The cold permeated his being. The question ripped through his heart like an icicle, splitting it in half. It explored his body in the blink of an eye, causing his hands to tremble and freezing the blood in his veins. Despair welled up inside him, coating his throat, lungs, and stomach in a black ooze, drying up his insides. The tears leaked cold from his eyes, worsening the chill on his face. He curled up into a ball, wrapping his arms tight around him as he rocked back and forth. He tried to scream, but his voice wouldn't work. He couldn't think, couldn't feel. He could only hear the same words running themselves through his head like frigid needles, creating mental agony in his mind and soul.
Do you love her?I-
Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you?
Stop!
Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you?
STOP!
His mind tore him apart, setting every nerve in his body on fire with icy pain. Vomit welled up in his throat, choking him. He collapsed, writhing and gasping under the strain. He bit his lip as hard as he could, tasting salty blood as he tried to shield himself from the pain the question was causing. The words kept repeating themselves, in different voices and tones. His mother's light tones, his father's scorn. Anima's curiosity. Taylor's pity.
His own disgust.
Ah, I see now. You don't, do you? That's what you're trying to hide, isn't it? You don't care about her at all. You just want to stop your own pain, you pathetic, selfish, weak little boy!
No…
No? You have the gall to deny it?
I…
I see. You don't know. And that's what frightens you, isn't it?
The pain grew stronger as he spoke, as if the words were daggers in his heart. The darkness extended its arms to him, beckoning him into blessed sleep. What was causing this he didn't know. He didn't care. Like a wild animal, he fled willingly to it, seeking its numbing powers to ward away the uncertainty, fear, and doubt that rampaged through him. He slipped into its embrace, letting the cold shadows of his mind take him where they would.
As he did, three words floated to the surface. One final question for him.
Am I right?
Blackness engulfed his world.
Anima had listened to Leon tell his stories with glee. She was curious by nature, wanting to know the innermost thoughts and feelings of the few people she met. Of course, most of the time that was just so she could use those secrets for her own sake…but that didn't bother her unduly. Very little did nowadays. The darkness didn't scare her in the slightest, since she'd long forgotten what it felt like to feel the sun on her skin. She was at home there, just as it was at home in her.
She didn't feel any pity for him, or feel sorry for him. It was his problem alone. She stood, stretching slightly to work the stiffness away. She twirled a strand of her ebony her around her finger, reflecting on the story. She sniffed the air like a wolf, judging Leon's position by his scent. As she inhaled it, a thin smile crossed her blood-red lips.
"Jasmine…how very appropriate."
She let out a long laugh as something clicked into place. She began feeling her way through the shadows like a blind person, occasionally pausing to sniff the air to check she was going the right way.
Leon's body was motionless when she reached it. It was laying facedown, freezing cold to the touch. She sat down beside it, toying with her hair again. She reached out and ran a finger through his hair. It was coarser then hers, but the raven shade was identical to her own. She propped up his head with her finger, and spoke quietly to him.
"Black on black… more alike then you know."
She listened intently, as if expecting a response. She stayed like that for a long time, enjoying the quiet. She toyed with a string of her hair, wrapping it around her finger. She unhooked Leon's deck from his belt and flicked through it, trying to discern its common goal.
Keeping it in her hands, she stood up. Her face wore an odd expression as she looked at his still body.
"You really didn't know. You fled into your deepest subconscious rather then give me an answer. Not that you had an answer to give me… but maybe you'll find it there. If you make it, that is. I'll see you at home, my love."
She blew him a kiss. Still holding his deck, she vanished. Leon's body began to sink into the shadows as if they were quicksand. It didn't take long. Soon no trace was left to show that he'd ever existed at all.
Leon seemed to float, his body hanging in empty air. The pain left him as quickly as it had appeared. He kept his eyes closed; afraid to find out what new terror his mind had wished upon him.
Coming in here was more dangerous then I thought. He mused.
"I did tell you to read the script. But no, no! The would-be knight blunders ahead on his raven charger, heedless of all that lies before him. You're a bloody disgrace to the industry, you know that?"
Leon almost lost it right then and there. He'd gone into his mind to try and set his problems right, and all he'd gotten was the worst memories of his entire life played out over and over again. And now-
"You look a little angry. Want a cookie?"
And now I have that bloody squatter talking to me in my own voice. Wonderful.
"It is, isn't it?"
Get out! Get out of my head!
"Not going to happen. Your mind's actually quite comfortable, you know that?"
Leon was breathing hard. Keeping his eyes closed, he dug his fingernails into his palms, drawing blood as he took out his anger on his flesh.
"Stop it with the angsty cutting. Remember, children might be watching. Not that it's anything new…"
Stop it! How do you even know?"Oh come on. Your arms practically reek of it. How many blades did you use?"
Leon sighed.
There's no point in arguing with you, is there?"Not unless you see the point in arguing with yourself."
What do you mean?"What do I mean? Hmm…what do I mean? Well…all I'm saying is, you know those yin-yang symbols with the light and dark halves? With you…let's just say the circle's not so balanced."
Clear as crystal, aren't you?It laughed. The sound was high and cold echoing from all sides. It was a twisted and perverted imitation of his own, like a fun mirror at an amusement park. It quietened, slowly and softly, until it was just a light giggle.
"Open your eyes."
He kept them closed.
"Why should I? It's not as if I'm going to like what I see."
His voice laughed again. Leon shuddered involuntarily at the sound. He sounded so cruel. It was the laugh of someone who didn't care about anyone or anything at all. Someone who'd plunge the world and everyone on it into hell to get what he desired.
Highly fitting that it's mine, then.
"Good answer!"
Leon scowled. Where are we?
"Your deepest, darkest subconscious. The absolute core of your mind. My home, in other words. But enough chitchat. There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Why?
"Our audience is growing bored of all this talk. They want to see action! You know, bloodied swords, spilling of entrails, a hero's dying words…"
And you are determined to provide it?
It laughed again. Leon winced.
"What kind of villain would I be if I didn't? Now open your eyes, like a good sir knight."
Why?
"You'll thank me later. Call it amateur divination."
In for a penny, in for a pound…
He opened his eyes.
Anima leaned back in her chair and yawned lazily. She'd built a room here for herself a long time ago, just as a place to relax when she wasn't touring Leon's mind. She flicked through her stolen prize again, examining his cards closely. She shuffled the deck, dealing it out in patterns on the floor. As she picked them up, she cut open her finger on one of them. She didn't curse or react as somebody normal would. Instead, she put the cards on a nightstand and stared at her injured finger hopefully. No blood was trickling from it. She sighed, disappointed. She flicked some imaginary dirt from her gown and stared into the burning fireplace.
"It seems the pieces are finally beginning to move. Soon you'll be mine."
A desolate and barren landscape greeted Leon's eyes. For as far as the eye could see, there existed only ash and withered life. Dark clouds billowed overhead, adding to the despair of the scene. Black sand and gravel crunched under his feet. Far off in the distance, a massive volcano stood, disguised in a thick shroud of choking smog. Small plants and weeds tried to grow under his feet, but they were dying before his eyes.
A man stood with his back to Leon, a little way off. He wore a long, black leather coat that reached down to his ankles. His hair was black and heavily streaked with scarlet, dark crimson highlights matching the tone of his outfit. Loose black trousers covered his legs, stretching down into a pair of black boots. He seemed to favour his left side, as if his right were injured in some way. Despair seemed to curl off this man like the fumes from the volcano, which his gaze was fixed on.
Leon approached him slowly. The man stiffened as he heard the footsteps, but didn't turn around. As Leon moved within earshot, he spoke. His voice was deep and croaky, as if his throat had been damaged in some way. He spoke with obvious difficulty.
"You…must be Cihnos. Am I right?"
Leon spoke guardedly. The man was giving nothing away, and he didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.
"Yes. How did you know that?"
The man laughed. It too sounded damaged. In fact, Leon noticed that that this man seemed to be almost crippled entirely.
"I once knew many things. Or…I thought I did. Now I'm…not so sure. I can't remember your other name…can you remind me?"
"It's Leon. And you would be?"
The man coughed heavily. Leon winced at the noise.
"Ah, Leon…the lion's mark. It's been quite a while since I gave anybody my name…not even sure I remember it myself. But if you are in search of something to call me, my young friend, then the name…Angel, should suffice."
The clouds thickened overhead as he spoke. They seemed to swell, as if yearning to explode and drench the world in tears. It seemed as though they were going to burst at any moment.
Surprised, Leon questioned him. "Angel? That's an odd name."
The man shrugged. He did not turn around, keeping his gaze fixed on the raging tower of magma in the distance.
"It is a suitable name for one such as I, since it seems I shall be joining that order soon."
Leon felt shame wash over him. "I'm sorry."
The man waved him away. "Don't be. Truly… I died a long time ago. The flesh is merely a shell. You'd do well to remember that."
"Why?"
He fell silent. Leon merely stood and watched patiently. After a while, he mumbled something to himself, too quietly for Leon to hear.
"Angel?"
He turned around. "Yes?"
Now that's a face only a mother could love…
Leon nearly screamed. Angel's face, though youthful, was horribly disfigured by weeping cuts and bruises. He was as white as a ghost. His right eye was missing, the socket unnaturally sunken and sealed shut by a long gash in the skin. His left eye was swollen and veined, blurry with tears. It was a ghoulish sight.
Leon dropped his eyes to the ground, shocked. Angel laughed cynically.
"I'm sorry. I've grown used to this…I forget how ugly I am. It's probably best if you don't look at me. I don't want to give you any more nightmares."
Leon nodded.
"Why am I here, Angel? What is it I'm supposed to do?"
"Do? I don't think you're supposed to do anything. Did you find what you're looking for yet?"
"What am I looking for?"
He shrugged. "You're asking me?"
Leon put his head in his hands. "Yes. I don't know what I'm supposed to do here…I'm just getting tossed all over the place! My mind is toying with me, flinging me back and forth like a doll. I came in here to get rid of this…this thing that's hurting me. But I can't…I don't know where to look. And I got caught up in looking for the answers for something else, but I'm just asking the same questions over and over and I don't know what to do!"
Angel listened gravely. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a note. He handed it to Leon shakily. He noticed the man's hands were covered in scars and other injuries, bright red lines criss-crossing the skin.
"That will tell you how to reach the finish. I have no advice to give you, for one in my position has no right to do so. But keep this in mind."
"What?"
"Something's missing within you- I can see it. There's…a hole, where your heart should be. I know what that's like, Cihnos. An eternity ago, I loved someone. I poured my heart and my soul into keeping her safe, so we could be together forever. But God didn't like that…he hated me, you see. So…he took her light away from me. I fell into the darkest hell imaginable…that's the source of my pain. My endgame is approaching, Cihnos, as is yours. It won't be long now…before I'm just a memory. Though I am damned for what I have done, I hope… to see her face one last time… before I rot in His dungeons. But I can't see it. I can't see anything now."
He coughed heavily. His face was a portrait of sadness.
"I couldn't protect her.
"I don't know if Fate will be kinder on you then it was on me. But I hope so. For your sake, I hope so. You're trying to seal up your abyss…just make sure it doesn't do the same to you. Something really bad's going to happen to you…I can see it. The question is…will you be able to go on after it happens? "
Leon did not answer. A door appeared in the air behind him, ready to lead him back to the rest of his mind.
"Looks like our time is up."
He nodded. He turned and pushed on the door, letting it swing open on invisible hinges.
"Cihnos."
He turned. "Yes?"
He smiled grimly. "Never enter my mind again."
Leon only had time to think What? before the world exploded. Angel vanished as the volcano erupted, violently blasting forth a stream of hot ash and lava over the blackened earth. The clouds split open, raining forth blood and rain upon him. As he shielded himself, the stale earth cracked open, revealing a gaping fissure half a mile long. A great, black hand emerged, lunging towards him. It grabbed him in a crushing grip, squeezing the air from his lungs. It pulled him down into the fissure, dropping him into the bottomless shadows. He screamed, but the sound barely left his lips before his head slammed against something hard. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Storm clouds began to gather outside Anima's room. She rose and slipped outside, standing on a small balcony. A thick forest of trees stretched out before her, like a silent army in the darkness. They were unmoved by the wind, locked together, links in a natural chain. Despite this, they seemed to wither, as if some parasite was gnawing away at them. Lighting struck dangerously close to them, almost setting the forest alight. She smiled, enjoying the scene for a while, revelling in the wrath of Mother Nature.
She headed back into her room. The architecture was sickeningly extravagant, but it suited her tastes. A giant, four-poster bed dominated the centre of the room. The bedposts were carved in the shape of small, horned demons. A black, gothic chandelier lit the room, its arms twisted and writhing like eels. Even the light given off from it was eerie, casting long shadows across the floor. The cream wallpaper was littered with the same design repeated over and over again, a heart intertwined with a star. She traced the shape with one long finger lovingly, gazing at the fall wall. She giggled like a schoolgirl at the sight.
"Another day, another love, another trophy."
Stretched across the wall was a row of naked bodies. All male, they hung from the ceiling. None of them were breathing. Rusty manacles held their arms in place, cutting into their flesh and washing the chains in blood. They wore ecstatic, half-crazed grins on their faces, as if they'd died in the throes of joy. The men were horrifically savaged- some had had their stomachs simply slashed open, entrails spilling onto the ground. Some held their arms at unnatural angles, their shoulders dislocated thanks to the chains. Others were covered in nicks, cuts, and sores. The wounds were infected, blood and green-yellow pus oozing from them in equal measures. They were withered husks, their skin a rotting grey. Their throats were punctured, blood dripping down their necks and across their chests.
The last body in the line was different. He was clothed, and very much alive. He too hung from chains, but these were fresh. He only seemed to be sleeping. She looked at her latest prize with glee.
Leon just hung there, unconscious.
She licked her lips in anticipation of what was to come. She would enjoy breaking him.
She stepped close and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Wake up, my love."
He stirred. His eyes jerked open, flicking madly. They widened as he saw her.
"A…Anima?! What's going on here?"
She held a finger to his lips. At a gesture of her mind, his chains clicked open. He dropped into her arms like dead weight. She helped him over to the bed. He sat down on it, looking up at her.
"Why did you bring me here?"
She sat down next to him.
"Can I ask you something? Something about your friend?"
He nodded slowly.
"You said you still dreamed that she'd want you someday. But even if she did, what would happen? You'd get married, have kids, live like everyone else in the world? Somehow I doubt that's what you want. Would it even make you happy?"
She's not the first person to ask you that. Be careful.
"No. That's not what I want."
She looked at him perceptively. "What do you want?"
He let out a hollow laugh. "I don't know. Isn't that the problem?"
Right in one.
"Look at me."
He looked. Her eyes were green in the light. Her black hair was down around her shoulders. The artificial light illuminated her skin, making it shine. His eyes seemed to be fixed on her. He flushed as she gave him an endearing smile.
"Tell me the rest of your story."
He hesitated.
Careful.
Always my guardian angel, aren't you?
Enjoy it while it lasts.
She moved closer to him. "Tell me everything."
"Can I trust you?"
She laughed, a light, sweet sound.
"Me more then anyone else in here."
His hesitation became weighed against his desire to talk. To let somebody share in his pain. He could trust Anima- he didn't have to risk her telling anyone else. And she seemed so kind, so beautiful… it was no contest.
"What's really wrong with you, Leon?"
He spoke quietly, even though there was no one else around to hear. He clasped his hands together, staring at them
"I don't what I can do about this…about her. She's moved on, she's fine. And I'm still stuck, stuck in the same place I've been for two years. If I bring it back up again, I'm dragging up painful memories for her. I don't have the right to make things worse for her. But if I don't…never mind."
"Tell me."
He looked at her. Her eyes seemed to brim with compassion. He sighed.
"When she came back, I made a promise. I promised that I would never do anything to jeopardise that friendship again. But it's put me in an impossible situation. If I tell her how I feel, I'd drive her away. But the state I'm in right now…I want it to end. But I can't see the finish. I can't see the happy ending anymore. Can't see the point where she hugs me and tells me…"
Anima leaned forward and hugged him. Surprised, he pulled away from the contact. She let go, realising his discomfort.
"Sorry. I just don't like people touching me." Leon said apologetically.
To his surprise, she snickered.
"You're right. You aren't a hero. You aren't a knight. You aren't special. You aren't even good. Some people are like that. I see it in you. That's why you don't like people touching you- because they don't understand you. They aren't like you. And they never will be."
He smiled ruefully.
"What did you see…when you looked at me?"
"Darkness."
He flinched. Anima frowned.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so blunt. I-"
"No. It's ok. I figured out a long time ago that I'm not the brightest star in the sky. Never wanted to be, really."
"Why?"
He closed his eyes. "If you stand in the light, people see you. And you're forced to act a certain way to stay there. That feeling…the feeling that you had to act a certain way to be accepted…I hated it. Better by far to skulk in the shadows. At least there, people don't care what I'm doing."
She wore a knowing smile on her face.
"Can I ask you something else?"
He nodded.
"Could Taylor ever make you happy? Really, really happy Leon? She doesn't even want you, from what I know. You've dedicated yourself to something that doesn't exist. You could be with me, if you wanted it. I could make the pain, the fear, the loneliness go away. If only you'd let me."
Leon didn't respond. Her eyes blazed with anger and frustration.
"We both live in the dark, Leon. We're perfect for each other. You just can't admit it. But you don't have a choice now. You're going to have to pick one- your mousy little friend, or me. Which is it going to be?"
He started to respond, but she held a finger to his lips.
"Let me finish. I want you. And I know you're attracted to me. I can feel it. I think you're just too scared to let go. You think that no one's ever going to love you again, that you won't be close to anyone again. But you can be close to me. Closer then you've ever been to anyone."
She began to whisper seductively in his ear.
"You might actually…enjoy me. They certainly did…before I broke them."
Leon knew this wasn't right. Half of him screamed to resist, the other half desperate for her. A war was fought inside him, beginning and ending in an instant. A war for control of his heart.
It was no contest.
She laid her hands on his shoulders, massaging him gently as she whispered sensually to him.
"Nobody would know, Leon. Nobody would care."
She slipped the jacket from his shoulders, then his shirt, revealing the scars from his previous duels. He made no effort to stop her. Her voice was already entrancing him, making everything else seem trivial in comparison. She traced a finger along his chest, around the ugly wound left by Remalis the Gold.
He could hear her words in his mind, seducing him. Beckoning him towards a void.
Be with me.
Don't you want to be mine?
She began singing a tune quietly. It had no words that he could hear, just a lovely melody. Her voice was hypnotic, turning his mind blank as he became ensnared in its web. All knowledge, all thought, all memory left him. All he knew was Anima. He let her hands run over his injuries, let her touch him. She took him in her arms, holding him close to her. She pressed her lips against his mouth. He could feel himself being drained away, losing himself as he stared into her entrancing eyes. But he didn't care. Here in her arms, he felt euphoria. He felt safe here. Here is where he could stay.
"Don't you want me?"
He opened his mouth to respond. One simple word. That was all it would take, then he could rest. Forever. He knew that. Every feeling in him screamed for him to say it. But something stopped him.
What the hell are you doing? I don't want to have to fight anymore…I want to give in… Then why did you bother to come here? Why do I have to explain myself? You don't. But if you give in now, I've won. Doesn't that bother you?No. All I want is for somebody to care about me again. Is that so much to ask?
Idiot. You think Anima does?I know it.
Perhaps. But does she?As the voice spoke, another presence brushed against Leon's mind. It was familiar to him, reassuring and unthreatening. The presence seemed to bring him out of his trance, returning his world to clarity. It did not speak, but seemed to pass a word on to him.
Leon…He looked around for the source of the presence. When he saw it, he smiled, unsurprised. To one side, out on the balcony, a wretched expression on her face, stood Taylor.
She was insubstantial, like a ghost. She was dressed as Leon had last seen her, before he began this mental quest. She was sickly and pale, the glow bleached from her skin by anorexia. Her glasses were askew on her thin nose. Her red hair was tied back in a ponytail. She was crying quietly, watching Anima crawl all over him. In truth, she looked like a little girl. For all the special qualities he'd ascribed to her, she was no different then anyone else. As he looked into her eyes, Leon saw that. But that didn't matter. Seeing her this way- plainly- reminded him of how special she really was. How special she was to him.
She was only whispering, but Leon heard every word she said. And each word sent a spike through his heart.
If this is what you truly want, then I will not stop you. But if it isn't, then I will wait. I know your pain, Leon. I'm sorry about this. But now is the time to choose- die and be free of the pain, or live and fight the sorrow.
She started to disappear. Leon called out to her, shame coursing through his veins like black sludge. But she didn't answer. She just faded away to nothingness.
See you soon.
Anima stroked his face. But the sensation disgusted him, rather then the bliss he'd felt moments before. He tried moving, but Anima had his arms and legs pinned down. Her body felt cold against him, repulsive. He could still feel her song in his head, but it brought him no pleasure. She smiled, extending her teeth to their full length. He looked around wildly, but saw no way out. As she bent over him, an idea came. He tensed his fists.
You sure about this?Nope. Never sure about anything these days.
He turned his head to one side, deliberately extending his neck for her. She leaned down, as if to deliver the softest of kisses. But she made the mistake of releasing his arms. He brought them up swiftly before she could realise her mistake, slamming them into her chin. As her head jerked back, he whispered to her.
"Sorry."
WHAM!
Leon seized the opportunity, slammed a fist into her face. She cursed and fell backwards, her head hitting one of the demon-shaped bedposts with a crack. He watched her closely, but she didn't move. She was unconscious. He stood up, panting for breath.
Wouldn't a stake have been more appropriate?I do not like being manipulated.
Manipulation wouldn't have been so bad in this case. There are worse ways to die…
I have no plans of dying anytime soon. You should remember that.
He got the feeling that, whatever the voice was, it was grinning.
Real badass, aren't you? In any case, it's time to go.
He slipped his black shirt and coat back on. He traced the rips and tears in the jacket, remembering the source of each one. Each battle. As he did, something became clear in his head.
Me doing this…coming in here…it's pointless, isn't it? Why do you say that?What happens when this is all over? I won't have changed anything…
Maybe. It depends.
On what?
On what you mean when you say "over".
He noticed his deck was sitting on the table. He pocketed it after checking everything was still here.
You're becoming quite the hero after all. Things are looking up, no?
He started to agree. But before he could get the words out, he was cut off.
"Agh!"
A hand was gripping his throat from the back, sharp nails digging into his skin. The clutch was so tight, he could barely breathe.
"A…Anima!?" he choked out.
"Of course, love. Did you think you could rid of me that easily?"
"I live in hope." His words held a bite of sarcasm.
She tightened her grip. Leon actually felt the bones shifting, threatening to snap. He froze, trying not to move a muscle. Anima growled, maintaining the hold.
"You think you can resist me? I walk in a world you can't even begin to imagine. I watch the skies burn and the heavens bleed. And you? You're just a human, love."
"So?"
"How do you even function? You have no control over what you are and what you do. Your entire race is just a slave to emotion. Is that what the poets drone on and on about?"
Leon lost his flippancy. "It's our world. We make the best out of it we can."
She snorted. "Pah. I know that world, Leon. And you want to know something? I don't want anything to do with it! Everybody's killing, stuffing themselves with fat and grease everyday, filling their bodies with poison and God knows what else. And half of them end up killing themselves. And why? Because it's the fastest way out!"
"You're insane…"
"Me? I'm the one-eyed lady in the kingdom of the blind, love. You're the crazy one- talking to voices in your head?"
How does she know about that? Is this another one of your games?!
Moi?
"It's not nice to ignore the devil, love."
Pain spasmed through him as he groaned. Aren't there any normal people in here?
Anima let go of him. Leon spun round, trying to work some feeling back into his throat.
"Are you finished?"
Anima bared her teeth at him. They were long and sharp as needles. Her face was contorted with rage, her eyes black, soulless pits.
What was that you were saying earlier about a stake?
Heh. Nice to see that vampires don't phase you.
Nah. I've seen too many horror movies.
She toyed with a string of her hair. "Should I kill you quickly, or let you suffer for your rudeness? I'll ask one last time- don't you want me?"
"I want syphilis more then you." Leon spat.
She hissed in anger.
"That was your last chance. Enjoy Hell, Leon."
"At least you wouldn't be able to follow me there." he quipped. "He'd spit you back out."
She roared with anger and sprang at him with unnatural speed. He saw it coming, but only just managed to move aside. Anima crashed into the frame of the bed, her many bracelets getting tangled. She tried to wrench her hand free, the metal buckling with each pull. Leon backed off, worried. He wasn't the only one.
How are we going to get out of this mess?Leon had already seen the answer. One of the horned imps that adorned the bedposts was clutching a Duel Monsters deck. He smiled.
The same way we always do.
Anima forced her arm free from the bed. She glared at him.
"I have decided to make your death as painful as humanly possible. Your body will be a lifeless husk by the time I'm through with it. You'll go to your grave begging for-"
Leon pointed to the deck, knowing he had only one chance.
"You're a duellist?"
She blinked, annoyed at being cut off in mid-rant. "Of course, love. Duelling is what brings out the true passion in people. When they decide to co-operate, that is."
He smiled wryly. "Then perhaps you'd like to see mine, before you begin the killing?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Is that a challenge, love?"
He nodded. "Let the condemned man have his last defence."
Anima snarled at him, her face twisted. Fangs elongated and features contorted, she hissed like a cat at him. Her pupils had faded to black. Looking deep into her eyes, Leon realised, perhaps for the first time, how truly emotionless this creature was. If she willed it, she could tear him limb from limb or rip off his head in a heartbeat. She could torture his body until it snapped and his mind went screaming into Hell. Leon knew that it would be almost impossible to win. But…
He would not break before this trial.
Not this time.