give me those lies. We battled you and your ruthless general who would be happy to tear our limbs from us and lick whatever blood came running from them…” Nick began undoing the clasps from his collar as he continued to walk.

Renee backed away, “Are you trying to give me an injustice? My demons will rip you apart…”

Nick slipped his tunic from his shoulders and wrapped it into a ball with the sash before throwing it to Minako. She caught it and held it tightly in her hands. The blood from the gash at Nick’s shoulder ran down the side of his chest. He brushed it lightly with his hand and licked it from his fingers. “Not everything is about you, Renee… That was a precious gift, so I won’t see it damaged any more. The blood on it is plenty.”

“You… licked your own blood. What are you?”

“Don’t change the subject Renee… I’m trying to show you what hell is…”

Renee backed up again, “Don’t come any closer…”

Nick stopped and held his hand against his abdomen, “See this wound, even the bandages won’t help it. It hurt like hell then, and even now it's still bleeding. But, I overcame that.” Nick frowned, “Even when we tried to heal ourselves your general came after us like we were his prize catch in the forest. Thanks to Brian’s barrier, we were protected, but… for how long? Didn’t you wonder why we left?”

Renee growled.

“Poor Renee, you wanted to hurt her, didn’t you?” Nick clenched his fist, “Because for some reason, you want to put others through hell for your own sick gain! Even now she’s crying for you!”

Renee sneered and turned away, but she glanced at Minako. While she held Nick’s tunic tightly to her face, streams of tears were still visible on her cheeks.

“You chased us here to this land of ice covered in a miasma of blood! We fought the ice and something worse than death! A creature who was far stronger than your general could ever be! All this for a box!”

“You want the box more than she does! You demons just want what belongs to you! You don’t deserve that box, the priestess does! She’s the one who gets the wishes! You’re just tools!”

“Is that what you think?” Nick put his hand on Renee’s shoulder, “She wants it for me, but… One of her wishes would be for you… Can’t her heart be large enough for both of us?”

“Don’t touch me…” Renee growled, “Don’t tell me your lies!”

“Remove your hand, cretin…”

Nick turned to face Justin’s sneering voice. He held the tip of his sword at Minako’s neck.

“Minako…” Nick clenched Renee’s shoulder tightly. She distracted me.

“Remove your hand… Or I will strike as well.”

Nick growled, “Coward… You would kill her for something so petty…” Nick clenched his free hand tightly, “Don’t touch her!!”

Justin smirked, his eyes fixed on Nick, “Hmm… Once again, I seem to have hit a nerve… What powers will you use to destroy me this time?”

While he was distracted, Minako dropped Nick’s tunic and started backing away from Justin. AJ gasped and pulled on his earring, mimicking Minako once more. He then picked up Nick’s tunic, pushed her out of the way, and took Minako’s place in front of the general. Minako tried running toward Nick, but Howie pulled her back toward the tents, out of sight of both Justin and Nick.

Nick’s wings shot from his back and his fangs spilled from his mouth. His eyes glowed with the intense sapphire color as he cracked his claws. His eyes were sightless, yet, still focused on Justin and the sword he held pointed at AJ’s illusionary Minako. The emerald demons stared in wonder at the monster that stood before them.

“So, then his former self is indeed the shadow of a demon…” Justin smirked, “But I doubt it is a formidable one…”

Nick growled and cracked his claws once more. Justin smirked and shoved AJ’s imitation of Minako to the ground. He lunged toward Nick, the blade of his sword shining in the pale light of the moon. Nick grinned maniacally, his fangs gleaming like Justin’s sword. He wrapped his fingers around Justin’s blade and shoved his other fist into the side of Justin’s abdomen. Blood streamed from the wound. Nick removed his hand with a quick pull and began licking the blood from his fingers. In his surprise, Justin drew back from his parry with Nick. Nick looked at the hand he had used to hold Justin’s sword. Blood streamed from a gash in his palm, he slowly licked it as well. His lips curled up, and while his lips resembled a snarl, his sightless eyes seemed to smile.

“Justin!” a male voice called.

Both Justin and Nick turned to the direction of the voice. Joshua stood with his legs spread apart for balance. He steadied an arrow against his bow, aiming at Nick. Nick didn’t react and stood perfectly still staring at Joshua with unfaltering confidence.

Joshua pulled back the string on his bow, “This one will hit your heart!” He released the arrow from the bow. A rush of wind came with its perfect aim.

Nick reached out his hand and caught the arrow, crushing the shaft as he tightened his grip.

Joshua stepped back in alarm, “What… What is he?!”

Lance clenched his fists, “I’ll do it!” His skin began to shine.

Christopher pushed him aside, “Leave this to the warriors, ki user!”

Lance growled.

The wind blew around Christopher as he tightened his fists, the air grew colder, the night darker. Hundreds of ice shards rained from the sky. Howie grabbed Minako tightly, then pushed her into the entrance of the tents. Brian laced his fingers, then raised his staff, surrounding the other three sapphire demons and their priestess in a barrier.

Nick let out a low laugh as he pressed his foot into the ground and sprung up like a cannon. He began kicking the ice shards away from his body, sending the shards in various directions, including back toward Christopher and Renee. Lance quickly wrapped his arms around Renee to shield her from the attack. Christopher dropped to his knees as his shoulders shook and the barrage of ice shards raining from the sky ceased. The barrier around the sapphire demons fell. Nick began laughing maniacally.

Lance turned to Nick and growled, “How dare you…”

Nick landed on the ground a few inches from Lance then delivered a swift kick to Lance’s abdomen. Lance fell to his knees. Nick turned to Renee.

Renee stepped backward and put up her hands. “Don’t come any closer…”

Nick took a step forward for each step Renee took backward.

“Not another step…” Her voice shook violently.

Nick reached his hand toward her and grasped her neck with his claws.

“JUSTIN!!” Renee shrieked as her voice cracked violently.

Justin pulled AJ from the ground and held him tightly in his grasp, his sword poised at his neck. “I told you before, demon, drop her.”

Nick began laughing and tightened his grip on Renee’s neck as he pulled her from the ground.

Renee flailed her arms, trying to remove his hand.

Justin growled and turned to AJ’s illusion of Minako. “Die, Sapphire Priestess…”

“STOP!!” a feminine voice rang through the wind.

Justin turned to face the voice. The true Minako had pushed past Howie and was running toward Nick with tears streaming down her cheeks.

“NICK!!!!” she reached her hands toward him.

Justin growled and dropped AJ to the ground, “A decoy…?” He turned and hurried in the direction of Minako and Nick.

Minako threw her arms around Nick’s chest, her tears falling on his bare back. “Nick! You didn’t want to be this again! Let Renee go!”

A hushed silence fell over the emerald demons. Again?

The sapphire glow in his eyes subsided.

Minako let go of his back and forced herself between Nick and Renee. She smiled and put her hand to his face, “I love you… Just the way you’ve always been…” She pressed a kiss to his lips and gripped his outstretched arm, “You’re perfect exactly as you are!”

Renee struggled to breathe, but the black surrounding her began filling with color again as the vibrations of a soothing voice penetrated the darkness.

“…For both of us…”

Renee opened her eyes slowly as she felt the weight on her neck being lifted. As her vision became clear, she found herself staring into Nick’s blue eyes without the sapphire glow.

Blood streamed down the side of his face from a gash in his forehead, but he smiled gently, “See… It’s large enough for both of us…”

Renee let out a growl. How dare he tell me lies and smile like an idiot! At that moment she felt claws digging into her neck again, she coughed and reached her hands to her throat again before being flung to the ground. She looked up at Nick who had held her tightly only moments before. His arms were wrapped tightly around Minako, but his face was strained into a grimace. A long object protruded from his back and clawed hands wrapped around the handle at the top. Renee’s stare followed the hands to a pair of arms attached to a torso covered in metal. Justin! Justin had stabbed him!

“Nick!!” Minako shrieked.

Nick winced and leaned his head against hers. . He began laughing quietly and took in a sharp breath, “It’s alright… I’ve had worse…”

Minako gripped his chest tightly.

“Nick! Allow us to assist!”

Nick turned over his shoulder and saw Howie standing only a few feet from him, holding out his sword. Nick nodded. Howie tossed the sword toward Nick. It flipped in the air before Nick caught it nimbly and thrust it into Justin’s side, one of the few places his body was not covered in armor.

Justin growled and gripped his side, “You…”

Nick growled as well, “How cowardly of you to wield a weapon and wear armor in a fight amongst demons!” Nick pulled the sword from Justin’s side. Nick’s hand trembled as he tried to hold the sword’s grip tightly, sweat and blood pouring down his face.

Minako tightened her grip on him and flailed her hand across his back. I have to help! She managed to grasp the blade of the sword. I have to help! She gripped it tightly and flailed her other hand until she caught the other side of the sword, then began to pull on it with her entire strength, struggling against the pain welling in her hand.

“Minako… Don’t…” Nick tightened his grip around her as he held Howie’s sword tightly.

Minako’s breathing became labored as she smiled at Nick, “I’d rather cut off my hand than see you die…” She tightened her grip on the blade, “So I’ll pull it out no matter what!” Her hand began glowing with an intense blue light and she ripped the sword from Nick’s back. She held the blade in her shaking hand, but then dropped it to the ground.

Justin took hold of the sword again and gripped it tightly, “I’ll kill you…” his voice shook, “YOU WON’T LIVE DESPICABLE DEMON!!!!!!!”

Nick tightened his grip around Minako, a faint sapphire glow flickering on his skin. “I’ll protect you!”

Rain began to pour from the sky increasing the darkness of the bleak night. The once visible moon was blotted out by the overpowering darkness. Everyone looked up to see the rumbling clouds above them.

At that moment, giant, glowing red orbs appeared in the sky and a booming voice sighed, “Such a wonderful burst of power…”

Minako clenched her bloody hand and growled, her eyes seething, “You…”

The voice seemed to laugh, “Priestess… Why that look? Do you plan to murder me with your eyes? Do not forget, the one who torments my darling Nickolas is you… Not me.”

Minako clenched her fist tighter, “What’s the point of all this killing?! This bloodshed?! Why do we need to fight?! Just give one of us the box and everything will be okay!!”

“I cannot do that…”

“Why not?!!”

“Every heart has different wishes… And besides that, only one of you has a complete set of demons…”

Minako turned to Renee. She sat on the ground, covering her face with her hands, hiding from the gruesome eyes in the sky.

“I invite you to my castle, Pandora of the Sapphires… And you as well, Pandora of the Emeralds… That is, once you find your last demon…”

“Your castle?! Is that where the box is?!” Minako shouted toward the sky.

“Perhaps…”

“Where do we go?! Tell me!!”

“My invitation extends no place or time, simply come at your convenience…”

Minako growled, “Just tell me where!!”

“If you have overcome your other obstacles… Why not partake in one more?”

“WE’RE DYING TRYING TO GET TO YOU!!!!”

“I would never let my demons die…”

“BUT THE OTHERS--”

A great stream of rain landed on Minako’s face. The glowing eyes had disappeared from the sky leaving only the thunder and rain to pour and crash on the demons and the two priestesses standing beneath the large tree, shadowed by its branches. Renee sat on the ground, covering her eyes tightly with her wrapped arms. Minako choked as she tried to hold back her tears while gripping Nick tightly with her bloody, shaking hand. Nick held Howie’s sword limply in one hand, and clutched onto Minako with the other. The blood that poured down his face washed away each moment with the streams of rain. Justin stood behind them, staring up at the ominous sky, his clothing darkening with the rain and his blood. Though his gaze remained unwavering, his sword rested limply in his grasp.

AJ pulled on his earring quickly and regained his true form. He coughed. “I have no right to add my opinion, but it seems to me that we ought to head toward this castle if we have an invitation…”

Brian clenched his staff tightly. “Yes… The box is within our grasp.”

“What about their wounds?” Howie asked.

“I’ll handle that on the way,” Kevin answered grimly, “I think I can heal the Priestess and Nick by now… Or at least one of them...”

Nick held Minako close and turned to walk toward the others.

Justin raised his sword, his gaze seething, “I will not let you leave alive…”

Nick released his grip on Minako momentarily and clenched his now free hand. He shot it forward with a burst of speed and punched Justin in the jaw, his ring left a small gash in his cheek. Nick growled, “What’s the point of all your killing?! Sapphire demons, emerald demons, what does that matter?! We all have something sealed in that box! Why are we enemies?!”

Justin clenched his sword tightly, “Because we are emerald and sapphire demons!”

“What is it you care about? The box or power? Maybe that answer will help you find what you’re looking for!” Nick held Minako’s shoulders tightly as they walked toward the others.

When they reached them, Minako gripped Brian’s tunic tightly, “Can you transport us closer to the castle?”

Brian lowered his head, “I can try.” Brian laced his fingers together, then raised his staff and punctured the ground. A blue orb began surrounding them.

Minako looked in the direction of the emerald demons. Why do we have to be enemies? Nick’s right… We all want the same thing…

“You…” Justin growled.

A slim hand touched his shoulder, “Let them go…”

Justin turned quickly, “Lady Renee!”

Renee turned her head, “We’ll meet them soon enough… at the castle.” She looked at Minako’s glassy eyes, “That’s when I’ll deal with you, bitch!”

The blue orb began disappearing.

“I’ll be waiting…” Minako’s faint voice called back.

Renee turned her head quickly.

“I’ll be waiting…”

Lance stood on shaking legs, “What will you do, Your Eminence?”

Renee clenched her fist, “Justin, could you follow them? Would you remember their scent?”

“Of course, Lady Renee. That despicable demon is, after all, dripping with blood…”

“Good.”

The tents rustled and they turned to face them as Joseph’s pale face emerged. He held his hand to his face. Only moments before, I heard Alex’s faint voice.

“Don’t forget, Joseph… Don’t forget our friendship…”

His hand shook.

Renee sneered, “Who do you think you are, intruding on our conversation?” She walked forward and put her hand to his face. His pale wings lay loose against his back. “Why are you scared… Aren’t you a demon?” She removed her hand and turned to Justin, “Kill him.”

“Don’t!”

Renee turned quickly, “Lance?”

Lance held his palms together, “I sense his life force! He is one of us!”

“One of us?” Renee asked. She touched his face lightly once more, “What is your name?”

“Jo… Joseph…” his voice shook. Alex had remembered… They were demons on opposite sides…

“Joseph…” Renee smiled. She then choked and gripped her chest tightly. Truly… He’s the last…

Joseph gripped his chest as well.

“Your Eminence…”

Renee regained her composure and turned to Lance, “So he is!” She then turned to Justin, “Have you lost the scent?”

“No, Lady Renee…”

“Follow it! We have an invitation to accept!”

The five demons and their priestess disappeared into the night. The future resembled the sky, dark and bleak. A miasma of blood covered the world and their destinies as they traveled to the castle of the great glowing red eyes. What would they find there? And who would claim the Holy box?