Rei's body was still smoking faintly when he was dragged—again—into a chair. Not the rose-blade monstrosity this time, but an old velvet throne left over from the Student Council's glory days. Dust puffed from the cushions when he slumped into it, coughing miserably.

Opposite him, a large shadow loomed, adjusting his immaculate uniform as though he hadn't just tanked five different weapons of mass marital destruction. The Demon Lord's disguise flickered for a moment—black armor gleaming through the student council sash—before stabilizing back into "perfect president mode."

He crossed one leg elegantly, smiled with enough teeth to qualify as a dental ad, and said, "Welcome back, Rei."

Rei stared blankly. "Back…? Back to WHAT? I don't remember signing up for Demon Lord student council orientation."

[System Notification: Reminder – You did sign up.]

[System Evidence: You pressed "Yes" when I asked if you wanted to survive.]

[Guess what? Survival comes with meetings.]

Rei groaned into his hands. "No. Nope. I'm not doing another fake council session. I've already been president of Class 2-B, which ended with a fire drill, four fake weddings, and someone bringing a cow."

[That was still your fault.]

The world shimmered. Bright blue text scrolled across his vision like smug neon graffiti.

[Main Mission Reminder!]

[You still need to marry the Demon Lord to save the world!]

[New Objective: Survive the introduction.]

[At this point, it's honestly your fault.]

Rei's entire brain flatlined. "WHAT?!"

The Demon Lord—still in president form—smiled as if on cue. "It's true. The world teeters on destruction. The barrier between realms collapses. And only through the union of human and demon can balance be restored."

"…Union?" Rei croaked.

The Demon Lord's smile widened. "Marriage, of course."

Rei slowly raised a trembling hand. "Uh-huh. Okay. Yeah. But there is one problem. I already have a—a small army of terrifying girlfriends who think marriage means 'brand your name into my ribcage while stabbing my rivals.' So maybe, MAYBE, we skip the demon vows?"

The Demon Lord leaned forward, eyes glowing faintly. "You cannot skip destiny."

Rei wheezed. "I've been skipping PE since middle school, don't test me."

[System Interjection: You can skip PE, but you can't skip plot.]

[System New Title Unlocked: "Destined Groom, Against Will."]

The chamber doors slammed open before Rei could argue further.

In stormed Lilia, veil flapping like a battle banner, holding a gavel she'd stolen from somewhere. "Darling! You're being courted by evil again?!"

Drakana stalked behind her, claws scraping the marble. "Tch. A Demon Lord? He doesn't even have scales."

Seraphina descended from above through the shattered ceiling, feathers of light drifting like a vengeful snowstorm. "Unholy! Profane! Rei belongs only to sacred hymn and matrimony!"

Rosette slid out of the shadows like spilled ink, daggers ready. "If anyone is binding him by contract, it will be me."

Emilia appeared last, stepping gracefully out of a void rift. She balanced a silver tea tray with unsettling serenity. "Ara, ara. We're doing introductions? How quaint."

Rei slammed his head against the throne. "Of course. Because what's a council meeting without the five horsemen of marital apocalypse?"

[System Notification: Warning – Peace Talks 3 Incoming.]

[System Difficulty: Impossible.]

[Reward: Maybe a nap.]

The Demon Lord rose smoothly, ignoring the weapons pointed his way. His disguise flickered again, half-president, half-armor-clad monarch of shadow.

"Ladies," he began, voice silk and thunder, "I understand your devotion. But hear me. The world itself will collapse without Rei. The balance requires his union with me. This is not personal—it is fate."

The chamber went silent.

Then Lilia slammed the gavel against the floor. "OBJECTION! Marriage is personal! I won't allow my Darling to be sacrificed on the altar of bureaucracy!"

"OBJECTION!" Seraphina roared, hymn book glowing. "This union reeks of devilry!"

"OBJECTION!" Drakana snarled, flames searing the walls. "If anyone mates him, it's ME!"

Rosette didn't shout. She just whispered, "Objection," and tilted her dagger slightly closer to Rei's neck.

Rei screamed, "THIS ISN'T A COURTROOM, STOP OBJECTING!"

Emilia stirred her tea calmly. "Ara, ara. Quite the suitor you've attracted, Rei. If the world truly requires it… perhaps we should hear him out?"

Every other girl turned to glare at her.

"Traitor," Drakana hissed.

"Heretic," Seraphina seethed.

"Disloyal maid," Rosette growled.

Rei panicked. "Waitwaitwait, time out, she has a point! Maybe—maybe we at least hear the world-saving marriage pitch before we start bloodletting on the conference table?"

[System Notification: Rei attempting diplomacy again.]

[System Side Note: This always ends badly.]

The Demon Lord gestured gracefully toward Rei. "Go on, then. Introduce yourself properly."

Rei blinked. "What? No! Why me?"

[System Objective Update: Survive the introduction.]

[Instructions: Say your name. Try not to die while doing it.]

Rei dragged a hand down his face. "…Fine. My name is Rei. I'm twenty, I think? I'm not into demon marriage, I just want a nap, and I've been unwillingly engaged at least seven times this week. My hobbies include screaming, running away, and not dying."

The Demon Lord nodded solemnly. "Perfect. You'll make a fine husband."

Rei choked. "THAT'S NOT—"

"Darling!" Lilia interrupted, tears brimming in her eyes. "You can't marry evil itself! You swore to me during the first accidental sneezing proposal that your vows were eternal!"

Drakana bared her fangs. "Fight me, Demon Lord! If you win, maybe you get him. But you won't."

Seraphina clutched her hymn book. "I'll purify this unholy bond with fire."

Rosette simply murmured, "He doesn't need introductions. He's already mine."

Emilia sipped her tea again, smiling faintly. "Ara, ara. A charming chaos, as always."

Rei pinched the bridge of his nose so hard he nearly left a bruise.

"Yep," he muttered. "It's definitely my fault somehow."

[Yes ♥]

The Demon Lord spread his arms, shadows curling around him. "If words cannot sway you, then perhaps a demonstration will."

The council chamber shook violently as black flames erupted, swallowing banners, chairs, and most of the ceiling.

Rei screamed, half-buried in dust. "WHAT KIND OF INTRODUCTION INVOLVES SUMMONING ARMAGEDDON?!"

[System Notification: New Boss Encounter Incoming.]

[New Mission: "Survive the Demon Lord's Presentation."]

[Penalty: Death or worse—Marriage.]

The chamber looked less like a negotiation hall and more like a war zone waiting for its opening act. Black flames licked the walls; the ceiling groaned under the weight of collapsed beams. The student council crest on the far banner had caught fire, and the flames had naturally arranged themselves into the shape of a wedding ring.

"Of course," Rei muttered, hacking smoke out of his lungs. "Even hellfire supports marriage propaganda."

[System Notification: Fire hazard detected.]

[Tip: Stop breathing for optimal survival.]

"Not helpful!" Rei wheezed, swatting away embers.

The Demon Lord raised a single hand, and the flames froze in midair—solid arcs of black fire swirling like a cathedral of shadows. He didn't look fazed; he looked like he'd just finished reciting his campaign speech. "You see? Only I can command such destructive majesty. Only our union can stabilize the collapsing planes."

Rei raised his hand meekly. "Counterpoint: therapy?"

[System Note: Therapy not unlockable until Chapter 400+. Try again later.]

"Figures."

The yanderes, meanwhile, were doing what they always did—ignoring context.

Lilia brandished her gavel again, the handle cracking slightly under her grip. "Darling's smile will never belong to the abyss! If the world demands it, then the world itself is my enemy!"

Drakana snorted fire. "Forget the world. He's mine till the end of the story."

Seraphina had already started chanting, her voice thundering across the rubble. "Burn away the corruption, burn away the vows of evil!—"

Rosette was standing silently behind Rei's chair, the cold line of her dagger pressed so close to his throat that he could feel every nervous gulp. She whispered, "All of you are wrong. He already said he could see my love clearly."

Rei twitched. "I lied!"

Rosette's cheeks pinked, but the dagger stayed in place.

[At least you're consistent.]

Emilia gently set down her tea tray—completely unscratched despite Armageddon raging around them. "Ara, ara. A demonstration, a duel, an introduction… such theatrics. Would anyone like biscuits before we annihilate fate itself?"

"NO!" Rei and three of the others screamed.

"Yes," Drakana muttered, then immediately denied it when the others glared.

The Demon Lord, unbothered, snapped his fingers. A pitch-black lectern rose from the ground, complete with glowing runes and a floating projector crystal. He began clicking through slides that appeared in the smoke.

Slide 1: "The Coming Collapse of Reality."

Slide 2: "Why Marrying Rei Fixes Everything."

Slide 3: A crude doodle of Rei in a tux, chained to the Demon Lord, with hearts drawn in fire.

Rei covered his face. "Why am I PowerPoint bait?!"

[System Notification: New Boss Skill Unlocked – "Corporate Presentation of Doom."]

[Status Effect: Audience may be convinced against their will.]

"Darling!" Lilia cried, clutching Rei's sleeve as if she could shield him from bullet points. "Don't let evil graphs sway your heart!"

Seraphina's hymn book slammed shut with divine finality. "I will smite this false marriage proposal from existence!"

Drakana cracked her knuckles, glaring at the slides. "If he puts one more heart near your face, I'm burning his projector."

Rosette whispered, "It's already burned. In my heart."

Emilia tilted her head. "Ara, ara. Quite the persuasive visuals. Perhaps he should at least finish?"

Rei screamed, "Stop encouraging him!"

The Demon Lord adjusted his tie and announced, "Final slide!"

The projector flickered, and the last image appeared: Rei standing between a split world—half wreathed in fire, half crumbling into void. Text in giant flaming letters read: "CHOOSE LOVE, OR CHOOSE OBLIVION."

The chamber fell quiet. Even the yanderes blinked, slightly thrown off by the melodrama.

Rei slowly raised his hand. "Uh-huh. Quick question. Is there a third option? Like, I dunno, tacos?"

The Demon Lord grinned. "No."

[System Notification: Mission Branching Detected.]

[Option A: Accept Demon Lord Marriage.]

[Option B: Reject Marriage and Doom the World.]

[Option C: Stall Until Everyone Punches Each Other Again.]

Rei immediately pointed at C. "That one. Always that one."

[Congratulations, you picked chaos again.]

As if on cue, the walls trembled. The yanderes leapt into motion, magical auras colliding in a storm of feathers, flames, daggers, and divine hymns. The Demon Lord's disguise shredded apart fully now, black armor gleaming as he prepared to fight back.

And Rei? Rei slumped against the throne, tugged at his chains, and muttered the only words he could muster:

"…This is why I wanted a nap."

[System Notification: New Arc Approaching – "Engagement Wars."]

[Estimated Survival Chance: Below 3%.]

[Reward: ???]

To be continued…