bookbashuk #386 - Wedding
#386 - Wedding
The interior of the sanctuary was spacious.
Red carpets covered the floor, and decorations fostering a solemn atmosphere hung on the walls, highlighting the central altar and the bride and groom.
Approximately 50 attendees, each a beautiful maiden in formal attire, created a magnificent and captivating scene.
It would have been perfect if these people had even a hint of human emotion on their faces, instead of resembling dolls being manipulated at will.
In stark contrast stood Emilia, wearing a white wedding dress before the altar.
Her shimmering silver hair was adorned with ornaments, and she looked exceptionally beautiful in her pure white gown. Besides the significant enhancement a wedding dress provides to a girl's appearance, she also wore a distinct expression on her face, unlike the other girls.
“That's awesome, EMT!”
Natsuki Subaru shouted excitedly, then looked around, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Looks like I made it in time.”
“More like perfect timing.”
The groom—the Archbishop of Gluttony—his eyes bloodshot, his aura intensifying, looked as if he was about to snap. Upon seeing the newcomer, he opened his mouth unhappily, glaring at Natsuki Subaru.
“It's you. So you're the other man of that detestable woman.”
The two had met in the plaza, the time when the Archbishop of Gluttony had snatched Emilia away. Now, the roles were reversed, with Emilia being portrayed as the unfaithful one.
“It's truly incomprehensible. A guy as ugly as you, she dumped me for you? Are her eyes made of glass beads?”
“More like gemstones. And, while I know my looks aren't anything special, there are girls who like my type!… Though they're few and far between.”
Natsuki Subaru pouted.
He knew Emilia didn't care about appearances but rather about character, but being told that by an outsider still annoyed him, and any explanation would sound weak.
“Silence. This celebratory ceremony is about to become a mourning occasion. Prepare to go from guests to the mourned… Ah, but that one over there, I might choose to spare you.”
The Archbishop of Gluttony pointed at Zun Zun.
“Huh? Me?”
“Indeed. I've decided, since this cheating woman is unwilling to be my wife, then you shall take her place. Indeed, that special number should be inherited by you.”
“Are… are you serious, you bastard?”
Even Natsuki Subaru was shocked by the other's words.
Zun Zun, possessing a divine body, was unmatched in appearance, even compared to Emilia. Even now, dressed in ordinary clothes.
But the crucial point was—
“I know you have an unnecessary misunderstanding about Zun Zun, but he's not what you think… What I'm about to say, don't be alarmed. Actually, Zun Zun is a boy.”
“A… a boy…? He's a boy? You dare mock my pure heart? Was it intentional? It must have been intentional, plotting for this moment, wanting to see your prank succeed with a triumphant expression. Do you know what you're doing? You're violating my rights!”
The Archbishop of Gluttony covered his distorted face, muttering incessantly.
Zun Zun hadn't done anything, yet he declared himself a victim, expressing that he had been humiliated.
“This guy's an idiot.”
“Yeah, an idiot.”
Zun Zun and Natsuki Subaru nodded.
“Silence!” The Archbishop of Gluttony glared at the two, shouting, “You defective, flawed product, dare to lecture the complete me!?”
Obvious pity made him unable to endure and agitated him, leading him to resort to forceful measures.
The moment his foot kicked the floor, destruction surged forth, shattering the sanctuary as he charged towards Zun Zun and the others. The destructive force, turning all the building materials into rubble, bore down on them.
“Subaru, get out of the way.”
“Oh, oh, oh—”
Zun Zun grabbed Natsuki Subaru by the collar, then tossed him towards Emilia, before turning to face the Archbishop of Gluttony, wielding his black and white light swords.
It had to be said that his combat skills were terrible, barely distinguishable from a child's fight, easily kicked away by Zun Zun.
“That's great—”
“Don't move!”
Before Natsuki Subaru could cheer for Zun Zun, the Archbishop of Gluttony stretched out his hand towards the girls in the audience—he had been kicked over there and quickly gotten up.
He pointed at the girls, threatening Zun Zun and the others, “If you dare make any suspicious moves, they'll die!”
The girls being pointed at were meticulously adorned from head to toe, but they showed no human reaction, merely gazing indifferently at the dispute before them with emotionless eyes.
In this situation, it was hard to say whether they were bold or simply dolls that could breathe.
But the crucial point was—
“Who are they?”
“They are all my beloved wives, all beautiful maidens who can respond to my love. Do you want to kill them, who are without any sin? Dare you, you despicable villains!”
“…Is something not right here?”
Natsuki Subaru didn't know which of his words were true; in any case, his statements were fundamentally contradictory. Why was the Archbishop of Gluttony using his own wives to threaten Zun Zun and the others? The cause and effect were mixed up, right?
“Although I vaguely understand, there's no way to have a conversation.”
“I don't want them to die. But if you resist, then I'll have no choice but to kill. Starting from the one on the far side, killing them one by one in order… You're forcing me to do something so cruel; you're simply demons.”
“We don't seem to have threatened you like that.”
“Stop arguing! That's right, I'm the one doing it. But you're the ones making me do it; your malice is killing them. Don't think you can escape the responsibility for killing them, you murderers!”
The Archbishop of Gluttony gnashed his teeth, glaring hatefully at Zun Zun and Natsuki Subaru.
This guy was serious.
He truly believed his contradictory theories, reveling in the sense of carrying out a righteous mission.
Inexplicable.
The Archbishop of Gluttony's actions seemed to be casting himself as a heroic figure, a truly good husband and man who had no choice but to kill his wives to protect their chastity.
An otherworld version of Farewell My Concubine?
If possible, Natsuki Subaru wanted to save them, but the situation was controlled by the other party, even Zun Zun—
Suddenly, while the Archbishop of Gluttony was immersed in his own world, Zun Zun had already charged forward.
“Eh?”
Not only Natsuki Subaru, but even the Archbishop of Gluttony hadn't expected someone to disregard the safety of others and attack him.
Wasn't he afraid of him?
“Wait, Zun Zun—”
Before Natsuki Subaru could call out, Zun Zun's light sword had already slashed towards the Archbishop of Gluttony's neck, scaring him into hastily retreating.
Even though he had an invincible body and didn't need to dodge, he was still frightened by the momentum.
And that one step gave Zun Zun controllable space, kicking him into the ceiling as the sword missed, accompanied by a large amount of stone fragments, and he fell onto the sanctuary's altar.
Surprisingly, even though Zun Zun's sword almost touched the beautiful women in the audience, they showed no expression.
The Archbishop of Gluttony quickly stood up.
Standing at the forefront of the sanctuary on the altar, he, Emilia and Natsuki Subaru on the left, and Zun Zun and his wives on the right, formed a triangular formation.
“…I'm saying!”
Standing up, the Archbishop of Gluttony didn't bother brushing off the rubble on his body, and vented his anger at Zun Zun in an annoyed and impatient tone.
“Can't you read the situation? Just now, the scene should have been me forcing you into a corner, right? Originally, it was when I used a firm gaze to force back the despicable enemies, proving my essence as a husband to my many wives, and everyone believed I was right. But… you deliberately ruined it!”
He glared fiercely at Zun Zun.
The script just now was indeed, as the Archbishop of Gluttony said, a good opportunity for him to show his essence as a husband, but whether it was his actions or his words, everything was completely wrong.
Seeing Zun Zun silent, the Archbishop of Gluttony became somewhat impatient.
“Say something then.”
“—I'm saying!”
“Eh?”
As soon as Zun Zun opened his mouth, it was in the same tone as the Archbishop of Gluttony, the same impatience. If it weren't for the different voice, one would have thought they were the same person.
“Haven't you heard that villains die from talking too much? Are you a chatterbox, talking endlessly? Are you a child, needing a response for everything? Besides, we're already despicable enemies, why should we care about the lives of your wives? Or is there really something wrong with your brain, unable to understand the stakes? Do I really have to spell it out for you?”
“You, you bastard…!”
The Archbishop of Gluttony's handsome face twisted hideously.
“That… Subaru, is Zun Zun like this?”
“How should I say it… it's probably his true nature.”
Emilia and Natsuki Subaru were somewhat frightened by this poisonous tongue.
Zun Zun had always been sharp-tongued, and combined with the Archbishop of Gluttony's childlike lack of sophistication and heart, the impact on him was undoubtedly enormous.
“Ah, I'm already tired of this.”
The Archbishop of Gluttony seemed to be tired of this, sighing deeply, facing as if it was a gorilla who didn't understand his thoughts and couldn't communicate.
“You ran over here wanting to kill me, not to mention wanting to sow discord between me and my wives; indeed, you should be expelled, and there's no need to say anything more to you.”
“You've got one thing wrong.”
“What, don't tell me you want to say you didn't intend to kill me? Don't joke around; you and what you just did have seriously violated my rights. It's an extremely heinous act, and I will never forgive you no matter what!”
“No, no, no, I really didn't intend to kill you.”
Zun Zun slowly opened his mouth, explaining:
“This is a wedding prank, a custom from my hometown. It's using playful laughter to drive away the demons in the bridal chamber, protecting the soon-to-be-married couple with blessings. In other words, this is my blessing. Yet you completely refuse my good intentions; what does this mean? Are you looking down on me? Or are you saying you have objections to my blessing?”
In the sanctuary, the slowly raised black and white light swords reflected the Archbishop of Gluttony's flickering, twisted face.