Surviving marriage in yandere world

Velvet Royal Magic Academy, Breakfast Hall.

The day began suspiciously quiet. Without any fire-breathing curtains, chandelier ambushes, not even with invisible needles stuck in Rei's robes by Rosette during the night.

Just… peace. Which terrified Rei more than anything.

He cautiously ate his toast while peeking around. His five wives (or as he liked to call them, "five walking doomsday devices") sat together at the breakfast table, too calm, too civil, smiling too sweetly.

Something was wrong. Horribly wrong.

"...Why is everyone smiling at me like I'm today's lunch special?" Rei whispered to himself.

[System Alert: WARNING. Yandere Calmness Detected.]

[Threat Assessment: This is the 'silent before slaughter' stage.]

[Recommended Action: Fake food poisoning and escape through the nearest ventilation shaft.]

Rei clutched his toast tighter. "Noted."

Before he could test the "pretend to choke" strategy, a thunderous voice boomed across the hall.

"ATTENTION, STUDENTS!"

The enchanted walls lit up with golden script. Banners unfurled. Trumpets blared. Glitter rained down from nowhere (probably some poor intern mage forced to stand on the rafters with a bag of sparkles).

The Headmaster, an old man with a beard long enough to mop the floor, appeared as a hologram in the air. His voice shook the cutlery.

"BY DECREE OF THE CROWN, THE ROYAL ACADEMY SHALL HOST—"

The students leaned forward.

"—AN ALL-ACADEMY DUEL TOURNAMENT!"

The hall exploded in cheers. Forks and knives flew into the air. Some poor background student choked on his sausage in excitement.

Rei blinked. "A… what now?"

The Headmaster's hologram continued, his beard swaying like a divine curtain.

"THE WINNER SHALL BE GRANTED… ONE WISH, DIRECTLY FROM THE CROWN ITSELF!"

The students screamed. Magical fireworks shaped like crowns and swords exploded above their heads.

"One wish?! Anything?!" someone shouted.

"Even unlimited pudding?!"

"Even skipping exams?!"

"Even REVIVING MY DEAD GOLDFISH?!"

The hologram nodded gravely. "Yes. Anything the Crown can reasonably grant."

Rei dropped his toast, his stomach dropped lower and his soul dropped straight through the floor.

Because at that exact moment, he saw it—five pairs of glowing eyes locking onto him.

Drakana's tail thumped the floor hard enough to crack stone.

Seraphina's halo flared blindingly bright.

Lilia's quill appeared out of nowhere, already scribbling "Wedding Contract Draft #67."

Rosette's ribbon wrapped tighter around Rei's chair like a python claiming prey.

Emilia… Emilia just blinked and said, "Oh no…"

Rei clutched his chest. "Don't say it… please don't say it…"

Drakana slammed her fist down, shaking the table. "I WILL WIN THIS TOURNAMENT AND WISH FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE MARRIAGE RIGHTS, MATE!"

Seraphina shot up, wings unfurling. "HERESY. THE WISH SHALL BE MINE. OUR HOLY UNION MUST BE SANCTIFIED BEFORE ALL!"

Lilia calmly adjusted her glasses, smiling like a chessmaster about to sacrifice a pawn for a checkmate. "You're both mistaken. Once I win, Rei will legally and spiritually belong to me alone. No appeals."

Rosette leaned in, whispering softly, "Young Master's destiny is to be bound eternally to me. The wish only accelerates inevitability."

Emilia waved her hands desperately. "W-wait, everyone, can't we just… not fight? Maybe wish for world peace?"

The four turned to her in perfect unison, eyes gleaming. "World peace is useless without Rei."

Emilia: "..."

Rei: "..."

[System Notification: Tournament Objective Identified.]

[Rei's Survival Odds: 0.0000001%.]

[System Comment: Congratulations, you are now the grand prize of a kingdom-wide death match.]

Rei paced back and forth, tugging at his hair.

"This is bad. This is very, very bad. If any one of them wins, I'm screwed. No, worse than screwed—I'll be monopolized!"

He slammed his head into a pillow. "I just wanted to transfer schools… why is my life now a battle royale prize pool?!"

[Reminder: You did try to transfer schools. Your application was destroyed by a yandere-forged Eternal Enrollment Contract.]

[System Comment: You brought this upon yourself, snack boy.]

Rei groaned louder. "System, isn't there some clause, some loophole?!"

[Search Result: No loopholes detected. Crown wishes are absolute.]

[New Mission Assigned: Survive the Duel Tournament without Becoming Anyone's Property.]

[Reward: Basic Survival Pack (contains: 1 paperclip, 1 half-eaten sandwich, 3 tissues).]

Rei buried his face deeper into the pillow. "That's not a survival pack, that's just my desk drawer!"

The courtyard had transformed overnight into a festival of violence. Giant posters of "WHO WILL WIN THE CROWN'S WISH?!" covered the walls. Merch booths sold cheap Rei-shaped plushies, some already stabbed with toy knives.

Students lined up eagerly to register, chattering excitedly.

Rei skulked in a corner, muttering, "Maybe if I hide long enough, no one will—"

"REI~"

His soul left his body. He turned there he saw. Drakana stood there in full battle armor, looking like she'd already conquered three kingdoms before breakfast. She waved cheerfully, her giant sword strapped to her back. "Mate! Cheer for me, alright? I'll slay everyone else for our eternal bond!"

Rei squeaked. "Y-you don't have to—"

Before he could finish, Seraphina floated down gracefully, radiant like a holy goddess. "Husband, your prayers will empower me. Together, we shall ascend into sacred matrimony."

Lilia materialized behind him, whispering in his ear, "I've already bribed half the referees. Victory is guaranteed."

Rei jolted. "W-what kind of sportsmanship is that?!"

Rosette emerged silently from the shadows, tying a ribbon around his wrist. "A binding charm, to ensure you don't escape before I claim you."

Emilia arrived last, clutching a signboard she clearly made in a panic. It read: Please Don't Die, Rei! decorated with crooked hearts.

Rei stared at the board. "...That's the most supportive thing anyone's ever done for me."

The others collectively glared at Emilia like she had committed a war crime.

[System Alert: Emilia's accidental charm effectiveness +50%.]

[System Comment: She's speed-running affection levels without even trying. Amazing.]

The Headmaster waved his staff. "Competitors, prepare yourselves! This tournament shall last SEVEN DAYS. Each duel will be broadcast across the kingdom via HusbandVision!"

The crowd cheered. Rei choked on his own spit. "SEVEN DAYS?!"

The Headmaster added with a dramatic pause, "And remember… the Crown's Wish cannot be denied."

Rei fainted on the spot.

[System Notification: Rei has entered Temporary Despair Mode.]

[Stat Debuff: -20 Courage, -10 Willpower, +50 Cowardice.]

[System Comment: New achievement unlocked: 'Crown Prize Meat.']

Rei awoke on a soft bed. Emilia sat beside him, fanning his face.

"Rei! You passed out again…"

He groaned. "Emilia… I don't want to be a tournament trophy…"

Emilia looked down sympathetically. "Then… maybe… you should enter the tournament yourself?"

Rei stared at her like she had grown a second head. "ME?! Fight in a duel tournament? Against them?!"

Emilia tilted her head. "Well, if you win, you could use the wish to escape."

Rei blinked. "Wait. Wait wait wait. That's actually… brilliant."

For a single shining moment, hope filled his heart.

Then he remembered Drakana's flames, Seraphina's holy nukes, Lilia's schemes, Rosette's assassination tricks, and Emilia's terrifying accidental luck.

Rei curled back into the bed. "...Nope, I'd rather die."

[System Comment: You will, either way.]

That night, under the moonlight, the five wives stood together in the courtyard.

They didn't argue nor fight. They simply looked at each other and declared:

"I'll win the Crown's Wish." – Drakana.

"I'll sanctify our eternal union." – Seraphina.

"I'll bind him legally and spiritually." – Lilia.

"I'll claim what's already mine." – Rosette.

"I'll… try my best, Rei…" – Emilia.

The wind howled, Magical sparks filled the air and the stage was set.

And Rei, hiding in a bush nearby, sobbed quietly.

"Why am I the grand prize of my own life story…?"

[System Notification: Main Quest Updated.]

[Objective: Survive the Academy Duel Tournament.]

[Failure Condition: Forced Marriage.]

[System Comment: The wish isn't for you, snack boy—it's for whoever survives long enough to own you.]

Rei clutched his head. "THIS ISN'T A TOURNAMENT—IT'S A HUSBAND AUCTION!"

The moon glowed ominously above. The tournament of chaos had begun.

Rei didn't sleep that night. Every creak of the dorm, every flutter of wind against the window sounded like Rosette's drones, or Seraphina descending with holy bells, or Drakana kicking down the wall for "early training."

He tossed and turned, whispering to himself, "Calm down, Rei. It's just a tournament. With murder-happy wives. And a kingdom-wide broadcast. And a wish that could ruin your life forever. Totally fine. Totally survivable."

[System Notification: User has failed 'Self-Comfort Attempt.']

[New Status Effect Applied: Existential Dread Lv. 99.]

"Shut up, System!" Rei hissed into his blanket.

The next morning didn't help. The academy courtyard had turned into a circus. Food stalls, cheering sections, even gambling booths—half the kingdom seemed to be betting on which wife would win Rei's "exclusive ownership rights."

One particularly loud announcer shouted, "Place your bets, ladies and gents! Will it be the Dragon Bride, the Angel Bride, the Scholar Bride, the Assassin Bride, or the Accidental Bride?!"

Rei froze. "...Accidental bride? That's Emilia, isn't it?"

Emilia, holding a bag of popcorn, waved innocently from the crowd. "Rei! I saved you a seat!"

The other four wives turned slowly toward her, eyes glowing like predators.

[System Comment: Congratulations, Emilia has just painted another giant target on herself.]

Rei's soul screamed. "This is it. This isn't a duel tournament—it's a public execution disguised as sports entertainment!"

And with the opening ceremony only hours away, Rei realized there was no escape. Not from the academy, nor from the tournament and definitely not from the five apocalypse brides circling him like vultures around a free buffet.

To be continued…