Hyperion Really Became a Princess This Time

The Demon Realm. Beneath a sky dense with thunderclouds, the Demon King's Castle loomed like an apparition through the clinging mist, accompanied by an eerie melody. Its outer walls of dark-gray stone and towering spires were faintly visible amid the overcast gloom, their steeples piercing toward the heavens. Ancient runes twisted and intertwined across the barrier, silently recounting secrets of the Demon Realm, while a winding path parted the demon garden, threading straight through the castle's massive, layered gates. Past the gates and corridors, the courtyard floor was paved with intricately patterned flagstones, and indoor fountains scattered softly glowing motes of light. Deep within, at the very heart of the castle, lay the throne room. Suits of pitch-black armor lined both sides of the corridor leading to it, and a profound, solemn chill pervaded the grand hall. "Mmm..." Hyperion slowly stirred from slumber, letting out a sleepy murmur. Her long silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, softly draping over a pale-blue gown whose hem pooled gracefully beneath the throne. Her amber irises were no longer disguised to resemble a human's, having reverted to their true demonic slits. Her hair was no longer tied back with a simple ribbon either; she could feel the cool touch of an opulent, ornate hairpin. Raising her head as if waking from a dream, Hyperion found herself seated upon a magnificent, imposing throne. A gathering of demons stood within the grand hall. They varied widely in appearance—some dignified and awe-inspiring, others grotesque and terrifying. Many among them possessed mana comparable to, or even exceeding, that of Antanas, making Hyperion dare not meet their gazes! Instinctively panicked, Hyperion wanted to activate invisibility and flee. Yet on second thought, she realized she was the one sitting on the throne... Remaining composed and staying put might keep anything from happening. If she ran, she would not only be caught and dragged back, but someone would likely ask: *Your Highness, why are you fleeing?* Hyperion did everything she could to keep her face straight. She had just entered this Shadow World, and the moment she opened her eyes, she was greeted by an infernal spectacle akin to Pandemonium. It was plainly a demon gathering of the highest order, and she was the very center of it all. "Your Highness, were you thinking of running away again?" A flat, even female voice drifted from behind her. *Again?* Hyperion jerked her head around. She saw a female great demon standing right beside her, seemingly gentle and harmless, with calm, fathomless eyes. Though the demon stood right next to her, Hyperion had not sensed her presence in the slightest. This great demon possessed an approachable aura; aside from her demonic traits, she looked even more harmless than a human. Yet Hyperion could tell beyond doubt that this great demon was the most dangerous of them all, having even seen right through her fleeting urge to flee. Below the dais, though the other demons present showed outward deference toward Hyperion, she was quick to realize that their genuine dread stemmed from the great demon standing beside her. For other great demons to be so thoroughly submissive, there was essentially only one possibility: she was a ninth-tier great demon. Her very presence cast a heavy weight over the throne room. Every demon carefully weighed their words and actions, terrified of provoking her displeasure. "..." Hyperion was unsure whether she should confirm or deny the words of the suspected ninth-tier great demon at her side. The moment she arrived in this Shadow World, she was surrounded by terrifying great demons, yet Lanqi—the person most suited for a place like this—was nowhere to be seen. Any answer she gave could determine life or death. Until she figured out the situation, she chose to stay silent and wait for the other party to speak first. Granted, she was already accustomed to living alongside great demons, surrounded day in and day out by great demon friends and relatives. Still, facing a whole pack of wild great demons was enough to terrify her. As for a ninth-tier great demon, that was simply unfair... In the real world, she had never even seen a living ninth-tier being. "Princess, you must understand that you are the last royal capable of opening the ancestral land. We understand that you harbor an attachment to the human realm, but please do not attempt to leave the Demon King's Castle again. Otherwise, it will cause us great trouble as well," the mysterious great demon behind Hyperion sighed. She did not seem to find Hyperion's impulse to run improper, or perhaps she was already well accustomed to the princess's escapades. "..." Hyperion remained silent, staring at the great demon. Though she could not discern the woman's true features, the more she stared at her face, the more she seemed to resemble Tata. Staring further, she looked somewhat like her mother, Efatia. Hyperion understood at once: this was not her actual appearance. She took on the form of the woman most cherished by the observer, and no one could gaze upon her true face. If one were not careful, they would naturally develop a sense of closeness and reliance toward her. "Mmm..." Hyperion nodded with a hint of sleepy bewilderment, pretending to yield meekly to the great demon. Since the woman had no intention of harming her, acting compliant would suffice for now. Still, Hyperion remained thoroughly bewildered, unable to fathom why she had received such an opening. True, she possessed demon royal blood, and her corresponding witch identity in this Shadow World being royalty made sense. Yet having grown up in a human kingdom, truly sitting in the seat of a demon princess scared her half to death! She had never seen so many demons in her entire life. The more she thought about it, the more anxious Hyperion became, having no idea how to deal with all these great demons. Just when she felt utterly at a loss, the information from the Shadow World finally surfaced— [Sixteen years ago, following that dinner banquet, you were hunted down by the Blood Clan and scattered across the lands.] [After escaping Lichtenstein Castle, you reclaimed your true demon identity, traversed the Far North, and returned to the Demon Realm.] [Originally, as a half-demon, you were neither welcomed nor valued by the demon race.] [However, due to a life-and-death battle years ago between the Demon King and the Blood Clan's Second Progenitor, the Second Progenitor was severely wounded, and the Demon King likewise suffered fatal injuries.] [Upon returning to the Demon Realm, the Demon King soon passed away in the ancestral land. With no Nine-Seal New King yet in the Demon Realm, you, as the last bearer of royal blood, became the sole demon capable of opening the ancestral land.] [Even though you are now a true demon princess, you have never forgotten the promise he made to you: should you ever be separated, if he was still alive, he would stand at the highest place waiting for you.] [Originally, this was destined to be an impossible promise to fulfill, yet because the outcome of the previous node was altered, a subtle shift occurred.] [Sixteen years later, upon hearing the latest news from the human realm, you learned that he had risen to become a top political figure in the Polant Empire. Filled with immense relief, you sought to journey to the human realm to find him, only to be stopped by the great demons...] [Objective 1: Discover the key to defeating the Blood Clan.] [Objective 2: Raise humanity's win rate against the Blood Clan to over 1% by the conclusion of the Shadow World.] [Objective 3: All challengers must survive until the end of the 45-day time limit.] [...] "..." After reading through this background story, Hyperion initially felt it was rather romantic. But remembering what she had actually gone through in the real world, she only felt a surge of trauma response. Besides, she had no idea what this 1% win rate entailed or how to raise it; all she could see right now was [Overall Win Rate: 0.0000%]. Perhaps this objective was tied to Lanqi's end. "I'm sorry. I won't cause you any more trouble," Hyperion said to the great demon beside her after a brief, dazed silence. "Thank you for your understanding." The female great demon nodded. "Still, there are so many great demons here, and I don't know them all. How should I address them...?" Hyperion leaned over and whispered to the great demon. "You have no need to concern yourself with their names. For now, you need only know me, the Lady of the Fall." The female great demon shook her head with supreme confidence, her words radiating the domineering arrogance of an absolute powerhouse. Hyperion froze for a moment. "Lady of the Fall" meant this great demon bore the title of "Fall." Hyperion recognized that title. The Great Demon Trial on the fourth basement level of Herrom Prison, the Gentle Land of the Fallen, was the supreme barrier that the ninth-tier great demon Caliera of the Fall had transformed into after her death. Did this mean the great demon beside her was none other than Caliera of the Fall? In that instant, Hyperion abandoned every last thought of forcibly breaking out of the Demon King's Castle. She still vividly remembered how impossible it was to break free from the Gentle Land of the Fallen. "Your Highness, I trust you have no desire to experience my magic again? Or would you prefer to simply lose yourself in that dream?" Caliera smiled faintly. In the Demon Realm of today, not a single great demon could break her Gentle Land. Trying to fight her was sheer absurdity, let alone for a princess who was not even a great demon yet. "No, no, definitely not." Hyperion shrank back and shook her head, looking thoroughly intimidated. Much as she desperately did not want to be a demon princess, things had already reached this point. Better to see what these demons wanted first rather than constantly obsessing over running off to find Lanqi.