The moment Lilith turned her back to the crowd, bouquet in hand, every single woman in the reception hall — and a few suspiciously eager men — shifted into battle stance.
Shoulders squared. Knees bent. Spells quietly began to hum on fingertips. The air thickened with the kind of anticipation that came right before someone shouted "En garde!"
This was no mere wedding tradition.
This was blood sport.
Kazuki had seen bouquet tosses before. They were supposed to be lighthearted, sweet, and maybe a little competitive. What he was witnessing now looked like the prelude to a war crime.
A demon bridesmaid near the front had already rolled her sleeves up to reveal forearms lined with faint scar tissue. A banshee adjusted the straps of her boots with a glint in her eye that said she'd trampled people for less.
"Three… two…" Lilith called, her voice silky and mischievous. Her tail swayed like a metronome, counting down each beat.
