“D-Don’t touch them!” Aisha cried out, her voice ringing with newfound strength. “Finish me off instead!”

She lunged forward, grabbing Cassius’s hand, the same hand that had been moments away from her throat. She placed it on her own neck, her fingers wrapping around his, holding his hand firmly in place.

Her gaze met his, her amber eyes filled with a desperate resolve. “Kill me.” She said, her voice steady despite the tears streaming down her face. “I’m the one you want.”

Julie immediately shook her head, her voice firm despite her trembling body.

“Noo!” She snapped, pushing forward. Her verdant eyes burned with desperation as she thrust herself between Cassius and Aisha, her own neck lowering onto the blade.

“I am the captain of this squad!” She declared. “The responsibility is mine! If anyone should die here today, it should be me!”

Her words sent a shockwave through the battlefield.

Skadi’s eyes widened in horror.

“Bullshit!” She barked out. “The squad needs you, captain! You’re the backbone of the Sacred Guard! If you die, the entire thing crumbles! You’re too important!”

And then—before anyone could react—Skadi pushed forward as well. She shoved Julie slightly aside, placing her own neck against the blade.

Her silver ears twitched, her eyes locked onto Cassius with pure resolve.

“It should be me!” She growled. “I’m the dumb idiot here! I was the one who wanted you dead in the first place! I was the fool who believed the rumors without a second thought! If someone has to die—then it should be me!”

Aisha gasped, her hands clenching into fists. Her entire body trembled.

“No, no, no!” She cried, shaking her head violently. “I—I can’t let you two die!” Tears streamed down her face as her body shook with emotion.

“Y-You’re my family!” She sobbed, her voice breaking. “You two are all I have left! If you both die…I—I don’t even know what I’ll do! I don’t know how to live!”

Her words pierced the hearts of her comrades.

Julie, blinking back tears, turned to look at Aisha with an expression of pure sadness. Skadi, usually so brash and confident, felt her throat tighten as she realized just how much Aisha loved them.

Aisha—who always pretended to be indifferent, who always distanced herself—had just poured her soul out.

She was terrified of losing them.

Julie’s lips quivered. Skadi bit the inside of her cheek, fighting the sting in her eyes.

For a brief moment, all three of them simply looked at each other, their hearts aching with the love and bond they shared.

But just as Julie opened her mouth to argue again—

A cold, mocking voice shattered the moment.

“Now, now, now…”

The temperature seemed to drop. A cold shiver ran down all three of their spines.

Slowly, hesitantly, they turned their eyes toward him.

Cassius Holyfield.

Smiling.

Not a kind smile. Not a reassuring smile.

A smile that promised nothing but despair.

His crimson eyes gleamed with playfulness—like a predator playing with his prey.

“Why are you all acting like I would actually let any of you sacrifice yourselves for the others?”

His voice was smooth, low—filled with something dark.The moment he spoke, all three of them trembled.

“What made you think you even have a choice?” He continued, tilting his head slightly.

The way he said it—so casual, so cruel—made their blood run cold.

“Since you’re all so eager to die…”

Cassius’s smile widened.

“…Why don’t I just help you out?”

Their hearts pounded violently.

Julie felt her breath hitch.

Aisha’s legs felt weak.

Skadi’s instincts screamed at her to run.

But their bodies—frozen in terror—refused to move.

Cassius chuckled, his tone almost mockingly gentle.

“I mean, I could just stomp both of yours heads into the dirt right now and make a beautiful splatter of red and white…”

His gaze flickered down at Julie and Skadi—both still clutching his legs in desperation.

“And as for you…” His eyes landed directly on Aisha.

Aisha’s breath caught in her throat. Cassius slowly raised his free hand—flexing his fingers like he was testing their movement.

“Why don’t I just rip your throat out?” He mused, casually lifting his hand toward her neck.

His fingers lingered in the air for just a moment—right before her throat.

Aisha gasped—her entire body locking up in sheer terror. It was like she could already feel it.

The cold touch of death.

Cassius’s smile deepened.

“Wouldn’t that be fair?”

The moment the words left his mouth—

All three of them realized something.

This wasn’t just hopeless.

This was worse than anything they had ever imagined.

For the first time since this battle began—

They understood.

Cassius Holyfield wasn’t human.

He was a monster.

And there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop him.

But, just as the three women teetered on the brink of utter despair, convinced that they were about to lose each other, that their sacrifices had been in vain, Cassius spoke again, uttering something that absolutely bamboozled them.

“And that…” He said, his voice losing its chilling edge. “…is exactly what I would say if I were a bloodthirsty maniac, consumed by vengeance, eager to punish you all for ganging up on me and trying to…relocate my head.”

The three women stared at him, their eyes wide with confusion. The menacing look, the cruel smile, the aura of pure evil.

It was gone. Just like that. And just was replaced by…a wry smile to their utter shock?

Cassius then chuckled softly, the sound surprisingly gentle. He looked at them, his crimson eyes now filled with something akin to playfulness?

“Fortunately for you…” He said. “I’m a very understanding person. A pacifist, even. I can see the bigger picture.” He paused, his smile widening. “And I have absolutely no intention of taking anyone’s life. I never did.”

Julie, who had been moments away from offering up her life, twitched.

Skadi, who had practically shoved her own neck onto his sword, felt like she had just been pranked.

Aisha, however—

Aisha’s entire body trembled with rage. Her amber eyes blazed with fury as she snapped her gaze up at him.

“Pacifist?” She spat, her teeth grinding in frustration.

Cassius raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely curious at her outburst.

“You…” Aisha’s fists shook. “You could’ve just killed us outright. You could’ve said you were going to take our lives, and we would’ve accepted it.”

Her voice wavered.

“We deserved it. You totally deserve to take our lives and we wouldn’t have complained.”

Julie lowered her head, as Skadi’s jaw tightened.

Aisha’s chest rose and fell rapidly. And then—she took a sharp step forward, her glare fierce.

“But don’t you dare…” She hissed through gritted teeth. “…call yourself a pacifist after what you just did.”

Her voice was thick with rage and disbelief.

“Not after you slaughtered so many of our comrades.”

Julie’s heart clenched. It was her responsibility as a leader to protect them…But she had failed.

Skadi’s ears rose, guilt clawing at her insides.

Cassius, however, remained calm.

Unbothered…Unapologetic.

Instead, he merely gazed at them with a peculiar softness.

“Killed them?” He echoed.

Aisha’s rage burned hotter.

Julie braced herself.

Skadi’s claws twitched.

And then—

Cassius sighed.

“You really should check your fallen comrades before you jump to conclusions.”

That made them pause, looking at each other with a confused look on their faces.

Cassius then folded his arms, his expression unreadable. “Go on, then.” He gestured behind them, where their fallen knights lay scattered across the battlefield. “See for yourselves if I’m a hypocrite like you said or not.”

Something about the way he said it sent a chill down their spines.

Aisha hesitated.

Julie exchanged a look with Skadi, a silent question passing between them.

Then, swallowing her nerves, Julie turned to one of her knights—the first one Cassius had struck down. She looked cautiously, her heart pounding in her chest and saw that even though she was was lying on the ground, his body twisted at an unnatural angle, she was…wiggling.

Her armor was dented, her face contorted in pain, but she was alive. She was groaning softly, her eyes fluttering open and closed.

Julie’s breath caught in her throat. She immediately scanned her body, checking for injuries and found that she was badly hurt, no doubt about it, but she was alive.

She turned to another fallen knight, and then another. And to her astonishment, they were all alive!

Yes, they were suffering, their bodies broken, their faces pale and drawn. But they were breathing. They were moving. They were alive.

Skadi, whose tail had puffed up in shock, whirled around as her sharp ears picked up the sounds of groans, muttered curses, and ragged breathing.

And then it hit her.

“You guys—!” She gasped, her silver eyes shimmering with disbelief. “You guys are still alive?!”

A beat of silence.

Then, one by one, the fallen knights responded.

“Still kickin’…somehow.” One woman grunted, clutching her broken ribs.

“Ugh, hurts like a bitch, but yeah…not dead.” Another groaned.

“Pretty sure my spine’s in the wrong place, but I haven’t kicked the bucket yet.”

“Damn, I really thought I was gonna see the afterlife for a second…”

“Shit…I can still hear Skadi yelling, so I guess I’m alive.”

Skadi’s ears twitched violently at that last comment, but she was too relieved to get mad.

Aisha swallowed hard, feeling something warm and tight build in her chest.

Julie, meanwhile, was completely speechless.

She had watched Cassius move.

She had seen his speed, his strength, his sheer brutality.

She had thought—no, she had been certain—that they were all dead.

But they weren’t.

Cassius had crippled them. He had utterly dismantled them.

And yet, he hadn’t taken a single life.

Julie’s fingers clenched into the fabric of her gloves. This…This doesn’t make sense.

If he wanted revenge, he could have slaughtered them all. If he wanted to send a message, he could have wiped them from existence.

But instead—he had spared them.

Severely injured, but spared.

“Why?” Julie muttered under her breath, her brow furrowed in confusion. She couldn’t understand his motives. His actions were completely at odds with his earlier pronouncements.

She looked at Cassius, her eyes searching his face for any clue, any hint of explanation. “You said…You said this was a game of survival.” She said, her voice laced with disbelief. “You said there was no right or wrong. You said you were going to slaughter us all so that you could survive.”

She paused, her voice rising in frustration. “Why? Why spare us now? Why show mercy when you were so ready to kill us before?”

Cassius simply smiled, a small, enigmatic smile that offered no answers. “Oh that, I was simply…joking.” He said to their shock, his voice light, almost playful.

Aisha, Julie, and Skadi stared at him, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. Joking? He had been joking? He had put them through all that terror, all that pain, just for a joke?

“I wanted to see how you would react.” Cassius continued, his smile widening slightly. “To see how far you would go to protect each other.”

He then looked at them, his expression turning serious. “I also wanted to show you…that you never stood a chance against me in the first place and there was absolutely no chance of fulfilling your mission.”

He paused, letting his words sink in. “I mean, it’s not like you would have just believed me if I had simply told you that.” He added, a hint of wry amusement in his voice.

The three women looked down, their faces etched with a dawning understanding.

He was right. They wouldn’t have believed him.

They were so caught up in their duty, their loyalty, their desire to protect each other, that they had blinded themselves to the reality of the situation. They had underestimated him. They had vastly overestimated their own abilities.

“Yes, there are broken bones.” Cassius said, his voice softening slightly. “Yes, there are flesh wounds, ligament tears, and a whole lot of pain.” He gestured towards the injured knights scattered across the courtyard. “But it’s better than…wiping you all out, wouldn’t you agree?” His smile returned, this time a genuine, almost gentle smile.

Almost all of them unconciously nodded their head as they’d much rather spend the rest of the month on a bed, then spend the rest of their existence in a coffin.

Skadi, despite the pain radiating through her body, couldn’t help but voice the question that was lingering in her mind. “B-But…What about revenge?” She asked, her voice small and hesitant. “Don’t you…Don’t you want to do something back to us? For ambushing you like cowards?”

She hung her head, ashamed of her own actions, her previous bloodlust replaced by a gnawing guilt.

Cassius, instead of answering, simply bent down and patted Skadi’s head. She was still lying at his feet, along with Julie, who was too weak to move. The unexpected gesture caught Skadi off guard and she didn’t know what to feel since his touch was so gentle.

“Oh, my adorable little puppy.” Cassius said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “What you said makes sense. Anyone else, faced with such a…bold attempt on their life, would be furious, regardless of the circumstances.”

He paused, his expression turning thoughtful.

“But…” He continued, his voice taking on a strange, almost omnipotent quality. “That only applies to normal people. When it comes to someone like me, someone who is…confident in their ability to preserve their own life, no matter the threat…Well, you start to see your enemies differently.”

He looked at them, his eyes filled with a strange intensity.

“You become less interested in their actions…” He explained. “…and more interested in their intentions. Why did they do what they did? What motivated them?”

He smiled, a genuine smile this time, devoid of any malice.

“And in your case…” He said, his gaze sweeping over the three women. “Your intentions…were quite noble, in their own way. You weren’t trying to kill me out of hatred or malice. You were trying to protect your comrades. You were willing to sacrifice yourselves to save them.”

He paused, letting his words sink in.

“And that…” He concluded. “…is something I can respect. So, I’ve decided to let you go.”

The three women stared at him, their mouths agape. They were speechless. He was…letting them go? Just like that? After everything they had done, after everything they had put him through? It was…unbelievable.

But Julie on the other hand had a question gnawing at her mind when she heard his reasoning.

Her voice was quieter now, almost unwilling to disturb the unsettling calm that had settled over them. “What if…” She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. “W-What if we had tried to kill you without hesitation? Without guilt? If we had struck you down without remorse, would you still have spared us?”

Cassius’s smile didn’t fade. If anything, it grew sharper—cruel, cold, and enthralled all at once. He tilted his head slightly, as if considering the thought, then exhaled a soft chuckle.

“Oh, then?” He mused, his voice carrying a mockery of warmth.

“…Then I would probably skin all of you alive and hang you up somewhere to make an example…”

“…Especially the furry ones since they would make rugs with how fluffy they looked and maybe some other appliances as well.”

The words were spoken so casually, so lightly, that they sent an immediate chill down the knights spines.

A silence fell over the courtyard.

Aisha swallowed hard at the thought of being made into a ornament. Julie stiffened at the thought of being put on display. While Skadi’s tail shook again, standing on end like a terrified cat when she imagined the sight of her tail being used as a duster.

Even the injured knights, who had been groaning moments ago, now felt a fresh kind of pain—one that had nothing to do with their wounds and everything to do with sheer, unfiltered fear.

‘Praise the gods…’ Julie thought. ‘Praise the gods we stayed true to our principles…Or else.’ She didn’t even want to think of that horrifying nightmare.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep