[Outer Space – Planet Deviluke Throne Room]
The grand throne room of Deviluke echoed with laughter instead of silence. King Gid Lucione Deviluke, sprawled lazily on his black crystal throne, looked more like a man on vacation than the ruler of the galaxy. His tail flicked with amusement, sharp fangs flashing as he grinned wide.
"Ha! So it's settled then! My precious daughter Lala finally found herself a man. About damn time."
The generals and attendants shifted uneasily, exchanging glances. But none dared interrupt him.
Gid leaned forward, his eyes glinting with mischief. "And me? Hah! Perfect! One step closer to retirement. I'll leave this headache of a throne behind sooner or later. Let the universe scream all they want—it changes nothing."
He snapped his fingers, pointing not to a captain, not to a high officer, but to one of the lower-ranked soldiers standing stiff by the wall.
"You! Yeah, you with the nervous tail. Get moving. Announce it. Tell the whole damn galaxy that Lala Satalin Deviluke has a fiancé now—some Earth boy named Jay Oosuki."
The soldier paled, pointing to himself. "M…me, sire?!"
"Don't make me repeat myself." Gid's grin widened, sharp and terrifying. "Spread it far and loud. I want every alien suitor, every puffed-up prince, every warlord out there to choke on their breakfast when they hear the news. Hahaha!"
His booming laughter shook the hall. The soldier snapped to attention, stumbling out in a hurry, already muttering the announcement under his breath in panic.
Gid leaned back, still laughing. "Ahh, what a joy! To see the galaxy lose its mind while I sit back and enjoy the show… Retirement's gonna be sweet."
And with that, the spark was lit.
[Hours Later – Various Corners of the Galaxy]
The news spread like wildfire across stars and systems. The network screens lit up in countless worlds, the Deviluke crest blazing across skies and cities, accompanied by Gid's decree:
"Hear this! Lala Satalin Deviluke, First Princess of Deviluke, is now betrothed to Jay Oosuki of Planet Earth!"
On Planet Memorze, twin siblings Run and Ren Elsie Jewelria sat dumbstruck. Run's gentle eyes widened, while Ren clenched his fists.
"What?! Lala… engaged? To some Earthlings?!" Ren's voice cracked with fury.
Run's shoulders slumped, whispering, "Jay Oosuki… I've never heard of him. But if The King himself announces it, then…"
Ren growled, slamming a table. "Unforgivable! Lala should have been mine—!"
In a distant nebula, a warlord beast from the planet Kyuu, once boasting he would take Lala by force, roared in outrage.
On the artificial world of Gorb, nobles spat their drinks, crying treason at Deviluke's arrogance.
Across dozens of star systems, alien suitors who once dreamed of possessing Lala all echoed the same reaction—rage.
But none dared speak it openly. Not yet. Because to challenge Gid Deviluke was to gamble with annihilation.
[Earth – Jay's POV]
The glowing Omni System window faded before my eyes. I exhaled slowly, finally closing it.
"That old man moves fast…" I muttered.
The announcement… I knew it was only a matter of time before ripples from the galactic stage reached this quiet little town. For now, though, all I could do was keep moving forward.
I stripped off my clothes, stepped into the shower, and let the hot water cascade down. Steam rose, fogging the glass. My reflection blurred, but my thoughts remained sharp.
Engaged to the first princess of Deviluke. The words rang absurdly in my head. If yesterday I had heard this, he'd laugh himself to death. Now? I only felt the weight of the coming storm.
Still, storms could wait. First things first: breakfast.
I dried off, pulled on my Sainan High School uniform—blazer, tie, all neat—and rolled up my sleeves. The apartment's small kitchen greeted me with silence.
"Alright," I muttered. "Let's see if Rimuru's Perfect Memory can make me a five-star chef today."
Knives moved. Pans sizzled. Ingredients danced at my fingertips, guided by instincts beyond human. By the time I was finished, the table was covered in an array of dishes: tamagoyaki, grilled fish, miso soup, rice, fresh salad, even neatly plated pancakes for a sweeter bite.
The clock ticked toward 6:30.
"Perfect timing."
I called out toward the bedrooms. "Oi! Breakfast is ready. Come on before it gets cold."
Footsteps shuffled.
First came Mikan, rubbing her eyes. She froze when she saw the table, blinking.
"E-Eh? Did you… cook all this?"
Next came Rito, yawning mid-step. The smell hit him and his eyes went wide.
"W-What the heck, Jay?! This looks like hotel food!"
Then, inevitably, Lala bounced in, tail swishing, hair glowing pink even without the sun. She gasped, eyes sparkling like stars.
"Waaah! Jay, you made all this?! You're amazing!"
I smirked, sliding into my seat. "Dig in. It's nothing."
They sat. Chopsticks lifted.
The room filled with silence, broken only by chewing. Then—
"…So good." Mikan's eyes went round.
"This is… really delicious."
"Yeah…" Rito muttered around a mouthful.
"Better than any restaurant."
Lala squealed, hugging her bowl.
"I didn't know you could cook too, Jay! You're like, perfect husband material!"
I coughed, fighting the heat crawling up my neck.
"…Anyway."
After a few minutes, I set down my chopsticks.
"Lala," I said, tone even.
"You can't just stay at home all day. You'll get bored out of your mind. Why don't you join our school?"
Her eyes widened, then shimmered.
"Eh?! I can really do that?!"
"Why not?" I shrugged.
"Make friends, keep busy. Earth might not be Deviluke, but… it's not bad."
She beamed. "Yes! Yes! I'll do it!"
Rito nearly choked.
"W-Wait, what?! Lala in our school?!"
"Yeah it's easier for me to keep her in check if she is with me… and one more thing…"
I turned to him and Mikan.
"until I buy that empty house across the street, Lala needs a place. So, for now… can she stay here with us?"
Mikan blinked, then sighed.
"…I suppose. It's not like I can kick her out."
Rito groaned, scratching his head.
"Man, my life just keeps getting weirder…"
I smirked. "You'll live."
By the time dishes were cleared, the clock read 7:30. School started at 8:15.
"Alright," I stood, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
"Let's move."
Mikan waved from the door.
"Good luck, everyone. I'll head to Sainan Elementary."
I nodded.
"Stay safe."
Then it was just me, Lala, and Rito walking down the quiet morning streets.
Halfway there, I clapped Rito on the shoulder.
"You can go ahead to class Rito. I'll take Lala to the principal's office."
His face paled.
"Oh… right. Him."
Yeah. The pervert principal. My stomach twisted already.
[Sainan High – Principal's Office]
The stench of cologne hit me before we even stepped in. The man himself—round, balding, eyes shining far too much behind his glasses—sat grinning like a wolf.
"Well, well, Jay Oosuki! And… ohhh, what a charming young lady!"
His eyes practically sparkled at Lala.
"My, my! What beauty! What radiance! Such a shame she's not my type—ah, but never mind that!"
I suppressed the urge to blast him through the wall.
"She's transferring," I said curtly.
The principal slapped his desk, laughing.
"Approved! Immediately! A gem like her must shine among her peers!"
Just like that, Lala was in.
In the hallway, I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Tch. Waste of air."
"Ehehe," Lala giggled. "He was funny."
"Funny isn't the word…"
I snapped my fingers, weaving a spell. Threads of mana twisted, reshaping her outfit into a perfect copy of the Sainan uniform. The blazer, skirt, ribbon—all materialized seamlessly.
"There. No need to burn peke stamina on transformations."
Her eyes sparkled.
"You're so considerate, Jay~!"
"Yeah, yeah. Come on."
[Classroom – Morning Bell]
The students chattered until the door slid open.
Honekawa-sensei, old as dust but sharp-eyed, shuffled in.
"Settle down," he croaked.
"We have a new transfer student today."
The room buzzed instantly. A new student? At this time of year?
Then Lala stepped in.
Sunlight seemed to follow her. Her smile lit the entire classroom, pink hair glimmering as her tail swayed behind her.
"Hi everyone! I'm Lala Satalin Deviluke! I'm from space, and I'm Jay's fiancée!"
…
The room exploded.
"EEEEHHHH?!"
Chairs screeched. Boys slammed desks. Girls gasped in heartbreak.
In the corner, Yui Kotegawa's eyes widened. Fiancée? Jay? Since when did he… with her?!
Her chest tightened, though she immediately scolded herself. No. Don't get worked up. Someone has to control this class.
She stood sharply, voice cutting through the chaos. "QUIET!"
The class fell silent, cowed by their class representative's glare.
Then a familiar idiot—Saruyama—raised his hand. "Jay, bro! Is it true?! You're engaged with her?!"
Dozens of eyes pinned me.
I exhaled slowly. "…Yeah. It's true."
The boys wailed. The girls clutched their chests as if their first crush had just stabbed them.
The comedy practically wrote itself.
[After School]
The day blurred past. Whispers followed me everywhere. Every corner turned into someone gossiping about Jay Oosuki and the new princess transfer student who called herself his fiancée.
By the time the final bell rang, I felt drained.
On the walk home with Lala and Rito, I think, …Maybe I should just escape to Serafall's world. Bet it's quieter there.
I chuckled at my own joke.
Then—
My senses froze.
Back at the house—where Mamako and Masato should've been—her presence suddenly vanished.
Not natural.
I scanned deeper, eyes narrowing. The air shimmered faintly with scars of distorted space. A ripple of spatial displacement.
"Teleportation," I hissed.
"Someone moved them..."
My fists clenched. My aura flared, shattering the ground at my feet before I pulled it back.
Not good. Not good at all.
The storm wasn't just coming. It was already here.
[To Be Continued…]