The Wedding Crash
The Church of Eris stood tall in the center of Axel, glowing under the afternoon light. White banners flowed gently from its pillars, and rows of nobles and townspeople filled the seats, all gathered for a single event. A wedding. At the altar stood Darkness.
Dressed in pure white, her usual armor gone, replaced by elegant fabric that wrapped around her like something she didn't belong in. Her posture was straight, her face calm—but her eyes… they weren't. They were quiet. Too quiet. Like she had already accepted something she didn't want. Beside her stood Alderp's son, trying—and failing—to look confident. And in front of them… A masked priest raised their hands dramatically. "Now then! We are gathered here today to celebrate this sacred union between two individuals who are definitely, absolutely, one hundred percent in love—" The priest coughed under the mask. "—AHEM! I mean… yes! Love! Beautiful love! Not forced at all!" The audience murmured. Alderp narrowed his eyes slightly. "Priest… focus." The priest straightened. "Y-Yes! Of course! Totally focused! Very holy!" He cleared his throat again, trying to recover. Darkness clenched her hands slightly. "…Kazuma…" She whispered it so quietly… no one heard. "IF ANYONE OBJECTS! LIGHT THE PARTY—" BANG.
The church doors slammed open. Everyone turned. Kazuma stood at the entrance, slightly out of breath, his eyes locked onto the altar. Behind him—Megumin. And Ruko. Silence fell over the entire church. Then whispers spread like fire. "What they're here…" "The rotten criminals…" "The ones from the trial…" Kazuma stepped forward without hesitation. "Yeah, yeah, keep talking," he muttered. Then louder— "This wedding is canceled." Gasps filled the room. Alderp scoffed. "You again? Guards—" "Hold it!" Kazuma snapped, pointing straight at him. "Before you start acting like you're in control, how about we talk about what's really going on here?" Megumin cast her explosion by not releasing it confidently. "Indeed. This entire ceremony reeks of corruption." Aqua leaned forward from the altar, removing her max. "Yeah! Even I can feel it—and I have high standards for shady stuff! For people like you." Alderp's smile thinned. "…You're making bold claims for someone in your position." Kazuma grinned. "Not really. I just came prepared with a little present." He stepped forward slowly, the sound of his shoes echoing through the church.
"You forced Darkness into this marriage using debt. That much is obvious. But what people don't know…" He paused. "…is how you made that happen." The crowd leaned in. Alderp's eyes sharpened. "Careful what you say next." Kazuma shrugged. "Oh, I'm being careful. I've got someone who's very good at sniffing out lies." At the back of the room—A familiar masked figure walked against the hall. Vanir. Alderp's expression flickered for just a second. Ruko noticed. He hadn't said a word yet. But his presence alone… made people uncomfortable. A man in the crowd whispered, "Isn't that the one they call—" "Shut up," someone else muttered quickly. Kazuma continued. "You've been manipulating things behind the scenes. Debt, pressure… and something else." He pointed directly at Alderp. "Something which isnt not human." A ripple of tension spread across the room. Alderp laughed. Cold. Dismissive. "You expect people to believe that nonsense?" Kazuma shrugged. "Believe what you want. I didn't come here to convince everyone."
He reached into his cloak. Then—THUD. A massive bag hit the floor. Then another. And another. The sound echoed. Coins spilled slightly from one of them. Gold. The entire room froze. Kazuma exhaled. "…That should be enough." Alderp's smile faded. "…What is this?" Kazuma looked him dead in the eyes. "Two billion Eris." He pointed to another pile. "And 110 million for the Dustiness family debt." The crowd erupted. "T-Two billion?!" "That's impossible—!" "Where did he get that kind of money—?!" Kazuma scratched his cheek. "Don't worry about it. Just so you know I earned it." ("…Vanir did most of the work," he muttered under his breath.) He stepped forward again.
"So here's how this goes," Kazuma said casually. "I just paid off the debt." He pointed at Darkness. "Which means she's no longer tied to you." Alderp's face darkened. Kazuma smirked. "And since I'm the one who paid…" He paused. "…I guess that makes her mine."
The entire church went silent. Darkness's eyes widened. "…W-What?" Megumin's face turned red instantly. "K-Kazuma?! What kind of statement is that?!" Aqua jumped down from the altar. "Wait, wait—does that what you were saying, cuz I don't remember?!" Kazuma ignored them. He looked directly at Darkness. "…You're not getting married today or married no one else." For a moment— Her composure cracked. "…Idiot…" She looked away quickly. Alderp clenched his fists. "You think throwing money around solves everything?" Kazuma shrugged. "I just worked pretty well just now." The tension in the room snapped tighter. Some nobles stood. Guards shifted. The atmosphere turned dangerous. And then—Ruko stepped forward. Slowly. Calmly. The floor creaked under his step. He didn't smile. He didn't speak right away. But when he did— "…If even single one of you talking like you got control of this situation…" His voice was low. "…then shut the fucking hell up." The entire church froze. A man in the crowd tried to speak. "Y-You can't just—" Ruko's eyes snapped toward him. "…Try me. You ugly slack of a poor." The man immediately sat back down. "Yes sir."
Ruko exhaled slowly. "…Bunch of fake-ass nobles acting like you own people." His tone sharpened. "…Makes me sick like I want to vomit." Kazuma glanced at him. "…Ruko." Ruko didn't look at him. His eyes stayed locked on Alderp. "…You're really trying to pushing it now... Alderp." Alderp narrowed his eyes."And what exactly are you going to do about it?" Silence. A heavy silence. Ruko tilted his head slightly. "…Hmmm... Nothing." But the way he said it—It didn't sound like nothing. At all. And for the first time—Alderp felt it. Fear. Real fear. The air in the church felt heavier. Like something was about to break and have their neck on a scythe. And right at the center of it—Ruko stood still. Quiet. Waiting with intent.