Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - chapter 9

In the palace of the royal city, enormous crystal chandeliers hung from the arched dome, reflecting dazzling golden light.

Seated on a throne with a base carved from pure gold and draped in dark red velvet, the King wore a kindly smile, gazing at the black-haired, violet-eyed youth beside him with fatherly affection.

“No matter how much you young people oppose the organization of this event, you can’t ignore that it’s a way to make all the Nobles willingly and happily hand over their gold coins…” He paused, “Hmm… It’s much easier than endless meetings.”

“Making them pay to place bets by holding a Killing Game?”

“That’s right-” The black-haired, violet-eyed youth sat at the King’s side, sneering sharply and disdainfully, “Father clearly has a talent for running an Underground Casino. Has the proliferation of Underground Casinos in the royal city been aided by you as well?”

The King was not angered. He smiled, “Just one game, and the villages at the Border destroyed by demons will have the funds for reconstruction. My dear son, do you have a better solution?”

The youth snorted coldly.

“Cut off a leg from your throne, and that would solve it too.”

The King chuckled and shook his head, about to say something, but was interrupted by a commotion from the audience below.

“Oh, oh, oh! My god, is that a Hybrid?”

“Doesn’t seem like it…”

“I thought they’d become appetizers, but that boy seems to be hiding some skills…”

“Boring, the one I bet on is already dead…”

“But isn’t the tradition of the Thorn Game to only allow commoners to participate, and Hybrids aren’t permitted?”

The King’s gaze shifted to the Magic Screen.

Suddenly, his eyes widened, for he spotted a figure who should have been locked in prison, someone who should not have appeared in the game.

The King’s expression instantly darkened.

Raising his hand to point at the Magic Screen, his aged voice commanded:

“Assemble the Knights and the Red Cardinal. Go to the Thorn Castle immediately and arrest that boy!”

……

In the study of Thorn Castle.

After the chaos, silence fell.

A glowing orb marked with an iris silently floated above the study, quietly observing everything below.

In this atmosphere, the horned boy suddenly turned his head toward Beili, revealing a strange smile.

Beili froze for a moment, not yet reacting before the boy swiftly reached out, grabbed her neck, and pulled her close.

The distance between them shrank instantly, their noses nearly touching.

Her panicked expression was reflected in the boy’s golden eyes.

“A… Ashera…”

Her voice trembled, unable to breathe, she struggled to squeeze out a few words from her throat, “Let… let go… of me…”

Thick blood oozed from the boy’s lips, and a thin layer of black mist began to rise from his body.

He pressed his face close to her ear, muttered a few obscure words, then lowered his voice:

“Little Butterfly, the game is over.”

His pale knuckles tightened further and further.

The girl’s face turned from red to purple.

She struggled desperately to break free, but her breathing quickly became labored.

Her deep red eyes widened, her lips moved.

The next second, the sound of bones breaking echoed from his pale fingers.

Her body collapsed limply like a rag doll, instantly losing all signs of life.
“Next…”

The boy walked to the window of the study, overlooking the knights in heavy armor and the Red Cardinals below.

…

Suddenly, the arched gate of the old castle was flung open.

The civilians, their eyes bloodshot from the fighting, instinctively paused and rushed toward the exit.

But in the next second, they were ruthlessly scattered by a surge of silver shields as the Knights poured into the castle like an iron tide.

At the same time, Ashera slowly descended the stairs.

As soon as the two sides came face to face, the battle was ready to ignite.

Ashera’s once pale fingertips grew into hard, jet-black claws, exuding an ominous air and strength far beyond that of ordinary people.

Each of his attacks carried a destructive corrosive force, making it difficult for the Knights to get close.

Seeing this, the three Red Cardinals quickly split up, standing at three points with Ashera at the center, and began to recite the ancient Exorcism Incantation.

Their voices echoed in the oppressive air, forming three pillars of holy light that instantly suppressed the surging Demonic Power within Ashera.

Ashera let out a strange, guttural growl that did not match his appearance.

The next moment, the tableware, food, decorations, and even the burning logs in the fireplace began to float uncontrollably into the air.

It was as if a vortex had formed, spinning them rapidly overhead.

The room was filled with the sounds of clashing metal and chanting incantations as the battle grew fiercer.

The captain of the heavily armored Knights raised his broad shield and shouted, “Form up! Protect the Red Cardinals!”

At his order, the Knights formed a protective circle around the three Red Cardinals.

A dazzling beam of light enveloped Ashera.

For a moment, his body seemed frozen, unable to move.

He was pinned to the ground by an irresistible force.

Everything in front of his eyes seemed to slow down, and all sounds faded from his ears.

The surroundings grew so quiet that even the sound of wind rustling the leaves outside could be heard.

Suddenly, everything shattered like a broken mirror.

His consciousness began to blur as he slowly closed his eyes.

In the end, the boy was locked inside a silver cage, each bar engraved with ancient runes that bound Demons, radiating a blinding light.

When the dust settled, the battle ended.

The castle returned to its former quiet, as the Red Cardinals gathered around the silver cage, keeping a wary watch over the now-thin boy inside, who had reverted to his human form.

…

All the Nobles in the royal palace hall witnessed this scene.

Their faces showed astonishment; no one spoke, all watching with utmost attention.

Obviously, after such an unexpected turn, no one cared anymore about which civilian would ultimately win the Thorn Game.

Compared to over a decade of watching the Thorn Game, the joint battle of the Knights and Red Cardinals against a young Demon was far more interesting.

Just then, a commotion spread among the Nobles.

Someone pointed at an image on the Magic Screen and shouted, “My god! Look! She… she is Bartholomew! That’s my daughter!”

One wave had barely settled before another surged up.

Instantly, everyone’s attention focused on that scene.

In the study, the girl who had been dead; her body gradually became translucent, and finally transformed into a butterfly with shimmering blue-green wings.”