"Do it, or kill yourself and the life in your stomach. Choose, why don't you?"

Olivier can see the hesitation in Mina's eyes. She was distraught, and it gave Olivier the most pleasure.

'Ah…that's the look I'm looking for!'

Mina was given a choice. Kill or be killed. That's all there is to it.

"Mama? What happened to you!? Are you okay?"

Filla saw Mina, and almost immediately, she runs to her side, trying to see if she can do anything to relieved Mina's pain.

Filla's mana circulated, and she formed a Magic Circle. She called upon water to help soothe Mina's pain.

Mina, however, pulled Filla to her embrace.

"Aahh!" Filla was understandably surprised.

Mina made her move and planted her feet on the ground and sent herself flying to use the ceiling as a foothold.

Mina was not willing to make a choice. Thus, her only option was to escape. She made her move and tried running away.

Locking onto the gate, she sent herself flying like an arrow with a single kick.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Olivier's sadistic smile appeared before Mina. He wasn't just going to let her escape. After all, she's both a hostage and a plaything.

"MOVE!" Mina drew her mana enhanced fist. She threw a punch, only to be stopped and thrown to the ground by Olivier. Mina did her best to protect her belly and Filla.

She coughed up blood and gave Olivier a death stare.

"Kill her, or no one gets saved."

"No." A simple answer was given.

Olivier's smile disappeared, "Why? Isn't that child the result of your beloved's infidelity? She's a mistake, an unwanted stain that is not needed! Do you not feel hate!? Do you not feel repulsion!?"

Olivier's words escaped his mouth, and Filla shrunk from the words he had uttered. A Stain, unwanted, a mistake, and unneeded.

Listening to him, Filla could not even say something otherwise. After all, she was born of lust, not of love. Colt may have changed, but what Olivier said was true.

She was but a stain that should have never existed, 'Maybe, he's right?' this thought entered her mind. Her previous misconception of being unwanted was brought back to light. And her heart got swallowed by sadness.

Filla looked at Mina and at Olivier, "I—"

"She is not a Mistake!" But just as when she was about to speak, Mina interjected with a boisterous, rage-filled roar, "How dare you call her that!? Filla is OUR daughter! So what if she is not of my blood? All that does not matter! She's my, Mina's, precious daughter, and I'll protect her even at the cost of my life!"

Hearing her words only made Olivier incensed. His eyes became bloodshot and lashed out!

BaM!

"ACK!"

He kicked Filla only to hit Mina. Seeing this further enraged the man who called himself an Apostle of Light.

He remembered a certain past and failure as and began thrashing about! He threw kicks at Filla, but Mina went and dove to protect her daughter.

"FILLA!"

Using her body, she covered Filla and received all the attacks.

"What the hell is so hard with what I am telling you to do!? Do you not want to live? Are you willing to die for the child that is not yours!? You're supposed to be a woman who despises your lover's infidelity!"

Olivier picked the knife from the ground. Instead of kicking, he used the knife to gradually cut up Mina's body, drawing blood with every knife's swing.

"You goddamn hypocrite! You are nothing but a bitch who's role is to kill the Cub of the Tigers! You are supposed to be nothing more than a tool! How dare a lowly Mortal such as yourself defy me!?!!!"

"Mama!"

A cry of distress and worry escaped Filla as she saw a fountain of blood coming from Mina's back.

Mina looked at Filla, she lovingly touched her cheeks and whispered to her sweetly, "Ma...ma's fine."

Healing Magic flowed out of Mina and onto Filla, who received cuts on her face from time to time.

Mina also ensured the life she carried was all right. She let the Healing Magic flow into her belly, ensuring their safety.

She was getting weaker by the second. She was in torturous pain, and yet, she remained still and unmoving. She didn't groan; neither did she cry.

She carried a smile on her face, just like how she remembered her Mother did it for her.

"I will…keep you...safe. So...don't cry…my lovely daughter."

Mina's sweet words were cut short, however, as Olivier finally had enough. He picked Mina up on the back of her head.

"MAMA!" Filla was alarmed.

"I've…had enough of you. You just needed to act tough, I only wanted to have fun, and you ruined everything for me. I want you to scream in agony and despair. I wanted you to cry tears of blood as guilt crushes your very soul. I don't want to watch this bullshit."

"Let my Mama go!"

Swoosh! Boom!

At this time, Filla managed to forcefully draw a Magic Circle and attacked Olivier with a ball of fire.

But that did as much damage as a cat's playful bite.

"Insolent brat!"

Pah!

Olivier slapped Filla away as he cursed.

He turned to Mina once again.

Rumble….

The ground shook a little, but Olivier paid it no heed.

Holding onto Mina, his smile began creeping out.

"You're nothing but a tool for my glory of being a Cardinal. And yet because of your gullibility, all of that was shattered. Honor, Pride, and a brighter future. All of that is now nothing but a pipe dream!"

His grip tightened, "You say you accept a child that from your lover's infidelity? You say you're a mother and you want to protect her? What hypocrisy. I know what it is that flows in your heart! That dark, murky heart of yours that reeks of jealousy, I know what you truly want!

"You must be pushing it down, right? Those repressed emotions must be hurting you, right? You must be in pain. Don't worry, as an Apostle of Light, as a savior, I'll be sure to let your emotions be free. I'll give you a push, so, show me the horror of your heart!"

The brilliant white light enveloped Mina's head.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!”

Mina let out a blood-curdling screech. Her mind was getting dug. She was suffering!

“AAAAAAAAHHH!” She was screaming as tears flowed down her cheeks!

The light influenced her thoughts and emotions. She felt lightheaded, and the most perverse of emotions in her heart were unearthed.

She was forcefully brought to the extremes of her mind.

Her desires came to the world.

Her eyes were rational, and yet at the same time, it wasn't. She was both sane and insane at the same time.

Olivier stood behind Mina, awaiting the show that was about to unfold, "Now, show me your darkness!"

Olivier threw her the knife, and Mina gladly accepted. She stood before Filla.

The sadistic bastard waited to when Mina will eviscerate Filla with the knife.

He wanted to see the child tremble in fear as she witnesses her mother's death, 'That's the scenario, so why?'

Filla did not act as Olivier expected. Instead, she ran to Mina. Why did she do it?

Simple, because she could see what Olivier could not — Mina's apologetic smile.

Mina raised the knife to her throat, and in the influence of the Light Element, the true essence of being a mother, Maya showed Mina won every other emotion and desire.

Mina brought the knife to her neck.

However, seeing Mina's hopeless expression, Olivier's smile resurfaced.

'This way… I'll be able to protect you from me.'

Mina was ready to slit her throat of her own choice, but then, a hand stopped her.

"Dear, that's enough, you've already protected our daughter."

Colt's left hand reached out to Mina's head, releasing her from any kind of manipulation. The Light Magic Olivier used disappeared from Mina's mind.

Mina regained her sanity and little by little. She saw Colt's visage, and tears flowed.

"Darling…you're here." Mina could not believe her eyes.

From what she knew, Colt was supposed to return the next month. But now, he's by her side, saving her from Olivier.

Mina's body was riddled with injuries. She was in a horrible state, her beauty had been ruined yet, Colt held her in his arms.

"I...I protected her." A pained smile.

"Yes, you did."

Third-degree burns, deep gash, mental assault are some of what Mina suffered through. Colt could see the marks of her pain.

'Her condition is severe.' Gently placing Mina on the ground, Colt's hand moved towards his breast pocket and brought out the World Tree.

"It's going to be fine." Colt assured Mina.

She nodded her head without doubting him for a second.

Olivier, however, was not so welcoming of Colt's arrival.

Appearing behind Colt, he turned Olivier hand akin to a blade.

"You sacrificial bastard, how dare you to ignore me!"

His hand was fast, and yet, Colt's sword was profoundly faster.

Colt's sword severed Olivier's hand, "Huh?"

And before Olivier could react at the confusing situation, Colt clenched his fist and threw a punch that sent Olivier flying to the steel bars.

BooM!

Colt said nothing as he looked down upon Olivier. His body was radiating Black Aura, but as he casually brought out the World Tree, he passed it to the Chick and Fluff, "This guy will only make things difficult for me to feed Mina a leaf, you administer it to her in my stead."

Colt then turned to face Olivier.

The Chick stared at Colt's back and asked Fluff, "How is his condition?"

"It's at the point where his mind is at the deep end...his anger had devoured my light."

Fluff said as it stared at Colt's back.