Esper Harem in the Apocalypse

Chapter 1176: I Am Your Husband

Rudy picked up a discarded blanket from the floor and tossed it over his shoulder. “My name is Rudy. I am the Overlord of this universe, and incidentally, your and Rias’ future husband.”

Jane stared at him with wide eyes. A mocking laugh escaped her throat. She gestured wildly toward the ruined furniture and the scorched floorboards. “You are a delusional human insect. You broke into my palace, corrupted my caretaker, and now you stand naked in my bedroom making ridiculous claims.”

Niti stepped forward and clutched the silk bedsheet tightly around her torso. She looked directly at the vampire princess. “He did not corrupt me, Jane. He protected me. When the other maids forced me to scrub the basins and Elara threatened my life, you were nowhere to be found. You left for your sacred trial and expected me to endure their cruelty in silence. Rudy gave me respect and freed me from this rotting hierarchy.”

Jane flinched. The anger in her brilliant blue eyes faltered, replaced by a flash of genuine guilt. She looked at Niti’s defiant posture and then glared back at Rudy.

“I would never willingly share my bed with a mortal,” Jane hissed. “And I certainly would never marry one.”

Rudy smiled. He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. A vibrant beam of crimson light shot from his palm and hit the stone ceiling. The magic expanded outward, forming a highly detailed holographic projection across the masonry.

The projection displayed a vivid memory from the previous timeline. A towering canopy bed filled the frame. A much less armored version of Jane lay pinned against the mattress.

“This is what happened when we met in the previous timeline.”

The holographic Jane writhed in pleasure, her fangs fully extended as she begged the man above her for more.

The audio played crystal clear through the ruined bedroom. The sounds of loud smacks and desperate moans echoed off the stone walls.

Jane froze completely. Her jaw dropped open. She watched her future self shamelessly plead for Rudy to ruin her. A brilliant shade of red flooded her pale cheeks. She covered her face with both hands.

“Turn it off!” Jane shrieked. She scrambled backward and tripped over a pile of ash. “That is an illusion! I would never say those things!”

“You were quite enthusiastic,” Rudy noted playfully. He kept the projection running. “You begged me for ten rounds straight. Your stamina was genuinely impressive.”

Niti watched the ceiling projection with a faint smile. She reached over and picked up her discarded uniform from the floor.

Loud, frantic pounding erupted against the bedroom doors. The thick oak rattled in its frame.

“Princess Jane!” a muffled voice yelled from the corridor. “We heard a magical detonation! Are you safe?”

Jane gasped in pure panic. She looked at the explicit holographic movie playing on her ceiling and then stared at the naked man standing in her room. If the royal guards walked in right now, her reputation would shatter permanently.

“Do not open that door!” Jane yelled toward the hallway. She rushed forward and grabbed Rudy by his arm. “Make it disappear right now.”

Rudy chuckled. He waved his hand and deactivated the projection. The room plunged back into standard torchlight.

“I am perfectly fine,” Jane called out to the guards. She forced her voice to remain calm. “I merely misfired a spell while practicing. Return to your posts.”

The footsteps lingered for a moment before fading down the corridor. Jane let out a long breath and slumped against the nearest stone pillar. She rubbed her temples to soothe a building headache.

Rudy used his Spatio-Temporal magic to materialize fresh clothes over his skin. He adjusted his cuffs and walked toward the door.

“Now that we have established our history,” Rudy said. “Take me to Rias. I need to see her.”

Jane crossed her arms over her muddy chest plate. “Absolutely not. Rias is undertaking the most important phase of her trial. I will not let a crazy human disrupt her progress.”

“I am going to find her with or without your help,” Rudy replied casually. He opened the oak door a fraction of an inch. “I can just ask the royal guards for directions. I am sure they would love to hear all about the movie we just watched.”

Jane gritted her teeth. Her blue eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. The sheer embarrassment of the situation outweighed her royal pride. She desperately needed to uncover the truth behind his impossible magic and those humiliating memories.

“Fine,” Jane muttered. She pushed herself off the pillar and walked past him into the hallway. “Follow me. But if you interfere with her trial, I will find a way to kill you.”

Rudy grinned and followed the vampire princess out of the room. Niti trailed quietly behind them, carrying her folded uniform in her arms.

The damp stone corridors echoed with their footsteps. Rudy walked with his hands tucked into his trousers. He glanced at Jane walking ahead of him.

“So tell me about this trial,” Rudy asked casually. “Did you finish it?”

Jane stopped walking. She gripped the hilt of her sheathed weapon. Her knuckles turned stark white. She whipped around and glared at him.

“I failed,” Jane snapped. She ground her teeth together. “The Ancestral Trial consists of five phases. I passed the first four with flawless marks. The final phase was an insurmountable nightmare. I was expelled from the dimension.”

“And Rias?” Rudy inquired.

“She is still taking the trials,” Jane replied bitterly. She resumed her brisk pace down the hallway. “And she is struggling. I will show you.”

Jane led him into the Chamber of the Viewing Mirror. A towering pane of enchanted glass dominated the center of the circular stone room. The mirror projected a live feed of a desolate, rocky wasteland. Rias sprinted across the jagged terrain.

A towering SSS-rank Trial Chimera roared behind her. The beast possessed the head of a lion, the body of a dragon, and a serpent for a tail. Rias panted for breath, clearly outmatched by the towering monstrosity.

“That’s the third trial.” Jane crossed her arms. She smirked and waited for the arrogant human to panic over his supposed bride.