chapter 2
People don’t know this is the Demon King’s castle.
Only I—only me, who knows every detail of the game—know that this place is the Demon King’s castle.
Outwardly, this is the Daemon Count’s household, a border noble family guarding the northern frontlines.
In truth, it’s a noble house created by the Demon King and a few of his subordinates while disguised as humans.
For demons who utterly despise humans, a setup like this should be completely useless.
If it were up to them, they’d probably wipe humans off the map. But there’s only one reason the Demon King is still lingering in the human world.
“To recover his sealed power.”
Stripped of his strength, the Demon King could no longer maintain the Demon Realm and was practically forced down into the human world. And he made a vow: the moment he regained his sealed power, he would destroy not only the human world, but the Demon Realm as well.
But that vow will never be fulfilled. Because just before he regains his power, the hero who has grown strong enough kills him. Naturally, all demons are wiped out as a result.
“Shii….”
I buried my face in my tiny hands and swore again.
Dying at fifteen—this is already my sixth time reaching that ending.
And now, in the seventh run, I’ve been reborn as the Demon King’s daughter? A hidden character doomed to die anyway? What kind of nonsense system is this, you insane piece of garbage!
Should I just die?
I don’t have any reincarnation-reset ability, so if I die here, wouldn’t I finally escape this endless cycle?
They called me an “irregular force.”
So I’ve been reborn as the Demon King’s daughter—a hidden character.
But…
What if I kill the hero this time?
“…nya?”
I snapped my head up.
I know everything about this game.
I know where the Demon King’s power is sealed, and I know exactly how to break that seal.
What if I help the Demon King and make him defeat the hero?
What if I completely break the game called <Raising the Hero>?
Then…
Maybe I could survive. Not just survive—maybe I could overturn this garbage system altogether.
Ding.
[SYSTEM]
A new mission has appeared.
Would you like to accept? Y/Y
This is the first time I’ve seen a system window while still alive. But that alone confirmed it—my thinking was going in the right direction.
“Accept.”
Final Mission <Toward the Ruin Ending of the Game!>
You are an irregular force opposing the hero. At this rate, you will face death.
There is only one way to prevent it: eliminate the hero.
Break the Demon King’s seal and help him kill the hero. Only when the Demon King kills the hero will the “ruin ending” be achieved.
Reward:
- Survival
- ???
Failure: Death
“Uwaaaah!! (I’m so happy! This is insane!)”
I flailed around on the bed and screamed.
I had been sacrificed as a game character for ninety years. And now I could finally take control of the game?
My heart was racing.
I’ll survive.
I’ve already lived six lives, and I’ve learned a lot through them. I can do this. I’ll use everything I know.
I’ll raise the Demon King.
And reach the ruin ending!
“Nyah!”
Excited, I crawled toward the door.
My stomach growled.
Grrr.
First, I needed food.
After realizing this was the Demon King’s castle and I was his daughter, I stopped questioning why I—a small child—was left alone in a room.
The reason was simple.
Demons didn’t raise children.
Survival of the fittest.
They leave them alone. If you survive, you survive. If not, you die.
These insane demons left even one-year-olds to fend for themselves, but somehow four members of this household had survived that way.
So I have to move too.
That’s why I crawled my way to the door.
It opened surprisingly easily. More precisely, it opened the moment I touched it—probably enchanted.
“Myaa… myaa…”
Getting hungrier by the minute, I kept crawling across the dusty floor. I didn’t know where the kitchen was, but instinct guided me. If I just found stairs, I’d figure something out!
And then—
“Woof! Woof!”
“Myaaaak!”
Suddenly, barking echoed behind me, and my back legs were yanked hard.
“Uwaaaak! (What the hell!)”
I rolled across the floor struggling desperately. After tumbling around, I barely managed to break free and catch my breath.
“…myaa? (What is this?)”
In front of me stood a dog.
A dog.
A dog.
A dog…?
Cerberus?!
The three-headed beast didn’t approach me. It was restrained by a leash.
Relieved, I followed the chain and slowly turned my head toward whoever was holding it.
“…Who are you?”
“What’s this tiny kid?”
Two children stood there.
Bright red hair, jet-black eyes.
They looked about three years old. Identical faces—obviously twins.
Wait.
Twins?
…The Daemon Count’s twins?
Oh.
I know them.
Of course I do.
How could I not recognize those violent lunatics who roamed the continent doing whatever they pleased?
They left the Daemon Count’s house at age ten and traveled the world freely… and along the way…
They killed a lot of people.
Anyone who blocked their path died. Even people who didn’t block them died. If they were in a bad mood and someone happened to be nearby, that person died.
In my fifth life, my abusive older brother died like that.
Back then I cheered, “Go Daemon family!” but things are different now.
I might die at any moment.
“Eek!”
I accidentally hiccupped. Damn this tiny body—panicking over everything.
The twins looked amused.
“Hey, look at that. Is she scared of us?”
They giggled at me.
“Maybe she’s our little sister.”
“I think so. She looks similar, but her mana feels different.”
Their eyes sparkled.
“Should we kill her?”
“Let’s!”
Why is that your conclusion?!
Excuse me, young masters.
Killing someone who can’t even talk is a very bad thing. Not allowed.
“Doggy, bite her!”
“Myaaaak! (You crazy bastards!)”
They released the leash.
The Cerberus lunged at me, teeth gleaming.
If that thing bites me, I’ll definitely die!
But—
I can’t die like this!
I finally have the chance to see the ruin ending, and I’m going to die within an hour of starting? That’s the worst possible outcome!
Ding.
[SYSTEM]
Emergency quest triggered!
Accept? Y/Y
Time froze.
Everything around me stopped, and a system window appeared.
Without hesitation, I accepted.
A new window appeared.
Sub Quest <Escape the Danger!>
You are in immediate danger! At this rate, you will die. How pitiful… but if you think carefully, there must be a way to defeat Cerberus.
You have 10 seconds.
Objective: Defeat Cerberus
Reward:
- Survival
- Twins’ favor
Failure: Death
I DON’T NEED THEIR FAVOR!
Give me something useful, you insane system!
But the window only flickered silently.
So I gave up thinking about it and focused on Cerberus.
Ten seconds.
I exhaled slowly.
The beast was at least ten times my size. All three heads were ready to tear me apart.
If I did nothing, I would die.
But I had ten seconds.
That was enough.
“Bite him, doggy!”
“Woof! Woof woof!”
Enough time to release the mana engraved in my soul.
“Myaaak!”
Mana burst forth, forming an arrow along my hand.
