“Foil…I am the Hero. It’s my duty to save the people. So please, hand over the Holy Sword. Then there’d be no need for me to defeat you.”
I’m shocked by his words. Rather than demanding I hand it over, Yuu is trying to resolve this through dialogue.
“It’s true, what happened with Sir Gladius and Lady Mary was unfortunate. By the time I arrived…the people had already…But Foil. There aren’t many terrible rumors about you. So please, surrender. I’ll plead your case at the temple too! I swear no undue harm will come to you! So please…!”
“…Hah. You really haven’t changed.”
“Hm?”
My muttered words are too soft for Yuu to hear.
Yuu remains the same kind soul he’s always been.
But that’s no good.
Yuu needs to seize back the Holy Sword through force.
Yes, I’m the enemy. The obstacle standing in the way of the Hero. The enemy exists to be defeated.
Now then, time to play my final role.
“Hahaha! No deal. Because I’m the [Hero]! Why should I hand over the Holy Sword to small fry like you? I’m the one chosen by the Goddess!”
“How dare you! The true Hero is Yuu! Not an impostor like you! “
“Oho, so I’ve been wondering why everyone says Yuu is the Hero…So it was you, huh?”
The priestess screams as I glare at her. Mei steps forwards to shield her.
“I won’t let you hurt Chris, Foil!”
“Ahh, Mei. You look even lovelier than you did a year ago.”
It’s only been about a year since I last saw her, but Mei has become truly beautiful. Seeing my tattered form, she gasps.
“Enough with the flattery! More importantly, hand over the Holy Sword to Yuu at once! That belongs to Yuu! So stop clinging to it when you’re in such a state!”
I sense her sympathy for me in her words, and my resolve threatens to waver. To distract myself, I blurt out:
“I refuse! I am the [Hero]! As such, I am the only one worthy to wield this Holy Sword! However, if you insist, Yuu – let us duel, one on one. You and me. We’ll determine once and for all who is more worthy of the title [Hero]!”
Raising the jet-black sword towards him, a one-sided declaration. No need whatsoever for him to accept. But I was certain Yuu would rise to the bait.
“Fine then.”
“Yuu!”
“Yuu!”
“Bro Yuu!”
“Dear!”
Yuu’s companions cry out in concern as one.
I have to resist breaking out into a smile.
He’s fortunate to have such excellent companions. Unlike me and my party…I’m a little envious.
After reassuring his friends, Yuu turns his gaze towards me. It appears preparations are complete.
Yuu and I take our stances at a distance, ready ourselves, and clash.
The difference is obvious immediately. Speed, power, skill. Compared to before, Yuu has grown tremendously.
“Brings back memories, doesn’t it! We used to spar like this with sticks!”
“Yeah…it does!”
“Remember? No matter how many times we fought, you could never beat me! Every time, little crybaby Yuu would run off to Mei for comfort!”
“That’s right…! I never managed to defeat Foil even once…!”
“Then surrender like a good boy! And revoke your claim to the title [Hero]!”
“No!”
Yuu deflects my strike.
I can plainly see my own blows lack the refinement I once wielded. Both exhaustion and repeated battles have taken their toll, and I struggle to focus on Yuu. Yet Yuu does not press the attack.
Even now, he hesitates to cut me down.
“Tch! Quit messin’ around!”
“Wha- Guh!”
I rush in close and swing the Holy Sword will all my remaining might. Yuu barely catches it in time, losing his footing. I take the chance to kick him in the gut.
“Gah…haah…”
“Honestly. You’re too soft, Yuu.”
Yes, Yuu is kind.
But that kindness will see him fail as the Hero who must fight the Demon King. If he cannot seriously try to defeat me, he has no hope against the Demon King. I know the horrors demons are capable of better than anyone.
That’s why Yuu needs to learn ruthlessness as well. But after our long history, I know that would be asking too much. I understand Yuu is kind – too kind, perhaps. Yet that kindness is also his strength.
However, if things continue like this…I cannot rest easy and consider my duty fulfilled. And so an idea comes to me as I spot the priestess who realized Yuu’s identity. This is it. Time to shock Yuu out of his kindheartedness.
“Say, Yuu. That priestess – Christina? She seems quite impressive, recognizing you as the [Hero] at such a young age.
“So what?”
“In other words, she must have considerable influence within the church. Maybe I should claim her for myself! That would restore my reputation too, wouldn’t it~?”
I leer crudely. Deplorably.
“Foil!”
“Getting angry? Show me that anger, vent it all on me! Come on!”
Clear fury awakens in Yuu’s eyes.
Yuu swung his sword at me with more speed than ever before.
He likely thinks I will easily block it like his previous strikes.
That’s why I –
“I’ll just…smile, Foil…”
“Hmph.”
“No, stop!”
Without blocking with the Holy Sword, I take the blow directly.
Yuu is stunned speechless, while Mei screams as if in anguish.
“Foil!”
“Yes…you really have grown strong, Yuu. Truly.”
“H-Hurry, treat the wound!”
“Don’t! This is my just reward. For all the lies I’ve spun until now…”
“Lies? What? I don’t understand! Chris, please! Save Foil…!”
“It’s too deep…! With my meager holy magic…!”
“No way…! Foil! Foil!”
Yuu’s voice sounds distant to me. He calls my name over and over.
There’s no saving me now. I will die here, having deceived the people for so long.
…Isn’t this for the best, though?
Oh goddess or whatever. Even if I’m bound for hell, at least at the end…let me speak the truth to my childhood friends…
“….Yuu. You’ve really grown into it. A true [Hero].”
” Foil-kun, no, don’t. Shut up, don’t talk, the wound will worsen soon.”
” Stop it!”
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Yu’s movements halt at my words.
“It’s okay. This is the future I chose.”
“Why, why are you talking as if you wanted this?”
“Yu.”
Interrupting the conversation, I address Yu, looking straight into his eyes.
“I knew, Yu. I really knew. I understood. That you’re the [Hero]. I knew it from the beginning. Do you remember? When we, as kids, secretly went into the depths of the forest, calling it an expedition, away from the adults.”
Yu holds back the flowing blood, tears welling up in his eyes as he nods.
“At that time, monsters appeared from the forest. And one of our friends was torn apart. …At that moment, I ran away. Thought he was already dead. Wanted to survive. Under the guise of calling adults, I escaped from there. But Yu, you were different. You faced it with a stick in hand.”
In the end, Mei-chan, who noticed the situation, called soldiers who arrived and defeated the monsters. The torn child was saved.
Looking back, the essence had already appeared at that time.
“Yu, you faced it, and I ran away. That’s all.”
Facing a monster that couldn’t be beaten. People might call it recklessness or foolishness.
Still, to face such a thing with a stick to protect a friend, the only word for that courage is courage.
I didn’t have that courage.
Yu’s friends were also listening intently to my story. Everyone was staring at the two of us, silent.
In the midst of that, the sound of knees hitting the ground is heard. Mei-chan. She trembles.
“No, no. It’s a lie. It’s a lie. This can’t be true. Foil… Fii-kun, you haven’t changed at all!”
Mei-chan sheds tears. Just like when we said our goodbyes. I want to wipe them away, but the distance is too great, and I have no strength. It’s a bit disappointing.
I have one last thing to do.
“Yu, this is yours.”
“But it’s impossible. Because for me, [Hero] is…”
“It’s okay. Believe. Believe in the me you believed in. Believe in the you I believed in.”
I press the holy sword against Yu’s chest.
“Yu, you are the light. I entrust my dream to you. So, take me with you into that light.”
After comparing the sword with me multiple times, Yu finally grips the holy sword.
In an instant, the holy sword shines like never before.
“Oh, you really are the [True Hero], Yu.”
The Holy Sword’s radiance outshone anything I’d witnessed during my tenure. Surely it never glowed like that for me…I’m a little jealous.
Yet at the same time, I’m certain of what just transpired here. The [True Hero] has been born before my eyes. The world and mankind will be safe now.
“I’m leaving the world and Mei in your hands.”
I shove Yuu away and stumble unsteadily backwards. What lies behind me is…a sheer cliff drop.
The sky is perfectly clear. The wind feels pleasant. My heart feels light.
“Foil!”
“Fii kun!”
“Stay back!”
At my angry shout, the two of them stop moving.
That’s good.
With the advent of the true hero, there is no place for a false one such as I.
The villain has played his part. Time to make my exit.
///
scene transition
///
(I’m sorry, you two…)
Please don’t make such sad faces, you two.
Yuu, you’ve gone back to being a crybaby…Aren’t you the Hero now? Keep it together!
And Mei, please keep smiling like always. Like when I first fell for you…
Ahh, but still.
Even so.
If it were possible…
(I wanted to stand proudly by your sides as a trusted companion, Yuu, Mei…)
I smiled.
Hoping that if they remembered me, it would be with a smile on their faces.
“Foil!”
“Fii!”
Hearing Yuu and Mei’s voices calling out to me from afar,
I lost consciousness and fell from the cliff.
-.
–.
—.
“I absolutely will not let you die.”
TL Note : So someone else apparently already finished translating volume 1 of this novel and their translation are pretty decent. So should I continue this novel or should I drop it and pick new novel to translate? please comment if you read this
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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