Chapter 570: Saintess Vs Vampire

Cassius leaned back on his chair, tapping his fingers impatiently against the desk.

’Where is Lucius?’ He thought.

He was usually quick, but tonight he seemed to be taking an eternity with the item Cassius had been waiting for.

He was just about to call for one of his maids when the faint creak of the bathroom door caught his ear.

He turned his head and was surprised by the sight.

Carmela stepped out, no longer the flustered, feverish woman he had seen earlier, but the familiar, composed vampire noble.

Her posture was straight, movements calm and perfect, the same chilling aura back in her eyes.

Even her hair, which had been a mess before, now fell neatly, and her expression carried the same quiet authority of a warrior ready for battle.

Cassius’s smile faded slightly. The warmth and softness she’d shown before were completely gone.

Carmela noticed his expression immediately and narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you making that face?" She asked sharply.

"I thought someone like you would be...overjoyed after what just happened. After all, you do have quite the depraved personality, don’t you?"

Cassius sighed dramatically, slumping back into his chair.

"Ah, that’s exactly the problem." He said in sorrow. "I was hoping to see that adorable, flustered Carmela again. The one who looked so cute and shy, the one I just wanted to hold and protect. But now..."

He gestured toward her cold demeanor.

"Now I’m staring at the terrifying Carmela again. Where did the cute one go?"

Carmela folded her arms, unimpressed.

"That ’cute one,’ as you call her, was the result of an uncontrollable flare of energy—nothing more."

"Do you think I’d act like that by choice? Don’t fool yourself. I’m perfectly fine now, and that won’t happen again."

"Oh, really?" Cassius smirked. "And what about next time? You know, when you drink my blood again and your body starts heating up all over? What then?"

Carmela’s expression faltered for a brief second before she quickly looked away.

"By then." She said firmly. "I’ll have learned to control it. I won’t let myself lose composure like that again."

"Oh, so confident." Cassius teased, resting his chin on his hand. Then he tilted his head and added slyly, "But...what if I told you that even now your new trousers are still leaking through?"

"There’s a patch right there."

Her face went blank for half a second before pure horror crossed it. She looked down sharply, heart thudding—and then froze again when she saw nothing at all.

When she lifted her gaze, Cassius was grinning like a child caught with a prank.

"You—!" She hissed, glaring daggers.

Cassius chuckled. "See? No matter how much you hide it, the shy Carmela’s still inside somewhere. I’m just glad to know she’s not completely gone."

Carmela’s glare sharpened; she was genuinely considering punching him in the face.

But before she could say a word, her gaze flicked downward—and she realized his pants were still wet with her remnants.

He hadn’t changed at all after the earlier chaos and her cheeks flushed before she could stop herself.

Without a word, she reached out, grabbed the waistband of his trousers, and started tugging hard.

Cassius’s eyes widened in alarm.

"Wha—Hey! Hey! Hold on! Carmela, what are you doing?! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!"

"Stop talking!" She barked, pulling harder. "Just take them off!"

"Are you insane?! You— you’re trying to undress me?!" Cassius spluttered, twisting away. "Don’t tell me you’ve developed a thing for me already! You want more, don’t you? I knew my charm was irresistible, but this—!"

"Shut up!" Carmela snapped. "I don’t care about your body, idiot! Your pants are soaked! Give them to me so I can wash them before someone else sees!"

Cassius held onto his belt for dear life.

"What is wrong with you?! You want to take off my pants, but you don’t want my body—you’re sending mixed signals here!"

"Stop talking and hand them over!" She shouted again, stubbornly tugging as if it were a battle of pride now.

The ridiculous tug-of-war went on—until the sharp sound of the main door creaking open froze them both mid-motion.

Creak!

Cassius instantly stopped struggling, and Carmela went still.

Both of them turned their heads toward the sound.

Cassius let out a nervous laugh, thinking that it was Lucious who had arrived.

"Ah finally, Lucius! Took you long enou—"

But his voice trailed off as his eyes widened.

It wasn’t Lucius.

Standing in the doorway was a woman—tall, radiant, dressed in flowing white nightclothes that contrasted the dim light of the office.

Her long, loose pink hair shimmered softly, and her sleepy but focused expression carried both beauty and authority.

It was Joy.

Cassius froze completely, while Carmela’s grip on his pants slackened.

For a heartbeat, none of them spoke. Then Joy’s lips slowly curled upward—not into a kind smile, but a cruel, delighted one.

"Well." She said softly, her tone almost too calm. "It seems the Goddess truly is watching over me tonight."

Her voice grew louder, almost exultant.

"To think She would guide me here, at this hour, to witness this scene with my own eyes...The Goddess’s blessings are endless indeed."

Carmela’s eyes darkened instantly. Cassius’s stomach sank.

Joy stepped closer, her presence like a storm blazing through the room.

"While I was sleeping." She began. "I felt it. A pulse of vile energy spreading through this mansion. It was brief, but powerful enough to wake me."

"I thought I might have imagined it, but my faith demanded that I investigate."

She gestured dramatically toward the two of them—Carmela crouched in front of Cassius, her hand still gripping his trousers, both of them frozen in the most compromising position possible.

"And now." Joy said with a chilling smile. "The truth reveals itself. I see exactly what I was meant to find."

Her gaze locked onto Cassius, burning with zeal.

"The man accused of sin—the one I was sent to judge—engaging in an unholy act with an abomination born of darkness, a creature of sin..."

She turned her eyes onto Carmela, who stared back coldly.

"...and to my genuine surprise a vampire."

Joy’s grin widened into something feral.

"This is more than evidence. This is divine confirmation. The Goddess herself has shown me the truth."

She raised a trembling hand, bright light beginning to flicker at her fingertips.

"Cassius Vindictus Holyfield." She declared, her voice echoing through the room. "For your unholy collaboration with this creature, and for defiling divine law, I hereby—"

"Wait—!" Cassius tried to speak, but Joy’s eyes burned brighter, and her voice thundered:

"—declare you both guilty of sin against the Goddess and humanity alike. And for that both of you shall face execution."

Cassius opened his mouth, intending to speak—to calm the storm brewing before him.

But unfortunately for him, Carmela was faster.

She let go of his hand, her expression hollowing into something far older, far darker, as she slowly stepped forward.

Each footfall echoed like a warning.

And she was heading straight toward Joy.

The Saintess narrowed her eyes in response but didn’t move.

"Oh? So you’re here to execute me?"

Carmela’s voice was low, but it carried the weight of blood and centuries of agony before she gave a crooked smile.

"Then I suppose I can say the same..."

Her voice grew colder.

"Because ever since you arrived in this mansion, my hands have been twitching. Shaking. Yearning to slaughter every last one of you. You call it divine instinct. I call it restraint."

She tilted her head, crimson light igniting in her eyes like fire.

"Especially you." She whispered. "You...the forefront and the symbol of the Church."

"The very Church that purged my race."

The very Church that gouged the eyes out of every father, every mother and every child who just wanted to live in peace."

Her smile widened—cruel now, mocking.

"Joy. Saintess of Judgment. Sister of Thorns. The one who calls herself a Holy Executioner. I’ve been waiting for this moment far too long. And if you believe the Goddess has led you here to destroy me—"

She took another step, the light from her eyes casting red shadows across the room.

"—then I say she despises you since she’s sent you here to die in my hands."

But even though Carmela was absolutely menacing right now, Joy’s lips only curled into a smirk.

"Is that so?" She replied coldly. "Then let’s see whose end is written in the Goddess’s light...you wild, accursed creature."

And then all of a sudden, her right hand glowed gold, holy light spilling from her palm.

In an instant, the light condensed and twisted—taking the shape of a massive, golden battle axe.

Its edge shimmered with divine radiance, humming with power.

It was unmistakably the Axe of Benediction, a sacred relic granted to Joy by the Goddess herself.

But Carmela didn’t falter and instead her lips twisted in a grin.

"Fine then, let’s see whose god answers faster."

Her hands also began to shine—but instead of a golden glow, it was a deep, molten red.

In the next breath, twin blades materialized in her grasp—curved and double-edged, crimson as fresh blood, their surface flickering with infernal light.

They looked alive, humming like creatures eager to feed.

And seeing this, Cassius immediately got up from his seat, raising both hands.

"Hold up, hold up! Don’t do anything you’ll regret!"

He shouted.

"I said stop—!"

But his words were lost as both women moved at once.

Joy swung her mighty axe upward, the blade trailing holy sparks, ready to chop Carmela’s head off.

While Carmela spun into motion, her daggers whistling as she blurred forward, wanting to slash Joy into tiny pieces

And they were finally about to clash like they desperately wanted even though both of were injured.

But shockingly—the collision never came.

Because before either weapon could land, a voice, calm but heavy with command, cut through the air.

"I told you...to stop, didn’t I?"

And in that instant—a flash of crimson split the air.

Before either woman’s strike could land, something moved.

Faster than sight. Faster than thought.

CRASH!

Joy’s divine axe was kicked mid-air with such force it flew across the room and embedded itself into the far wall, shaking the entire chamber.

CLANG! CLANG!

Carmela’s twin daggers were wrenched from her grip before she could blink—tossed to opposite corners of the room like toys.

The two women staggered, stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

And then—

Hands.

A hand around each of their necks.

Not choking. Not crushing.

But still...utterly paralyzing.

Their bodies froze. Muscles went limp. Power vanished from their limbs.

And when they finally looked down to see who was the sudden intruder, shock written across their faces—they saw him.

Cassius.

Standing between them.

Holding both of them by the neck—one hand on each—effortlessly. Casually.

His expression wasn’t furious.

It was irritated.

And his eyes were glowing a deep, unnatural crimson.

Carmela’s breath caught.

She had known Cassius was dangerous. She had suspected he was hiding something. But this—

But this...this was beyond that.

She had attacked with everything she had. Held nothing back. Her rage had fueled her with the strength she hadn’t tapped in years.

And yet—

She hadn’t even seen him move.

She realized with a chilling clarity: if he had wanted to, he could have ended her without blinking.

He was toying with her.

All the playfulness, the teasing, the flirtation—it was all masking this monstrous strength.

And now, seeing it for the first time...she realized how helpless she truly was in front of him.

But Joy—Joy was more than shocked.

She was shattered.

This wasn’t supposed to be possible.

She’d read every report, every testimony about this man.

Cassius Vindictus Holyfield—a decadent noble, weak, lazy, more devoted to women and wine than battle.

No training, no magic affinity, no divine blessing.

A stain on the noble class.

And yet...

She hadn’t even seen him move.

Her holy axe—swatted aside.

Her divine light—useless.

His grip on her neck was gentle. But behind it, she felt it: a wolf hiding under sheep’s wool.

A predator who had worn his mask so well that not even her divine senses had noticed.

Where had this power come from?

How had no one seen it?

Fear. Cold, unyielding fear, touched her spine.

But still, being the stubborn, fierce, and unbending woman she was—she tried to fight back.

She summoned light once more, tried to project another weapon.

But just as the glow began to form, she suddenly felt a invisible pressure envelope.

Boom!

A crushing weight exploded outward.

A pressure so heavy that she couldn’t even move and struggled to breathe.

And she realised quickly that it was no spell, no array, no tricks.

But just his presence alone that made her feel that way, which she couldn’t believe.

Carmela too tried to summon blood into a blade—her fangs bared, hands trembling—but then it hit her as well.

The pressure.

The suffocating, inescapable pressure.

And because of how weak it made them feel, both of them dropped to their knees.

Their faces pale.

Sweat trickling down their temples.

Legs shaking.

And the worst part of it being that, he hadn’t hit them.

He hadn’t cast a spell.

He had simply let his bloodlust out.

A dusting of his emotion into the air, but it was enough to crush them.

And for a brief second in their eyes, he looked almost...otherworldly.

Like a King of Hell, seated on a throne of calm fury.

And both Carmela and Joy realized, in that instant—that all their assumptions about Cassius had been wrong.

Terribly, dangerously wrong.