Chapter 13 – The Wedding of the Century... and the Beginning of the End
Silence gripped the hall. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife as several nobles drew their swords, ready to defend the king.
"So... there's no peaceful solution, then?" the intruder continued before raising his voice. "My name is Aurelio, son of the late emperor... and the voice of the people! I've come to reshape this kingdom, to bring it to its greatest glory, to forge a nation of justice and hope. Today, I shall take the king's head, as he once took my father's! And I shall create a land where hunger and despair shall never exist again!"
Cries of outrage erupted among many nobles, ready to strike him down. However, others raised their weapons in support of Aurelio, while a third group remained still, caught in uncertainty. This was no mere disruption... it was a coup d'état.
Chaos erupted. Steel clashed, war cries echoed, and the thunder of boots filled the air. The king's personal guard quickly surrounded the monarch, the empress, and the princess, rushing them toward where Urano and Evelin stood.
"Come on, brother! What are you doing? We don't have time!" shouted Urano's sister.
Urano pulled at the sleeve of his ceremonial attire, revealing a bracelet marked with a crimson cross. With a swift tug, it transformed into a scarlet sword, its engravings glowing with red energy.
Evelin, in turn, drew the Staff of Reincarnation from beneath her dress.
Days before the wedding...
Urano and Evelin were having brunch, discussing the upcoming events.
"Don't you think it's strange? We haven't seen any movement from the story's protagonist, and everything about this wedding is going too smoothly. According to the original plot, the wedding was never meant to happen. It's the moment when the king's power begins to fade," said Urano, stroking his chin as he closed his eyes, deep in thought.
"And what's wrong with that?" Evelin tilted her head, trying to understand. "Wouldn't that make surviving the rebellion easier?"
"Exactly. That's the problem. We've changed too much of the plot. And from what I've seen, the system isn't particularly forgiving in these cases. Remember the penalty for what happened with Nora? Hmm... do you think, by any chance, the revolution will happen on our wedding day?"
"You've been watching too many drama series," Evelin sighed, feeling Urano was overthinking everything.
"Maybe. But something feels off. Come on, we're the villains. Murphy's Law applies: if something can go wrong, it will. The fact that we returned to the capital without issue is already suspicious."
"Suspicious? We almost died fighting brothel guards! Your brothers hired mercenaries and put bounties on our heads... we barely made it out."
"Still... how about we prepare a few contingency plans for the wedding?"
"Paranoid," Evelin muttered, exhausted. The wedding preparations were already heavy enough, and learning magic for battle support during the uprising had been an intensive process.
"Aaaa... I just can't shake the feeling something bad will happen. I'll handle it."
"Fine, but if nothing happens... what do I get?" Evelin smirked.
"Forget it. I'm not giving you anything."
Back to the present...
Evelin silently thanked Urano for his paranoia.
The king, the dukes, the empress, and the princess stared at them in disbelief.
"Since when... have you had those weapons?" the king murmured, realizing they had been prepared from the start.
Urano stepped forward and placed a hand on the monarch's shoulder.
"We'll cover you. Summon the rest of the Royal Guard and the Night Assassins. We'll buy you time."
"This isn't your responsibility! You're royalty too!" protested his mother, her usual cold demeanor cracking in desperation.
"Mother, he's here for the emperor. It's more dangerous for you to stay. And don't worry..." Evelin smiled at her mother-in-law. "I'm not losing my husband before our honeymoon."
The dukes were stunned by their daughter's resolve. They hadn't even known she had learned magic. They figured they'd have a long conversation with her later—but for now, the king had to be protected.
The king nodded swiftly and retreated with his guard.
"So, you're not losing me before our honeymoon, huh? And people say I'm the one who says embarrassing things," Urano joked.
"Shut up! How can you joke at a time like this? Besides, if we stay, our entire plan falls apart, right?"
"Exactly."
They had crafted multiple strategies for the revolution. They knew they couldn't beat the protagonist through brute force—especially as side characters. But if they used numbers, they had a chance. In the original story, the king faced Aurelio alone... and died. This time, that wouldn't happen.
Aurelio looked at the couple with complete indifference, like they were mere annoyances.
"The couple of the century..." he scoffed. "I apologize for ruining your wedding, but if you swear loyalty to me, I'll let you live peacefully in your duchy. What do you say?"
"Do you seriously think you can ruin my wedding and I'll just shake your hand?" Evelin replied with a mocking smile. "No, Aurelio... not that easy."
"Then there's nothing left to discuss."
Aurelio charged. Luna, the group's assassin, moved to flank from the left. Rafael, his bodyguard, took the right. Rubi began casting spells.
"Now!" shouted Urano.
A web of invisible threads sprang out like a spider trap, catching Luna and Rafael and leaving them paralyzed. Urano swallowed a special pill that slowed his perception of time, allowing him to anticipate Aurelio's moves. They needed every trick they had to survive.
Steel clashed. Urano dodged and parried each blow. He wasn't as strong as Aurelio, but his technique and rhythm kept him alive.
Frustrated, Aurelio swung in a diagonal arc. Urano blocked, was thrown back by the force, and used the momentum to roll and strike again.
The battle had only just begun.
"You're too weak... surrender before—"
Urano jumped from above, sword in hand, and tossed a strange powder into Aurelio's eyes.
"AAAAAAAH! What the hell is this?! Do you have no honor?!" Aurelio roared, wiping his eyes. But before he could strike back, he sensed his enemy rushing in.
The hit never landed.
Luna had broken free just in time to block it. Her shoulder dislocated from the impact. Urano showed no mercy. He pressed the assault, forcing her to defend with one arm. Slashes opened across her body—she was a protagonist, but direct combat wasn't her strength.
Suddenly, a fireball burst between them. Marco, third heir of the Magic Tower, descended slowly.
"Isn't it cruel to harm a lady?" he said with a smirk.
The threads around Rafael ignited and snapped.
"And isn't five against two a bit unfair?" Urano replied. All the protagonists had arrived—except the strategist, who was likely blocking reinforcements.
"Surrender. I don't want to kill a newlywed couple," said Aurelio, smiling faintly.
Typical protagonist, Urano thought. Always trying to redeem the antagonist with friendship.
"Sorry, your words still don't move me. But you're right... I don't want to die either." Urano whistled sharply.
From the shadows emerged a catwoman in a tight black suit. Behind her came an elf-dressed girl—Nora and Sara. From the other side arrived Jana.
"And I thought you were the only one with the power of friendship. Power Rangers, assemble!" Urano declared.
An awkward silence followed.
"Nora, do the thing we practiced," Urano said.
"Master... I don't think this is the right time..."
A laugh broke the tension.
"I suppose I can grant your wish," Evelin grinned.
"I summon the Pterodactyl!" shouted Evelin. "I summon the Mammoth!" cried Sara, mortified. "I summon the Saber-Toothed Tiger!" yelled Nora. "I summon the Triceratops!" Jana called. "I summon the Tyrannosaurus Rex!" roared Urano.
"We are... the Power Rangers!" they declared as colorful smoke burst behind them.
Everyone stared. Even the protagonists' clothes transformed into shiny combat suits.
"Master... does this do anything? Also, what are those animals?" whispered Sara.
"No... but don't we look awesome? I'll explain later," Urano smiled.
He'd always wanted to do this. When Evelin gave him free rein with planning, he never imagined it would go this far. But seeing Evelin laughing, her adventurer-style suit fluttering—he knew it was worth it.
The protagonists hesitated but then attacked again, more cautiously. Luna reset her dislocated shoulder and rejoined, supporting instead of leading.
The battlefield split.
Urano fought Aurelio and Rafael. Evelin supported with spells. Nora clashed with Luna. Sara and Jana faced Marco.
Evelin cast a chaining spell that froze Rafael and halted Marco, giving Urano a chance to slash at Aurelio's arm. But Rafael broke free and threw himself between them—taking a deep cut to the back.
Urano and Evelin froze.
"Aurelio... I'm sorry... I need to rest... before the others..." Rafael murmured.
"Don't say that, Rafael! We promised to reach the end together!" Aurelio shouted.
Evelin leaned toward Urano.
"Did you seriously try to kill him?"
"No! I only aimed for Aurelio's arm. I knew he was holding back... I didn't expect Rafael to dive in. This makes no sense..."
Then, the system echoed in his mind:
🔔 Ding Ding Ding. 📜 Narrative Restructuring Activated.
The story's natural flow has been altered.
⚠️ Penalty Applied.
📜 Aurelio, the Dark Knight: Due to repeated disruptions and the theft of one of his harem members, Aurelio developed new resentment. After the king uncovered his revolution and dismantled his networks, he sought power from a dark organization—becoming the Black Knight.
📜 System: To support the narrative, Aurelio will receive system assistance and the Black Knight advantage.
Price: Rafael's sacrifice.
Aurelio's hair and armor turned pitch black. A dark, oppressive energy surged around him.
"I am justice... and you will fall before my blade."
Urano and Evelin shared the same thought:
We're screwed.