Sebastian couldn't lie. He was taken aback by the Borrower's words. He had never seen her so violent, so angry before. Her tiny body trembled, the gown she wore now no longer lavender but stained with crimson blood. Her eyes that gazed at him were so full of determination, conviction. Despite not needing to follow her orders, he found himself willing to do just what she asked.

He stepped closer and dropped down to kneel in front of her, one hand lifting to cover his chest, but his eyes drifted to Ciel just in case his Master had other plans. He couldn't disobey after all. However, Ciel, who still put pressure on Alois's wound gave his butler a soft nod to tell him to go right ahead.

His ruby eyes returned their focus to Kadence, and in a very soft tone, he agreed. "Yes, my Lady."

Sebastian moved across the floor gracefully, turning toward Claude who had already removed his glasses and set them off to the side. "You're following the orders of that little pest? She's changing your master just as much as she changed mine. I thought you wanted to prepare your own meal, Michaelis," he spoke in his near-emotionless but mocking tone, a smirk on his thin lips.

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder at Ciel and Kadence, before a faint smile perched itself on his own mouth. "I don't follow her orders. I grant her requests."

The crimson eyed demon cracked his knuckles and began to remove his gloves. "After all," he began, "she is a guest of the Phantomhive's. And as a butler, I couldn't possibly allow one of our guests to be unhappy, not when everyone in the mansion is so taken with her. Finnian, Bard, Mey-rin, even the young Master despite him never wanting to admit to it," he concluded, casually tossing the white gloves off to the side with a sardonic smile.

"A guest? You found her, she's a thief. Nothing but a mouse scurrying about and swiping food you leave out," Claude sneered, cocking his head back slightly in a deriding way.

The way Claude spoke caused rage to grow inside of Sebastian. A rage that he'd only felt once or twice in his immortal life. "You will not call her such things. Not when filth like you attacks your own master."

Claude's lips only twitched into a smirk at his response, and he pulled several golden blades from the inside of his tailcoat. They wouldn't hurt Sebastian. That hinted to the ruby eyed demon that the spider had intentions other than fighting him. The demon turned now, using his own body to shield the young Earl's and the Borrower, his eyes narrowing at the other.

"You're going to use yourself to protect not only your master but mine as well?" Claude scoffed.

"You've broken the contract, Claude Faustus. He is no longer your master," Sebastian took a step forward, only to pause when he realized his mistake in his wording.

"You're right," Claude's smirk curled into a wicked sneer. "That means all the rules he had set for me are gone. I'm free, Michaelis. I can do whatever I want without consequences. Without following the orders of that blonde brat."

Sebastian curled his hands into fists, mentally running through what he could and couldn't do. Lie. Betray. Abandon. None of his rules stated that he couldn't do whatever he needed to do to protect his Master. "Then you should know, that as long as I serve and protect the Lord Phantomhive I have an extended leash."

Claude lifted his golden butter knives. "Yes, but can you protect both he and the Borrower?"

Sebastian's eyes widened at the Spider's words, and he wanted to glance back at Kadence, but knew if he broke eye contact Claude would strike. He was confident in his abilities. "I am quite positive that I can," he stated.

"Then prove it," Claude let the blades from his hand fly, and everything seemed to slow down.

One blade was to the right, aimed for Ciel who was still too busy holding Alois's wound to keep the bleeding to a minimum. It was moving just slightly faster than the one to the left, which was heading right for the Borrower. If what Sebastian was seeing was correct, this was a trick. The blade aimed for Ciel was going to miss by near millimeters, possibly slicing off a hair or two. It was meant to be a distraction. But the one aimed for Kadence would hit her dead on through her torso, instantly killing her. "Master, don't move!" Sebastian demanded. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ciel's hands freeze and the boy pause whatever he was doing to listen.

Now the demon shot forward, toward the Borrower who had only just started to turn around. Sebastian's fingers pinched the blade, stopping it midair just a few inches from the small girl. He watched as her emerald eyes widened, her trembling hands lifting to cover her mouth. "S-Sebastian," she stuttered out in the way that she could without sounding too afraid.

"I know," Sebastian's gaze softened as he gazed at her, and then he turned back toward Claude with glowing fuschia eyes. "If that was a test, I believe I passed with flying colors. Now, when will you quit playing and fight me like a true demon?"

"You really want me to fight you like a true demon?" Claude once again raised a golden blade in his hand. "If I really wanted to I could strike both your master and the vermin down now."

"No, you couldn't," Sebastian stated with a grin.

Claude gazed at Sebastian, his eyes narrowing behind his rectangular glasses. "Couldn't I?" He seethed and sent the blade flying.

Sebastian's eyes followed the blade and he hurried to intercept it. It was then he noticed his mistake. The golden knife was aimed off to the side, not even close to hitting the Borrower or his Master. That knife was a distraction. Claude was going right for her. "Damn! Kadence!"

Kadence, upon hearing Sebastian exclaim her name, turned her attention from Alois to look at the crimson eyed demon. Instead, as she turned, a solid force knocked into her body. She felt her feet leave the ground, air rush past her head and body before her back crashed into something behind her. All of the air left her lungs. Her entire body felt numb. With her emerald eyes wide, she felt the world around her rush forward as she fell back to the ground roughly.

His voice. She could still hear his voice. Was he angry? Had she done something wrong? She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Pain coursed through her limbs. Excruciating pain that made her want to scream, but she could force nothing out.

Spots began to cloud her vision, his voice became faint, more distant with each passing moment. Before long, dark mist seemed to envelop her mind and she could hardly hold on whilst she slipped away from consciousness.