Esper Harem in the Apocalypse
chapter-512

"Welcome. I have been waiting for you, but I should have expected you to arrive at your regular time," Maria said calmly.

"Umm… what's up?" Rudy greeted her awkwardly.

"Don't you have anything else to say?" she asked with a judging glare in her eyes.

'I don't like this version of Maria. Why must all the girls be scary when they are angry?' Rudy wondered.

"I want to say I am innocent, but I don't think that would be convincing enough," Rudy sighed.

"Why?"

"Because you won't believe me," Rudy shrugged.

"Is that how much you trust me?"

"That's not it. I am saying this based on me. If I was in your situation, I would be having a hard time trusting someone who… well, technically betrayed me."

"Rusher told me everything."

'Rusher? She always called him Rusher 'brother'. But now she is not calling him brother or father, she is calling him by his name!'

"I know what you are feeling, but I am on your side."

"I know." Maria smiled at him and said, "I know you were the one who pressured him to confess everything. So I am not angry at you."

'Lilim had said the same thing.'

"Are you sure? Because you do look a little angry to me."

"Oh, I am angry, but not at you."

"I see."

Rudy glanced around and asked, "Where is everyone? I don't see any maids and butlers around."

"I killed them."

"..."

"I killed everyone." Maria wrapped her arms around Rudy's neck and said, "Now, there is only us here."

"Umm… you do know that I have vision abilities, right?"

Maria squinted her eyes and said, "That's not fair. I can't prank you like this."

"Why would you even think that would be funny?" Rudy sighed and hugged Maria.

"I don't know. I thought you like that type of girl."

"Obviously not."

Maria kissed Rudy on the lips and said, "Rusher told everyone everything."

"Hmm? Everyone as in…?"

"The organizations in the Ross syndicates. When he told them, some of them were angry and wanted to kill him, while some of them were disappointed. Most of them left the syndicate, which is why it's now empty.

Our syndicate ranking dropped dramatically, and now we only have a few organizations backing us up, who might also leave us. We have Under Blades protection, so the situation didn't escalate as much, but it's still bad.

Ruby is at the VVIP tournament, and Rusher and the others have gone with her. Father and mother are sleeping in the rooms, so we are the only ones here," Maria informed.

"Do you not want to watch the VVIP tournament?" Rudy asked with a curious look on his face.

"No. I know Ruby will win."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because this syndicate is on the line. If she loses, we all lose."

"..." Rudy lowered his gaze and uttered, "VVIP tournament is a death match."

"Huh?" Maria's face turned pale after hearing that. "What? How do you know that?"

"Why else do you think the previous candidates stopped gambling? Obviously, their lives matter more to them than money. I am sure there was also a condition where 'If the player wants to fortify for the tournament, they must not gamble ever again' for a certain period of time.

So the more Ryby advances to the finale of the VVIP tournament, the greater danger she is in. And unlike the other tournaments, the VVIP tournament is not broadcasted anywhere. No one will know what happened until it ends."

Rudy had thought a lot to come to that conclusion. He wasn't sure if he was right, but after playing a death match with Lu Bela the other day, Rudy was convinced that the VVIP tournament also had death matches.

"Are you saying that Ruby might die today?" Maria asked in a shaken voice. "I don't want that. She can't die. If she has to choose between the syndicate and her life, she should choose her life!"

Rudy placed his hands on Maria's shoulder and calmly said, "That's up to her to decide. She is the new leader of the syndicate, so she has every responsibility. I might know Ruby very well, but after a brief interaction, I can say for sure that she has a spirit to change the underworld."

"No, no! You have to stop her! You have to do something!" Maria demanded.

"Maria, Ruby is already aware of the risk. And she is still playing. Doing something would be like an insult to her. She has an opportunity to do something, so don't steal it from her, my love."

"But… but… what if she dies?" Maria asked with teary eyes.

Rudy shook his head and said, "That won't happen. Rusher and the others with whom are also unaware of this, but Ruby knows it all. And hey, the other participants also have the same amount of risk.

They can just retreat or cancel their matches, you know? I know Ruby won't do it because… well, she has the guts to take any risk. Just believe in her. I know it's hard, but it's not easy for her either."

"How am I supposed to not worry about her? She is my… sister…"

"Lady Maria, you shouldn't act like this on your wedding day," Lilim said from the stairs.

"Shut up."

"Yeah, why are you wearing this outfit?" Rudy asked Maria. "I mean, I know why you are wearing this, but why now?"

"I wanted to marry you today."

"With no celebration or anything? Are you okay with such a simple marriage ceremony?"

"Obviously, I am. But I want to marry you now. We can marry again later, but today is an important day for me, so I want it to be my wedding day," Maria stated.

She puckered her lips and glanced at Rudy with teary eyes.

"Can we get married today?"

"Of course."

Rudy glanced at Lilim and asked, "Would you be the priest?"

"Hah!" Lilim scoffed softly and muttered, "You are asking a demon to be a priest?"

"Why not? And… I can marry you too, actually."

"Nah, I am completely fine with being friends with benefits."

That night, Rudy and Maria got married in Lilim's presence, and they shared their first kiss as a married couple afterward.

Maria held Rudy's hand and said, "Let's go to my room. We will have our wedding night there."