Vol 1 Chapter 2: The Hero’s Betrayal  (Great Labyrinth Arc)

Ever since then, I was constantly forced to take the front line, and the fatigue from battle kept piling up. My recovery couldn’t keep pace, and the exhaustion and wounds weighed on me like a burden.

Just when I was about to suggest that it was time for proper healing—or that I needed a potion—the cracked stone walls of the Grimoire Great Labyrinth trembled.

Reacting instantly, I tensed up, but Sieg held me back with a hand. Fixing his gaze into the darkness ahead, he said simply, “I sense the presence of the Demon King.”

Suddenly, I completely forgot about recovery and readied Asterion.

However, Sieg mentioned that there was still some distance between us and the threat.

“According to the king, the Demon King is supposed to be in the deepest part—the hundredth floor of the Grimoire Great Labyrinth—but it seems he has noticed us and emerged from the depths,” Sieg analyzed.

Taking in his analysis, I held my breath and silently asked: Are we going to fight him right away, or should we retreat? Or is there another plan?

After waiting for his answer, he unsheathed a gleaming sword and calmly said, “Kaim, keep drawing his attention as you have been. When there’s an opening, I’ll deliver the final blow with this sword.”

In his hand, the shining sword—Holy Sword Excalibur—is said to obliterate any demon. Although we hadn’t needed it throughout our battles so far, unsheathing it meant that he was serious.

In that case, my recovery had to be put on hold. With the remaining strength, I focused on creating an opening against the Demon King so that Sieg could take the offensive. Even the magical energy I reserved for healing needed to be conserved for buff and debuff spells.

With that in mind, I steeled myself for even further strain and advanced cautiously until, eventually, we emerged into an open area from the darkness.

At the far end, emanating overwhelming magical energy from in front of some kind of altar, I heard a sound as if someone were stretching their fingers, and flames lit up around me.

In an instant, everything became clearly visible. We found ourselves on a platform dotted with several crumbling cliffs leading into an abyss.

In that awkward battlefield, a lone figure stood.

“That must be the Demon King…”

A figure, exuding black magical energy, stood there. Though he didn’t appear to be a typical monster, it’s said that the most intelligent demons often resemble humans closely.

Judging by Sieg’s deduction, there was no doubt he was the Demon King. Moreover, there was no way that an ordinary monster would possess such immense magical power.

Yet, the Demon King’s appearance was that of a human. With a slender, tall frame and unnervingly long black hair, his hollow eyes—revealed between the strands—had a hue that was neither quite gray nor entirely black.

Then the Demon King spread his arms and opened his mouth.

“…I suppose I should say, ‘Welcome,’ would be appropriate, huh?”

As soon as the Demon King spoke, Sieg countered, “That was quite the warm welcome, wasn’t it?”

In any encounter between a hero and the Demon King, there was a set pattern: the hero, accompanied by comrades, challenges the Demon King, and the Demon King summons his monstrous minions to decide the outcome.

However, I was tired of such overused heroic tales. While exchanging words, Sieg patted my back and signaled, “Go ahead.”

Taking his cue, I mustered all my strength and charged headlong at the Demon King. Raising Asterion high, I closed in on him.

If possible, I wanted to land even one hit. With that in mind, I launched a desperate attack, yet for some reason the Demon King neither dodged nor formed a defensive barrier.

Instead, a slight smile curved his lips as he simply said, “Foolish.”

In that instant, I was struck from behind. By the time I realized it was a lightning-based attack spell, it was too late—lightning coursed over my unprotected back, paralyzing my entire body and rendering me immobile.

As a result, I collapsed right before the Demon King. I even let go of Asterion, and before I could comprehend what was happening, I managed to cry out, “What did I do…!?” Only to be met with a mocking retort, “I did nothing at all.”

“I, nor my subordinates, did anything.”

“What…?! Then what is with this lightning attack spell…?”

“Still not clear, huh? But that’s to be expected. Right, Sieg?”

Did he just call out to Sieg? His voice carried an unusual warmth.

While my body refused to obey, I felt someone’s foot crush down on my head. And then, from above, I heard the voice of the hero—Sieg—who had fought by my side this entire time.

“Yeah, isn’t it something? Things are happening that I never even dreamed of!”

I managed to glance up, and his face was unrecognizable from before. The resolute expression had been tainted by madness, and his gaze toward me was as if he were looking at garbage.

“Wh-why…?”

“Why? Why, you ask? Geez, now isn’t that a troublesome question! What exactly are you asking? Are you wondering why a hero would cozy up to the Demon King? Or are you asking why I’m stepping on a comrade’s face? Ah, or perhaps—”

When Sieg turned his eyes behind him, our female mage companions were having their clothes torn off by goblins and orcs, struggling and flailing about.

“Are you asking about how I brought a fine, divinely-sanctified woman as a tribute to the monsters?”

“Hey… no way…?”

The female mages who had fought alongside us were all supposed to be the ‘holy women’ destined, by the ritual of prophecy, to defeat the Demon King.

Are you saying that Sieg offered these women—far superior to a country bumpkin like me—as mere comfort for the monsters? Even though without them, the Demon King’s defeat would be impossible…

If that’s the case…

“Ah… you… you betrayed us, didn’t you!?”

“Betrayed? What a ridiculous thing to say! Listen up—this is preordained. It’s a promise, a contract, something that was decided long ago.”

“What did you say…?”

“Isn’t it the kind of story that really sells? The Hero Party set out to defeat the Demon King, but being overwhelmed, nearly got wiped out—only to let one hero escape as a last glimmer of hope. That’s the ‘scenario’! What a good joke, huh?! It’s one of my favorites!”

A scenario, you say? I don’t get it. But one thing’s for sure…

“You… no, you bastard…! You tricked us from the very beginning…!!”

Whether it was before we even challenged the Grimoire Great Labyrinth or back when the Hero Party was formed in the capital, it doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that this hero planned to deceive all of us—and get rid of us for the sake of his so-called ‘scenario.’

My voice, laden with hatred, and my glare seemed to have no effect on him, and soon he began to laugh, a low, mocking chuckle.

“Well, well—seemed like you were all proper and polite like a country bumpkin, but once you shed that thin veneer, your rough language came pouring out… Now then,”

In the midst of the female mages having their clothes ripped off and being attacked by monsters, Sieg casually scanned the area and grinned.

“There it is, there it is! A rare holy sword!”

“H-Hey! That thing is…!”

“Planning to call it your partner, are you? Well, maybe that’s true for now… It’d be a shame to tear it away from its owner… Ah, but hey! If the owner dies, then both the partner and everything else vanish, wouldn’t you say?”

“No, Asterion is…!”

Just as he was about to confess the truth, Sieg stamped hard on my face and then strode toward Asterion.

“You know, I recognized a country bumpkin who hadn’t even received a divine oracle as a Sword Saint solely because I was curious about that holy sword—even one I myself know nothing about. Now then, let’s see what kind of power it really holds by testing it on its owner!”

But the moment he grasped it—

“Ah! What is this sensation!?”

The instant Sieg took hold of Asterion, its blade began to glow black, and dark magical energy surged forth from its hilt. Even the Demon King, astonished by that power, spoke.

“This sensation… Could it be, that sword is…!?”

“Hey, Demon King! What the hell is going on! What is this sword! What have you done to me!?”

“…I can’t say exactly why it’s here. But one thing’s clear—this sword is dangerous. You’d do well to let it go.”

“Damn it! So it wasn’t a holy sword after all!”

As Sieg cursed and hurled Asterion away, I finally found a moment to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

“Ah, that’s right—it’s no holy sword.”

Somehow, I managed to get back on my feet and raised my hand. Instantly, the thrown Asterion flew back into my grasp. Once I caught it, the lingering numbness in my body vanished, and I felt in control again.

Grasping Asterion had somehow restored me a bit—maybe it was the buff effect at work. As its owner, I still don’t fully understand Asterion. But one thing was clear: the moment I took it in hand, all of my own magic was completely drained from my body.

With a self-mocking laugh, I sneered at Sieg, who had foolishly expected that thing to be a holy sword.

“Asterion is a selfish ‘demon sword’ that drains every bit of its owner’s magic—but only lends its power to the one who chooses to fight with it. Anyone else who dares hold it will be rejected with that pitch-black force, just like what you witnessed.”

As I said, Asterion so thoroughly drains its owner’s magic that they can’t even use the most basic spells, yet it grants overwhelming physical strength to those it deems worthy. But, of course, that isn’t the only drawback. Asterion chooses its user—and once chosen, forces a contract upon them.

Once that contract is sealed, whether you try to part with it or it comes back to you as it did now, it will keep absorbing your magic, leaving you unable to use any magic except for Enchant.

I could go on and mock Sieg for that, but…

“My fated encounter with this thing was just that—a destined meeting. It was pure luck that I managed to hold onto it without being rejected. But then, due to some complications, I ended up signing that contract.”

With my magic completely drained, I was forced—whether I liked it or not—to hammer swordsmanship into my very body. Back home, I’d be cast out as the cursed sword wielder… For some reason, I can only use magic related to Asterion, so even after training hard and registering as an adventurer just to keep fighting, every day has been a struggle.

Since I have no magic, I can’t job change, and there’s no party that would take on a rookie adventurer with no accomplishments. And if I show off my power too much, I’ll just end up being seen as creepy.

Well, when I seriously swung Asterion, no one could keep up anyway.

In any case, ever since I decided to fight with Asterion, I’ve been battling solo as an adventurer.

“Even if I’m the only one paid for the rewards, there are days with no requests at all. Even when I’m starving, I just can’t let go of Asterion. So, by cutting my losses and always giving it my all, before I knew it, the guild recommended me as a Sword Saint.”

After that came days filled with memorizing unfamiliar etiquette. But it paid off—I was chosen as a Sword Saint.

Apparently, Sieg had been pulling strings behind the scenes.

“Well, anyway, it was such an unexpected chance that I tried to act all Sword Saint-like and add luster to the Hero Party—only to end up like this… But more importantly—”

I smirked and laughed at Sieg.

“Looks like Asterion has rejected you, huh? Hero?”

Sieg’s face flashed with barely concealed anger, but he quickly regained his composure and unsheathed Excalibur. Soon, the Demon King’s minions appeared, and I found myself surrounded. Even though I’m nothing but a scumbag, there’s no way I can contend with hero Sieg, the Demon King, and the other monsters all at once.

Cornered relentlessly, I spotted a huge, collapsed pit stretching down to the depths right behind me.

…It can’t be helped. At this point, I have no choice but to take a long shot.

“The next time we meet, you’ll pay for your trickery!”

That is, if we ever meet again.

Sieg, seemingly aware of what was about to happen, tried to close the distance—but it was already too late.

“I’ll crawl my way back up, so be ready for it, alright?”

And with that, I hurled myself into the gaping pit behind me.