S-Rank Adventurer Betrayed by His Fiancée in the Hero’s Party Sets Off on a Journey to Heal His Broken Heart ~The Strongest Betrayed Adventurer Ends Up Forming a Harem Party~ - Chapter 33: The Past Never Stops, and the Truth is Revealed

Chapter 33: The Past Never Stops, and the Truth is Revealed

“Fuck you! All you did was send money and supplies! We were the ones who risked our lives fighting the Demon King and finally took him down!”

Yuto Amano, the ‘Hero’.

He was once just an ordinary high school student, living a peaceful life in Japan.

A nobody who had nothing to do with violence, suddenly summoned to another world and thrown into life-or-death battles.

For him, the achievement of defeating the Demon King was everything.

It was the absolute proof of his identity as a Hero and a validation of his struggles—

A treasured memory, like a storybook tale of bonds forged through battle.

(I worked hard, I got hurt so many times! I deserve to enjoy the rewards! Besides, Millia is my comrade! There’s no way she’d pick someone like him over a ‘Hero who saved the world’!)

The Demon King was not just invading the world—

He sought to destroy it entirely.

He commanded monstrous beasts that once coexisted with nature and had the terrifying ability to absorb magic from his surroundings.

Even in battle, he continuously drained magic from nearby creatures, making himself stronger without limit—

And even when defeated, he would simply resurrect again and again.

To stop this endless cycle, the Holy Sword, which could purge evil, was needed.

And only the unique job of Hero could wield it.

This was the reason why no one had been able to defeat the Demon King until now.

“We were fighting for our lives in the final battle! The Demon King’s attacks nearly killed us! We only survived because everyone here gave it their all! So don’t you dare criticize us when you weren’t even there!”

A little over a month ago—

During the final battle, even the northern military nation had provided support, helping clear out the surrounding monsters while the Hero’s Party stormed the Demon King’s castle.

They had barely managed to reach the Demon King, using the Holy Sword to block his power.

Even then, the Demon King was overwhelmingly strong, and after a desperate struggle, they somehow managed to defeat him.

To Yuto, that victory was something only they had achieved.

Someone who wasn’t even there had no right to criticize it—he yelled in frustration.

—Unaware that to some, their battle was nothing more than a farce, balancing on the thinnest of ice.

“Honestly, the Demon King was so weak that three S-Rank adventurers could have beaten him full power over and over again without breaking a sweat.”

“…Huh?”

“What…?”

“Surprised I went after him? Well, I had to test my strength after reaching S-Rank. And the Demon King was a perfect target. I mean, it was an easy way to meet him… Though I couldn’t finish him off. Turns out you really do need the Hero and the Holy Sword to get rid of him for good.”

Back when Abel had just become an S-Rank, he had suggested an idea to some fellow S-Rank adventurers he met by chance—to launch a surprise attack on the Demon King’s castle.

They had managed to kill the Demon King multiple times with ease, but they couldn’t stop his resurrection and were forced to withdraw.

“That’s why I set the stage for your final battle.”

Abel had thought it through carefully.

If only the Hero could truly kill the Demon King, then he needed to create the perfect conditions to make it happen.

There were three major obstacles standing in the way:

First, the countless monsters swarming around the Demon King’s castle.

However, with enough skilled fighters gathered, they could hold them off and secure an escape route for the Hero’s Party.

Second, the Demon King’s raw power without his ability to replenish magic.

An S-Rank adventurer alone could surpass him in strength, and if the entire Hero’s Party fought together, they could manage.

But the biggest challenge… was the Demon King’s army—100,000 Demonkin.

These creatures were far beyond the capabilities of A-Rank adventurers.

Only S-Ranks could stand a chance against them.

So when the final battle began, with countless forces united in a massive invasion, what did Abel do?

“While the Demon King’s army was secretly gathering to ambush you… I crashed their little meeting and kept them busy.”

His words left not just the Hero’s Party speechless, but even King Randed let out a stunned gasp.

“You noticed there were barely any Demonkin during the final battle, right? That was no coincidence. I lured them away… to make sure they wouldn’t kill your precious Hero.”

It was true.

The final battle only happened because they judged the Demon King’s army to be weakened and the number of Demonkin to be low.

But now… they were hearing that the army had actually been lying in wait, ready to ambush them?

The so-called Demon King’s army wasn’t a well-structured military force—it was just a massive horde of unruly Demonkin.

Even so, with over 100,000 of them, they were an overwhelming threat.

The higher-ranked Demonkin were so powerful that even the Hero’s Party could barely hold their own against them.

The original plan was to slowly reduce their numbers over time by picking them off one by one… or so they had believed.

“I managed to convince a few other S-Ranks to lend a hand… They only helped with a single attack, but it was enough to cripple half the Demonkin army. After that, I pretty much held them off by myself.”

Negotiating with S-Rank adventurers hadn’t been easy, but Abel had persuaded them to unleash a single devastating attack on the Demon King’s army.

That alone had wiped out a huge portion of the horde.

He also made sure to arrange for someone to pull him out if things got too dangerous.

Then, without hesitation, he had dived straight into the fray, taking on the remaining forces single-handedly.

“Thanks to that, I ended up with some pretty serious injuries and had to rest for a while… Well, I guess you could say that’s how I ended up stumbling onto that scene.”

Abel spoke with a wry smile, but the weight of his words left the room in stunned silence.

No one could fully grasp what he had done.

But there was one thing they all understood—

Without Abel, they would have never won the final battle.

“That has to be… me? This was supposed to be my great achievement…!”

“Abel… huh? How did you even get that strong? This… this has to be a lie.”

“We… we were just being carried the whole time… weren’t we…!?”

“This is… if all of this is true, then he was the true key to our victory. How can we ever repay him—!”

(Awabababa—Abel-sama is just way too amazing, isn’t he? So cool—)

Everyone in the room, including King Randed, was left in shock.

Only Ciel, maintaining a blank expression, seemed on the verge of mental collapse.

“I hope that clears things up. And, considering I sent you guys ridiculously expensive gear, I’d say the compensation I asked for is fair… right? Eh? It’s normal…?—No, it’s totally fair. For example, that Hero-exclusive armor… the one I found in an ancient ruin?”

“My… armor…?”

The legendary armor worn by the very first Hero, an otherworlder summoned long ago.

Combined with the Hero’s job, it granted near-impenetrable defense against most attacks.

In a game, it would have been considered a cheat-level item.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Yuto had survived thanks to that armor.

“Oh, and let’s not forget… it wasn’t originally yours, but that legendary shield, Zekka, crafted by the ancient dwarves—I’m the one who found it and sent it over.”

“…My shield too…?”

Ed’s shield, Zekka, was a powerful enchanted magic shield,

an incredibly rare artifact that enhanced his unique Holy Knight job,

allowing him to protect those around him with unmatched defensive capabilities.

The fact that their entire party was still alive today was largely thanks to that shield.

“Oh, and remember how that stubborn military nation finally sent reinforcements? That was because I negotiated directly with their emperor.”

“—And the ‘Progenitor’ vampire that blocked your way during your journey? I fought him and made him step aside, so you guys could move ahead faster.”

“—Also, all those nationwide crises. The A-Rank and S-Rank monsters, the stampedes, and even that ‘dragon’ rampaging across the land? I handled all of that.”

“I was the one who gathered the items needed to break the barrier around the Demon King’s castle, too. Oh, and let’s not forget—”

On and on, Abel listed off the countless ways he had helped the Hero’s Party behind the scenes.

It all started to make sense.

The Hero’s Party had been outright rejected by the military nation’s emperor—yet suddenly, they were provided with troops.

When they ventured into the northern lands, a terrifying Progenitor vampire—stronger than even the Demon King—had once blocked their path.

But the next time they tried to confront him, he was simply… gone.

They were constantly being dragged from one crisis to another, facing monster attacks and emergencies across the continent—but at some point, those threats seemed to lessen, giving them more time to rest and train.

…And now they realized the reason.

It was all because of Abel.

Yuto had indeed defeated the Demon King.

But in reality—

Abel had taken care of everything else they were supposed to handle.

Their so-called journey of trials had been nothing more than a heavily shortened, easier version of what it should have been.

“Oh, and about the compensation—I’ll only accept the payment directly from the two of you. No help from the kingdom or your friends, alright? The Souther Sky Faith will be watching closely, so don’t even try it. But hey, I’m not forcing you to pay. If you don’t mind the punishment staying in place, feel free to ignore it. You’re free to rely on your country or friends for anything else. You can still survive somehow, right?”

“Oh, and one more thing… I remember taking down about 40% of the Demonkin army during the final battle, but there’s still about 60% left. Good luck with that.”

Abel’s face, though distant, carried a hint of sadness—

Yet, at the same time, there was a sense of relief in his expression.

“From now on, I’m going to live for my own happiness. For starters… let’s just call it a healing journey. So—please, don’t get involved with me anymore.”

The woman he once vowed to spend his life with, the childhood friend who had once saved him—

There were surely lingering emotions, but in the end, it was Millia who had made the choice that led to this.

Spilled water cannot be gathered back into the cup.

The past cannot be undone.

“That’s all I have to say. From now on, let’s both do our best—”

“—Wait, hold on! Abel might be done talking, but we still have something to say!”

“Oh my, you’re joining? Then I should come too~”

“If that’s the case, count me in!”

Just as Abel was about to wrap things up—A lively, confident voice suddenly interrupted from off-screen, and soon after, figures appeared in the frame.

A striking beauty with short blonde hair, tied in the back like a tail, and a slender, model-like figure stepped into view.

And she wasn’t alone.

Two identical women with violet hair and curvaceous, almost dangerously voluptuous figures followed behind her.

One had softly wavy hair, while the other’s flowed straight and silky as they swayed with each step.

Millia recognized them instantly.

They were fellow adventurers she had worked with before—sometimes even forming parties together.

In many ways, they were both rivals and acquaintances in the field… and beyond.

“Huh… Elmie!? Frey… and even Maria!? Why are they here!?”

Millia’s confusion grew with the sudden appearance of the three women, but the recorded message continued without mercy.

“Three years ago, we didn’t have a chance… but since you let go of him, it’s fair game now, right!?”

With flushed cheeks, Elmie clung tightly to Abel’s right arm, glaring at the screen with a challenging expression.

The look on her face made her feelings crystal clear.

“You went a little too far, Millia. I don’t know how much you’ve changed in these past three years… but it’s clear it wasn’t for the better. It’s really a shame.”

“Letting go of such a great guy is a huge waste, you know? But hey, for us, it’s perfect, so thanks for that!”

From behind, Frey wrapped her arms around Abel’s neck, while Maria intertwined her fingers with his in an alluring manner.

“Uh… hey, you three? Wait, this wasn’t in the script—”

Abel, the only one looking genuinely flustered, tried to protest.

But the women surrounding him were dead serious.

With unwavering determination, Elmie turned her gaze directly at the recording crystal.

“A woman who drove her own lover to the brink of suicide isn’t a friend of mine anymore. You can go cry about it somewhere else. —Abel belongs to us now!”

Click.

With that final, decisive declaration from the blonde woman, the recording abruptly ended.

“…Huh? HUUUH!? What the hell…!?”

The moment the footage cut off, Millia exploded in rage, still unable to process what she had just seen.

“Those… those thieving cats! They were always eyeing my Abel! I let it slide because I thought they were my friends! They must have tricked him!”

Millia’s frustration boiled over as she ranted.

“There’s no way I’ll let them take him! Abel is mine!“

Perhaps it was for the best that this conversation hadn’t happened in real-time through a farseeing crystal.

Even though Abel had asked for sincerity, trying to mend things with an open heart…

“He put me through all this… and now he’s surrounded by those beauties!? I won’t forgive him…! I’ll kill him…!!”

Neither of them showed any sign of remorse.

Especially Yuto—the way he looked now, he seemed angry enough to resort to violence.
But that plan, along with his confidence, was shattered in less than a day.

・　・　・　・　・

Later that evening, an article appeared in the Cahel Guild News, which had been unusually quiet after the whole incident.

The headline read:

“A Massive Stampede of 10,000 Monsters—S-Rank Adventurer ‘Four Swords’ Abel Displays a Heroic Battle.”

Along with the article detailing how Abel single-handedly crushed the overwhelming horde,

a farseing crystal in the guild displayed an astonishing scene.

The footage, captured by an unknown source, showed Abel standing against a swarm of 10,000 monsters—not just holding his ground, but overpowering and completely dominating them.

The image of him, grinning madly with an aura of absolute strength, cutting through the horde as if he could slice the very earth itself, sent shivers down the spines of all who watched.

Those who had once feared S-Rank adventurers and had previously scoffed at the guild’s silence…

Those who had mocked him, calling him a “loser who got his lover stolen by the Hero”…

All of them fell silent.

Everyone who saw the recording was once again reminded of what it truly meant to be an S-Rank—of the sheer, terrifying power they possessed.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

Hello, this is Sora Akatsuki!

I’ve been eager to show you all this part of the story.

At last, Abel’s actions have been revealed—

How did you enjoy the whirlwind of foreshadowing finally coming together?

The Hero thought he was following the intended route.

He was riding high, thinking “I’m so OP!!! I’m amazing!!!” after clearing the Demon King so quickly.

But of course, if you’ve got a cheat mob running around behind the scenes—handling all the key item collecting, money farming, side quests (fetch quests, transport missions, and chain quests)—then naturally, you’re going to speed through the game.

Originally, it should have taken much longer—getting stronger, gathering items, weakening the Demon King’s forces bit by bit… and only then facing him.

But someone wanted the game cleared faster.

And what they did… was become a cheat in more ways than one.