Jujutsushi Wa Yuusha Ni Narenai

Chapter 243.1 - Traitor II

Part 1

「Guh, Momokawa…」

「As expected, Souma-kun. You can talk even after being poisoned by death stinger poison.」

I finally managed to prop my body up while fighting against the poison eating into my system. The others were still groaning in pain, twitching non-stop on the floor due to the effect of the poison. I was the only one strong enough to prop myself up and speak to Momokawa.

「T-Tell me why… Did you betray us…」

「You are the foolish one here. Why did you even trust someone like me?」

Of course I trusted you… Through our time together in this school tower, I truly reassessed my opinion of you. Momokawa killed Reina; there was no way I could forgive him. But I suppressed my grudge and worked together with you to defeat Yamata no Orochi. I, and everyone else, did our best. But the one who tried the hardest was you, for sure. Was that a lie? All the effort you've put in, all the trust you've built, everything…

「Since I can't defeat Yamata no Orochi on my own, it's just a matter of choice to work together to defeat it――」

Momokawa slowly walked towards me. With no sense of guilt and the same nonchalant expression as always, like a stray cat.

BAM! My head got kicked, and I collapsed back onto the ground. Though it was just a childlike kick from Momokawa with no real force behind it, it was quite painful for my body, which was ravaged by the deadly poison. Could it be that he held a grudge when I beat him to a pulp during mock combat training?@@novelbin@@

「Do you really think that such a thing is… allowed…?」

「Allowed? Who allowed who? Listen, Souma-kun, I'm a shaman. A wicked profession that curses others. It's absurd to expect any proper sense of ethics from me.」

Is that so? I can't simply agree with that. We—no, I—have been saved by your curses. Delicious meals, hot baths, and a warm bed. Living comfortably in this academy tower was all thanks to you. Yet, was even that just a trap to make us let our guard down?

「Besides, anyone would prioritize their own survival in this situation, wouldn’t they? Have you forgotten that we’re in a life-or-death survival game here?」

「Even so… you showed us a way for all of us to be saved… Why? If you had followed through with that, we could have all…」

「Well, I think it's a reasonably plausible theory myself. Thanks to that, everyone stayed completely off guard in the very end.」

Yes, there was that much hope in your words. If we all came together, we could escape the dungeon as a whole class. Everyone believed that, and you were the one who made us believe it by accomplishing just that.

Part 2

「But I want to get out of this place as soon as possible. With my powers as a shaman, I can live however I want even in a medieval fantasy world.」

「Momokawa… You… Should be able… To guide everyone to leave this place…」

「Sorry, but I refuse.」

Momokawa kicked me again while looking down at me with a cold, piercing gaze.

「After this, there's no stopping until we reach the deepest part of the dungeon. It seems the heavenly gate can accommodate three people… Too bad though I'm going to use it for myself.」

「Y-You… You're going to betray Futaba-san too…」

「Ahahaha, I don't need that Futaba.」[TL: Futaba (Mei-chan) nickname before transferred to another world]

I don't care even if he kills me. I had long since known that you regarded me as your enemy. But that shouldn't be the case with Futaba-san. Do you understand how worried she was after you disappeared? Futaba-san was ready to stand against all of us to support you. Yet you actually regarded her as nothing more than a disposable pawn.

「M-Momokawaaa…」

「You can't do anything even if you're glaring at me like that. Even if you're a hero, your power does have a limit. And you better not expect reinforcements either.」

Momokawa's cold words smashed the last bit of hope remaining in my heart.

「I've banished Tendou with teleportation magic when he was smoking at the entrance of the tower. Do you know that the teleportation circle in this place can actually send you to various places?」

Dammit, Momokawa's first target turned out to be Yuiitsu. If it's Ryuiichi, he might be able to identify the poison in the liquor right away, and even have poison resistance skills. That's why Ryuiichi was banished first. I had never expected that Momokawa could use teleportation circles better than Takanashi-san… And he declared with confidence that the next part was the deepest part where the heavenly gate was located. How did he know about that? Just how much information does Momokawa know that we don't?

「You're really an idiot, Souma-kun. The only one who doubted me until the end was Takanashi. You should have trusted her.」

Takanashi-san was talking about this… She warned us not to trust Momokawa at that crucial moment. But after we managed to take down Yamata no Orochi without losing anyone, I completely let my guard down. I had completely forgotten her warning. The warning from the 『Sage』 was spot on.

「This is the last chance, so if there's anything you want to ask, now's the time. Though, with the poison spreading, you might not be able to speak much longer, you know?」

Thus, Momokawa's laugh resounded again. Amidst his fallen comrades, whom he had trusted, he stood alone, laughing, looking like a demon himself. Am I going to die in this kind of place… killed by him… However, no matter how much I regret it, my body was overwhelmed with the pain of the poison, leaving me completely powerless. Damn it, what kind of 『Hero』 am I… Unable to do anything and lying here in defeat at a time like this. If I don't at least strike back, I won't be able to rest in peace, even in death. Unforgivable, truly unforgivable.

Part 3

It's not just Reina. Momokawa betrayed everyone. Unforgivable――

「Guh, cough…」

Nevertheless, the condition of my body deteriorated with each passing second. Damn it, now even taking a breath became too painful for me. My body aside… I can barely lift my finger at this point. Grabbing a sword aside, I can't even stand on my feet anymore.

「….」

It couldn't even be called a meaningless, futile struggle; the last thing I could do was simply reach out, as if seeking something. The outstretched fingertips could only manage to twitch slightly. Even if I couldn't move anymore―― At that moment, I had a certain premonition. The light shining on my fingertip――

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「… It's not like I want to be a hero either.」

I just did everything I could. My top priority was surviving. And for Mei-chan's sake too. And now, I really did my best to ensure that none of us were dying. It didn't have to be a hero or brave. I didn't seek fame, nor did I care if no one recognized my hard work. All I wanted was for everyone to survive.

「It doesn't matter what Momokawa thinks. It's only natural to eliminate something that's getting in the way. They really caused a lot of trouble.」

「Have you been living all this time scared that you might get caught? That must have been quite a burden.」

「Hehe, the thought that I won't be hearing your cheeky voice much longer is a little sad」

「What kind of plan is that? Even if only you and Souma-kun survive, if you want to kill me, one of you will have to die」

「Kotori never said it has to be now, you know?」

My shadow, who was controlled by her to put poison into everyone's drink, was currently chatting along with Souma-kun. My shadow was speaking with such convincing acting that it seemed like Souma-kun might snap. Why is that? The real me wouldn't talk in such a sarcastic tone. Why did he fall for it so easily? This is why harem protagonists are such a pain in the ass. However, there might be a reason why this happened… No, there must be a reason. To direct all Souma-kun's hatred toward me. No, that was way too convenient; the reason might be to buy time.

「You're going to use everyone again, eh?」

「I don't need everyone, but I'll make sure to keep the necessary people. Of course, that includes Asuna-chan. After all, she's Kotori's best friend!」

Takanashi spoke boastfully with a carefree laugh on her face.

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TN: The title of this novel finally mentioned!

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Harem, Hero, Demon King, Seven Deadly Sin, Seven Virtue, Sacred Beast, Sword and Magic, Dystopian Future, DESTINY PROJECT HAD IT REALIZED!, Dungeon, Dragon, 72 Demons, Reincarnations

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