User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 588 - The Headless Star 7/@comment-6904925-20140709130507/@comment-26420452-20140709134918

"Lives that were saved by good fortune must be swept aside by equal ill fortune."

It's pretty clear he was going to kill them. We were explained later that Yhwach can't tolerate surviving, he needs everyone to die during this battle.