The battle between the two demons would have been much longer if Laevateinn wasn't such a powerful weapon. However, the green demon sword wasn't a thing to be trifled with. Sebastian brought the weapon down upon Claude and the spider demon used his golden cutlery to block it. The sword was only stopped momentarily before slicing through the metal as if it were nothing but butter.

"I'm going to very much enjoy slicing you into tiny little pieces," Sebastian spoke with a dark growl in his voice, feet planted firmly in the grass outside. He had no intention of backing down. Even if Claude was the one holding the weapon, he would stand his ground no matter what. His Master and Kadence, as well as Alois now, depended on his victory. With another harsh throw of his arms, he sent the blade directly towards the other demon once more.

This time, the sharp edges cut into Claude's arm as he tried to dodge. It tore the fabric easily, cutting into the flesh beneath. A dark crimson liquid quickly soaked into the tailcoat.

This wasn't any butter knife they threw at each other. The moment the weapon broke skin, Claude had to drop the knives he held and use his other hand to hold the wound.

"It looks like you're slowing up, Faustus," Sebastian hummed with a wickedly teasing grin. His teeth were formed into sharp fangs, his usually crimson eyes glowed a furious fuchsia. "How disappointing. I thought you'd last longer."

"Drop the sword and we'll see who is slowing up!" Claude snarled angrily in response, his own eyes shining the same color as Sebastian's.

"So you can pick it up and turn the tables? I may have let my guard down before but I will not let you walk away from this. Not after what you've done."

"What I've done?" Claude scoffed, stepping slowly around and circling Sebastian as if waiting for the proper moment to strike. "Listen to yourself. You've allowed a woman to make you weak. You're just as bad as the humans."

Laughing under his breath, Sebastian tossed his head to knock black strands of raven hair from his eyes. "She's made me anything but weak. I've never felt better in my immortal life. Perhaps if you'd taken the time to get to know her-"

"God, shut up, will you?" Claude scoffed once more. "You sound like the pathetic beings we suck dry every century when we form new contracts. Your demon senses aren't what they used to be."

"Pathetic?" Sebastian paused momentarily, turning his eyes towards Claude. His first thoughts went to Kadence. She was anything but pathetic. She was driven, strangely confident when it came to certain things. "You know nothing of humans and the way their minds work. It's no surprise, you've been bending Alois's mind around just to get him to think the way you want. You are the one that caused him to need validation. Need love. And he got that. From her."

Having no intention of even letting Claude respond, Sebastian suddenly charged forward, the blade pointing outward in front of him. He moved fast enough the spider didn't even have time to react. The sharp tip pierced his chest, sinking deep into his body.

The look on Claude's face would satisfy Sebastian more than any soul he could ever consume. The look of shock, realization, and then fear. Fear was hard to put into a demon, but Claude knew exactly what this meant now. He was going to die. Permanently. No going back to Hell, no pretending to be dead.

The crunch of his ribs was music to the raven's ears. The harsh gasp he croaked out. The way his glowing eyes faded to gold before the life drained from them completely. And then the demon went limp before he could even pull Laevateinn from his body.

Sebastian let a soft, satisfied breath pass his lips. He gazed at his blood-stained gloves, then his wrinkled tailcoat and sighed in exasperation. "I should've had you tend to laundry first," he muttered, holding the handle of the sword in one hand. With Claude's body lying lifeless on the ground, he finally made his way inside, blood dripping off the tip of the weapon the entire way.

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Sebastian was surprised to find his Master still holding Kadence in his palms, her tiny body twitching violently. "My Lord," he muttered in a low voice, breathing heavily. He hadn't realized it while outside, but he felt exhausted.

Hannah and Ciel both turned to look at him, and Ciel straightened up where he sat. "You look awful," he said in a quiet tone, though a small smile crept onto his lips.

"Don't worry about me, what's happening to her?" He asked, stepping forward and letting the sword clatter to the wooden floor.

"I'm pretty sure she's fighting for her life," Hannah murmured gently, stepping forward and taking Kadence's small form into her palms. "I've given her some strong medication. The most we can do is let her fight her way back to us," she said softly, laying the little woman on the second pillow beside the one Alois's head rested on.

Approaching the side of the bed, Sebastian removed his bloody gloves, ensuring his hands had no blood on them too before he used a finger to push her matted red locks back. He gazed down at her, her pale face contorted into one of pain and fear. "My dear little thief," he crooned, kneeling on one leg beside the bed.

"You are welcome to return home and take her with you. My Master should recover fully, thanks to Lord Phantomhive's help." Hannah looked to Ciel and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you," Sebastian lifted his head ever so slightly to look at the platinum-lavender haired maid. "I hope...you will bring him to see her once he is able to."

Standing from where he sat, Ciel waited for Sebastian to stand and gather the small woman in his palms. For the first time, he really watched how his demon butler handled her. Like glass. He swears, not even his fine china is handled with the delicacy Sebastian used with Kadence. "I suppose we are taking the carriage, as you cannot carry us both."

Sebastian chuckled softly under his breath. He shifted his palm to hold Kadence in one hand, his fingers lifted and curled around her protectively. Then, he scooped Ciel up off the floor in his other arm with a grin. "Please. If I couldn't do this much, what kind of butler would I be?"