User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 493: The White Dragneel, Review./@comment-4449950-20160713020037/@comment-7418318-20160713074937

Well pretty much what you said Carry, though regarding the antagonist thing, at least there's still August.

He cares for his comrades and seems to have a strong dislike for torture and sadism.

And with Mira he went for an instant kill-shot, sparing her the pain of what Irene would have done (or at least tried to)... or maybe even intentionally missed her heart and anticipated that Brandish would save her (I doubt Brandish could do squat if he really hit Mira's heart, also the position was too far to the left). Either way it was mercy.