The castle shook violently as Hime, bound by chains, watched from the throne with clenched teeth. She fought with every ounce of strength left in her to break free. They restricted her power just as effectively as they did to Katie's, forcing her to watch the battle as a spectator. Meanwhile, Leon and Toras engaged in a deadly battle, their swords moving with a lethal grace that filled the room with a rhythm of death.

Toras wore a sadistic smile as he effortlessly evaded Leon's strikes, cutting him and seizing every opportunity to attack. Leon struggled to defend himself while desperately trying to protect King Lioness. The old demon king, exhausted from his own fight, struggled to stand and move. Toras deliberately targeted him, causing Leon's defense to falter. Taking a deep cut to his shoulder, Leon swatted Toras away.

Blades levitated in the air, diving violently towards the king from all directions. Leon twisted and flipped, doing his best to block as many as possible. In that instant, he grabbed Katie's feather, and electricity surged through his body, synchronizing their powers. His movements became faster as he relentlessly struck down the incoming barrage. With one final swing, he charged at Toras.

Toras' eyes widened as he struggled to keep up with Leon's sped up attacks. One stab dug into Toras's wrist. Another into his leg. It wasn't long before he was flailing desperately on his knees, Leon striking against him with everything he had. King Lioness tried to rise to assist, but two blades levitated at his neck in that instant.

Distracted, Leon faltered in an attempt to set the king free. "No!" he croaked, when Toras took advantage of his distraction and ripped his blade into his chest. In one swift movement, Toras impaled him into another pillar, pinning him there. He coughed up blood, biting back a yelp as he glared angrily at Toras.

Toras returned the hateful gaze, digging the sword deeper. Leon shrieked, his hands reaching to pull it out. "Just hang there and watch the show quietly scum. You'll have your turn soon enough," Toras said coldly, turning his attention back to the king.

Sharp winds ran rampant throughout the throne room as King Lioness tried to pull away the swords. They dug at his neck as they began to lift him by the chin off the ground. "No, stop! What are you doing!" Hime cried, fighting more desperately against her binds.

The king's look of hatred never left his face, his hands bleeding against the blades as he kept himself from falling into decapitation. They were ripping through his old neck like butter.

Leon fought to rip the sword out, his chest burning. It was pinned too deep. His vision was blurring from the endless pain, but he never stopped pulling. Damn... I can't break free.

Toras watched the both of them struggling and broke into a fit of laughter. "Hahahahaha, how easily you all come like moths to a flame. You'd have stood a better chance had you just abandoned the old fool, as would he if he just let me tear apart his pathetic little daughter... To fall in such similar ways, my God, you are pathetic."

As Hime lay surrounded by broken blades, Leon realized the cunning tactics Toras had employed to defeat the king. The realization made his blood run cold, and his voice came out strained and choked, "So you're just a coward. Not surprising."

The blade pressed deeper into his flesh in response, causing him to cry out in agonizing pain. "Coward, you say? Shut your mouth, you gutless cur. You have no idea the atrocities I have had to live under serving these wretched buffoons!" Toras shouted, spit flying out of his mouth as he stormed toward him.

His blades followed him, beginning to aim at Leon's face. With a cruel grin, Toras pulled back his hair, forcing Leon to meet his malevolent gaze.

"Perhaps I should start with you. Give that angel of yours a lovely trophy to arrive to. Think she'll appreciate the gift?"

"What did Death promise you, Toras? Fame? Glory? I'd ask if you sold your pride, but you always lacked in that regard," Hime spat, every word laced with venom. Her eyes glowed with a deep loathing, her nails breaking with how fiercely they dug into the arms of the throne. "I rejected your proposals, yes, but you were my first knight. You were one of the most treasured warriors this kingdom had, and look at how you repay us... I will kill you if it is the last thing I do."

Toras chuckled in response, releasing his grip on Leon. The blades around him folded and levitated at his back. His snicker turned into a chilling laugh as he savored the moment.

"Brave even to the very end," Toras mocked, relishing her resistance. "It was that defiance that made me love you once upon a time, my dear sweet Hime. All it took was framing the stupid angel for killing your pathetic unit to see how quickly your loyalty to your friends waver. Seeing the despair in your eyes that day gave me a new sense of ecstasy. Now it'll grant me even greater pleasure to destroy your pride forever, starting with your wretched father."

A cold dread washed over Hime as Toras's words sank in. "You what?" she gasped, her voice barely a whisper.

Toras's gaze shifted to the king, his smile widening with sadistic satisfaction. King Lioness, his voice choked and gurgling with blood, cursed Toras with his final breath. Toras raised his hands and clenched his fists. "See you in the next world, fallen king."

Hime's blood curdling scream pierced the air as the swords lifted the king's head, slicing it off in one swift motion. It landed in Toras' hands as he laughed hysterically to himself.

He juggled it in delight to her animalistic cries, kicking it out to the mural window like a soccer ball. The glass shattered along with her hope, the winds growing more restless with each passing moment. Her mouth was bleeding as she clenched her teeth painfully tight.

Toras wiped away a tear, his expression shifting from manic laughter to a sickening calmness. "What can I take from you next? What do you think, princess?"

"Go to hell..." she muttered, her voice shaking with sadness and rage. Despite the chains restraining her, her powers surged out of control, causing the winds to lift and drop corpses and scattered blades, creating a chaotic spectacle around her.

Toras, nonchalantly cleaning out his ear, leaned in to hear her better, tauntingly remarking, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? My hearing has gone a little barmy these days."

His own scream of agony erupted as Hime sank her teeth into Toras's ear with all her might, violently ripping it off in one swift bite. "You fucking bitch!" he snarled, smashing his fist into her face. She fell painfully with the throne, spitting out his ear.

"What a vile taste," she remarked coldly, her unwavering glare fixing upon Toras even with a broken nose.

"Feeling defiant are we? Alright then. Next up is the childhood hero! Any objections? No? I didn't think so!" Toras said, raising his arm again as his swords turned to Leon.

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Hime cried out as they flew forward with alarming speed, a deafening explosion erupting behind Leon. He shut his eyes, expecting his imminent demise. However, the sound of the swords shattering into countless pieces reached his ears, prompting him to cautiously open his eyes.

Before him stood a sight that filled him with awe and relief. Two giant white wings enveloped his body, and Katie, donned in resplendent white and gold armor, stood beside him once again. The armor gleamed as sunlight poured through the shattered window, and the very doors to the throne room lay broken at the entrance, shattered upon Katie's arrival.

"What did I say about doing anything rash? Will you never be satisfied unless my heart is filled with worry?" Katie hissed, blinking back tears.

The sword binding Leon shattered into pieces, and Katie caught him before he could collapse to the floor. Struggling to stay conscious, Leon choked out, "Death didn't give me much of a choice. This isn't the time for explanations, though."

An irritated scoff escaped Toras as he paced back and forth. "Oh, of course, the pompous angel scum gets in my way. You flies just like buzzing in one after the other, don't you?"

Katie ignored him, her gaze shifting to Hime. "You've seen better days. Not every day you see royalty groveling at your feet."

A choked giggle came from Hime. "Don't get used to it, you fool."

In a burst of rage, Toras launched himself at Hime, causing the throne to erupt into a cloud of debris and dust. Stammering in disbelief, he tried to discern their whereabouts. However, in the blink of an eye, Katie had freed Hime from her constraints and placed her at the opposite end of the room alongside Leon.

Leon blinked several times to register their sudden movement, but his attempts were interrupted by violent coughing as he struggled to stand. Katie gently yet forcefully pushed him back down.

Hime, clutching the bleeding hole in her gut, muttered with resolve, "I see you've recovered. Your persistence has always been a thorn in my side."

Katie offered a teasing smirk. "Don't think I've forgiven you. It's just not as fun watching someone else wipe that condescending smile off your face." Her wings extended as more swords attempted to stab them from every angle, but they bounced off harmlessly, clattering to the marble floor like feeble toys. "I'll make short work of him. Rest easy for a while."

With a reassuring squeeze to their shoulders, Katie rose to face Toras. However, Hime grabbed Katie's wrist, tears streaming down her cheeks."Katie... I-I... I doubted you. I allowed envy to poison my heart, consumed by the way your eyes shined with love when you spoke of Leon. In those moments, I saw a happiness that had eluded me all my life, and it twisted my insides, making me sick with resentment. I have treated you with unforgivable cruelty, and I carry the burden of my sins."

Her voice quivered with the weight of her admission. The pain in her eyes mirrored the depths of her regret, her words filled with a desperate plea.

"But now, with every fiber of my being, I implore you, please... come back alive."

Katie gave her one last look. "Are you crying?" One blade shot toward her while her back was turned. She caught it between her fingers, shattering it.

Hime wiped her face, scowling. "Oh, shut it and get to work already!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The world spun before Leon's eyes, shifting in and out of focus. He strained to see through the chaotic haze as Katie materialized intermittently, her movements a blur of fierce and relentless attacks. Toras swung his sword violently, desperately trying to strike her down, but she evaded each blow with an almost ethereal grace.

Her fists and legs crashed against Toras' defenses, shattering anything he threw her way. His screams of rage echoed through the room, but not a single hair on Katie's head was harmed.

Leon could only watch in awe and disbelief as any sword aimed at him or Hime shattered upon manifestation. Katie weaved through the onslaught with uncanny agility, her knuckles colliding with Toras' chest plate, unleashing sparks with each impact.

Blood seeped from Toras's mouth. The entire room trembled with each strike, the sound reverberating as Toras fought for his survival, his armor crumbling under her relentless assault.

A glimmer of relief washed over Leon's fading consciousness.

I guess I didn't need to worry after all... Has she always been this strong? Leon thought, his vision starting to fade.

Suddenly, Death's voice cut through his thoughts, penetrating his ears like a haunting whisper. As a matter of fact, this show is just beginning.

Leon's eyes widened as he was swallowed by a dark void once again. Everything spun and whirled around him, the world reduced to an abyss of darkness.

Then, in a disorienting moment, he was violently thrown in front of the throne, crashing onto his knees with a grimace of pain. Time seemed to freeze, the cries of Hime and Katie ringing in his ears.

"Die, boy!" Toras screamed triumphantly.

Swords materialized from the shadows, hurtling towards Leon from all directions. Panic gripped him as he realized the impossibility of evading them.

He closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable. Hime's desperate scream pierced the air, but to his astonishment, no pain came. Instead, the room erupted with the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart, and blood splattered all over him.

As he slowly opened his eyes, his voice erupted into a shriek of terror. "KATIE!"

She stood over him, her body impaled by multiple swords that protruded from her, serving as a shield to protect him. Blood stained her armor, and her wings were half-tucked, too late to deflect the fatal blow.

Leon was rendered speechless, his mind struggling to process the horrifying sight before him. She began to falter, fading in and out of consciousness.

Toras erupted into another howl of laughter, followed with the sound of Death's giggles echoing in his ears. She fell back, and Leon caught her. "K-Katie, no... what... I can't-" Tears fell from his cheeks as she struggled to stand.

"I... got careless," she struggled to say, her voice weakened by pain. "I-I'm sorry."

Leon's eyes brimmed with tears, his voice choked with anguish. "Stop talking... just stay still!"

He desperately tried to cauterize her wounds with his blazing hand, his flames flickering in his trembling palm. But she caught his hand, her grip feeble yet resolute, her other hand reaching for his face.

"Why... why are you stopping me? What are you doing?" he stammered, trembling.

Toras kicked back against a pillar, observing his handiwork with a sadistic grin. He lit up a cigar, reveling in the unfolding tragedy. "I do love a good drama. Do continue," he taunted.

Leon growled, his body trembling as he attempted to rise to his feet. Coughing up more blood, he struggled to maintain his balance, all the while clutching Katie in his arms. She gently caressed his cheek and managed a weak smile.

"Don't... listen to him," she whispered, her voice fading. "We were never meant... for long in this world anyway."

Leon's voice cracked with desperation."What are you saying? You can't be serious!" he yelled, grabbing her wrist. "I still haven't remembered everything. It can't end like this!"

She tried to giggle, but her weakened state prevented it, her body teetering on the edge of collapse. "Your... memories may be blocked, but I can feel it. You still love me, don't you?"

The desire to break into uncontrollable sobs threatened to consume Leon, but he held himself together, his grip on her hand tightening as he embraced her. "Of course, I do! What else would I be fighting for?"

Her eyes widened as they gleamed. "I love you, Leon. Don't... don't be afraid. This isn't... this isn't the end..." Her hand slipped from his cheek, and her grip on his hand went limp. Katie had stopped breathing.

"Katie? Katie! No!" Leon's anguished cry filled the air, the world around him descending into darkness.

A primal fury surged within him as winds howled through the room. Chills ran down his spine, and the brooding clouds swirled in a sudden violence. Shadows encroached upon Leon, and violet flames erupted from every unlit torch, casting an eerie glow over the devastated kingdom.

Toras clapped his hands, his sadistic delight morphing into excruciating agony as a searing gash ripped through his right eye. Blood sprayed, splattering across the marble floor, mingling with the shattered remains of his cigar. Pain etched deep lines on his contorted face, but it was nothing compared to the horror that seized him when he beheld Leon's unmoving form.

Silently, Leon gently laid Katie's lifeless body down, his touch tender as he kissed her lips one last time. Taking the feather she'd given him, he made her clasp it before laying her on the floor. Rising to his feet, he moved with an eerie grace, his every movement exuding an otherworldly aura. Slowly, deliberately, he turned to face Toras, his gaze piercing into the depths of the traitorous knight's soul. A shiver ran down Toras's spine as he involuntarily flinched, his disbelief now mingled with fear.

Violet eyes radiated an icy glow from Leon's face, casting an unearthly light that seemed to consume everything in its path. In that chilling moment, his features mirrored the coldness of Death itself. A cold smile twisted his lips as he locked eyes with Toras, savoring the knight's shock and terror.