Betrayal

Slash.

A deep gash tore open across my chest.

"Guh... how could this be..."

With those final words, the Demon King collapsed.

I finally did it. I took down the Demon King!

The entire journey flashed through my mind.

I was a modern Earthling summoned to another world as a Hero. My name on Earth was Choi Tae-o. Here, I chose something close—Teo.

The Emperor of the Empire that summoned me asked me to defeat the Demon King. He told me that if I succeeded, the Goddess would grant any wish I desired, so I trained with everything I had.

Back then, my only wish was to go home.

Aside from eating and sleeping, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I spent nearly every waking moment training. Once I had grown strong enough, I even cut back on sleep to push myself harder. When the Hero Party formed, I did everything I could to take care of them. When we brought down the Four Heavenly Kings, we celebrated together.

Maybe that was when it started.

My wish changed. I no longer wanted to return alone—I wanted to live happily with my companions.

Training side by side, sharing meals, fighting together... the bonds we forged grew far stronger than any longing for home.

I kept the matter of the wish a secret from them. I planned to tell them everything the moment we defeated the Demon King—that I had come from another world, that the Goddess would grant a wish, and what I intended to ask for.

Filled with joy, I started to turn around to share it all.

Thud.

An arrow buried itself in my arm.

"Ugh?! What the hell—"

"Die!"

I spun around at the shout and found Silvia, the golden-haired elf archer, drawing a bead on me with her bow.

Fiora, the red-haired mage, was already tracing a magic circle and chanting Hellfire. Velis, the green-haired beastman rogue, had her daggers leveled at my throat. And Ariel, the white-haired Saintess, was casting buffs over all of them.

The Hero Party I had fought beside all this time was turning on me. My mind went blank. I forgot even to raise a shield. Hellfire slammed into me full force.

BOOOOM!

"Gaaah!"

The blast hurled me backward.

Thud!

I smashed into the wall and crumpled. More arrows and another Hellfire came screaming toward me.

Thwip-thwip-thwip!

BOOM!

"Aaaagh! Why?!"

The question tore out of me, but no one answered. They only kept attacking.

Whizz. Crash. Rumble.

Silvia's arrows kept punching into my body. Magic of every element hammered me without mercy. If I hadn't possessed a Hero's body, I would have been dead already.

No—even a Hero's body wouldn't last much longer.

I was barely hanging on when—

Thud!

A searing pain exploded from my gut. I looked down.

The tip of a dagger was sticking out through my stomach.

Velis had ambushed me from behind.

Normally I would have dodged it without effort, but I was far from normal. I had poured nearly everything into the fight against the Demon King, and my body was already riddled with arrows and scorched by magic. Taking a wound that punched clean through me on top of all that was simply too much.

My vision blurred. Strength drained from my legs. I toppled forward.

Even as I fell, questions flooded my mind.

"Wh...y... me...?"

"Because you were going to betray us!"

"...What?"

Fiora's words ignited a raw fury inside me.

What the hell was she talking about? I never once thought of betraying them. All I wanted was for us to be happy together.

I wanted to scream it, but my voice no longer worked.

"Teo, I trusted you! Everything you showed us was a lie. And I still liked you!"

Fiora—the girl who used to trail after me like a little sister, always saying she liked me—spun around in a rage and stormed out of the chamber.

"If you hadn't tried to betray us, we could have gone back to the Empire laughing together. You piece of trash."

Velis, who had always leaned on me as much as I leaned on her, spat the curse and left.

"In the end you were just another human. I was a fool for ever opening my heart to you. Die slowly."

Silvia—the elf who had opened her heart only to us—walked out with a face twisted in fury.

And the Saintess, Ariel...

Drip. Drip. Drip.

She simply stood there, tears falling.

I couldn't make out her expression clearly.

She stared at me for a long time, then turned without a word and left.

I felt hollow.

I couldn't understand any of it. What possible reason did they have to believe I was going to betray them?

The thought barely formed before my mind grew hazy and my eyes began to close. Then a pure white light flared before me, and the world stopped.

All the pain stopped with it.

I was still reeling from the sudden stillness when a beautiful woman with golden hair and white robes appeared.

It was the Goddess who had brought me here.

Rage surged through me at her words.

Now you want me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to make a wish? Are you kidding me?

I was dying. I had just been betrayed. And she wanted a wish?

I raged at her in my heart, but there was no one to answer.

At least tell me why they betrayed me!

"...Is that your wish?"

For a split second I almost said yes. I barely held it back.

The first thing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that rose when I heard the word "wish" was revenge against the companions who had turned on me. But then the memories of everything we had shared came flooding back.

"You're the Hero? Fine. I'll do my part. Don't talk to me unless you have to."

"Uh... o-okay."

At first she had been wary of every human.

"Silvia! I found you a better bow! It should feel a lot smoother to shoot."

"Why would you give something like this to me...?"

I kept treating her with kindness anyway.

"Th-that wound... is it all right—n-never mind."

"Huh? Are you worried about me right now?"

"N-no! I just—"

"Heh. Thanks."

Slowly she opened her heart, until—

"Teo! I've learned a new technique! Will you spar with me?"

"Of course! Come at me!"

—Silvia became a true companion.

"Hi! I'm Fiora! Future Archmage, just so you know!"

"That so? I'm Teo. Looking forward to working with you."

She had been full of confidence when we first met.

"If I do it like this here...!"

"Whoa! How did you do that? Teach me!"

But underneath it all she was still a kid.

"Heehee! Teo's so nice I love him! Marry me!"

"Come back when you're taller."

"Hmph. Just you wait!"

She trailed after me declaring her affection, the cute little-sister mage Fiora.

"Teo, wait up!"

"I'm going to the bathroom."

"Ah—s-sorry."

"Hey there. So you're the Hero? How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"Then I'm the noona here. Call me Noona. Come on—Noona."

"Huh?"

She had thrown me off at first.

"Aww, our little Hero's all worn out? Leave it to this noona!"

"Noona, I'm fine, really—"

"Tsk!"

"Yes, ma'am."

She looked after everyone.

"...Noona? Are you crying?"

"Hic?! Y-you saw that? N-no, this is just—dust in my eye, that's all..."

She put on a tough front, but inside she was softer than anyone.

"Honestly. If you're hurt, say so. Leaving it alone will only make it worse!"

"It's nothing serious—"

"Ah-ah! Stay still!"

"Ow! That spot hurts!"

Always fretting over the rest of us—Velis the beastman.

"Ah... h-hello. I-I'm Ariel..."

"Hey. Nice to meet you."

She had been painfully shy.

Crash!

"Ah! I-I'm so sorry! I-it was an accident..."

"It's fine. Really. These things happen."

She made mistakes constantly, yet—

"Kyaa! I did it, Hero!"

"You finally got it! Well done!"

"It's all thanks to you, Hero."

—she overcame her nature and grew stronger, until—

"Teo? Do I... look like a real Saintess now?"

"You always did. You've just become an even more impressive one."

"...Thank you."

—Ariel found her confidence.

All those shared memories rose one after another, and the thirst for revenge that had been sitting in a corner of my heart simply melted away.

Whether they had been sincere or not, every moment had been real for me.

When things got hard we leaned on each other. When someone was hurt we worried. Every second we spent together had been happiness.

That was why I had wanted us all to keep being happy together. But that was no longer possible.

I thought for a long time, then decided.

My choice was—

I want to return to my original world, unharmed.

"Is that your wish?"

Yes.

So I can quietly leave the memories behind and live alone.

So that someday I can forget even the fact that they betrayed me.

Home.

Back to Earth, where I belonged.

"...Are you certain?"

Yeah. Send me back.

"...Very well. May fortune favor the path you have chosen."

The Goddess's expression looked bitter as she spoke.

She vanished, and I found myself back in the place where I had fallen.

My body began to mend. Light started to pour from my skin.

That was when—

Bang! Clatter-crash!

Fiora kicked the door open and burst inside. Behind her came ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Silvia, Velis, and Ariel.

The sight of their faces made my chest ache.

Afraid any lingering attachment would hold me, I deliberately looked away and surrendered myself to the light.

They saw me growing translucent and started to say something—then the radiance swallowed me whole.