The Demon King's throne room was a graveyard of grandeur.
Obsidian pillars—once carved with the runes of ancient kings—lay splintered across scorched marble. Chunks of black stone littered the bloodied battlefield. The high, domed ceiling was fractured open, moonlight pouring through like divine judgment. What remained of the chandelier lay smoldering in the corner, a flaming heap of gold and crystal.
And in the center of it all, surrounded by smoke, sigils, and the faint smell of roasted ego—
—lay a man in a shredded groom's tuxedo.
His name was Rei Alister.
Twenty years old. Black hair matted with blood. One shoe missing. A ceremonial cufflink lodged in his bicep. His face was half-buried in a pool of wine and ash, breathing shallowly, one twitching hand reaching toward a fallen crown.
He didn't want the crown.
He never did.
"…I just wanted peace," he wheezed.
Above him, chaos escalated to mythological proportions.
"He's mine!" shrieked a voice that had declared wars and brokered empires.
Princess Seraphina—daughter of the Sun Emperor—stood atop the throne's shattered steps, her golden tiara crooked, her broken rapier trembling in her grip. Her eyes blazed like twin suns. "I was his first friend! He shared his fruit snacks with me during nap time!"
"You mean after you poisoned his milk?" snarled another.
Crimson smoke curled across the room as Drakana descended from above, leathery wings spread wide. Her dragonic aura cracked the air around her. Her claws dug into the floor, eyes glowing molten orange. "He swore a fire pact with me. Our hearts are as one, forged in lava! That's how love works!"
A third voice chimed in, soft and eerily sweet.
"He called me Big Sis first~."
A pale, silver-haired woman drifted into view, holding a bloodstained towel. Her smile was gentle. Her aura? Not so much.
Lady Sylvia, the adoptive elder sister. Infamous for gently removing the heads of suitors with surgical precision. "I gave him his first bath. I dried his little toes. I still have the towel. Don't you, my sweet little Rei~?"
A low sigh echoed across the ruined chamber.
"How juvenile."
From the shattered remains of the Demon Throne, a woman sipped wine with the air of an opera critic. Demon Queen Lucivella, regal even in war-torn velvet. Her long legs crossed, black-gloved fingers delicately held her goblet as arcane blood sigils orbited her like moons.
"Such noise over numbers," she said. "He'll remember the last wife best."
A second of silence followed.
Then—
All four women lunged for each other, powers flaring, blades, claws, and cursed silk flying.
Magic combusted. Screams echoed. The throne room trembled with fury and romance gone horribly wrong.
In the eye of the storm, Rei groaned and curled into fetal position.
"How did it… come to this…"
Chime.
[System Notification: Congratulations, Host! You have reached Final Wife Event: Absolute Devotion Apocalypse.]
[System Analysis: Status — Alive (questionable). Dignity — Shattered. Bones — 13% intact.]
[Commentary: You may now rest in pieces.]
"...I hate you," Rei muttered.
[Accepted.]
His vision blurred. Pain throbbed in every limb. And yet… he didn't die. Not yet.
"I just… wanted to read novels…"
Fade to Black — Two Years Ago
The world melted into soft darkness.
Not ominous. Just peaceful.
Rei was back in his apartment. Sprawled in bed. Swaddled in three blankets, a bag of cheesy chips on his chest, and his old cracked phone raised before his eyes.
On screen: Chapter 527 — The Demon Lord's 99th Yandere Fiancée.
He giggled.
"Yeah right. Why would anyone want more than one obsessive girl trying to kill them for love? Just pick the dragon chick and call it a day."
This was paradise.
No social obligations. No small talk. No family pressure. Just him, fictional harems, and a fan spinning lazily overhead.
Then he saw it.
On the ceiling.
A shadow. No… a cockroach.
Rei stared at it. It stared back.
"…nope. Not today."
Elsewhere, above mortal comprehension—
In the Divine Bureau of Cosmic Affairs, amidst clouds and floating paperwork towers, a certain goddess watched her assigned mortal with bleary eyes.
Goddess Eris.
She hovered above a desk stacked with Isekai Application Forms, wearing a hoodie that read "404: Morality Not Found," sipping her fourth bubble tea of the evening.
"Oh look. He's at the emotional climax of Chapter 527. Cute."
Then—
A black blur.
"OH GOD A ROACH!!"
In divine panic, she flailed her hand.
Lightning launched.
It pierced worlds.
Back on Earth, Rei only had time to whisper, "Wait—what's that ligh—?"
Boom.
A crack of thunder. Blinding light.
And silence.
Glowing Void — Moments Later
Rei opened his eyes. Everything was white.
He floated. No body. No weight. Just drifting in an endless sea of peace.
Was this… heaven?
Slurp.
A goddess floated upside-down above him, sipping bubble tea, her duck slippers swinging lazily.
"Oh hey~ You're awake. Sorry 'bout that. I panicked and uh… smote you. Divine cockroach defense."
"…you killed me with a lightning bolt."
"To be fair, it was an accident. But good news! You qualify for reincarnation. Premium tier, even."
"…why?"
"Because you were single, unemployed, and had the soul potential of a harem protagonist. Rare combo."
Rei blinked.
"…is there reading time in the new world?"
"Depends. You'll be reborn as a duke's son who recently slipped and went into a coma. Five years old. Fancy house. Magic. No bugs."
"...Sold."
"Oh, and I'll throw in a bonus System. It's got achievements, missions, stat screens, affection meters—basically a romantic landmine detector."
"…what's it called?"
"Marriage Prep Mode: Ultimate Yandere Edition."
Rei frowned. "That sounds cursed."
Eris pressed a massive red button labeled "Reincarnate."
"Too late~!"
Rebirth — Velvet Kingdom
The scent of rose oil and sterilized magic filled the air.
Golden mana runes wove through the room like floating embroidery. The boy's chest rose. Fingers twitched. Eyes opened.
Soft voices gasped.
"He's awake!!"
The door burst open.
A flood of noble girls aged twenty — all beautiful, all familiar, all yandere.
Blonde, brunette, blue-haired. Emerald eyes, icy glares, soft blushes.
"Rei!!"
"You're back!"
"I-I've been taking care of you every day for fifteen years, so you're obviously marrying me first!"
"No! He said I was his moonlight bride when we were six!"
They swarmed his bedside.
Rei sat up in sheer terror.
He was five again. But they… they had grown up.
Dozens of obsessed beauties with legal marriage contracts in their hands. And death in their eyes.
[System Booting…]
[Hello, Host. Welcome to your new life!]
[Warning: Threat Level MAXIMUM. This is not a drill.]
[Current Quest: Accept one hug. Declining will result in emotional damage (your own).]
The girls lunged.
Rei screamed.
To be continued...