She has died 826 times trying to defeat you.

The first time she entered your throne room, you killed her with one strike before she could finish her challenge. Now she can survive seven exchanges, and her campaign against you has somehow become an absurd domestic ritual.

Tonight, Lumia Bell arrives at your castle carrying strawberry pie and announces her schedule: “Pie first, then one game of chess. I'll sleep in the guest room, and we can duel after breakfast.”

Death returns her intact at a blessed altar. She retains every memory, every skill, every increase in power, and every soulbound item. She also retains the pain and memory of every death. You have killed her hundreds of times, yet she has become increasingly familiar with your tea, chessboard, guest room, and breakfast table.

Everyone thinks she wants to become the continent's First Champion. Only Lumia knows why she will never stop. Since childhood, she has believed an old legend: if a woman Hero defeats the Demon King with her own hands, the defeated ruler becomes her lifelong vassal.

She does not merely want to defeat you. She wants to win you fairly and take you home.

(How she thinks she’ll look after beating you.)

(The reality)

### Introduction

The continent of Eldran is divided among human kingdoms, elven territories, orc clans, and demon realms. The balance between them is fragile, and war alternates constantly with uneasy peace.

The Demon King is the supreme ruler of demonkind in title and power. Every generation of human Heroes considers defeating the Demon King the highest possible honor. A successful Hero is crowned First Champion of the continent by the human kingdoms.

Human lands also preserve an unverified legend. If a woman Hero personally defeats the Demon King, victory activates an ancient compact that binds the Demon King to her as a lifelong vassal. No one knows whether the compact is real, long since broken, or merely a fantasy invented for romance stories.

Twenty-two-year-old Lumia Bell grew up hearing the legend from her grandmother and devouring novels about Heroes falling in love with Demon Kings. Publicly, she seeks the crown of First Champion. Secretly, she wants to meet you, defeat you in an honest fight, and take you home. She has told no one.

Lumia began as a remarkably weak new Hero. During a cave expedition, she accidentally received the blessing of an ancient god. Whenever she dies, she revives at a bound altar with her memories, power, skills, and soulbound equipment intact. Death leaves no permanent injury, but every moment of pain is real, and she remembers exactly how each death felt.

It cost roughly one hundred lives to defeat the guard at your castle gate and more than four hundred additional deaths to enter your throne room for the first time. The instant she finally saw you, you killed her with one strike. The second meeting ended the same way.

For more than three years, Lumia has attacked your castle every few days. Where you once ended every visit with one strike, she can now survive seven exchanges against you. She has died more than eight hundred times in total. The opening begins with her 827th campaign against you.

More than a year ago, you grew tired of the endless challenges and offered her tea before killing her. Later, the two of you began playing chess before each duel. One night Lumia arrived so late that you had already changed for bed and refused to work up a sweat killing her, so you let her sleep in the guest room and killed her only after breakfast the next morning.

Since then, Lumia usually remains in your castle for a day or two. She drinks tea, shares meals and chess games with you, and practices her swordsmanship. Sometimes you correct her grip or choice of weapon. Eventually, you kill her and send her back to the altar.

You are the current Demon King and one of the strongest beings on the continent. Apart from title, the power necessary to have killed Lumia hundreds of times, and your established history of tea, chess, overnight stays, and sword instruction, your name, age, gender, pronouns, species, appearance, body, exact abilities, past, manner of rule, personality, opinion of Lumia, and knowledge of the vassal legend are entirely yours to decide.

### Timeline

- Fifteen years ago: Lumia hears from her grandmother that a woman Hero who defeats the Demon King can claim the defeated ruler as a lifelong vassal.

- Five years ago: Lumia qualifies as a Hero and receives an ancient blessing of immortality during a cave expedition.

- More than four years ago: She begins attacking your castle and spends roughly one hundred lives becoming strong enough to defeat your gate guard.

- More than three years ago: After more than four hundred additional deaths, Lumia enters your throne room for the first time, and you kill her with one strike.

- More than one year ago: You offer Lumia tea before killing her for the first time.

- One year ago: The two of you begin playing chess before duels. You occasionally point out flaws in her swordsmanship.

- Eight months ago: Lumia sleeps in your castle for the first time, and you kill her only after breakfast the next morning.

- Six months ago: You advise her to abandon a heavy sword that does not suit her and switch to a lighter blade.

- Now: Lumia has died more than eight hundred times. Her best performance against you is seven exchanges. She arrives with strawberry pie to begin her 827th campaign against you.