I Decided to Abandon the Traitors Who Planned to Use and Dispose of Me, the Hero, at the Last Moment. - Chapter 01: Final Battle? No, It's an NTR Exposure and Payback Party!

Chapter 01: Final Battle? No, It’s an NTR Exposure and Payback Party!

This is the Demon Lord’s castle, located deep in the demon territory, in the throne room. 

The once-luxurious castle, with its grand decorations, is now half-destroyed by the intense battle. Large holes in the walls and ceiling expose the outside world.

“Hah… Hah… We’ve won! It’s over, Demon Lord!”

The one raising her voice without letting her guard down is Hilde, the knight princess. She has golden hair tied at the back of her head and is clad in shining silver armor. A beautiful swordswoman, her swordsmanship is praised as the best in our homeland, the Kingdom of Netrik.

“Dear Goddess, we thank you for your blessing. This is the kingdom’s victory.”

The one dressed in a nun’s habit and offering prayers is the party’s healer, Saintess Cecilia. She’s the owner of the party’s largest bust, and she’s clasping her hands in prayer over her ample chest, likely because our victory is now certain.

“Forget that, I’m getting all worked up. I wanna warp to the trade city and hit up a brothel for a threesome. But I’m broke… Ahh, mixing it up with a succubus and a mermaid was the best! Just remembering it makes me feel all frustrated, ahhh…”

Thorn, the rogue, is apparently overwhelmed by his lust, getting all riled up. Well, Thorn being Thorn, this is nothing new.

“Now, don’t let your guard down and finish him off, Elliot!!”

My childhood friend and lover, the mage Marle, urged me to deliver the final blow. 

Among the party members, she’s the only one from the same mountain village as me. Her talent for magic was discovered, and she was blessed by the goddess, chosen as the party’s magic specialist.

After we lost our parents to an epidemic when we were young, we clung to each other and survived through sheer determination. She has always been my beloved. Though she still has the same strong-willed nature from childhood, ever since we set out on this journey, she’s developed a soft, feminine grace.

When I shifted my gaze from Marle, I saw the Demon Lord standing before me. He was nearly twice the height of a normal person, with a muscular body. A single horn protruded from the center of his forehead, and his light purple skin marked him as a demon. The Demon Lord was clearly exhausted, barely standing, and seemed to have no strength left to counterattack. His eyes urged me to finish him off.

Maybe, after fighting to his last breath, he had accepted that his fate was to be slain by me.

“I do not fear death, even in defeat. Come, strike me down, ‘Hero’!!”

There was no doubt that the battle was over… so I lowered my sword. 

This journey had been incredibly long. It had been painful to suppress my emotions and hide my true intentions. So, a smile crept across my face—one of joy. The joy of finally getting my revenge.

“Ah, it’s over—so I’m quitting this fight right here.”

No one had expected these words, and everyone, except for one person, widened their eyes in shock—both the members of the hero’s party and the Demon Lord alike.

“W-What are you saying, Hero!? Why would you do such a thing? You’re the only one who can bypass the Demon Lord’s damage immunity and deal the final blow!”

The first to object was Saintess Cecilia. 

She rushed over to me, desperately urging me to finish the Demon Lord. And she was right—I was the only one capable of truly defeating him.

I knew that well. But it seemed like she still couldn’t grasp why I was quitting the fight. So, though it was a hassle, I figured I’d explain everything to her from the start. I pointed my sword at Cecilia, a cold smile forming on my face.

“Why, you ask? I’ll ask you instead—why wouldn’t I? After all, how can the women who were busy sleeping with that prince behind my back, planning to betray me once the Demon Lord was defeated, dare to tell me to kill him now?”

My words drained the color from Cecilia’s face. I didn’t miss the fact that Hilde, and even my childhood friend and lover, Marle, also paled at what I said.

“What are you talking about, Elliot!? Don’t start spouting such nonsense out of nowhere! You’re the only one I’ve ever loved!!”

Marle was the first to argue back, but considering she’s been my childhood friend and fiancée for ten years, I guess that’s to be expected. “You’re the only one I’ve ever loved,” huh? What a nice line. Almost moving… but ultimately meaningless.

“Is that so? Really? Well then, let’s see… click.”

In response to Marle’s words, Thorn, who had quietly moved right next to me, pulled out a crystal from his pocket with a smirk and activated it with those words.

『Ahhn, yes, Prince! It feels so good!』

『That’s it, Marle! You’ve really improved since your first time! You’re so much better now! Once the hero defeats the Demon Lord, I’ll make you a noble and my concubine!』

『Haahhn, I’m so happy ♡! Ditching that country bumpkin Elliot to be with you was the best decision ever!』

『That’s right, that’s right! And once the Demon Lord is defeated, make sure to get rid of the hero too! There’s no room for someone more famous than me in my glorious reign!!』

Projected in the air for everyone to see was the image of Marle riding on top of the prince of Netrik, the kingdom that had sent us on this mission.

“Nooooooo!!”

Marle let out a scream of pure shame and confusion at seeing her own disgraceful behavior displayed for all to see. 

Thorn had commissioned this magical recording device from a dwarven workshop, and its effectiveness was perfect!

Even the Demon Lord, caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, was watching with bated breath. I’m sorry, really. Sorry for the sudden in-fighting. But please, forgive me.

“Still going strong! Take this! And this! And this! Yeah, yeah, yeah!! Eat it, you cheating bitches! Hahaha!!”

Without missing a beat, Thorn continued pulling out crystal after crystal, activating them one by one.

Soon, the Saintess—no, Slutess Cecilia—was projected, moaning as she clung to the prince. Then, Hilde appeared, reveling in being insulted and humiliated. Both Cecilia and Hilde gasped in shock and screamed as their betrayals were exposed.

The prince had promised all three of them—Cecilia, Hilde, and Marle—that if they helped him eliminate me after defeating the Demon Lord, he would raise them to noble status and make them his concubines.

Unable to cover up their betrayal, all they could do was scream in a desperate attempt to drown out the images and sounds of their disgrace that played out before everyone.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment!! I wanted to see that look on your faces!! The faces of traitors, realizing they’ve been exposed and left in despair! WAHAHAHAHA! WEAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Thorn, full of life and energy, laughed heartily, his chin thrust forward as he mocked the women. Honestly, I’ll let him do as he pleases since this whole revenge plan was his idea in the first place.

“You two-faced, backstabbing sluts!! You flirted with Elliot throughout the journey, all the while secretly ‘connected’ with the prince!!”

I didn’t really understand what Thorn meant with his gestures, but he was flipping off the three women, taunting them relentlessly. They couldn’t even respond; all they could do was keep screaming in shock and horror.

Sometimes, Thorn’s actions are a bit hard to comprehend, like that strange middle finger gesture. However, the magical recording device he came up with, which captured all their betrayals on crystal, was incredibly effective in this moment. Thanks to Thorn, I learned about their treachery, and now I could savor this sweet payback.

…And finally, at this point, the three traitors seemed to realize that their betrayals had been completely exposed.