Surviving marriage in yandere world

Velvet Demon Castle, Hall of Shattered Chandeliers.

Smoke still lingered in the rafters from the multiversal reset. Burned curtains sagged like defeated flags, and half the dining table had been converted into a crater. Somewhere in the rubble, a violin was still playing on its own—probably cursed, probably serenading Rei against his will.

Rei sat on the floor with his head between his knees, clutching what remained of his sanity like it was the last cookie in a house full of sugar-mad toddlers. His heart still rang with the echo of that impossible, timeline-shattering pillow slap he'd landed on the smug Goddess. Reality had rebooted. The multiverse had stitched itself back together. And—for a merciful three seconds—there had been peace.

Three seconds then came the sound.

Ding!

[System Notification: Major Event Triggered.]

[Final Mission: Choose One Wife.]

Rei's soul left his body. He swore he could see it float above him, holding a tiny sign that read, "Nope."

"W-what?" His voice cracked like a broken teacup. "No. No, no, no. Don't you dare—"

[Mission Parameters: Immediate selection required. Delay = Catastrophic World Collapse.]

[Reward: Survival.]

[Failure Penalty: Eternal Matrimonial Oblivion.]

"…Eternal… what now?" Rei whispered.

The brides—all six of them—snapped their gazes toward him as if the word choose had been carved into their souls with flaming obsidian.

Princess Seraphina's sapphire eyes widened. "C-choose? You mean—he must choose me, of course." She raised a trembling hand to her chest, her voice both desperate and proud. "I've given up my kingdom, my throne, everything, just for you!"

Drakana slammed her clawed hand onto what was left of the table, sending splinters flying. "Ha! He already chose me long ago with blood and fire! You think some fancy crown beats a blood pact sealed with our hearts?"

Lilia stepped forward, her long silver hair swaying, her voice trembling but firm. "I stitched his name into every dress I've ever made. I've rewritten my very life to match his. If he doesn't choose me, then… then my existence itself has no meaning."

Rosette, silent as always, slipped out from the shadows. Her eyes glistened, but her hand rested calmly on her dagger. "I… killed every rival who ever dared approach him. My love is in silence, but it's carved in blood. If he chooses another, then what was the point of everything I've done?"

The Demon Queen, Lucivella, smiled with chilling serenity. "Why are you all so flustered? He's already mine. Didn't the demons crown him their God of Love under my blessing? His fate was sealed the moment he sat at my table."

And finally—sweet little Mira, the deceptively harmless healer, wiped tears from her cheeks, her voice breaking. "I don't have kingdoms or fire or daggers… but I stayed at his side every day while he slept. I gave him my prayers, my hope, my everything. Isn't that worth something?"

The hall grew heavy with trembling breaths and the scent of burning jealousy.

Rei's hands shook. He'd always known they were insane. But this—this was no longer comedy. Their confessions ripped into him like daggers dipped in honey. For the first time, he saw clearly the cost each of them had paid.

Seraphina had sacrificed a throne.

Drakana had given her very blood.

Lilia had poured her identity into his name.

Rosette had slaughtered silently for his sake.

Lucivella had bent an entire demon empire.

Mira had spent years in ceaseless devotion.

And the system expected him to pick… just one?

[System Reminder: Final Mission is Mandatory.]

[System Advice: Do not cry. Crying lowers Wife Favorability Points.]

"I hate you," Rei hissed at the glowing blue box.

[The System chirped innocently: We know ♥.]

His chest tightened. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

"I… can't," he whispered. "You don't understand. I can't."

The brides, hearing his trembling voice, all drew closer. Their obsessions clashed like storms, but in that moment their tears mirrored each other.

Seraphina reached out. "Rei, just say it. End this torment. Choose me and I'll give you eternal peace."

Drakana snarled. "Choose me and I'll fight the whole universe for you."

Lilia whispered, "Choose me and you'll never have to lift a finger. I'll make your every day perfect."

Rosette muttered, "Choose me and I'll erase every threat. Permanently."

Lucivella's smile turned gentle, terrifyingly gentle. "Choose me and you'll be worshiped by all creation."

Mira's soft voice cracked. "Choose me and I'll never let you be lonely again."

The pressure crushed him. His ears rang. His chest burned.

And then—

Ding!

[System Update: Detecting Excessive Emotional Pressure.]

[Emergency Function Enabled: Playback of Wife Memories.]

The air shimmered. Rei's vision filled with flashbacks not of chaos, but of tiny, ordinary moments:

Seraphina shyly trying to cook and nearly setting the kitchen aflame.

Drakana dragging him into the rain just to watch lightning together.

Lilia humming as she sewed his initials into a scarf.

Rosette quietly fixing his cloak while he pretended not to notice.

Lucivella sneaking a smile while he fell asleep at a strategy meeting.

Mira holding his hand during nightmares he hadn't even realized he had.

Each memory stabbed deeper than any blade.

Rei clutched his chest. His breath hitched. "Y-you idiots… you've given me so much… and all I ever wanted was…" His voice broke. "…peace."

The brides all froze. The hall echoed with silence. Even the cursed violin stopped playing.

Rei's knees buckled. He fell to the ground, trembling. His tears splashed onto the cracked marble. "I can't… I can't choose. You all love me too much… and I—"

[System Error: Emotional Overload Detected.]

[System Suggestion: Immediate Hug Therapy Recommended.]

Six voices shouted at once:

"ME FIRST!"

The castle shook as six pairs of arms lunged for him, colliding midair, sparking yet another cataclysmic explosion of jealousy. Chandeliers fell, walls crumbled, and Rei vanished beneath an avalanche of tearful, desperate yanderes.

The System beeped again, sounding almost… apologetic.

[Mission Status: Incomplete.]

[Warning: Final Mission Deadline Approaching.]

Rei, smothered in love, obsession, and mascara-stained tears, screamed into the pile of limbs and confessions.

"I JUST WANTED PEACE!!!"

The pile of brides didn't move. It pulsed like a living monster made of silk, perfume, and weaponized hormones. Rei's muffled cries echoed from somewhere beneath it, like a lost explorer swallowed by a jealous jungle.

"Peace…" his voice rasped, "has betrayed me…"

A chandelier creaked above them, then snapped off its final support and collapsed on the writhing heap. Nobody noticed. Seraphina's hands clutched his sleeve like it was a lifeline, while Drakana's wings wrapped around him in a fiery cage. Lucivella calmly pulled out a goblet and toasted the scene as if watching her coronation.

[System Alert: Structural Integrity of Demon Castle = 11%.]

[System Notice: Romantic Pressure surpassing healthy parameters.]

[System Warning: User Rei's blood pressure critical.]

Rei's vision swam. He thought he saw himself on a tiny lifeboat, drifting away from a sea of brides, waving goodbye with a weak smile. "Go on without me…"

"Enough!" he wheezed, finally bursting out of the pile like a drowning man breaking the surface. His hair stuck out in every direction, his shirt torn by too many possessive hands. His eyes were wild, desperate. "System—cancel the mission!"

[Error: Command Denied.]

"Re-roll it!"

[Error: Final Mission cannot be rerolled.]

"Skip quest!"

[Error: Skip Token Unavailable.]

"Uninstall system!"

[Error: Impossible. Contract Bound.]

Rei screamed into the void, his voice cracking into hysterical laughter. "I'm going to uninstall myself at this rate!"

The brides only pressed closer, their tears shimmering like blades. For once, they weren't mocking each other. Their desperation was united, raw, and terrifying.

Seraphina fell to her knees, her jeweled crown slipping onto the broken floor. "Rei, please… I've already betrayed my father, my nation, my people. Don't tell me it was all for nothing."

Drakana snarled at her, then broke into trembling laughter. "I gave up my tribe. I even broke dragon law. You know what that means? I can never go back. My only home is with you."

Lilia's fingers bled where her nails had dug too deeply into her palms. "Do you know how many times I practiced your name in stitches? Thousands. Tens of thousands. Every thread was my vow. If you don't choose me…" She lifted her bleeding hands. "…then who am I?"

Rosette finally dropped her dagger. Her whisper was nearly broken. "I buried everyone else who might've stood beside you. I carved out every shadow until only I remained. If you choose another, then every life I took… every drop of blood… it was all wasted."

Lucivella simply smiled, serene as ever, though her eyes shimmered faintly. "I crowned you a god. I bent demons to their knees for you. My empire has already been reshaped in your name. If you do not choose me, then tell me—what god abandons his queen?"

And Mira, smallest and gentlest of them all, sobbed so softly it cracked his heart in two. "I waited years for you to wake. Years, Rei. Everyone else gave you fire, blood, kingdoms. I only gave you… time. Don't tell me that was worthless."

Rei's throat locked. His chest felt like it was splitting open. The flashbacks replayed in his mind like a cruel lantern show—six girls, six impossible sacrifices. Each one had given up everything that defined them. All for him.

[System Timer: Final Mission Deadline = Approaching.]

[System Notification: If no Wife is chosen, world stability will collapse.]

The cursed violin resumed its solo in the background, sawing a tragic tune that matched the tightening knot in Rei's stomach.

He screamed, voice hoarse and broken. "HOW DO I CHOOSE?!"

The System beeped once, cold as death.

[You must.]

His tears dripped onto the cracked marble, mingling with the blood, dust, and perfume already staining the floor. Above him, the brides closed in, every heartbeat echoing the same unspoken plea:

Choose me. Rei fell to his knees again, trembling under their collective gaze. His lips moved soundlessly before the words finally tore out of him, a shattered whisper meant for no one and everyone.

"…I just… wanted… peace."

To be continued…