An Offering to the King of Demons
“I would rather have your daughter instead,” you say, half in jest. Surely he would not agree. But if he did, you would consider the offer rather seriously. It would be as good as marrying into royalty. Sure, there was that little issue of possibly becoming the greatest traitor the human race has ever known, and betraying all that your comrades have died for, but would it not be easier to change the world by showing them that: yes, demons and humans can coexist?
That would be a nicely noble excuse to give everyone later on, you think to yourself in satisfaction. The perfect excuse for you to get your hands on those perfect spheres of magnificent wobbling.
The cube containing the Demon Lord’s daughter shudders as she unleashes a dazzling flurry of powerful punches and kicks on the dark walls, silently screaming what you can only assume to be demonic profanities. You begin to wonder if she might not actually do the impossible and break free. She has clearly picked up on your words – and perhaps your lecherous intent – and she does not like it. Not one bit.
The Demon Lord is silent, his massive bulk towering above you. When he speaks, it is in a slightly softer tone of voice than before.
“MY DAUGHTER, YOU SAY?”
“Yes,” you wink. “Your lovely daughter.”
“HM. A MERE HUMAN DARES TO ASK FOR MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD?”
“A hero,” you correct him. “I am not without my strengths.” You would have wagered some money on him being angered by the very idea, but to your surprise, the Demon Lord actually appears to be intrigued. You are entirely unsure how this will play out now.
“I AM SURPRISED THAT THE THOUGHT EVEN MANAGED TO CROSS YOUR FEEBLE LITTLE MIND, HERO. IT BEARS CONSIDERATION FOR THAT ALONE,” he muses. “BUT I AM AFRAID I MUST ASK FOR PROOF OF YOUR DETERMINATION.”
That’s right. He was never going to agree so easily. You saw it coming a mile away. “So it comes down to this, does it? I will not attack my comrades-“
“NO, I DO NOT REQUIRE YOU TO MASSACRE YOUR FORMER ALLIES. I ONLY ASK FOR A MATERIAL OFFERING TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR FEALTY. SOMETHING LIKE… YES, THAT EMBLEM OF THE GODDESSES YOU WEAR PROUDLY UPON YOUR CHEST.” A massive finger is raised towards you, pointing at the Hero’s Medal. “I WILL ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTIONS.”
“This thing? It’s just a cheap piece of silver,” you say quickly. Why would he want the medal?
“THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM OFFERING IT TO ME.”
The Demon Lord is very insistent. Hesitantly, you place one hand over the Hero's Medal. There is something strange about it at the moment. The surface is warm, and it appears to be vibrating in a gentle yet somehow slightly menacing manner. When you close your hand around the medal and pull, the vibration begins to intensify. It feels like a warning to you: a warning not to betray your heart of justice, a reminder from the Goddesses to stay on the path of light. Are you doing the wrong thing? Is this an ill-advised rejection of your destiny? The act of merely thinking about giving the medal to the Demon Lord is causing you to sweat where a hundred-strong demon army had failed.
“IT LOOKS LIKE YOU CANNOT DO IT AFTER ALL?” The Demon Lord is not surprised: this does not seem to be an unexpected outcome for him.
“I…” Your fingers tighten around the Hero’s Medal…
***
A. You rip the Hero’s Medal off and throw it at the Demon Lord.
B. You leave the Hero’s Medal where it is.