Julie felt something in her chest tighten—something painful, something unbearable, something that made her want to both cry and laugh at the same time.
But then—
"If anyone deserves to die." One knight muttered. "It’s that damn Patriarch."
That one sentence ignited something in the group.
"The bastard sent us on a suicide mission for his own damn son."
"He knew we’d fail from the start. He wanted us to."
"He made Julie take that Eternal Vow just to guarantee our deaths."
"And what do we get for years of loyal service? Executed! Just because some power-hungry old man wants to be rid of his own blood!"
The rage in the air was obvious. The knights, still battered and bruised, were furious. Their anger surged, spreading like wildfire.
Julie opened her mouth, perhaps to calm them down, but Skadi wasn’t finished. She let out a growl, her canines flashing in frustration. "That filthy, snake-hearted, rotten, decrepit excuse of a man—if I had just one second alone with him, I’d rip his throat out with my teeth!"
"You’d rip out his throat? I’d gut him." Another knight hissed.
"I’d burn down his entire damn estate and salt the ground."
"Drown him in a pit of his own lies."
"I’d love to see him strapped to a wooden post and whipped like a common criminal."
"Throw him into a nest of starved vultures and see how long he lasts."
Julie watched in quiet amazement as her squad—once disciplined, noble, and duty-bound—had descended into full-blown, unfiltered hatred for the man they had once sworn loyalty to.
The same knights who had once proudly carried out the Holyfield household’s will were now throwing every imaginable insult at the very patriarch they had served without question.
And then, as the absurdity of the situation dawned on her, she laughed.
"Hahaha!~"
A soft chuckle at first, but it grew—bubbling up from deep within her chest, shaking her shoulders as she let out a full-bodied, genuine laugh. A laugh of disbelief, of irony, of sheer madness at the situation they found themselves in.
The moment Skadi heard her captain’s laugh, she also let out a loud, almost howling laugh, clutching her stomach as she rolled onto her back.
"Hahahahaha!~"
"Hahahahaha!~"
And then—one by one—the others joined in.
"Hahahahaha!~"
"Hahahahaha!~"
"Hahahahaha!~"
Battered. Broken. Bleeding.
And yet, they laughed.
Not because the situation had improved. Not because they had found a miraculous escape.
But because, in that moment, they had accepted their fates.
Aisha, her eyes wet with unshed tears, smiled as she wiped them away with the back of her hand. "You know." She mused, shaking her head. "I guess there really isn’t any point in worrying anymore."
Julie looked over at her, amusement still lingering in her eyes. "Oh?"
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Aisha exhaled, a slow, weary breath. "We can’t run, can’t hide. Even if we tried, our families would be implicated, and they’d most definitely be executed in one way or another."
Her amber eyes flickered with a strange mixture of peace and defiance. "So if we’re going to die...we might as well do it with pride."
The other knights quieted, listening to her words with rapt attention.
"No matter how painful or humiliating it may be." Aisha continued, standing tall despite her injuries. "We should face our end as one—with our heads held high and our backs straight. We should meet death with a smile on our faces, just to show that bastard of a Patriarch that we haven’t succumbed to his schemes."
She placed a hand over her chest, right where her heart was beating strong and steady. "We’ve done nothing wrong. We have never stained the name of the Sacred Guard. And we will never allow him to take that from us."
A proud, almost reckless smile spread across her lips. "So, if we’re going to die...let’s make sure we do it our way."
For a brief, profound moment, there was silence.
And then—
A roar of cheers erupted from the battered knights.
Even those who could barely sit up lifted their arms and banged their fists against their chests in agreement.
Skadi threw her head back and let out a loud, wild war cry, her silver tail whipping around with pride. "That’s right! We’re not going to die like cowards! We’ll die as knights of the Sacred Guard, standing tall!"
The others followed, pounding their fists against the dirt, the armor, anything they could, creating a thunderous, rhythmic beat that shook the air with their sheer determination.
Julie watched all of this, her heart aching with both pride and sorrow.
Her knights.
Her soldiers.
Her family.
They had accepted their end—not with fear, not with despair—but with courage. Her chest swelled with emotion as she swept her gaze over them.
If she had to die, then she would gladly die among these people. These warriors.
Yes, her time on this earth was limited.
But she would leave it with no regrets.
...Or so she thought—until a lazy, infuriatingly casual voice cut through their triumphant moment like a blade.
"Ah...And here I was, thinking of saving you all from this plight, letting you all go back to your homes safety..." Cassius mused, tilting his head slightly as he leaned back, resting an elbow on his knee. His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement as he took in the sight before him. "...giving back the freedom you so deserve…"
He sighed, dramatically, shaking his head.
"...But seeing as everyone here is so eager for their deaths, perhaps I should just let you be."
Silence.
Absolute.
Total.
Silence.
Every single knight froze mid-celebration.
Skadi, who had just been about to let out another war cry, clamped her mouth shut so fast she nearly bit her tongue.
Aisha, who had been pumping her fist in the air, suddenly dropped it.
Julie, who had just found peace with her fate, turned her head slowly—very, very slowly—to stare at Cassius.
And then, as one—
Every single one of them snapped their heads toward him.
Cassius simply smiled.
That same infuriatingly calm, knowing smile.
Like he had already figured everything out.
Like he already had a plan.
And then—utter chaos.
Skadi practically pounced toward him, her silver tail wagging violently as she clutched the front of his shirt. "Wait, wait, wait—WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
Aisha, abandoning all pride, grabbed his other sleeve. "You—you have a plan?!" Her voice cracked. "You can save us?!"
Even Julie, who had just accepted her noble death, was now staring at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
The rest of the knights, despite their injuries, dragged or even rolled themselves toward him like starving beggars reaching for salvation.
Cassius sighed dramatically again. "I don’t know…" He drawled. "You did all seem very enthusiastic about dying just now…"
"No, no, no, NO—WE’RE NOT ENTHUSIASTIC ANYMORE!" Skadi practically yelled.
"THAT WAS BEFORE WE KNEW THERE WAS AN OPTION B!" Aisha cried, shaking his arm.
"Option B sounds very good, actually." Julie muttered, her dignified composure starting to crack.
The courtyard, which had moments ago been filled with brave declarations of noble deaths and honorable sacrifices, was now in utter disarray.
"I don’t want to die!" One knight cried out, her voice cracking with desperation. "What I said before was me spouting nonsense! I still want to live!"
"Me too!" Another wailed. "I haven’t even found a husband yet!"
"Damn it, I take it back! Forget about the noble death crap—I want to live!"
"I’ll do anything! Anything to stay in the Holy Guard!"
One after another, the knights who had just been prepared to throw their lives away now clung to the idea of survival like drowning sailors grasping for driftwood. Their voices overlapped in chaotic desperation, all previous bravado completely gone.
Lucious, standing off to the side, could only stare in disbelief at the sheer turnaround of events. His entire worldview had been shattered so many times today that he wasn’t even sure what was real anymore.
He then turned toward his master, his expression torn between awe and exasperation. "Young Master..." He said slowly, as if making sure he wasn’t hallucinating. "Are you seriously saying that you can save them—and yourself—from this mess?"
At that, the chaotic clamor suddenly ceased.
All eyes snapped toward Cassius.
Julie, Aisha, and Skadi all stared at him with equal parts hope and desperation, their hearts hammering in their chests.
Cassius, sitting as comfortably as if he were lounging in a garden, simply tilted his head and smiled.
"Lucious..." He said, tapping a finger against his chin. "If someone had told you that the ’useless’ young master of the Holyfield household would absolutely thrash the Holy Guard today, would you have believed them?"
Lucious blinked. "What—? No! Of course not! Even I your loyal butler would tell you to go back to sleep since your still dreaming."
"Exactly." Cassius said smoothly. "Because it was supposed to be impossible."
He then swept his gaze over the wide-eyed knights, his eyes gleaming with absolute confidence. "But I did it. I did the impossible."
No one spoke back as no one could argue with that...Because he had done it.
With overwhelming strength and terrifying ease, he had taken down one of the most formidable knight brigades on the continent. Julie, despite herself, felt her heart race at the sheer weight of his words.
Cassius then leaned forward, his voice deceptively soft. "So tell me...if I could do the impossible once…" His smile widened. "Why wouldn’t I be able to do it again?"
A heavy silence followed. The knights, battered and broken, looked into his eyes. And for the first time since the battle started, they saw it.
Absolute certainty.
Not arrogance. Not foolish pride.
But certainty.
And in that moment, hope—fragile, but real—began to take root in their hearts.
Julie clenched her fists, her mind racing. If there was even the slightest chance that he could do what he claimed, then—
But before she could speak, Cassius suddenly sighed.
"Of course." He mused, his voice taking on a more sinister edge. "I could help you all...but…"
A shadow fell over his face, and for the first time, an unmistakable danger lurked in his gaze.
"You all did try to kill me."
A shudder ran through the knights.
Julie stiffened.
Aisha gulped.
Skadi’s ears twitched nervously.
Cassius tilted his head, his smile turning almost playful—but the kind of playful that sent a chill down their spines.
"It would be a bit unreasonable of me..." He continued, his voice as smooth as silk. "...to save the very people who tried to end my life...for free."
He let the words sink in. The knights collectively gulped. Julie braced herself. Aisha’s tail fluffed up in anxiety. Skadi—despite being the most physically powerful—felt a strange sense of dread curling in her stomach.
Cassius leaned forward, his crimson eyes gleaming like he just found some fun toys to play with.
"So..." He said, his tone deceptively light. "If you all truly want me to save you."
His smile turned sharp.
"I’ll be needing a few...heavy demands in return."
Julie inhaled sharply, her mind already bracing for whatever outrageous demand Cassius was about to make.
"…What do you want?" She asked hesitantly, her voice steady despite the turmoil raging within her.
Cassius tilted his head, smiling in that infuriatingly carefree way, as if he weren’t holding their entire fates in his hands. "Simple." He mused, flicking an invisible speck of dust off his sleeve.
"...I want absolute control over the entire Sacred Guard."
The air grew thick with stunned silence.
Julie’s breath hitched.
Aisha’s ears twitched in shock.
Skadi blinked, her tail freezing mid-sway.
The other knights—though battered and beaten—gasped as if he’d just suggested something blasphemous.
"…What?" Julie finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Cassius leaned back, stretching his arms. "You heard me, Captain." He said, his tone almost bored. "I want full authority over your legion. A complete transfer of power—one that strips my dear father of any control over you and places it solely in my hands."
Julie clenched her fists.
Her position as Captain was one thing, but the Sacred Guard…? They weren’t just hers. They were a symbol. They were the protectors of the Holyfield estate, trusted by its people. Cassius wasn’t just asking for her submission—he was asking for the complete dismantling of their current order.
Julie opened her mouth to protest, to argue, to say something, but then Cassius’s eyes gleamed with something even more sinister.
"Ah, but that’s not all." He added, his voice taking on an amused edge.
Julie’s stomach churned. "…There’s more?"
Cassius chuckled darkly, his gaze sweeping over the battle-worn knights before finally landing back on her. "Of course. I am my father’s son, after all. We may be enemies, but I can’t deny that I did inherit a bit of his…" He paused, letting his words settle, before flashing them a rather sinister smile. "…wickedness."
Aisha, who had barely begun to digest his first demand, stiffened.
Julie, usually composed, felt a strange sense of dread crawl up her spine.
Even Skadi, who had no clue where this was going, instinctively tensed.
Cassius exhaled dramatically. "You see..." He continued. "While my father enjoys collecting power and scheming from the shadows, my own tastes lean in a...different direction."
His eyes flickered with an unmistakable mischief.
"You see, I have a rather strong preference for pretty women."
Julie’s brain short-circuited. Aisha froze. The remaining knights, already emotionally exhausted, squeaked. Even Skadi, who had been slow on the uptake, finally began to realize where this was going.
Cassius’s smirk widened as he let his words hang in the air before dropping the final bomb.
"And what do you know? The Sacred Guard is entirely composed of beautiful women."
Julie’s face burned.
Aisha choked.
Skadi tilted her head in confusion.
The other knights were torn between horror and flustered panic.
Cassius tapped his chin playfully. "I suppose if I’m going to take in an entire squad of lovely knights, I might as well take some...You know...liberties with them every now and then."
The moment those words left his mouth, Julie and Aisha exploded at the same time.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Julie shouted, her entire face going red.
"Y-YOU PERVERTED BASTARD!" Aisha hissed, her ears trembling like they couldn’t believe how shameless he was.
Cassius burst into laughter at their reactions, clearly enjoying himself far too much.
Meanwhile, Skadi, still confused, turned to Aisha. "Wait, what does he mean by ’taking liberties’ I don’t think I have anything called liberty on me?"
Aisha paled.
Julie slapped a hand over Skadi’s mouth. "You don’t need to know!" She shrieked.