"Ahyahhhhhhh! With this, I'm a hero who defeated the Demon Lord!"
The Hero Ares, who had just stabbed the Holy Sword through my chest to reach the Demon Lord on the other side of me; my twin brother cheered.
“Ares, why…!?”
Surprised and vomiting blood, I, the Black Magician Kai, turned my head to see behind me. From the corner of my eye I could see that the members of the Hero's Party, far from blaming Ares for his cruel action, were all grinning.
"Why? Hah! You, getting to be the older brother of a Hero like me, getting to share in the glory of killing the Demon Lord, and yet you only have a shit class like Dark Magician? You're much too presumptuous!"
The Hero Ares screams in disgust.
It was an unexpected betrayal, right at a crucial moment when I thought we could finally destroy the Demon Lord and end his reign of terror.
"Even after I blocked the Demon Lord's attack at full force and finally created an opening..?"
"Of course! Due to the recommendation of Saint Colette-sama, I begrudgingly added you as a party member. Honestly, I was desperately fighting to endure my nausea every day."
Nonchalantly pushing up his glasses, Saint Johann ruthlessly began spitting poisonous words as though it was only natural.
“To think that we had to accept someone with an evil class such as Black Magician as a companion! Sacrificing your life is the least you could do in return for our hospitality."
"So what? Even if I use dark magic, I always did it to help you..."
Even while I was desperately arguing, I felt my body losing heat and strength.
"Kyahahaha! Help us? You're being presumptuous yet again, despite your lowest ranking class!"
Elsa, a Magic Swordsman whose bitter arrogance distorted her beauty, sneered.
Elsa has a super rare class called Magic Swordsman, which can handle both swords and magic masterfully. Maybe because of that, she has always ridiculed me for being one of the lowest ranking classes.
In this world, when you turn 15 years old, you are given a class of special powers by God. There are many types of classes, and you can learn different types of skills and magic depending on your class.
The class I obtained five years ago was [Black Magician].
It is a dark attribute class that is hated for having a power closer in nature to demons than humans. Moreover, it is the lowest among the dark attribute classes. It was a so-called deviant class that could not learn any skills.
Elsa's favorite phrase is: "Those with low ranking classes don't have the qualities to classify as human!"
In order to make up for the disadvantages of my class, I worked unceasingly for 5 years to reach max level: level 999, the ultimate strength.
Thanks to that, I obtained power strong enough to defend against the Demon Lord's attacks, but Elsa continued to look down on me regardless.
"If we succeeded in subjugating the Demon Lord, the Holy King promised us a reward large enough to allow us to live carefree for the rest of our lives. If you remain alive, my share of the reward will suffer for you."
Elsa has complained about splitting subjugation rewards with me for a long time. However, I never thought that she would be so complicit in betraying me...
"Gyahahaha! Not a single person here has ever thought of my brother as a companion! You never had any hope of staying with us!"
The hero Ares put all his strength into the hand holding the holy sword. He was trying to tear the Demon Lord apart with me.
"No!"
The only reason I joined the Hero's Party was to save my childhood friend, Saint Colette, from her imprisonment.
A Saint is the highest ranked light attribute class that specializes in protection and healing.
Colette was confined to a room in the royal castle where she pushed herself to form a divine barrier around the Holy Capital, defending it from the Demon Lord's army.
If the Demon Lord is defeated, there will be no need to maintain the Great Barrier, and Colette will be freed.
For that reason, no matter how much I was despised and ridiculed, I contributed to the success of the Hero's Party.
"Hyaha! With your death, Colette is also mine! Your childhood friend was pitifully killed during the fight against the Demon Lord to create an opening for us, what a touching and believable story!"
Ares let out a shout of delight.
"What an ugly scene you've just created, Black Magician. In the end though, you're finally out of the way! I'll take care of Colette, so you can rest in peace, my brother. Yaaaay! It's a happy ending!"
What……? "Is it possible that Father was also involved in this betrayal?!"
Our father was the leader of the strongest Holy Knights in the Holy Kingdom: the head of the Marquis Austin family, a prestigious family that has produced many heroes.
As soon as my father, who valued his dignity more than anything else, found out that I had obtained the [Black Magician] class, he banished me from the household.
He promised that if I helped defeat the Demon Lord, he would revoke my punishment.
Doing so, the engagement between me and Colette would have been reinstated. Colette was also pleased with that.
On my left hand, the misanga¹ that Colette gave me to pray for my safety was wrapped around it.
Colette and I were engaged until we were 15 years old, but we were forced to annul the engagement after I was expelled because a Black Magician and the Saint weren't compatible.
We had no choice but to tearfully part.
Anger bubbled up from within me like magma.
In the end, I was just used by my father and Ares.
"Be quiet! Don't be foolish...!"
If I knew this would have happened, I would have snatched Colette away and ran without ever contributing to the Hero's Party.
"I shouldn't have cared about what others thought! If I had just cast aside common sense and logic, and pursued my own happiness instead…!"
However, my body could no longer put up with my outrage. It was freezing cold.
"Do I have to leave Colette and go alone?"
Kai! Please, don't die!
For some reason, I thought I heard Collete's voice.
In my fading field of vision, I saw a faint shine from Colette's misanga.
I was enveloped in a mysterious floating sensation, and I fell into darkness.
※※※
"Good morning, Kai! How long are you planning to sleep?"
I woke up to a familiar adorable voice.
"Hey, what is...!?"
In front of me is my childhood friend Colette.
I jumped out of bed with a start.
A gentle morning sun shines through the swaying curtains of the window.
...I don't understand the situation at all
"Is this a flashback on the verge of death?"
"Are you half asleep? We have our Class ceremony today, are you okay?"
"... No, what happened to Ares and the Demon Lird!?"
"Ares and the Demon Lord? Fufu, you're still half asleep, aren't you?"
Colette put her hand to her mouth and smiled.
There is still some youthfulness left in her beautiful appearance, and she looks 14 or 15 years old. She ought to have been around 20 years old by now.
……What is the meaning of this? Is Colette getting younger? And isn't this my room in the Marquess house?
I panicked and looked into the mirror.
This must be a lie……?
There was a 15-year-old boy with an innocent expression. I know I had a grimer face and a bigger body than this.
It can't be...
"Colette, did you mention the Class ceremony? What year is it on the holy calendar!? Have you been given the saint's class yet? What is my class!?"
I grabbed Colette by the shoulders and rapidly asked her a series of questions.
This warm, flesh-and-blood feel is unmistakably that of a real girl. It cannot be a dream or an illusion.
"Kyaa!?"
Colette's face turned bright red in surprise.
"Ah, no, sorry...!"
I ended up holding her face too close while I was making sure she was real. I panicked and let go.
"Huh? You surprised me.. You're still half asleep, aren't you? Maybe you were restless through the night because you were nervous for today?"
Colette let out a sigh.
“We are now in the 999th year of the Holy Calendar. The long-awaited day when we will be given a class.
With an innocent smile, Colette told the shocking truth
