Esper Harem in the Apocalypse

Chapter 1154: Pest Control | Promotion

A dozen towering archangels sat frozen around their glowing council table, staring through the dimensional rift in absolute shock. Rudy leaned back against his dark crystal throne with a relaxed posture, enjoying the profound confusion radiating from the supposedly supreme beings.

The Grand Archangel situated at the head of the table finally recovered his wits. He stood up to his full height, his six pristine wings flaring out behind him in a display of blinding white light.

”Blasphemy!” the Grand Archangel roared, his voice echoing across the marble halls of the Citadel. ”You dare breach the Divine Sanctum? We will burn your very soul for this transgression!”

Rudy sighed and rested his chin on his knuckles.

”I have zero interest in your empty threats,” Rudy stated smoothly. ”I am here for the rent. I will accept your most prized divine artifact as the first month’s payment. Hand it over right now, and I will let you keep your feathers.”

The Grand Archangel raised his right hand toward the portal in a fit of absolute rage. A massive beam of highly concentrated holy energy shot across the council room, surging directly through the dimensional tear toward Rudy’s chest.

Rudy casually swatted the holy beam aside with the back of his hand. The devastating attack deflected effortlessly off his skin and crashed harmlessly against the obsidian walls of the throne room.

”Rent is officially past due,” Rudy announced, his dark eyes flashing with crimson power.

He extended his arm straight into the glowing portal. His spatial magic instantly wrapped around the massive, intricately etched council table situated in the center of the Citadel. The archangels scrambled backward in a panic as Rudy violently ripped the entire structure out of their realm.

He pulled the holy furniture straight through the void and dropped it onto the floor of his throne room with a loud crash.

Rudy kicked his boots up onto the glowing surface, finding the sacred artifact made for a perfectly comfortable footstool.

’They really excel at making high-quality furniture,’ Rudy thought, adjusting his posture on the throne.

The archangels drew their blazing swords, preparing to charge through the portal to reclaim their stolen property. The golden walls of their sanctum suddenly ruptured inward before a single celestial soldier could advance.

Suddenly, a massive swarm of grotesque, multi-limbed horrors poured directly into the pristine halls of the Citadel. The eldritch hive mind had traced the severed holy frequency radiating from Safalius’s ruined wings, hijacking the celestial coordinates to launch a desperate surprise invasion.

Having lost their entire earthly vanguard to Rudy’s gravity strike, the cosmic parasites sought to assimilate the divine realm instead.

S-rank calamities dropped from the vaulted ceilings, tackling the pristine angels to the marble floor. Twisted appendages and razor-sharp fangs clashed violently against platinum armor and holy swords. The supreme council chamber instantly devolved into a chaotic bloodbath.

Rudy crossed his ankles over his new table and watched the carnage unfold through the portal. The entertainment value of the morning vastly exceeded his expectations.

The Grand Archangel swung his blazing sword to sever a monstrous appendage, but three more eldritch horrors immediately swarmed his position, pinning his wings to the ground.

”Having a little pest problem?” Rudy called out, projecting his voice over the sounds of ripping flesh and shattering armor.

The Grand Archangel looked through the portal with wide, terrified eyes, struggling desperately against the crushing weight of the cosmic parasites.

”Help us!” the archangel screamed, completely abandoning his previous arrogance. ”They are overwhelming the Sanctum!”

Rudy smiled, thoroughly amused by the desperate plea. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pastry he had taken from the breakfast table, taking a casual bite as he watched the angels get mauled.

”I run a highly successful kingdom, not a charity,” Rudy replied, swallowing his food. ”I charge a premium rate for pest control. You can surrender your absolute loyalty to my empire right now, or I can simply close this portal and let the monsters decorate your halls.”

The Grand Archangel gritted his teeth as a grotesque claw ripped across his shining armor. He clearly preferred dying with his holy pride over kneeling to a mortal king.

Rudy rolled his eyes and tossed his half-eaten pastry onto his new glowing footstool.

”Suit yourself,” Rudy stated, resting his chin on his hand. ”I suppose I can treat this as a training exercise for my newest employee.”

He snapped his fingers to access the spatial coordinates of his castle driveway. Safalius materialized instantly inside the chaotic divine council room. The wingless angel stumbled forward in his dented platinum armor, clutching his wooden mop in one hand and his plastic bucket of soapy water in the other.

He stared at the invading eldritch horde with wide, terrified eyes.

”My Lord!” Safalius cried out, dodging a flying appendage. ”Why have you brought me here? I am just the janitor!”

”Exactly,” Rudy grinned, projecting his voice through the dimensional rift. ”Your former colleagues made a mess on my new property. Go mop it up.”

Rudy extended his hand and fired a concentrated beam of crimson spatial magic directly into the wooden handle of Safalius’s mop. The cheap cleaning tool absorbed the god-tier energy and glowed with terrifying, world-ending power.

”Congratulations! You are getting promoted on your first day,” Rudy commanded. ”Now go, clean the floors.”

Safalius looked down at the glowing mop. He gripped the handle tightly and swung it toward a charging S-rank calamity. The wet, soapy bristles slammed into the monster’s face.

The infused spatial magic triggered instantly upon impact.

The massive monstrosity simply ceased to exist, folding inward and vanishing into the void without leaving a single drop of blood behind.

The wingless janitor gasped in absolute shock. And then, a manic smile spread across his dirt-streaked face.

He dipped his mop into the plastic bucket and charged directly into the center of the swarm.

Safalius swung his cleaning tool like a legendary halberd. He erased three eldritch horrors with a sweeping strike and brought the handle down to crush another into oblivion.

He pushed the mop across the pristine marble floor, scrubbing away the cosmic parasites as if they were stubborn stains on the castle driveway.

The Grand Archangel kicked a dead monster off his chest and watched the absurd spectacle unfold. The supreme holy council stared in mute horror as their disgraced herald effortlessly massacred the apocalyptic invasion using a wooden stick and a bucket of soapy water.

”Make sure you get the corners, Safalius!” Rudy called out from his throne, thoroughly enjoying the show. ”I am docking your pay if I see a single smudge left on those tiles.”

Safalius laughed wildly, completely embracing his new role, and dunked his mop back into the suds to finish his shift.