Above the swirling tempest of clouds, the Lioness Castle stood as a defiant symbol amidst the chaos. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt leaves and smog, remnants of the fierce battle that had ravaged the kingdom.

In the sky, Tartarus airships were being blasted and torn to shreds by the relentless onslaught of the Lioness children, laughing in a prideful glee as they soared through the air with a twin fury of destruction. From the safety of the castle walls, their valiant knights retaliated with thunderous gunfire and cannon blasts, aiming to bring down their formidable foes.

The citizens below either fled in fear or fought with unrivaled ferocity as they clashed with the dark armored Tartarus troops, their swords, guns, and daggers gleaming with an air of defiance.

Demons, demi humans, and other creatures of myth and magic all fought together, unleashing elemental forces that scorched, froze, and electrified every street corner. The clash of bullets and blades created a symphony of violence.

Amidst the mayhem, a woman clad in golden armor gracefully leaped from one building to another. Tartarus soldiers crumbled before her as they desperately tried to bring her down, their bodies shattered under the weight of her relentless assault.

Her voice rang out with unwavering determination, rallying her allies to stand strong. "Keep fighting! We're driving them back. Never surrender!" Queen Lioness's words echoed through the chaos, fueling the courage of her knights.

As the battle in the kingdom raged on, Leon's friends pressed forward, making their way towards the heart of the castle. In the courtyard, Richard and Ed sought cover behind the golden lion statue, narrowly avoiding the hail of enemy fire from the castle entrance.

"Give me a lift, touchy boy!" King yelled, leaping onto Richard's shoulders. Using his companion's back as a springboard, he launched himself onto a terrified Tartarus soldier, armor and blood erupting in a chaotic flurry.

"The hell did he call me? Stupid pet lizard..." Richard grumbled under his breath, begrudgingly following him.

Ed provided crucial cover fire, his weapon blasting against anyone attempting to take aim at Richard. With each pull of the trigger, his pistol sent rounds tearing through enemy armor, leaving behind smoking holes as superheated plasma dissolved their defenses upon impact.

Meanwhile, a soldier took aim at the raptor, only to have a pair of hands gently grasping the soldier's helmet. They swiftly snapped their neck before delivering a savage kick that sent their lifeless body sprawling. Emerging onto the walkway, Ruby revealed herself, but her form quickly dissipated into a swarm of crimson bats as a bullet aimed directly at her whizzed past from the staircase.

The bats swarmed the retreating soldiers, tearing through their ranks with merciless fury. The soldiers' desperate cries were reduced to feeble peeps as they were mercilessly ripped to shreds.

Amidst the carnage, lifeless bodies littered the ground, their blood staining the once-pristine grass and halls. Ruby reappeared, her grip tight around the helmet of a fallen soldier, effortlessly crushing it like fragile glass. A sickening smile twisted upon her lips, relishing in his screams of agony as he writhed in pain.

However, her sadistic delight was abruptly interrupted by the sensation of a cold muzzle pressed against the back of her head. Before the trigger could be pulled, metal wires sprang into action, snatching the assailant away.

Richard clasped his hands together causing the metal wires, like a gruesome embrace, to close tightly around the Tartarus soldier, rending his body into a grotesque display of bloody confetti. Ruby's mouth opened wide, a sinister hunger gleaming in her eyes as the gruesome shower bathed her.

In a twisted act of macabre ecstasy, she plunged her hand into her fallen adversary's neck, severing his head before releasing him.

They all stood tense, but the relentless chaos finally ceased momentarily. Ed gave a sigh of relief as they regrouped at the center of the main hall. "We know they've got to be around here somewhere. Damn them for leaving us behind..." Richard muttered, checking the clip in his pistol.

"They must be above us... I can sense-" Ruby began when she froze. She trembled as a horrible chill overtook her. "Something isn't right."

Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream tore through the air, a chilling sound that resonated with the horrors of the battlefield. Their eyes turned to the ceiling before exchanging glances. "The throne room," Ed and Richard said in unison, sprinting for the stairs.

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The once-illuminated throne room had been engulfed in a sinister dimness, as the clouds outside blocked out any remnants of daylight. Amidst the gloom, only the violet flame emanating from the torches and surrounding Leon's motionless body prevented the space from descending into an abyss of eternal darkness.

Toras, several feet away, trembled with fear, recoiling with every step Leon took towards him. "N-no! Stay... Stay back!" Toras pleaded, his trembling hand outstretched in a feeble attempt at defense.

Blades materialized in droves, encircling Leon from all directions. They hurtled towards him one after another, only to be deflected effortlessly by an unseen force. Upon closer inspection, Toras realized it was the very shadows that filled the room, moving with a supernatural speed that shattered each blade like insignificant toys. Leon's chilling smile never wavered, his gaze piercing Toras's soul with an unsettling intensity.

"Why are you running? Isn't this what you wanted?" Leon inquired calmly, halting his advance.

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His voice harbored none of the strength, none of the warmth that usually resided within his soul. It was nothing but chilling. Devoid of life, like the haunted words of a spirit already passed.

Toras scoffed defiantly. "All I want is for you to die! How are you doing that?"

Leon arched an eyebrow, his expression unperturbed. "How am I doing what? This?" His violet eyes shined with a violent rage, blinding Toras.

In an instant, nightmarish visions flooded Toras's mind. He saw shadows extending their pitch-black claws, tearing him apart limb from limb. He felt the agonizing torment of being flayed alive, his anguished cries echoing through the void.

Toras screamed in terror, collapsing against the blood-soaked rug. He frantically clawed at his body, rolling and contorting, only to realize none of the torment had been real. Yet, he had experienced every excruciating sensation. Tears welled up in Toras's remaining eye, as he suppressed the urge to beg for mercy. "What the- How did- This can't be real..."

As he raised his eyes, Toras found Leon already standing over him, towering over him the way only Death ever could. Those haunting violet-purple eyes bore down upon him, as the world always had.

The shadows coiled around Leon's form like serpents, converging into a demonic black armor. Panic engulfed Toras, causing him to scramble away in desperation. He snatched a fallen sword from the ground, holding it before him as a feeble defense.

The sight of Toras brandishing the weapon elicited a chilling chuckle from Leon. Suddenly, a massive black fist materialized from the shadows, seizing Toras in a vice-like grip. He coughed up blood as the tightening pressure constricted around him mercilessly.

"That looked like it hurt, Toras. Let's make sure you're feeling alright. Are you still able to understand basic directions? Like up, down, left, right," Leon remarked, crossing his arms.

Before Toras could respond, the shadow fist slammed him through the marble floor, reducing him to nothing more than a cloud of debris and dust as he plummeted down towards the chamber below. "That's down," Leon observed, swiftly descending after his helpless victim.

Richard, Ed, King, and Ruby were racing up the stairs when a deafening blast resounded from above. To their horror, Toras crashed through the ceiling, his agonized screams trailing behind him as a shadowy force propelled him towards the main hall, one hundred feet below. Emerging from the shadows and flames beside him, Leon loomed ominously.

Toras landed with bone-shattering impact on Leon's outstretched knee, a sickening crack echoing throughout the castle as his spine snapped. "This is up," Leon declared coldly, delivering a brutal kick that sent Toras hurtling back through the ceiling, leaving him in a battered heap upon the shattered throne.

"Leon? Leon, are you alright?" Ed's voice rang out, causing Leon to momentarily hesitate. Ignoring the calls of his concerned friends, Leon vanished as swiftly as he had appeared. "Holy shit, where did... How the hell did he do that?" Ed stammered, his heart pounding in his chest.

Richard sighed heavily, a sense of urgency enveloping him. "Clearly, he doesn't need our help... Something's gone wrong. We need to hurry."

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In the depths of Katie's mind, she lay unconscious floating atop the still surface of an endless dark lake. Barely clinging to life, she gradually regained consciousness, her lifeless form sprawled upon the marble floor of the throne room within her own subconscious.

Even within her mind, she bled, the trails of her wounds blending into the abyss below the glassy surface. Over her, her twin Jalaiya loomed, twirling her snowy white hair, her eyes filled with contemptuous yellow glare. Jalaiya prodded Katie's face with her bare feet, taunting her.

"How long will you lie there? The most riveting part of the spectacle unfolds, yet you have become nothing more than a helpless observer. Even on the brink of death, you resist me. Perhaps this is what you've secretly desired all along," Jalaiya whispered, leaning in until her face was inches away from Katie's.

With a struggle, Katie's eyes fluttered open as she groaned weakly. "I won't die like this.... Leon will save us. I know he will," Katie whispered, barely audible.

Jalaiya emitted a cold giggle. "The boy you cherish may cease to exist if this battle persists... I much prefer what he's become now."

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Katie's eyes shot open upon hearing Jalaiya's words. Darkness engulfed her surroundings, her body cloaked in a malevolent crimson. She found herself immobilized, her fingers twitching involuntarily as she silently coughed. The world was eerily quiet, devoid of any sound, as her eyes gradually adjusted to the dimness.

Suddenly, a violent cough from above jolted her attention upward. Leon was gripping Toras by the throat, the helpless man's legs dangling above her. Toras desperately punched and stabbed at Leon's arm, struggling to free himself from the suffocating grip. His remaining eye bulged in his head, his life hanging by a thread under Leon's relentless pressure.

"Why are you so quiet now, Toras? You had so much to say earlier. Are you getting cold feet? It isn't fun leaving a conversation halfway finished... What else did you have to say?" Leon inquired, his grip tightening with each passing second.

Katie's hands clenched, and in that moment, the feather she held sparked with a burst of energy. The excruciating pain coursing through her body momentarily subsided as her depleted energy reserves experienced a slight regeneration.

It was enough for her stab wounds to begin closing. With what little energy he had left, Toras noticed Katie's movement. He let out a croaked scream as he finally managed to slice his sword clean through Leon's arm, causing it to lifelessly flop to the floor.

Seizing the opportunity, Toras lunged at Katie, holding her at blade-point against her throat. Ignoring the fact that his own arm had been severed, Leon turned his attention towards them.

A flicker of life rekindled in his eyes as he realized that Katie was grimacing in pain. "You're... alive?"

The sun broke through the clouds as it shined down upon them, lighting up the room. Hacking up the blood caught in his throat, Toras spat it out and retorted with renewed confidence, "Not for long, if I have anything to say about it! Stay back, or I swear to God, I'll sever her head!"

"Leon!" Richard's voice reverberated through the shattered doors of the throne room as he and their friends came to a halt at the entrance.

Toras's gaze shifted towards them, and Katie seized his arm. A surge of lightning crackled through his body, causing him to scream out in agony, his sword slipping from his grasp. Breaking free from his hold, Katie cried out with fury, "Leon! End it now!"

Leon swiftly caught the airborne sword, a new arm emerging from the flames as he swiftly cleaved through Toras. The man's cry was abruptly silenced as he split apart like a watermelon.

The shocking turn of events left them all momentarily stunned, before they erupted in a triumphant cheer. "He did it!" they shouted, rushing towards Leon and Katie.

In the midst of the battle, Hime sat frozen in a state of awe, a silent smile gracing her face as she struggled to her feet. Katie, panting on the floor, looked up at Leon. Her eyes widened with alarm as she noticed that he remained motionless, his arms hanging limply by his side.

The world seemed to twist and contort within Leon's eyes as he suddenly collapsed heavily onto the cold floor. Behind his friends, in a fleeting moment, he caught sight of Death, wearing a smile, as the figure turned and walked away before Leon's eyes closed shut. The cries of his friends resonated as the world around him grew still.