The castle's halls echoed with Leo's hurried footsteps as he sprinted toward the throne room, his heart pounding in his chest. 

The clashing of steel and cries of battle outside, where Auriella and her soldiers fought to keep the Voidkin at bay, only fueled his desperation. 

He had to reach his father- had to ensure the king was unharmed. The throne room's double doors loomed ahead, slammed wide open. 

Screams from within sent a jolt of fear through Leo's veins, but he pushed forward, bursting into the room. His breath caught in his throat at the sight before him. 

The grand chamber, once a place of regal splendor, was now a scene of horror. Knights lay scattered across the floor, their bodies riddled with holes, blood seeping into the ornate carpet. 

Near the throne, a cluster of terrified nobles huddled together, acting as a living shield for the king, who sat trembling on his throne, his eyes wide with terror. 

"Run, you fools! Save yourselves!" The king's voice trembled as he shouted, but none of the nobles moved. They were paralyzed with fear, unable to tear their eyes away from the two Voidkin standing before them. 

The creatures' elongated forms loomed over them, their vertical slitted eyes practically glowing with an eerie, malevolent glow as they fixed their gaze on the king. 

Leo's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, his anger bubbling to the surface as the Voidkin seemed to chuckle, their bodies shaking in what could only be described as cruel amusement. 

A voice echoed in his mind as one turned to face him, the voice cold and emotionless. 

"Another one to play with. This should be interesting." The telepathic intrusion only fueled Leo's fury. With a roar, he drew his sword, the steel glinting in the light. 

"You're facing me now!" He shouted, charging toward the Voidkin. The creatures reacted with eerie calm, one of them raising an arm and firing a burst of energy toward Leo. 

He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the attack, and closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. His sword sliced through the air, cutting through 4 of the nearest Voidkin's 8 legs. 

The creature staggered now that its limbs had been severed. Its thoughts invaded Leo's mind once more. 

"Pain...insignificant...must...heal..." 

The other Voidkin fired at Leo again, but he was ready for it this time. He raised his sword, slashing through the energy beam with a precision that surprised even him. 

"Wait your turn!" He spat at the second creature, his focus returning to the first, which was desperately trying to regenerate its missing limbs.

With two more swift strikes, Leo severed the remaining legs, and the Voidkin crumpled to the ground, its elongated body collapsing under its own weight as it was unable to hold itself up any longer. 

With one final thrust, Leo drove his sword into the Voidkin's neck, ending its life. He could hear the other creature behind him, the whir of its weapon charging up for another shot. 

Panic seized him as he realized his sword was stuck in the corpse. He tugged at it, but it refused to budge. 

There wasn't enough time- he wouldn't be able to pull it free before the Voidkin fired. 

Abandoning his sword, Leo threw himself to the side, the Voidkin's shot whizzing past him. A sharp pain shot through his leg as he landed hard on the marbled floor, and he realized with a sinking feeling that the shot had grazed him. 

He gritted his teeth, his hands instinctively clutching at the wound above his ankle. The Voidkin's voice filled his mind again, this time tinged with sadistic pleasure. 

"Your struggles are futile. All will fall to the Voidkin."

It approached him slowly, savoring the moment as it pressed the barrel of its weapon against Leo's temple. Leo shut his eyes, his thoughts a chaotic mess. 

‘Is this how it ends? Will Father be forced to watch his only son die?’ 

Suddenly, a voice rang out, slicing through the darkness in his mind. "I see you fought well this time but still came up short, hmm? You're not completely useless, I suppose." 

Leo's eyes snapped open to see Auriella stepping into the room, her sword and armor caked in the green blood of the Voidkin. Her grin was as sharp as her blade as she addressed the creature. 

"Why don't you dance with me instead? Your partner seems unable to tango any longer, mongrel." The Voidkin reacted immediately, lunging at Auriella with a speed that made Leo's heart skip a beat. 

But Auriella was faster. 

She ducked beneath it, her body twisting gracefully as she brought her sword up in a deadly arc. The blade sliced through the Voidkin's body, cutting it cleanly in two. 

The top half of the creature's body slid off, landing on the floor with a sickening thud, green blood pooling around it. 

"Oops, apologies. My hand slipped," Auriella said, her tone mocking as she flicked the blood from her sword. 

She turned her attention to Leo, her eyes narrowing as she noticed his injury. "How have you survived this long?" She muttered, kneeling beside him. 

Leo grunted as she placed her hand over his wound, her sword's mana stone glowing faintly as it began to heal him. The pain ebbed away, replaced by a tingling warmth. 

"Seems I owe you once again, Miss Auriella," he said, chuckling despite the exhaustion weighing down his limbs. 

"I'd prefer you not refer to me by name. We aren't close," Auriella replied curtly, standing once his wound was closed. 

Before Leo could respond, the king's voice broke through the tension. "My son! You did splendidly!" The nobles parted, applauding as the king descended from his throne, his face beaming with pride. 

Auriella scowled, her eyes narrowing in disgust as she watched the display. "You praise him even though you sat there just to watch him almost die? Your own son? I swear, I'll never understand humans," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. 

The room fell into stunned silence as she turned to leave. The king's voice wavered as he called after her. 

"N-now hold on right there, demon woman. You have no authority to speak to me like that! Apologize on your knees right this moment, and I might forgive this transgression!" Auriella paused, glancing over her shoulder with a cold, disdainful look. 

"I'm no subject of yours, so why should I? Just be thankful you're still breathing and leave it at that." With that, she strode out of the room, her presence lingering like a shadow.

Leo was the first to break the long silence that lingered after she left, laughter bubbling up from within him, uncontrollable and full of relief. 

The tension of the battle, the fear, and the absurdity of the situation all came crashing down at once. 

"Um, my boy? Are you quite alright?" The king asked, concerned as Leo finally managed to stand, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. 

"I'm just glad we're both alive to greet another day, Father," Leo said, his smile bright despite everything that had just happened.