The trip to the village was chaotic. Malphas insisted on holding Ren's hand the whole time (Possessive much?). The villagers screamed and hid when they saw the Demon King.
"Great tourist attraction," Ren commented dryly. "Very welcoming."
Suddenly, a flash of light. A sword was pointed at Malphas's throat.
"Release the Saint, Demon!" a voice shouted.
It was the Hero. A blonde, blue-eyed pretty boy named Leon. He had a party of three: A mage, an archer, and a tank.
Ren looked at Leon. Then he looked at Malphas, who was about to blast Leon into oblivion.
Ah, the plot demands. Hero vs. Villain.
Ren stepped in front of Malphas.
"Stop!" Ren shouted.
Leon blinked. "Saint Elara? Are you under a spell? Move, I will save you!"
"He's not holding me against my will," Ren lied smoothly. (Well, semi-lie). "We are... negotiating a peace treaty."
"Peace?" The Mage scoffed. "He is a monster!"
"And you're dressed like a reject Renaissance fair performer," Ren snapped back. "Look, put the sword down. Nobody has to die today."
Malphas wrapped an arm around Ren's waist from behind. "Ren, let me kill them. They are annoying."
"If you kill them, more will come," Ren whispered to Malphas. "It's like roaches. Kill one, ten appear. Trust me."
Malphas growled but lowered his hand. "Fine. But if he touches you..."
Leon stepped forward. "Saint, come with me. I am the Hero. I can protect you."
Ren looked at Leon. Handsome, brave, stupid. The classic 'Good Guy'.
"No thanks," Ren said, shocking everyone. "I'm good. But hey, Leon, right? Do you have any books? I'm bored in the castle. Bring me books, and I'll make sure the Demon King doesn't raid your village."
Leon was confused. The Saint... refused the rescue?
"You... want books?"
"Yes. Romance novels preferably. Or cookbooks. Drop them at the castle gate. Thanks, bye!"
Ren dragged Malphas away before the Hero could process what happened.
[DING! Plot Twist achieved! The Hero is now confused and will likely develop a complex about being rejected. Also, he might fall in love with you later. Is that okay?]
The more the merrier? Ren thought sarcastically. No, let's stick to the Villain for now. One psycho at a time.
Malphas leaned down to Ren's ear. "You rejected the Hero for me."
"I rejected him because he's dumb," Ren corrected.
"No," Malphas smiled, lifting Ren up into his arms. "You chose me."
Ren didn't fight it. "Yeah, yeah. Put me down. People are watching."
"I don't care," Malphas said, and for the first time, he looked genuinely happy. "You are mine, Ren."
Ren sighed, resting his head on Malphas's shoulder. "You're heavy, you're possessive, and you have anger issues. I really need to fix your personality."
"I can try," Malphas whispered.
Ren's heart skipped a beat. Just a small one.
Maybe this 'Happy Ending' thing is about fixing myself too.
[Arc 1 Progress: 50%. Villain affection: 60%. Ending Prediction: Happy (pending).]