CHAPTER 181: CHAPTER 180: SISTER’S RETURN: THE ELEGANT NIGHTMARE

The Royal Magic Academy was rubble. Charred stones smoldered, half-burnt parchments fluttered through the sky like academic snow, and the faint echo of an exploding lasagna still haunted the cafeteria ruins.

For Rei, this should have been a time of mourning, rebuilding, or maybe therapy. Instead, he found himself dealing with something infinitely worse than exploding brides: gossip.

The nobles, the merchants, the terrified peasants—all had gathered outside the smoldering wreckage, whispering rumors that cut through the ash like blades.

"They say she’s returning."

"She? Who?"

"His elder sister."

"The elegant one nightmare."

Even demons hiding in the crowd shivered, their tails curling nervously.

Rei froze where he stood. "...No. Absolutely not. She’s not coming back. She’s in seclusion. Deep seclusion. Like—locked-away-in-a-cursed-monastery-with-a-hundred-seals seclusion!"

[System Notification: Incoming Trauma Event.]

[System Advice: Panic Early. You Won’t Get The Chance Later.]

Rei clutched his head. "No no no no no. She wouldn’t. She can’t."

And then—like a polite dagger wrapped in silk—she appeared.

From the smoke of the academy’s remains, a single figure strolled forward. She did not stumble, she did not falter. Each step was measured grace, heels clicking softly on shattered marble as though ruins themselves bowed to her presence.

Her dress was flawless. Midnight silk embroidered with constellations, sleeves trimmed in silver lace, and a parasol perched delicately on one shoulder. Not a speck of ash touched her clothes.

Her smile was sweet, gentle and angelic. The sort of smile that might make men kneel and women swoon. And yet every soul who looked upon it felt their blood run cold.

Because behind that smile was the nightmare—an aura of quiet, suffocating possession.

Rei’s knees buckled. "Oh gods, Oh goddess, Oh System. She’s back."

[System Alert: Boss-Level Sister Detected.]

[Danger Rating: More Than All Six Brides Combined.]

[Congratulations On Unlocking Hard Mode.]

The crowd parted for her instinctively. Nobles bowed. Servants fainted. Even a group of passing demons dropped to their knees, muttering, "Yes, mistress," before realizing she wasn’t even looking at them.

She only had eyes for one person.

"Rei," she said, her voice like music—and like a noose. "My darling little brother."

Rei’s vision blurred. The moment her words reached him, memories he had buried deep clawed their way back to the surface.

Childhood bedroom. Rei, five years old, clutching a teddy bear. His sister, ten, climbing into his bed.

"Big Sis, don’t you have your own bed?" Rei had asked timidly.

She had smiled. "My bed is too cold. Yours is warm. We’ll share forever, won’t we?"

Another memory. Rei, older now, sick in bed. She spoon-fed him soup that tasted faintly of...something unidentifiable. Her smile never wavered.

"You don’t need medicine. You just need me."

And the worst memory. Rei’s reincarnated body, five years in a coma. He had been dimly aware of voices, sounds, sensations. And always—always—there was the feeling of someone lying beside him.

Breathing. Smiling. Whispering: "Don’t worry. I’ll guard you until you wake up. No one else will have you not in this life nor in any life."

Rei screamed aloud, grabbing his head. "NO! TRAUMA MEMORY UNLOCKED!"

[System Alert: Trauma Memory Unlocked.]

[System Comfort Feature: Hug Mode Activated.]

[Warning: No Hug Available. All Slots Occupied By Brides.]

His six current yanderes reacted instantly.

Lilia stepped forward, holy aura blazing. "Who is this woman?"

Velveria’s shadows writhed, hissing. "Another rival dares to appear?"

Drakana roared, wings unfurling. "MATE ALREADY CLAIMED!"

Seraphina raised her staff, eyes narrowed. "No unholy presence shall intrude."

Rosette simply drew six knives. "Target acquired."

Emilia sipped tea calmly. "Another sister-wife, I suppose. Expected."

Rei, panicking, waved his arms. "No! Stop! You don’t understand! She’s not just a rival—she’s the final boss! We can’t fight her—we’ll all die!"

[For Once, Rei Is Correct.]

But the brides didn’t understand. They only saw another contender in the endless battlefield of love.

Meanwhile, his sister tilted her head slightly, parasol spinning lazily between her fingers. "Oh my. So many girls... circling my precious brother. How charming."

Her smile deepened. The temperature dropped twenty degrees. Everyone shivered.

The nobles who had gathered found themselves entranced. She only had to glance their way, and they nodded fervently, convinced she was a saint, a queen, a goddess incarnate.

Servants rushed to bring her chairs, refreshments, and flower garlands, despite the fact that the academy grounds were still on fire.

Even the demons who had been lurking in the shadows began bowing, tails wagging, muttering, "Mistress, Mistress," like brainwashed pets.

It wasn’t magic. It was simply her presence, her manipulation. The gentle domination of someone who could wrap anyone around her finger—especially Rei.

Rei shrank back, tugging at his collar. "Why are they all obeying her?! She’s not even doing anything!"

[System Explanation: Passive Skill Detected – "Sisterly Aura of Absolute Claim."]

[Effect: All beings within radius recognize Rei as her possession.]

[Maybe Call CPS. Oh Wait, You’re an adult now. For you it’s too late.]

She finally reached him. The brides formed a protective circle, spells humming, wings outstretched, shadows coiling.

But she ignored them completely, stepping right up to Rei and brushing a hand along his cheek. Her touch was soft. Terrifyingly soft.

"My little brother," she whispered. "It’s been too long. I kept your bed warm for you. I kept your secrets. I kept your future safe."

Rei trembled. "S-Sis... please... not in front of everyone..."

Her eyes sparkled. "Why not? They should know."

She leaned closer, her smile never breaking.

"You are mine."

The brides gasped, nobles fainted and demons howled.

Rei nearly fainted too, but the System screamed in his head.

[System Alert: Overheating Detected. Trauma Core At Critical Levels.]

[System Suggestion: Run. Fast. Preferably Into Another Dimension.]

He couldn’t move. Her presence froze him in place. And then, in the sweetest, most terrifying voice of all, she said it.

"My little husband."

The world went silent. The brides stiffened. Their auras flared so violently that the ground cracked beneath them. Velveria’s shadows erupted like geysers, Lilia’s holy light blazed like a second sun, Drakana’s wings shattered the sky, Seraphina’s holy runes exploded into fire, Rosette’s knives hovered like a halo of death, and Emilia calmly pulled out an even sharper teacup.

Rei could only scream.

"WHYYYYYYYYY?!"

[System Alert: Family Route Activated.]

[Warning: This Storyline Should Not Exist.]

[Congratulations. You Have Officially Hit Rock Bottom.]

The world teetered on the edge of catastrophe. The brides and the sister glared at one another, weapons raised, smiles sharpened.

The Elegant Nightmare had returned and Rei’s suffering had only just begun.

Rei’s scream echoed across the academy ruins like a prophecy of doom. Unfortunately, it was immediately drowned out by the collective pop of six magical aneurysms detonating simultaneously.

Lilia’s face twitched. "H-Husband...? Excuse me? Did I mishear?"

Velveria’s shadows writhed so violently they tore cracks in reality. "I’ve tolerated rivals, but incestuous audacity?! Unacceptable!"

Drakana’s claws gouged the marble. "I’LL FRY HER. SIBLING OR NOT. NO MERCY!"

Seraphina’s staff blazed brighter than the academy explosion. "This is blasphemy of the highest order!"

Rosette didn’t speak—she just calmly slid out thirty-two knives. From where? Nobody wanted to know.

Emilia delicately stirred her tea, lips curving faintly. "Ara. Ara. Ara. Ara. Ara. Ara."

[System Alert: Bride Synchronization Failure Detected.]

[System Warning: Probability of Catastrophic Wife War — 137%.]

[System Sarcasm: Congratulations, Rei. You Invented Incest Diplomacy.]

Rei flailed wildly. "Sh-She doesn’t mean it like that! It’s—it’s a mistranslation! She doesn’t know the language! She—"

His sister tilted her head sweetly. "Oh, but I do."

She caressed his cheek again. "You’ll always be my little husband. The vows we never spoke—our bond transcends this world. Do you understand, my precious one?"

Rei nearly passed out on the spot.

The crowd outside the ruins began murmuring again, louder than ever.

"A husband?!"

"His sister called him husband!"

"How divine! How scandalous! How romantic!"

Within seconds, factions formed. One group of nobles wept openly, moved by what they believed was a tragic star-crossed romance. Another faction of scholars began furiously scribbling: Theology of Forbidden Bonds: A New Chapter.

Meanwhile, the demons were worse. One tall horned demon actually sniffled. "It’s beautiful. Pure devotion. We should all learn from her."

Another demon wailed. "Why can’t my sister call me husband?"

[Civilization Is Officially Broken.]

Rei clutched his face. "No. Nope. Absolutely not. This is not happening. This is the worst DLC imaginable. I didn’t sign up for the Family Expansion Pack!"

[System Reminder: You Literally Chose "Hard Mode Life" At Character Creation.]

[Perhaps Next Time Pick "Peaceful Farmer."]

Rei’s legs gave out. He dropped to his knees, muttering: "I wanted a normal academy life... exams, homework, maybe detention."

His sister crouched gracefully, lifting his chin with a finger. Her smile softened further, but her eyes gleamed like blades.

"You don’t need a school, Rei. You don’t need friends. You don’t even need those... things around you." She glanced at the yanderes with casual dismissal. "You only need me."

The brides collectively hissed like angry cats.

Lilia’s holy aura spiked. Velveria’s shadows split the earth. Drakana’s tail swiped rubble into dust. Rosette’s knives whirred like a deadly orchestra. Seraphina began chanting exorcisms. Emilia just... sipped her tea louder.

The ground shook, the air warped. Somewhere in the distance, an innocent cow exploded from sheer tension.

[System Critical Alert: Bride vs. Sister Apocalypse Imminent.]

[System Advice: Scream Louder. It Won’t Help, But It’s Therapeutic.]

Rei did scream louder and his sister tightening her gentle grip on his face, whispering once more for everyone to hear:

"My little husband."

The battlefield of love prepared to ignite.

To be continued...