Meeting the Demon Lord

Hannibal made excellent time as he carried the girls across the nation. Finally he arrived at the demon lord's castle. He made his way inside to the throne room and tossed the women at the demon lord's feet. "As requested by your lordship." Hannibal said. "I have brought the object of your desire."

Yuna looked at the demon lord and did not see his aura. She thought that to be strange. The demon lord walked over to the girls laying on the ground and squatted between them. "Welcome to my court." Joe said. "I hope that Hannibal was not too rough in getting you here."

"So you're the monster." Elvin said. "I can't believe you would just send your minion to kill that village and kidnap us."

"Kill what village?" Joe asked, completely ignoring the kidnapping part.

"The one Hannibal wiped out." Yuna explained.

"Oh, I see." Joe's face changed from a smile to a stern look. He stood up and walked over to Hannibal. "Tell me Hannibal, is what these women are telling me true?"

"They were just insects, your lordship." Hannibal said. "I did not think you would mind if I did a bit of pest control while I was collecting the maiden."

"Didn't think I would mind?" Joe sighed. Joe then vanished from the girls' sight and an arm appeared through Hannibal's chest. In the hand was Hannibal's still beating heart. The heart and Hannibal then erupted in black flames and turned to ash. Revealing Joe trying to clean the blood off his arm. "I did mind very much, thank you." He said as he walked back over to the girls. He then squatted back down as he did before. He got extremely close to Yuna's face so that he could examine her eyes.

"Can I help you?" Yuna asked nervously. She knew how powerful Hannibal was and yet the demon lord ended him without any effort, not only that but it didn't phase him that he just killed one of his minions. Her training had taught her to never let her enemy know that she was afraid. "Are you looking for a kiss?" She teased through clinched teeth.

"Heaven's no." Joe said as he got back up. "I just wanted to examine your eyes. I have never seen eyes like that on a human, you intrigue me. So let me ask you, what do you know of my desires?"

"The goblins told us your decree." Yuna said as she stood up. "That you do not wish to have your demons kill humans needlessly."

Joe watched Yuna stand in his presence and was impressed. "So, bravely declaring yourself my equal." Joe slowly clapped his hands as he walked back to Yuna.

"What?" She asked in surprise. "I was just getting off the ground. Easier to talk when we are eye to eye isn't it?"

"Yuna no!" Elvin whispered, on her knees kneeling before the demon lord. "He will kill you if you show him disrespect."

"Your elf friend has the right idea." Joe said as he got right in front of Yuna. "This world is ruled by the strongest, and that is me. No one on this planet is my match."

His words rang true in Yuna's heart. Back in her world she had to climb the ladder of a man's world to get her job at the agency. Women were considered weaker and inferior, she always had to work twice as hard as a man just to get half as far. Now here was another man declaring his rule through strength. Something in her snapped and she could not control her body. Her hand acted upon its own free will and a loud slap echoed across the room. Yuna had just slapped the demon lord. She just stood there in shock at what she had just done.

Tears ran down Elvin's face as she knew her friend was surely to die now.

"Ha-ha!" Joe started laughing. "Never, in all my years, and trust me it has been a lot of them, has anyone had the fortitude to slap me." Joe continued laughing harder. "Yes, I think you are exactly who I am looking for. Not only will you help me bring peace to this land but you will also provide me with some much needed entertainment." Joe wiped his eyes, he had laughed so much that tears formed.

Yuna still didn't move; she was unsure what the demon lord was even talking about. She just continued to watch him laugh.

"Yes, I think you will make a fine bride indeed." Joe said as he calmed down.

"A what?!" Yuna said. "You want me to marry you?! But we just met!"

"Oh the spunk you have, to question your lord even after striking him." Joe laughed again. "What do you find me unattractive? Perhaps you find the fact I am a demon disturbing."

"It's just that you don't marry someone you just met!" Yuna shouted back, her outrage had replaced her fear.

"Yuna he will kill you if you don't agree." Elvin whispered. "Please don't die Yuna."

"How about I make the choice easier for you then." Joe said as he walked over to Elvin kneeling on the ground. He squatted next to her. "Marry me, or say goodbye to your elf friend here."

"Really? That's how you try to woo a woman?" Yuna yelled. "Threatening to murder people if she doesn't do what you want? Do you think any woman wants that? Let's say you did kill her, I would never forgive you and you would just have to kill me because I would never marry you."

Joe just paused and stood back up. "I want you even more now." Joe said. "Although saying you would rather die than marry me is quite hurtful."

"I said if you killed my friend." Yuna explained.

"So what do you want in order to be my bride?" Joe asked as he walked back over to Yuna.

Elvin was in shock that Yuna was actually negotiating with the demon lord.

"Explain to me why you want to marry me." Yuna said. "If it is a good reason I will consider it."

"As I already explained I wish for this world to have peace." Joe said. "Currently there is no bridge between our peoples and war is all we know. You are from both worlds though, not really human anymore but not quite a demon yet either. If you become my queen, together we might be able to bring peace by opening a dialogue. Together we might be able to stop the fool king from summoning any more heroes."

"Let me kill him and I will marry you." Yuna said as her eyes burst with purple fire.

"You want to do what?!" Joe was shocked at Yuna's request.