The Third Trial: Shadows of a Demon King's Past
Three days later, on the promised date, in the Demon God's domain.
"Are preparations complete?"
Demon God Huphnis descended from her towering throne.
I handed her a terminal infused with condensed dream power.
"Of course. As I mentioned before, I've prepared an episode featuring the story of the previous Demon King, Perlerina. I'm sure you'll love it."
With save data cleared up to the end of Act 1, she could dive straight into Act 2 without any immersion issues.
"Before we begin, a few guidelines: If you break the episode, the recognition won't function properly. So even if the story doesn't suit your tastes, you must follow it exactly as is..."
"Hm..."
Huphnis rested her chin on her hand as she listened to my explanation.
The terminal floated into her grasp.
"If this lady enters and simply completes the given episode, the previous Demon King will revive, correct?"
"That's right. It worked the same for the magitech engineer and for Sacrifice."
Not that it'll come to that.
You won't clear this episode and come back out.
And even if you did, the Demon King couldn't revive.
The Act 2 story distributed to other players included a choice at the highlight moment: aid the Demon King's massacre or stop it?
Not only was it the opposite of recorded history, but players who experienced the episode would split the recognition. Completely different from the cases of the Ten Heroes or Saintess Kate.
"I believe you'll reach the clear in less than half a day if you handle it yourself, Demon God."
A little nudge, and...
"Very well. This is a task for this lady herself. I'll finish it faster than anyone."
True to her arrogant nature, she powered on the terminal without a shred of doubt.
Woooong.
As Huphnis activated the terminal, the dream power within enveloped her.
Watching her, I accessed the Akashic Archive developer mode through the dream power.
Paht!
"The time has finally come for the third trial."
"...?"
Entrusting her body to the dream power and entering the game, Huphnis found herself facing a black-haired human boy who spoke to her.
"This is the final trial at last. Pass this one, and you'll become the official curator of the Akashic Archive."
Boring words.
She wanted to flip the table right then, grab the curator by the throat—she didn't care about any of that—but the warnings from Dream's Apostle flashed in her mind, so she held back for now.
Snap.
The curator snapped his fingers, and a book flew from the shelf between them.
"This story will be a bit different from the previous ones."
The book's pages began turning one by one.
"The Abyss's erosion is the same as before. But not through monsters this time. This erosion targeted the protagonist's mind."
Divinity flowed from the curator's hand, creating an illusion in the air.
...Perlerina?
Huphnis was startled by the sudden appearance of her previous Demon King.
"She's the protagonist of this tale—and the one you must guide down the right path."
"...What do you mean? Guide her down the right path myself?"
The curator crossed his arms at her question.
"Simple. This Demon King, the protagonist, triggered an event that decided the fates of multiple races in this world. That's why this world exists in the Archive as one worthy of record. The problem? The Abyss intervened and corrupted her will."
"Her will... corrupted?"
"Yes. What she accomplished required her unyielding resolve, but the Abyss damaged it. Your job is to stay by her side and help her."
"...How exactly do I help?"
"This time, unlike before, you won't possess an in-story character. Instead, you'll linger as a soul by Perlerina's side. Don't worry—you won't experience her entire life. Unimportant parts will be fast-forwarded, so think of it as aiding her only at the crucial moments."
Woooong.
The curator's power swirled around the book.
"Remember this: We are curators of the Akashic Archive. Our mission is to preserve events across the universe exactly as they happened. We mustn't alter them on a whim, even if we dislike the outcome."
Huphnis half-ignored his words.
All she felt was an urge to finish quickly and reunite with Perlerina.
"Then let's begin."
The world within the book swallowed Huphnis.
A quiet rural village bathed in moonlight.
Flames erupted in what should have been a peaceful night.
"Kill all the demon bastards!"
"Kill and take!"
Human mercenaries razed the village, dragging out hidden villagers and slaughtering them mercilessly.
"Kuhahaha! Demon skin really is the best! So tender, such a satisfying slice!"
"No punishment no matter how many we kill! What better slaughter could there be?"
Even though most demons were defenseless women and children without the strength to fight back, the mercenaries reveled in carving their bones and flesh with metal.
"Those filthy...!"
Huphnis clenched her fists, eyes bloodshot.
A scene common across the continent before she ended the Great Demon-Human War and broke the chain of racial hatred.
Demons of the past faced extreme discrimination from other races, often hunted.
Having lost her own parents to other races, she could hardly bear watching this.
If she'd been there in her true form, she'd have pulverized every human mercenary on the spot.
But she was a soul.
No physical force to intervene.
[First Assistance]
📍 The demon you must help is still a child. The village where the young Demon King lived has been raided by demon hunters.
📍 In this world, only she can see your soul. Guide the young demon to survival.
The main quest guidance appeared, along with a virtual arrow in the corner of her vision pointing to the target's location.
Huphnis's soul floated and flew toward it.
A small house in the corner of the village.
"Lina, you mustn't come out no matter what. Got it?"
"But Mom!"
The classic scene: hiding a young demon girl in the basement, barricading it with furniture to conceal her, then sacrificing herself as bait.
Common everywhere on the continent back then, which only made it more tragic.
This is Master's past.
"I love you, Lina."
"Mom! Mooom!"
The woman shed tears, sealed the basement completely, and headed outside.
As she opened the door, mercenaries approaching her house spotted her.
"A demon bitch!"
"Grab her!"
Demons had superior physiques to humans, but an ordinary one raised normally was no match for slaughter-honed mercenaries.
The demon woman was caught immediately.
"Heh heh. Caught ourselves a prime cut."
"This'll slice nice. I call dibs on the hands."
"Ew, you freak. You wanna keep those?"
As the mercenaries carved and dismantled her body for fun, the woman desperately stifled her screams.
Any noise might alert her beloved daughter, prompting a reaction that could give her away.
Huphnis watched the dying woman with mixed emotions.
Even for her arrogant self, the woman's final moments—enduring agony to protect her daughter—commanded respect.
"Scream already, you bitch! This ain't fun!"
One mercenary jammed a bent blade into her abdomen and twisted it around.
"Gaaahhh!"
She'd held back to stay silent, but the overwhelming pain forced her mouth open in a scream.
And that scream echoing around...
"Mom!"
...drew a reaction from the girl hiding in the basement.
"...Huh?"
"Another one's around."
"That direction."
"Get her."
The mercenaries tossed the woman aside and headed toward the sound.
With fading vision, she crawled, grasping at their ankles.
"Ugh, gross bitch. Still moving."
Crack!
A kick to the head granted her peace at last.
Meanwhile, the crying girl in the basement clamped her hands over her mouth.
Bang! Bang!
"Hey! Bring a hammer!"
Mercenaries right above, smashing the basement entrance.
Death loomed.
"You."
Suddenly, a mature beauty appeared beside her.
"Eh?"
The girl's eyes widened.
"No time. If you don't want your mother's sacrifice wasted, obey this lady quickly."
Huphnis's form was her real-world self as she envisioned it.
To the girl, she seemed straight out of a fairy tale—a great being.
The girl nodded silently.
"Good. First, move your demonic energy."
"?"
"No time. Sigh, if you're really Lina, you can do it... No good. Focus on your lower abdomen inside..."
Basic demonic energy usage.
Following Huphnis's attribute teachings, the girl learned stealth via demonic energy.
"Done. Use it now!"
Demonic energy enveloped the girl; her form shimmered and vanished.
At that moment—
Crack!
A massive hammer shattered the basement entrance.
"...What? Nothing here?"
"No way."
"Hearing things?"
"Tch. Strike out. Let's go."
The mercenaries spat and left.
Then set the empty house ablaze.
As the developer, I'd possessed the story-version curator Huphnis was progressing through.
Everything was going according to plan.
Stuck by her master's side, reliving her entire life, Huphnis would witness the hidden truth.
What would happen when everything she knew about her master was denied, and she learned the truth?
When she realized this episode wasn't revenge against a betraying master,
but a sad yet precious farewell journey with her master.