CHAPTER 189: CHAPTER 188: THE DEMON ARMY OF LOVE

The Demon Castle was drowning. Not in lava, or invaders, or Lucivella’s wine stock after another of her "experiments." No. It was drowning in... love.

Love chants, Love banners and Love hymns echoing across the entire capital. Rei pressed his forehead against the cold obsidian windowpane and stared in horror at the sight outside.

The castle courtyard, the streets beyond, and the horizon as far as he could see—all flooded with kneeling demons. Tens of thousands of armored soldiers, horned nobles, winged monstrosities, and sharp-fanged peasants bowed as one, chanting:

"Glory to the God of Love!"

"Romance everlasting through Rei-sama!"

"Soup is death! Love is life!"

And worst of all—someone had composed music. A choir of succubi and incubi sang in harmonies so saccharine that Rei swore he got a cavity just hearing it. The bass section was provided by ogres pounding their chests.

The hymn repeated endlessly, a terrifying earworm:

"God-Husband Rei, divine romance true,

Guide us in peace, in soup we won’t stew—"

Rei slapped the window with both palms. "STOP SINGING ABOUT SOUP!"

[System Notification: Public Worship Level → Overwhelming.]

[System Alert: New Army Recruited – "Demon Army of Love."]

[System Note: Please enjoy your complimentary cult. Returns not accepted.]

Rei spun around, trembling. "I... I didn’t... I didn’t ask for this! I just wanted one dinner without dying!"

But no one listened. Inside the throne hall, his brides glowed like stars on their wedding days. Each looked upon the kneeling crowd with utter satisfaction, as if this was precisely how the universe should function.

Drakana leaned against a black pillar, arms crossed, fangs flashing in a grin. "Not bad, mate. An army chanting your name? That’s proper dragon courtship right there. I’m proud."

Seraphina clasped her hands reverently, halo blazing like a miniature sun. "Truly, Rei-sama fulfills destiny. To unite demons and angels under the banner of love... this is scripture manifest."

Lilia sniffled into her handkerchief, tears of sparkling holy water cascading down her cheeks. "They understand...! Finally, the world understands Rei-sama’s divinity! Oh, how blessed we are to serve the God of Love."

Emilia, ever practical, scribbled furious notes in her leather-bound tome. "Statistical analysis confirms troop morale increased by 500%. Desertion probability: zero. Conversion rate from rival armies: projected 72%. Tactical application: unstoppable."

Lucivella, the Demon Queen herself, simply laughed softly and leaned against Rei’s shoulder, her crimson eyes glowing with delight. "How perfect. The throne accepts you. The people adore you. Truly, you are husband material of the highest caliber."

Rei gagged. "HUSBAND MATERIAL?! I—I’m not some... some cult mascot!"

[System Alert: New Title Acquired → "God-Husband of the Demon Army."]

[System Sub-Title Added → "Mascot of Matrimony."]

[System Advice: Stop resisting and embrace destiny.]

Rei staggered backward, clutching his head. "Stop adding titles! I don’t want to be a mascot!"

The crowd outside erupted in synchronized devotion. Entire battalions beat their chests in rhythm, creating thunderous drumbeats that rattled the castle’s bones. Ogres waved banners stitched with Rei’s face—unfortunately in wildly inaccurate proportions. One tapestry depicted him with biceps the size of tree trunks and abs that could slice bread. Another showed him riding a dragon, kissing five wives at once, while halos crowned his head.

"Destroy it! Burn it!" Rei screeched, pointing out the window. "That’s not me!"

"It’s beautiful," Drakana sighed. "Although they forgot the scars you’ll earn from wrestling me tonight."

"Scars?!" Rei shrieked.

Meanwhile, more pamphlets littered the air. Every soldier held copies, reciting lines aloud like prayer:

"Peace through Rei-sama’s soup survival."

"Romance unites all tribes."

"Love conquers war, dinner, and indigestion."

Rei groaned into his palms. "This is a nightmare. A soup-fueled nightmare."

[System Notification: Demon Army Morale → MAXIMUM.]

[System Notification: Heroic Reputation (Accidental) → Legendary.]

[System Reminder: You are legally obligated to lead them now.]

Rei wheeled on the hovering notification. "LEGAL? Since when does the system care about laws?!"

[System Response: Since now.]

The Demon generals approached the throne hall, kneeling at Rei’s feet. A horned commander bellowed:

"God of Love! We are yours to command. Lead us to a world of peace through romance!"

Rei flapped his hands frantically. "No no no no no! I don’t want an army! I can barely handle a broom closet bed, let alone ten thousand demons!"

The general pressed his forehead to the ground. "Then at least accept coronation as our Eternal Groom-King!"

Rei’s soul attempted to leave his body. "ETERNAL WHAT?!"

Lilia gasped with joy. "Rei-sama crowned as Groom-King?! How divinely symbolic!"

Seraphina whispered, "The scriptures foresaw this..."

Drakana cracked her knuckles. "Good. Finally, the world sees who my mate is."

Emilia was already drafting blueprints for the coronation venue.

Lucivella placed a crown on Rei’s lap. "Try it on, beloved."

Rei screamed, picked up the crown, and hurled it out the window. Outside, ten thousand demons scrambled to catch it, treating it like a relic. Whoever touched it first fainted in ecstasy.

Rei collapsed to his knees. "Please... I beg you... I’m just a normal guy..."

[System Correction: False. Status = God-Husband. Cult Progress = Irreversible.]

Night fell. Hymns still shook the castle walls.

Rei lay face-down in his broom closet futon, pillow muffling his sobs. He whispered into the fabric: "I just... wanted peace... I just wanted soup that didn’t kill me..."

But from every "romantic passage" leading to his chamber, his wives peeked in like guardian wolves.

Lilia whispered, "Our husband is so humble, even in divinity."

Drakana grinned, "He’ll get used to the cheering. I’ll wrestle him into acceptance."

Seraphina’s halo glowed. "He carries prophecy upon his shoulders."

Emilia scribbled, "Troop loyalty stable. Religion expanding."

Lucivella purred, "Sleep well, my God-Husband. Tomorrow, the army will march in your name."

Rei screamed into the pillow. "WHY ME?!"

[System Notification: Demon Army of Love Fully Established.]

[System Achievement: Accidentally Became Husband of a Nation.]

[System Advice: Cry harder. It fuels their devotion.]

Rei wailed louder. Outside, the chants grew stronger.

"ALL HAIL THE GOD-HUSBAND!"

Rei rolled over, face pressed into the pillow, and prayed silently for divine intervention. Or at least for someone to hack the system and delete him from existence.

"Did someone say prayer?" Lucivella’s voice purred behind him, startling him so badly he nearly swallowed his own tongue. Her fingers traced lazily down his shoulder, cold yet electrifying. "No one will intervene. This... is your destiny now."

"I... I didn’t ask for destiny!" Rei moaned, muffled into the pillow.

Drakana’s tail lashed against the wall, sending a vase of enchanted roses crashing to the floor. "Stop whining, mate. You’re the center of attention for literally thousands of horned monsters. You should at least smile once. Do it for your dragon."

Rei groaned. "Smile?! I look like a bloodied marshmallow after your last ’wrestling session’!"

Lilia peeked in, holding a stack of charts and colored threads, her eyes shining with obsessive delight. "Rei-sama, I’ve calculated the exact angles of affection required to maintain army morale. If you don’t smile, troop devotion drops by 0.0007%. And that is unacceptable."

He groaned harder. "I cannot maintain morale. I cannot maintain sanity. I cannot maintain my sanity AND the morale!"

Seraphina floated gracefully, halo swinging like a pendulum. "Our God-Husband must learn patience. And public relations."

"Patience?!" Rei bellowed, dragging himself into a sitting position. "I can barely handle public restrooms without being worshipped as a deity!"

Emilia, notebook in hand, scribbled furiously. "Current threat assessment: High. The demon army is prepared to obey all commands. Probability of accidental world domination: 87%. Emergency plan: Recommend sleep and snack breaks to preserve human functioning."

Rei’s eyes widened. "Emergency plan?! This is a full-scale divine military crisis, not a picnic!"

Lucivella leaned closer, crimson eyes gleaming. "And yet, your shoulders hold it effortlessly... or at least, you pretend to."

"Pretend?!" Rei slammed his fists on the floor. "I’m screaming internally, externally, and in Morse code to nearby nations! I’m drowning in devotion! I can’t even... I—ARRGH!"

Drakana flopped onto the floor beside him, resting her head on his knee. "There, there. You’ll survive. You always do. And the army thinks you’re adorable when you’re stressed."

Rei’s eye twitched. "ADORABLE?! I am a human being under siege by love, devotion, and... soup worship!"

Lilia giggled, holding a diagram that mapped out Rei’s emotional output versus army worship intensity. "See? Even your panic feeds them. Panic → devotion + 73%. Your suffering is ecologically beneficial."

Rei blinked at her. "Ecologically beneficial?! I am not fertilizer!"

Seraphina floated closer, halo bright. "In the eyes of the people, you are perfection. Imperfect humans rarely inspire such absolute loyalty. You’ve accidentally become... a legend."

"I did NOT ask for this!" Rei shrieked, covering his face with his hands. "I wanted quiet! I wanted normal! I wanted soup without being deified!"

Emilia, ever logical, scribbled notes. "Probability of peaceful dining without worship: 0.03%. Recommendation: accept fate and improvise soup ceremonies with ritualistic precision."

Lucivella leaned in and whispered, "Accepting your worship doesn’t make you weak, Rei. It makes you irresistible. And also, it saves lives. You’ve already prevented several armies from rioting just by existing."

Rei groaned. "I didn’t prevent anything! I made them worship me! They’re kneeling, chanting, building fan clubs, and composing operas about my breakfast habits!"

Drakana chuckled. "See, mate? You’re influencing culture. You’re practically an artistic force of nature. That’s... impressive, in a terrifying way."

Lilia held up a thread map connecting Rei to the army, showing emotional hotspots. "If you sit quietly for five minutes, devotion spikes exponentially. I’ve mapped it."

Rei’s hands flew to his temples. "I can’t even sit quietly! I can’t even EXIST quietly!"

Suddenly, the castle gates trembled. The earth quaked slightly as the Demon Army of Love sent a synchronized, thundering cheer. Tens of thousands of armored feet pounded the ground like a heartbeat of obsession.

"ALL HAIL THE GOD-HUSBAND! LONG MAY LOVE REIGN!"

Rei groaned so loudly it could be heard in three neighboring kingdoms. "I... am... DONE. I give up. I will survive. But I will... never... voluntarily... lead... this... army!"

Lucivella’s lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Oh, Rei. You will lead them, but in your own way. And that, my dear, is what makes you perfect."

Seraphina clasped her hands, halo glowing bright. "God-Husband Rei... perhaps chaos can coexist with love."

Drakana leaned in with a toothy grin. "And if you don’t like it... I’ll wrestle the chaos for you. Dragon style."

Rei buried his face in his hands, utterly defeated yet inexplicably comforted by the presence of his wives, their devotion, and even this absurd army.

[System Notification: Demon Army of Love Fully Integrated.]

[Achievement Unlocked: Survived Adoration Apocalypse.]

[System Advice: There is no escape. Cry as needed.]

Rei whimpered quietly, muffled in the futon. Outside, the army marched in synchronized, soup-themed devotion, banners waving, music blaring, and hearts full of love for him.

He whispered softly to the pillow, "I just... I just wanted a quiet life... maybe... maybe tomorrow... I can have that... after all..."

Lucivella purred beside him. "Tomorrow is another adventure, my God-Husband."

And Drakana, Seraphina, Lilia, Emilia, and the others crowded closer, forming a warm, chaotic circle around him, a shield against the absurdity of his fate.

Rei groaned. "Why me?!"

The castle walls echoed his question, and the Demon Army of Love responded in perfect unison, their voices like thunder and devotion:

"BECAUSE YOU ARE REI-SAMA! GOD-HUSBAND OF LOVE AND SOUP!"

Rei collapsed further into the pillow, exhausted, overwhelmed, and... somehow, against all odds, strangely comforted.

To be continued...