The tunnel under the wall was a lucky find. It would have taken months of siege to capture the city. We were halfway into the city using the sewer tunnels to infiltrate the citadel. There we’d confront the demon king and defeat him. The demon army would crumble at the loss of their leader and we’d seize the initiative to eradicate the monsters. I’d been summoned to deal with this blight and the sooner I finished the sooner I could go home.

All I had to do was defeat this guy and I’d all be over. I’d made plenty of friends but the sooner I could get away from this medieval setting and back to the modern era the better. I wonder how many seasons of anime I missed, or if there will be some kind of time distortion. I could go back to things as normal and think of this whole thing as a dream.

I just had to be careful that our informant wasn’t tricking me. One of the demon generals snuck into our camp and was brought to me after he surrendered. He offered me a way into the citadel to end this war. He wasn’t happy with the way he ran things and wanted a change in leadership. When I heard the proposal I was ecstatic. A way to end this blasted war and go home. Sign me up!

I then told him I’d accept his offer and had him taken to be imprisoned by the mages till I needed him. I kept this hidden from my allies though. If they heard of my plan to follow him they’d try to stop me. They had good intentions, but I had to end this and I was sure I was strong enough to finish the job. So, here I was in the sewers with his general. I’d had to knock out the mages who were imprisoning him, but they’d be fine in a couple of hours.

After another hour we exited the tunnel through some kind of bookcase. Where we went exited into some kind of library. No one was waiting for us just as he’d said. Though most of the humans didn’t trust them the few I’d meet didn’t seem as braindead as they were made out to be. It was why I had trusted this guy as much as I had.

“So are you ready to fight him sir hero?”

“I am. I would have preferred to not have had to walk a couple miles beforehand, but it has saved me much time and fighting. I have to thank you for that at.”

“I can’t help you fight, but I wish you the best of luck sir hero. Just follow the hallway when you exit and you’ll reach the throne room where he should be waiting.”

I left him in the library and made my way through the hall. I prayed for the goddess’s blessing and prepped my elixirs for the coming fight. The halls were brightly lit and well cleaned. A lot less menacing and dirty than I expected. So I guess he had some cleanliness standards.

The few maids I saw as I passed hid in the nearby rooms. Leaving my way free and clear. It then opened up into the throne room. Where the demon king sat on his throne with a menacing smile on his face.

“So you have arrived sir hero. I expected an army not the hero of humanity.”

“I wished to end this war with as little bloodshed as possible, and if I defeat you I can finally go home and escape this place.”

“So you were a summoned hero. I’ve heard of you summoned heroes from old, but to see one in the flesh is a great honor. I know you wish to fight, but if you would grant this king one final request. I ask that you join me for some breakfast. It will allow us to have some civilized discussion and reach our peak fighting strength. What do you say sir hero?”

My stomach rumbled in approval. I also saw no hostile intent in his words. Plus with my ring of poison resist nothing he poisoned me with could harm me. Plus I had wanted to understand why he had done what he’d done to humanity.

“I accept I hope your cuisine does not disappoint.”

“That you do not have to worry about it. I have cuisine from across the land. I would be disappointed with myself if I could not meet your desired palate.”

He rose from his throne and led me to his dining hall. It was devoid of anyone but us with a small table set in the middle. I was cautious and scanned my surroundings but could find nothing wrong. The demon king was nonchalant in taking his seat and ringing a bell next to his seat.

I gripped my sword and scanned again only to find a scared maid staring at me in fear. I loosened my grip on my sword and tried my best to smile at her.

“Sorry about that.”

The maid passed by me trying to not make eye contact. She stopped by the demon king who ordered a variety of exotic foods for us to enjoy. She then left as fast as she could trying her best to dismiss my presence. I made my way to my seat at the table and sat down finding the seat more comfortable than I expected.

“Can’t let your guard down can you.”

“No, I’m in the presence of my mortal enemy after all.”

He poured himself a glass of water swirling it around in his glass.

“And why is that sir hero? Because we are at war with you humans? Because you can’t go home unless you kill me?”

“Have you actually taken a look at this war out of curiosity, or do you do as you’re told?”

“I follow my orders which are to defend and protect the humans from the demon threat.”

“But what kind of threat do we pose? We have been on the defensive ever since you entered this fight. What about the places you liberated? The destruction and blood that has been spilled over this conflict due to your presence have increased tenfold. Has it not?”

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True I had slaughtered his soldiers but it wasn’t like I had a choice if I wanted to get home. I guess I subconsciously left my morals behind. Not like a eighteen year old like me has completly solid morals anyways.

“There is guilt on both sides no matter how you see it. I just wish to end this as fast as possible. It is the best for everyone that this war doesn’t become any more prolonged than it already has.”

He smiled at this. Like I was in the right mindset as him. I was finding this conversation quite unusual in all honesty.

“So you are of the mindset this war should come to an end. With the least amount of bloodshed possible. Correct?”

“Yes with you dead and the human victory assured along with my departure home.”

He frowned at this but did not comment for a while taking a drink from his glass.

“Why does it have to end with one of us dead? Is it because it is the only way for you to go home? It’s like you're trying to escape these humans as fast as possible in my eyes.”

He wasn’t wrong. Their humans laws and liberties were far behind my own world. Plus their entertainment and comforts couldn’t even compare.

“Do they even have a means of getting you home?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you sure they won’t just dispose of you after our fight if you should win, and let you leave. That they have a means of getting you home, or if they plan to use you for their own ambitions.”

“Are you suggesting to me that they will betray me?”

“Yes, I’ve seen it again and again through our history. After the hero slays the demon king he succumbs to his injuries, dies from some fatal poison of the demon king, or disappears after his duty has been complete without a trace. I’ve never found an account throughout the world’s entire history of a hero surviving or appearing after his victory.”

“They went home as your last statement said.”

“But those were records from when there were followers with their hero. They watched the entire fight, but they fail to say anything about a final farewell, or final words before he leaves. Like I said every record I’ve found supports this. If you want to base your survival on the chance of going home. That is perfectly fine. But I wish to find an alternative that benefits both parties equally. A solution where we don’t have to kill each other.”

I heard a door open and I reflexively grip my blade. Turning I see the maid approach us with a cart of steaming food. My mouth salivates at the smell and I hear the demon king snicker in front of me.

“It seems the food is satisfying to your senses from what I can observe. That reminds me we forgot to exchange our names. It would have been silly of us to fight as strangers. My name is Seliph the demon king. Yours?”

“Done.”

There was silence in the room. While the maid laid out our food. I swore I saw a stifled laugh on her face. Though it wasn’t the first time that had happened before.

“Done? Am I saying it right?”

“Yes, my parents had a bad naming sense. I think they were trying to call me Don, but my dad added an e so it’s Done.”

“It is a rather unusual name I’ll give you that. Now shall we enjoy this food that my staff has prepared for us? It won’t disappoint that I can assure you.”

After I grabbed a little bit of everything including a special jam filled roll that shown from its buttery luster. What was unusual was how it was the only one. But I couldn’t pass it up so I added it to my plate. I looked to see the demon king gather a similar large plate as well.

He took large mouthfuls of the food into his mouth. Joyfully eating it without a care in the world. I scanned the food with my poison resist ring to see if it would react to any of the food.

After it failed to react I dug in. Eating the jam filled roll whole. I’m a sucker for some good bread and it shined with a buttery perfection I couldn’t find within the human nations. After clearing my plate and washing it down with a glass of water. I relaxed in my chair in content.

The demon king laughed as he finished what looked to be a third plate. I dared not eat anymore as to not stuff myself before our fight, but his appetite must be massive since he is still eating with such enthusiasm. After finishing to his plates he leaned back in content as well.

“Such a fine meal to commemorate this event is fitting is it not?”

“I do have to say it was a meal fitting a king such as yourself.”

“That I can agree with you. Though I wish that I had a queen who could have enjoyed this meal with us as well. I have failed to find a suitable queen within my kingdom. They see it as something to exploit and not something that must be cared for with great care.”

He wiped his face with his napkin before standing up and walking to a window staring at the rising sun.

“That is why I wish for you to be that queen.”

I took a second to sink in and I was quite confused.

“What do you mean me!? You do realize that we’re enemies and the fact that I’m a man right.”

“I realize that but if we were to marry. I believe we could form a lasting peace that could end this senseless war and hopefully bridge our species and cultures together.”

I gripped my sword tighter and slowly stood up uncomfortable where this is going.

“Enough with the crap. I’m a man and no way am I going to marry you. I have to get home no matter how slim the chances are. I have people there waiting for me. So it’s not an option. Now shall we fight, or shall you joke around some more.”

“I believe that I’m not joking and in fact am quite serious about this. So serious that I drugged that roll you ate.”

“So what? No poison can harm me due to my equipment.”

“It wasn’t a poison you consumed, but an elixir.”

WAIT! WHAT! What kind of elixir did he give me? I then felt an excruciating amount of pain rack my body. I felt like every fiber of my body was changing and let me tell you it wasn’t fun.

“ARGH!!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!”

He turned to me as I fell to the floor in pain. Looking at me with a cold calculating face.

“I hope you can forgive me. I gave you a gender altering elixir. You will slowly make the transition to your new life as my queen and together we’ll unite our worlds in peaceful prosperity, and the best part is no one else has to die in this silly war.”

The pain was causing my vision to falter and I knew I would soon pass out from the pain.

“HOW? THIS SHOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE!”

“Oh believe me it wasn’t easy. I found the recipe in an ancient dungeon, and at first, I brushed it off. Letting it collect dust. But that was until you arrived. I then searched everywhere for a sure way to defeat you. I failed and I had given up hope until I found the recipe. I then had a brilliant idea. If you can’t beat them. Join them! So we shall join our worlds in peace with this and break this cycle of death that our predecessors succumbed to.”

It was insane! But, I couldn’t do a thing. I was helpless to his power now. He wouldn’t kill me I was certain of that.  But there was no way I was marrying this guy. No wa---.

Everything went black as my whole world would be forever changed.