Emilia was standing at the altar with Regulus. After learning what would become of Regulus's wives, she had decided to fight Regulus here.
Regulus: [This is a surprise! You looked lovely in your previous attire, but now, you are simply sublime! We are truly the most fitting couple in the world! Looking at you, I was right to leave the seat of #79 open!]
Emilia felt annoyed but held it in, planning to sneak attack him.
Emilia: [Why did you specifically leave that number open?]
Regulus: [Well, you see... There was another woman I previously sought worthy of that number. Sadly, before we were wed, I deemed her unworthy, hence the empty seat. But thanks to that, I met you. We are truly bound by fate.]
Regulus smiled.
Regulus: [Now, let us exchange our vows.]
184 stood between them to officiate.
Emilia: [Hey, Regulus. There are a few things I'd like you to tell me before the ceremony.]
Regulus's gaze sharpened as the wives looked scared, but then he smiled and clasped his hands.
Regulus: [I actually had a few things I wanted to tell you, too.]
Emilia: [First, might I ask my questions?]
Regulus: [Hm? Very well. I am a kind man after all.]
Emilia: [What does it mean to be your wife?]
Regulus: [Hm? Are you worried? Of course. I should tell you how it's done. All you need to do is remain pure, follow my wishes and not smile till the end of your life causes us to part.]
He grabbed her chin as he smiled.
Regulus: [You may not smile, rejoice, rage or anything for as long as we are together.]
Emilia's anger boiled over for a second as she pulled away from him.
Emilia: [That was so unpleasant...]
Regulus: [Now listen here? Do you have some complaint against me? I have done nothing but make compromises for your sake, yet you can't even appreciate it.]
He held his hand to his face.
Regulus: [In other words, you are belittling me as an individual! This is an infringement of my rights! That is not something I can forgive...!]
Emilia: [You know, I think marriage is a really happy thing. It's really special. It brings people together in an amazing way, and it's a privilege to because not every two people who love each other are able to get married. So when it's done, it should only be with the person you want to spend your life with. The person you'll support and who will support you.]
Emilia looked at Regulus directly.
Emilia: [Regulus... did you really marry any of your wives? In my eyes you' haven't married any of them.]
Regulus: [What?]
Emilia: [The way you call them numbers and the way you only talk about what you want. You're too selfish and inconsiderate, so I can't see you as their husband at all.]
Regulus looked pissed.
Regulus: [You dare say that to me? I? The most considerate man in the world?]
Emilia: [When Kiyo calls me Lia and I call him Kiyo it feels so obvious about our feelings. How special the moments I share with him are.]
Regulus: [First, you insult me, and now you talk about another man right before our wedding?]
Emilia: [I have one last thing to say.]
Regulus looked annoyed but allowed her to speak.
Emilia: [You're the worst of the worst. I hate you. The man I love is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. My Knight. Because of that. I will never be yours.]
Regulus made an enraged face.
Kiyotaka: [I object to this marriage.]
Regulus: [Huh? Someone is at the door?]
Emiia: [Kiyo!]
Kiyotaka: [Regulus Corneas. Right now. I'm feeling a strong desire to violate your right to live.]
Regulus: [Huh? It's him?]
The door to the church flew off its hinges from an impact and slammed into Regulus, sending him flying. Emilia looked at Kiyotaka as her energy changed completely from serious to complete and utter joy.
Emilia: [Kiyo!]
Emilia rushed over to him, hugging him.
Kiyotaka: [I'm glad you're alright, Lia. Are you ready to elope with me now?]
Emilia: [It's not eloping. I was never going to marry him.]
Kiyotaka smirked.
Kiyotaka: [A case of a... what was it called again? Right. A shotgun wedding, huh?]
Emilia tilted her head in confusion.
Emilia: [What's a shotgun?]
Regulus slowly got up as the pieces of wood fell off his body, which was untouched. Even his clothes seemed the same.
Regulus: [You've got some nerve barging into a sacred wedding. I don't remember inviting any men here. Have you even brought a gift to offset the rudeness of being present here?]
Kiyotaka: [I have.]
Regulus: [Oh? And what is it?]
Kiyotaka: [A reality check.]
Kiyotaka looked at a piece of wood on the ground in front of Regulus.
Kiyotaka: [『Transfer』.]
Kiyotaka swapped places with a piece of the door on the ground, swinging his blade at Regulus as it hit him in the neck, only to shatter and send him flying through the wall.
Kiyotaka: [That should buy me a few more seconds to assess the situation.]
Kiyotaka looked around, his senses keenly analysing the situation.
Kiyotaka: (My senses have always been strong, but eventually it felt like they hit a wall. Like it was impossible for them to grow any further. Something that limited any further growth. When I was teleported to this world, that wall collapsed. No... more like it was toppled somehow.)
Kiyotaka: [These women.]
Regulus stepped through the wall.
Regulus: [My precious wives. All of them.]
Regulus looked furious.
Kiyotaka: (The amount of heartbeats in this room is right considering the number of people in this room, but... I can't hear one coming from Regulus. In fact, one of these women has a second heartbeat. Given the fact that despite attacking him all this time, he's not taken any damage and the fact that he's able to propel objects and even the air at light speed, in which the motion of the objects doesn't slow down at all. Hm... I see. His ability is that he's able to stop time for objects, including himself. A dangerous ability, but given the difference in heartbeats, I can presume that his ability can't be activated partially, and so his heartbeat also has to stop to protect himself. Likely, the reason that there are more heartbeats in the crowd of women is that one of them has a second heartbeat that is acting as a substitute for his heart. That is why he is able to keep his ability perpetually.)
Kiyotaka completed this analysis in 0.299 seconds as he sighed, holding out his hands.
Kiyotaka: [Earth Smith Arts!]
Kiyotaka formed his swords in his hands.
Regulus: [Now listen here. How dare you barge into my wedding like this and begin brandishing a sword? Without even a proper gift to make up for your mistake! I must say this is a violation of my rights!]
Kiyotaka: [Then let's make this honourable, okay?]
Regulus: [Hm? What would you know about honourable?]
Kiyotaka: (Right now, this is the best option. Besides, I can only use『Transfer』one more time. My『Authority of Sloth』『Transfer』is an ability that causes me mental pain when I use it too often, which means the effects of overuse carry even after『Re: Birth By Death』activates. In fact, even know I'm feeling a headache. If I use it again, it's going to become a full-on migraine, and if that happens, I won't beat this guy, and I won't be able to save Lia. So I should save it for the killing blow.)
Kiyotaka: [Lia. Just stay there for now, okay? Don't do anything rash.]
Emilia: [Okay.]
Regulus: [How dare you call my wife so affectionately with a nickname. If anything, calling her Lia should be my right.]
Regulus turned to Emilia as Kiyotaka stood in front of him.
Regulus: [So can I call you Lia from now on?] AN: Goat Reaction?
Kiyotaka slapped him in the face as Regulus fell to the ground. Then Kiyotaka, Puck and Fortuna began dancing to Dia Delicia.
(Just joking. This obviously didn't happen.)
Regulus: [So can I call you Lia from now on?]
Emilia: [No.]
Regulus: [This is a violation of my rights!]
Regulus turned to Kiyotaka.
Regulus: [You homewrecker! Trying to steal away my bride. My wife! A kind and honest man such as myself. How dare you! You『Womaniser』! This is a complete violation of my rights!]
Kiyotaka: (What a man-child.)
Kiyotaka: [It's not my fault you lack charm to such a degree that you can't form a genuine relationship with a woman.]
Regulus: [What did you say?]
Kiyotaka: [I mean you forcing more than 60 women to marry you quite a feat. I guess you're doing your best to compensate for the fact that the thing in your pants is a "『Little King』".]
(This is NOT a joke. He actually said this.)
Regulus looked completely enraged.
Regulus: [Now listen here! How dare you say something so vulgar to insult a man as kind as me!]
Kiyotaka turned to Emilia.
Kiyotaka: [Lia. Trust me on this, okay?]
Emilia nodded.
Kiyotaka: [Regulus.]
Regulus turned to face him with an annoyed expression.
Regulus: [Now what, you bastard? ]
Kiyotaka: [Let's let our fight decide who gets Emilia's affections.]
Emilia: [Kiyo?]
Kiyotaka: [Trust me.]
Emilia looked worried but chose to trust in him.
Regulus: [Oh? You're challenging me to a duel?]
Kiyotaka: [To make sure neither she nor any of your wives are harmed, let us move to another area to fight it out.]
Regulus still looked annoyed but calmed down a little,
Regulus: [Now that is much better. Learn some respect.]
Kiyotaka: [In addition, before we commence our battle, shouldn't it be obvious that we both say a few words to her before we leave? To put forward our love for her and our determination to win?]
Regulus smirks.
Regulus: [Perhaps you do have some politeness in your bones. If you keep this up, my impression of you is going to slowly improve.]
Regulus walked over to Emilia, kissing her hand.
Regulus: [I will return after killing him. Then we can be married.]
Emilia: [Please die.]
Regulus looked annoyed and turned to Kiyotaka.
Regulus: [Her feelings will change, right? After I kill you.]
Kiyotaka: [If you kill me.]
Regulus walked away as Kiyotaka walked over to Emilia.
Kiyotaka: [Lia.]
Emilia: [Kiyo! What are you thinking?]
Kiyotaka: [It'll be fine. I'm your knight after all. And I promised to myself to keep you safe.]
Emilia sighed.
Emilia: [If you say so.]
Kiyotaka then whispered something in her ear, and Emilia's eyes widened.
Emilia: [I love you too.]
Regulus looked annoyed.
Regulus: [Don't act like you've already won! Let's go.]
Kiyotaka nodded as the two of them left.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Kiyotaka and Regulus arrived in the city square
Regulus: [What are the terms of this duel?]
Kiyotaka: [To the death.]
Regulus smirked.
Regulus: [As I'd hoped.]
Kiyotaka held out his swords.
Regulus: [Shall we begin now?]
Kiyotaka: [Alright. Let's give it our all for Lia's heart.]
Regulus: [It will be mine. I will gain it with this!]
Kiyotaka rushed in, slicing at Regulus. The blade broke as Kiyotaka took his other sword slashing as it broke as well.
Regulus: [Don't you understand? Everything is pointless!
Kiyotaka: [It's not pointless.]
Regulus looked at him darkly.
Regulus: [Why can't you understand that she's mine!? How can you violate my rights like this!?]
Kiyotaka: [Cause you have no care for anyone else's rights. You're inconsiderate.]
Regulus looked pissed.
Regulus: [I... I am inconsiderate? I have been nothing but considerate while inviting her to be my wife!]
Kiyotaka: [You haven't even considered her feelings. You have no understanding of Love. When you're in love you feel a lump in your throat at the thought of confessing. You agonize over it over and over again. You and I were similar in not understanding love but I had the decency to know I was defective. And when I became a real person I confronted properly. I'm not a coward like you.]
Regulus became even more angry.
Kiyotaka: [Earth Smith Arts!]
Kiyotaka created his swords in his hands. Kiyotaka then appeared before him.
Kiyotaka: [You bought it Regulus Corneas. You were too Greedy.]
Regulus: [What?]
Kiyotaka slashed Regulus as blood gushed from his wound.
Kiyotaka: [Look at that. I've drawn first blood.]
Regulus looked annoyed.
Regulus: [How could you? How could you do such a thing to my innocent wives!?]
Regulus looked furious as he saw the ice form around the building his wives were at.
Regulus: [I bet... I bet that you don't even know the number of innocent women's lives that have been taken!]
Kiyotaka: [Zero.]
Regulus: [What?]
Kiyotaka: [Lia is far more kinder than you. Killing innocents is not something she's capable of.]
Kiyotaka slashed at him again when his blades shattered.
Kiyotaka: [... What?]
Kiyotaka: (What happened? Could it be? He swapped his heart to Emilia!? But they didn't get married so... he can force it on any woman he feels is his wife?)
Regulus flicked his finger at Kiyotaka who dodges as the air cut his cheek and blew through several buildings.
Regulus: [Admit it. You're going to die here.]
Kiyotaka: [I'm not. I'm not giving you even a single one of my lives.]
Regulus: [Huh? What are you talking about?]
Kiyotaka: (If I die there is still the chance of alternate realities. So if I die here Lia will be forced to marry this creep. I'm not dying even once.)
Kiyotaka gritted his teeth glaring at Regulus.
Kiyotaka: (I'll kill this bastard right here and right now.)
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:
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