Chapter 288: Trial’s End (Interlude)



There were three distinct paths to defeating the Evil God Erebil, each tied to a specific set of choices that determined her epilogue route.

The first was through the sole romance route with Saintess Emilia, which offered a clear but morally complex resolution.

The second was a critical decision made during the demons’ invasion of the academy, where your stance and alliances shaped the outcome.

The last, and perhaps most challenging, was the secret Harem route-a path fraught with its own set of complications and requirements.

Mother, unsurprisingly, had chosen the third option.

It was just like I remembered her playstyle: chaotic but oddly effective.

Defeating Erebil on this route wasn’t exactly easy, but it wasn’t impossible either if you knew what you were doing.

The key lay in understanding each character’s strengths and how to seamlessly switch between them mid-battle, utilizing the precise skills and strategies needed to counter Erebil’s overwhelming power.

Dodging and blocking her devastating area-of-effect (AOE) attacks was manageable with Emilia on the roster.

Her divine support skills provided critical healing and damage mitigation while reinforcing the team’s resistance against dark magic.

Restraining spells, the cornerstone of this strategy, were handled expertly by Rose and Snow.

At their maximum potential, these two could immobilize the Evil God for just long enough to create critical openings in her defense.

Meanwhile, Seo and Flamme provided relentless damage from the rear, their precision and firepower ensuring Erebil couldn’t fully unleash her abilities.

Their combined assault kept her on edge, limiting her ability to retaliate effectively.

The battle’s linchpin, however, was the attack on Erebil’s real body.

Liyana, fighting behind the scenes, targeted Erebil’s physical form, preventing her from anchoring her power fully in the material plane.

This dual-front assault forced her soul into an incredibly vulnerable state.

And that’s where Lucas, the protagonist, came into play.

His divine light-based attacks struck directly at her core.

With Erebil’s defenses already fractured by the coordinated assault, Lucas’s abilities dealt heavy, decisive damage to her soul, preventing her from regaining momentum.

-BOOM!!!

-SWOOSH!!!

-SWISHHH!!!

-BANGGG!!!

The screen erupted into chaos, a symphony of explosions, streaks of light, and swirling mana.

Magic circles overlapped with crackling auras, and intricate patterns filled the air like an unending cascade of fireworks.

The relentless assault of animations and effects was almost hypnotic, pushing the limits of sensory overload.

It felt like the kind of dazzling spectacle that could fry most minds trying to process it all in real-time.

Even with the game’s POV locked onto a specific character, the sheer number of moving parts -characters darting around, attacks converging, and the ceaseless flashing of spells-was overwhelming.

It was the kind of display that would’ve turned most gaming rigs into molten scrap by now.

But it wasn’t really a problem…

As the device given to mother was practically a supercomputer.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it could run a small mothership.

“You’re still using Seo,” I said, noting her choice of main character on the battlefield.

“Well, she is my favorite,” Mother replied nonchalantly, her fingers dancing over the controller.

“Using Lucas in this stage would make it a lot easier.”

“What’s the point in that?” she said, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Besides, it’s not like we’ll lose if I use her, right? You said so yourself.”

She had a point. There was no real downside to her preference.

By this stage in the game, every character in her party was maxed out, their stats pushed to their absolute limits.

Their abilities were optimized for every situation, their synergy so fine-tuned that even a random button-mashing approach would’ve yielded decent results.

I had carefully guided her through the early game, making sure she avoided pitfalls and gained all the key resources.

And this was just normal mode.

With her current team, victory was a foregone conclusion.

Every heroine with their unique and unpredictable devastating attacks, paired with Alice’s calculated precision and undying red army and Liyana’s overwhelming magical chaotic prowess, made them unstoppable.

To put it into perspective, Alice and Liyana at this point were on par with the partial true form

of Erebil.

Even if she switched to full auto mode and simply watched the chaos unfold, the game would still end with a perfect happy ending.

And just as expected.

“We won!”

The golden-highlighted text flashed across the screen, marking the victory.

The beautiful, cinematic cutscene that followed was as heartwarming as I remembered.

The protagonist stood at the center of the battlefield, battered but victorious, as each of the girls bombarded him with joyous hugs.

Their laughter filled the scene, a stark contrast to the grim struggles they had faced moments before.

The golden sun broke through the ominous clouds, its rays casting warmth and hope upon the darkened world.

The protagonist, still clutching his sword, raised it high into the sky-a symbol of their

triumph.

Around him, the people who had joined the fight against the Evil God’s army cheered.

Some cried tears of relief, while others clutched their weapons tightly, shouting the hero’s

name in celebration.

It was grand, beautiful, and everything I had remembered it to be.

“Hehehe… That was fun,” Helena said with a satisfied smile, leaning back slightly, clearly

proud of their achievement.

“It’s not over yet,”

“Oh-?” she hummed, her curiosity piqued.

The main story was complete, but that didn’t mean the game had reached its end.

This was an open-world RPG, after all-concluding everything with a single victory scene

would’ve been far too simple.

What followed were the epilogue events-each girl’s individual resolution.

Despite the harem ending being the default conclusion, the game had meticulously crafted

extra scenes for each character.

These scenes offered closure, heartfelt moments, and opportunities to deepen the connection

with each love interest.

More importantly, it paved the way for the true secret harem ending, the ultimate reward for

players who managed to balance all the character routes.

The true harem ending of marrying all the heroines at once…

I could already feel Helena’s excitement growing as she leaned forward slightly, her gaze

fixed on the screen.

She might’ve played casually, but even she couldn’t resist the allure of unlocking every single

bonus event.

“Hoh-so this is where the R-18 parts come in, right?” Helena teased, her voice laced with

mischief.

“It’s a given option,” I replied, keeping my eyes on the screen, unwilling to entertain her

antics.

“Heh~ do you want to see it together?” she continued, her tone dripping with playful

provocation.

|| ||

“Hehehe, I’m just kidding-” she giggled, clearly amused by my silence.

Ignoring her dry joke, I pressed on with the game.

The story unfolded as we progressed, with each heroine’s side story taking center stage.

Some tales were lighthearted and fun, while others carried a melancholic weight that tugged

at the heart.

There were romantic moments that made even me pause and reflect, and genuinely funny scenes that had Helena chuckling softly beside me.

Each of the main heroines had a story that stood out-a unique confession, a poignant expression of their feelings, or a deeply personal reason for their actions.

Watching it all again, I was reminded why I had once lost myself in this game. Back then, it wasn’t just about escapism-it was about crafting a world where everyone could find their happy ending, no matter how complicated or flawed their stories were.

Thud!

The soft weight of her head pressing onto my left shoulder startled me for a moment. Turning slightly, I saw her resting against me, her eyelids drooping as fatigue began to claim her. “Hehe~ Seo was so cute~ we should’ve gone on more dates with her,” Helena murmured, her voice faint and tired but carrying a hint of genuine affection. “All the other girls were too~ I’m surprised the developers of this game actually managed to create so many heroines with

their unique quirks… though I wish they weren’t that obsessed~”

Her words trailed off, but the warmth in her tone lingered.

Despite the dryness of her voice, there was no mistaking the joy she felt from the stories she

had just witnessed.

It was a rare, genuine moment-one where her walls seemed to crumble, and the Helena in front of me wasn’t the mischievous woman with snarky remarks, but someone simply

savoring a fleeting happiness.

I didn’t reply.

Instead, I shifted slightly to make her more comfortable against my shoulder.

As the scene unfolded on the screen, the sound of bells chimed softly, echoing through the

virtual cathedral.

The atmosphere was serene yet grand, the kind of moment that felt larger than life.

Mother let go of her controller, her hand reaching out to clasp mine gently. “They’re all so pretty~,” she murmured, her voice light with admiration, her grip surprisingly

firm.

||||

The screen displayed a magnificent white hall inside a cathedral.

A young man stood at the altar, his posture calm but expectant, waiting for what was to come.

One by one, the girls began to appear, each wearing a unique and dazzling white wedding

dress. Some entered gracefully, others in pairs, while a few hesitated before walking forward, their nerves evident even through the game’s animations.

“Hehehe~ haah~,” Mother chuckled softly, leaning back as her expression turned wistful. “How I wish I could see a wedding like this in real life… Too bad my life has always been

dedicated to the Empire. I guess we’ve all got our bad luck, huh, kiddo?”

“…..”

I stayed quiet, watching as the scene reached its climax.

The blessing of the pope was delivered with solemnity, and the goddess above-represented

by a radiant, celestial figure-bathed the entire church in a cascade of shimmering lights.

It was a breathtaking sight, so vibrant and ethereal that it felt as though the heavens themselves had descended to bless the occasion.

The characters smiled one by one, their faces glowing with joy as they sealed their vows with

kisses.

Each girl leaned in toward the young man at the altar, sharing their moment of happiness

with him. “Hey, Han,” Mother said suddenly, breaking the silence, “would you invite me to your wedding… you know, if you ever get one?”

“Ah, who am I kidding?” she laughed, the sound tinged with self-deprecation. “There’s no

way a wimp like you could ever talk to a girl, let alone get married. Hehehe~”

Her teasing tone might have stung a bit, but I didn’t rise to the bait.

||||

The room began to darken subtly as the sun outside sank below the horizon, casting long

shadows through the windows.

The automatic lights should have turned on by now, but for some reason, they remained off, leaving the room bathed in an oddly dim glow.

“You know, Han… there’s a lot this mother of yours wants to say to you right now, but… there’s just not enough time~” Her voice carried a softness that felt out of place, tinged with

something deeper-something heavier.

“…”

I didn’t reply. I couldn’t.

My shoulders felt damp, her silent tears soaking through my shirt. Despite the joyful, triumphant atmosphere portrayed on the screen-the bright lights of the cathedral, the laughter of characters, and the uplifting music-the room felt muted.

It was as if the game was trying to mask the somber reality before me, deliberately hiding her

true emotions behind its cheery facade.

The sounds of the cathedral’s music swelled, carrying the energy of celebration, and the characters began their final dance under the stained-glass light.

The ending credits were drawing closer, but the weight in the room seemed to deepen with

each passing

second.

“Han…” she said again, her voice trembling ever so slightly, “Did you have fun?”

11

|| ||

“… Yes,”

“Hmm~ I see~ That’s good~ I had fun too, really, really fun…” She chuckled softly, but it

sounded fragile, like it might break at any moment.

The sounds of the game began to fade as it approached its final moments, the rhythm

slowing, the melodies softening.

Along with it, I felt her warmth slipping away-so subtle at first that I thought I imagined it,

but then undeniable.

The tight firmness of her grip on my arm, the slight pressure of her presence, the life in her

touch—all of it was fading, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.

I didn’t dare look at her.

Because if I did, I knew what I’d see.

The truth I didn’t want to face.

The truth she was trying to hide behind her smiles and playful teasing.

The trial was relentless, forcing me to confront things I’d rather leave buried. It laid bare illusions wrapped in the guise of a “what if” scenario, and no matter how much I

tried to remind myself that this wasn’t real, the lines between illusion and reality blurred in

ways that made distinguishing them feel nearly impossible.

“A perfect happy ending… it’s really plausible, huh? How enviable~” Helena’s voice carried a teasing lilt, but beneath it, there was a weight I couldn’t ignore.

I didn’t respond, my focus locked on the protagonist on the screen.

His sword glinted as he raised it high, a final, triumphant blow that filled the room with

blinding light.

Her words hung in the air, lingering like smoke.

“Hey, Han,” she said softly, almost too softly. “Just like all the heroines in this game… if you

were given the option, if I were given the chance… would you give me a happy ending as

well?”

I froze for a moment, my hands gripping the controller tightly.

The after-credits music started to roll as the screen faded to black, and her words hit me

harder than I expected.

“…’

She shifted beside me, her presence closer now, almost as if she didn’t want the world to hear

what came next.

Her voice dropped to a whisper, trembling and fragile.

“Han… I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t loud, but it echoed in my mind like a scream.

I let out a quiet sigh, an exhale that carried more weight than I intended.

My left hand moved on its own, resting gently atop her head.

Her shoulders, which had been stiff, seemed to relax as I softly ruffled her hair.

Beneath the act, I could feel her trembling, the vulnerability she rarely showed seeping

through in waves.

“It’s alright,” I murmured, keeping my voice steady as I felt the tremor in her subside. “I’ve

already forgiven you… a long time ago.”

Was it the truth?

I didn’t know.

Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t.

But in this moment, it felt like the truth.

And if that’s what she needed to hear right now, I wouldn’t take it back.

My hand continued to move gently, an almost instinctive motion to calm her. I waited for her

usual sarcastic, biting comeback-the obnoxious quip she always had ready to mask how she truly felt.

But as I continued to wait…. no reply came.

[Progress 100%]

[Note: Trial of Choices Completed!]

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