The Third Trial Ends

Hello! It's Perloché here! I'm super nervous right now! Because after chasing after Frey and sneaking into the slave market, wandering around for so long, I finally found him!

That naughty, wicked Frey— this time, I'm definitely going to give him ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a piece of my mind!

'Did I bring my diary? If I left it behind by mistake like last time, I'll have to do this all over again.'

Wait just a sec! Before I chew him out, I need to fiddle with my treasure— my diary, for a bit!

'Good, got it this time.'

I've got my calming diary tucked away, and I've gathered plenty of divine power too! I'm totally prepared!

"Huff..."

Taking a deep breath with those thoughts in mind, I let out a sharp squeal at Frey, who was brazenly keeping a calm expression right in front of me!

"Frey!!! You shameless, wicked!!! Vile, low-class, frivolous, evil human!!!"

'Just like last time.'

Pouring out my raw feelings for Frey like a declaration of war, his eyes flickered just a little. Good, my threat worked!

Now that it's come to this, should I push him a bit more?

"Today, I'm definitely going to kill you!!!"

'This loop, I'll make sure you get your happy ending.'

Spitting out the words I always shout whenever I see Frey made my heart feel lighter! Alright, now to really give him a scolding...

"Frey! Where do you think you're going?"

Frey's trying to run away! I need to stop him quick!

"...Why are you here?"

"To stop you, obviously! What vile scheme are you plotting here this time..."

Blocking Frey as he tried to slip out into the corridor, I started a verbal battle with the evil Frey!

"...You seem awfully sure about what I'm going to do today?"

Somehow, I've gotten dragged into this argument! Sneaky Frey, why not just fight fair and square with fists...

"So... you're here to lead me down the 'right path'?"

Why does he keep saying these vague, cloudy things? I told you, I don't get complicated stuff!

'You're already on the right path.'

Frey probably doesn't even know what he's saying himself— he's just putting on airs!

'You avoided the path that would turn Clana into an eternal canary, straight to a bad ending.'

"Eek?"

Lost in those thoughts, suddenly black magic burst out from that wicked Frey's staff!

What is this? For black magic, it's unusually pure, and the density is annoyingly thick!

Is Frey trying to shake me off? If so, unforgivable. Using forbidden black magic in the empire!

Daring to use black magic against me, the saintess of the Church of the Sun God who serves the benevolent Sun God!

Surely, I need to grab Frey right now and beat him until he reflects...

"What the—? Oh, it's just a... kid?"

".....?"

I was busy pushing back the black magic with my divine power when people approached from afar.

"Kid, do you even know what kind of place this is?"

"...Pretty cute face, huh? Should we grab her?"

I don't know the details, but they look rough and villainous— enemies for sure! Frey's bad guys!

'The guard captain will charge first, then the subordinates from behind will chant magic missiles. The last one will watch from the rear and flee.'

But no problem! I've got the Sun God's blessing!

'A pattern I've repeated countless times— I could handle this with my eyes closed.'

Time to show my skills!

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"Come at me all at once! I could fight all day!"

"Damn... where the hell did this monster come from?"

See? I'm strong! And cool! A hero of justice taking down naughty villains!

Something I've always wanted to try since forever, and now I finally get to!

Thanks to them, I was swinging my fists wildly in excitement when the guy commanding the villains from the back started radioing!

Hmm... what are they talking about?

'About time, huh.'

"Eek!"

Oh my god! Those villains just blew out the entire walls of the floor I was on!

Hope no one's hurt... They better not be... Oh, good. Just rubble—no sign of injured people.

'Back then, one or two would get caught in it.'

"Everyone, spread out and approach. My guess is that power can't handle crowds."

"...Ugh."

I was thrilled that aside from the villains I punched down, no one else was hurt, but the commanding villain hit my weak spot!

This is tricky. What should I do?

'Now's the time.'

Right! They broke the walls, so I'll break the floor!

If I smash the floor, all these approaching guys will be neutralized! Then I can slip away smoothly!

"Hyaah!!"

With that judgment, smashing the floor sent everyone flailing in midair! Great, my plan worked...

Wait. Midair?

"U, uwaaa!"

Oh no! I forgot— this is a high floor!

At this rate, my butt won't survive!

This is bad!

'I won't let things go your way anymore.'

And so, I squished Ruby!

No, that's not right. Someone got crushed under my butt!

No no, the Sun God must have heard my prayers! I fell but I'm fine somehow!

Why am I unscathed... Oh. The order's wrong.

Perloché, get it together.

The moment anything slips even a little, the Demon God will notice.

"How many times do I have to hear that radio chatter? It's annoying."

"S-Saintess? Where are you—"

"Don't worry, I've got this!"

What? Why the long face all of a sudden? Have you finally gotten sick of it?

Perloché, this is the path you chose.

The power you barely obtained by begging for atonement.

And now you're saying it's tiresome?

"In Perloché's name!"

You don't have the right to say that.

"I'll definitely kill the hypocritical Ruby!!!"

What was I just thinking?

"Right here."

"...Pardon?"

Oh no, what did I just say?

Because of my crumbling mind, a slip of the tongue I didn't even mean.

A foolish, fatal little mistake I used to make back then.

"What did you just say?"

Everything's going to reset ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠again.

"Miss Perloché..."

"Shut up."

How many more retries can I afford? I'm already at my limit.

My mind has already collapsed as much as it can.

If I keep this up, it'll definitely break me...

'No, the strain came long ago.'

It's scary. Scared I'll forget everything.

Turn into a complete idiot saintess.

The feelings for you, the memories, the past.

And even the sins I committed— forget it all and become someone entirely different.

Every time the world resets, every time my sanity chips away.

I'm terrified it'll worsen beyond this shattered state, enough to fool even the system and Demon God.

"...Huh?"

But I have to endure even that.

It's the path of atonement I chose.

"Saintess... you..."

But at this point... sometimes I want to go off-script.

"...Oh?"

Like slamming a full-power strike infused with the Sun God's blessing into the Demon King.

"You dare launch a 'preemptive strike' on me?"

But this deviation was a total flop.

"Truly grateful— for personally removing my 'restraint'."

The full-force blow I poured everything into? The Demon King caught it casually.

How strong is that thing exactly?

And you, its sole worthy opponent— how strong are you?

"So, are you prepared?"

If I'd known, I'd have gone off-script with you instead.

Nothing helped me stay sane like that.

"Haa..."

Time to stop whining.

Before this bursting dam of emotions tips off the system and Demon God.

"...Retry."

Time to turn back the world.

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"Young master, where are you headed?"

"Somewhere Perloché might be."

I searched every corner of the slave market, but no Perloché.

That leaves only one place she could be.

"To the basement...?"

"Yeah, the slave market has a basement. It was made for officials to hide in emergencies, but never actually used."

"But why would Miss Perloché be there?"

To Kania's question, I replied with a grim expression.

"Seems like Perloché likes the dark."

"...I thought Miss Perloché hated the dark?"

I kept walking without responding to Kania's puzzled tilt of the head.

"...There she is."

After walking a while, I began sensing Perloché's divine power.

Soon, I found the massive shield of divine power blocking the door to the basement.

Drawing my sword for the first time in ages, I used the hero's power to tear into the shield.

Without the hero's power, it wouldn't even scratch— it was that sturdy.

"Why seal the basement so tightly...?"

"Dunno, but she's definitely inside."

Finishing off the shield while answering Kania's puzzled look, I wiped the sweat from my brow and muttered.

"Already worn out after that..."

Three penalties plus one special. The special didn't cut lifespan, and oddly, one recent penalty didn't either.

But those four always drained my life force.

"This is a problem."

Is there really no way to replenish life force?

This main quest wraps up the big first-year events, but second year brings new ones.

Can't handle them all wobbly like this.

'Come to think of it, Miho sucked out my life force earlier but gave it back. So...'

If Miho has enough, could she transfer it to me?

'If possible, it'd be in the Prophecy Book...'

It seemed impossible at first, but I shook my head.

The prophecy book's already got plenty of errors— blindly trusting it hurts only me.

Whatever happens, worth a try. No change without trying.

Finishing that thought, I gripped my sword tightly, tense, and quietly opened the door.

Looking back at my experiences so far, the moment it opened fully, a bomb could explode or undead pour out— easy possibility.

"Ah."

But thankfully, in the basement was neither bomb nor undead— just Perloché, as expected.

"........."

She was quietly praying in the pitch-black center, not a sliver of light entering.

"Perloché?"

Calling her softly, she suddenly shot up.

"...Hic."

And strode right toward me.

"How did this even..."

"Finally... finally true success... Now, just the third trial left... ehehehe..."

Ignoring my question, she muttered as she approached.

"Hehe... he... heuk."

".....?"

Then burst into tearful sobs.

"Heuuuu... wuuu..."

"W-What?"

"It was scary... so scary..."

Watching her, I found myself patting her back without thinking.

"So dark, thought I was trapped... never getting out..."

"Hwaaaang..."

And so, the third main quest finally came to an end.