Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 353

Chapter 353

His gray formal suit accentuated his lean figure, making him look tall and straight, while the black bow tie studded with black diamonds gleamed with opulent brilliance.

His slightly long, tousled silver hair had been carefully styled into elegant waves.

Ashera stood there, with the gravestone behind him surrounded by burning white candles and Black Rose blossoms.

Perhaps it was the candlelight, but his brooding golden eyes seemed gentler than usual.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

He held out a hand to her, his cool, thin lips curving into a faint, beautiful smile.

Beili’s heart had never felt so at peace.

Lifting the hem of her skirt slightly, she walked over and took his hand. “When you disappeared from the Far South, was it because you came to Holy Island to set everything up?”

Her red eyes flicked to the side as she silently added,

“And you even had those dark creatures abduct the designer Old Lady from Sainthos…”

Ashera lowered his lashes.

“She’s the only person I know who can make clothes.”

He took her hand and turned around. Together, they faced the gravestone behind them, where the tiny dark creatures had already climbed to the top.

They were unafraid of the candle flames or the thorny vines of the Black Rose. Packed neatly atop the gravestone, they let out a chorus of gurgles.

Beili could not understand a word, but given the setting, these little soot-black creatures were probably acting as the officiants.

“I do.”

Before Beili could ask, the man beside her answered with a smile in his voice.

The dark creatures turned to her and let out another chorus of gurgles.

“They’re asking whether the bride loves the groom,” Ashera explained.

Beili had already guessed as much.

“I do,” she said.

His golden eyes shifted toward her.

He raised a hand, his cold fingertips gently caressing her cheek.

“Then…” he said with deep satisfaction, “the groom may kiss the bride.”

His cold lips descended upon hers, gently drawing at them like a night breeze skimming across a lake.

A moment later, their lips parted.

“Aren’t we supposed to exchange rings now?” Beili asked.

Ashera froze for a moment. It seemed the idea of exchanging rings at a wedding had never occurred to him. Smiling, Beili took two Grass Rings from her bouquet.

“I wove them on the way here.”

She took his left hand and slipped one Grass Ring onto his ring finger.

Ashera took the other Grass Ring and placed it on the ring finger of her left hand.

He lowered his golden eyes and stared at the Grass Ring on his finger with innocent confusion, as though he had no idea what it meant. Even so, instinct led him to lift her hand and press a kiss to its back.

“…”

The kiss paused. As though sensing something, he raised his head, and the corners of his lips suddenly lifted.

“It seems the last group has arrived as well.”

He spoke softly, then turned his golden eyes toward the dark creatures crowded atop the gravestone and murmured something to them. The dark creatures at either end leaped down, transformed into two wisps of black mist, and flew out of the Graveyard.

Beili looked beyond the Graveyard, but the dense fog kept her from seeing very far.

“Where are they going?”

“To welcome your friends. Otherwise, they would have a hard time making it here,” Ashera said.

“All we have to do now is wait.”

As he spoke, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his handsome face against her neck and shoulder, clinging to her with quiet affection.

A moment later, he chuckled against her skin.

“They’re here. And they’ve brought a ‘gift.'”

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps sounded along the path draped in black gauze.

Beili turned around and saw several familiar figures emerging from the dense fog.
They had barely exchanged a glance when Beili saw several red objects wrench themselves free from their hands. As though they had sensed their target, they shot toward them.

The Fire Seed also burst out of Cyril’s storage pouch and fell to the ground. Flames raced toward the end of the path, leaving a trail of fire that rapidly spread to both sides.

The boy holding her seemed to be hurt.

After a muffled groan, his trembling arms released her. He staggered backward in agony until his back struck a gravestone.

Beili saw that red spikes had pierced both his wrists. Each one was two fingers wide and ran straight through, while an even longer spike pinned his ankles together.

Black blood poured endlessly from the wounds.

In the blink of an eye, the dense fog shrouding the Graveyard dispersed.

The enthralled crowd seemed to regain their senses as well.

Beili heard panicked screams and chaotic footsteps. She heard the kings shouting in terror, ordering the Mage contingent to charge into the flames and carry out a rescue.

A raging fire had suddenly erupted throughout the Graveyard. It was not just the grass that burned. The masses of Black Rose blossoms and white candles used as decorations had also caught fire.

Every dark creature vanished into black smoke the instant it touched the flames.

Neither seawater nor magic could extinguish the blood-red fire. No one could get close.

“Bartholomew!”

“Miss Bartholomew!”

“Sister!”

Beyond the inferno, people seemed to be calling her name.

Beili looked toward the voices and saw someone trying to charge into the flames.

“You… are not allowed to run…”

The person behind her spoke.

At the same time, a thin wisp of shapeless black mist slipped beneath the many layers of her skirt and wound around her ankle like Chains.

Beili turned to look at the boy.

The Holy Nail and the flames had twisted his expression with pain. Raven-black lashes trembled against his brooding face.

Yet his golden eyes remained fixed on her, all their earlier gentleness gone.

“These things can only hold me down…”

“But you already have the weapon that can kill me…” he whispered. “You know what to do…”

“I told you, there is only one way you are allowed to die… With me… together with me…”

As though the flames had consumed all the oxygen, he forced out those few words before gasping heavily.

“I know.”

Beili dropped the bouquet, summoned the Red Dagger, and wrapped her arms around Ashera.

His golden eyes quivered. Then, satisfied, he lowered his head and pressed his cheek against her.

“Does it hurt?” she asked in a trembling voice.

“It does.”

He answered with a smile.

“He said that without your tear, the two of us would have merged more completely. There would have been no conflict between us… and I would no longer be me…”

He drew a deep breath.

“But it doesn’t matter… Soon… we’ll be together forever very soon…” His voice was full of longing.

“Little Butterfly…” The boy’s voice softened, tinged with faint confusion. “Do you really love me…?”

Then he fell silent.

Beili gazed at the boy’s drooping silver hair. She did not know whether it was from grief, reluctance to let go, or the rapidly spreading flames, but her eyes burned and scalding tears spilled out.

Black blood, colder than ice and snow, flowed over her hand.

Trembling, Beili released him.

The boy’s body slid down the gravestone, a vivid blot of blood-red now staining his chest.

…

Clatter-

A vast, bottomless chasm split open beneath her feet.

Pitch-black Chains shot out of the fissure and coiled around her limbs, loop after loop, like snakes.