Author: Himezaki Shiu	Original Source: Syosetu
Translator: Jiro	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

By morning, the village was destroyed. No more screams, no desperate pleas for life. Only dead bodies, pools of blood, smoldering ruins, and the sound of quiet sobs remained. Among my classmates, crying was common—especially among the girls.

Some had already emptied their bowels, and others pressed trembling hands over their mouths, looking like they were about to vomit but managing to hold it in. None of us were injured. The villagers had been completely overrun, unable to put up any resistance.

And yet, no one felt any joy. Masumoto and a few others had a disturbing glint in their eyes. I could sense danger coming from them. Their expressions were predatory, as if they were already searching for their next target. Thinking back, I realized Masumoto had taken the lead in slaughtering the villagers.

After the carnage, the commander called us together for a headcount. We were loaded into wagons, just as we had been before, and each of us was given water and food. I could barely manage to drink, and I had no appetite at all. The dry, preserved, almost tasteless rations felt unbearable to eat now. Trying to force them down felt like torture.

We were told the next operation would also take place at night, so the wagons began to move, and we were instructed to rest until then. Rest, however, proved impossible. The wagons shook violently over the rough terrain, making it impossible to relax.

Still, as I closed my eyes, trying to push through the sluggishness, scenes from the village began flashing through my mind. The cries of vengeance, asking for the cause of their death. The desperate pleas for help. The terrified faces twitch in fear, their eyes wide with anger or desperation. I couldn’t get them out of my head.

I glanced around the wagon. No one else seemed able to sleep either. Those with the disturbing glint in their eyes were eating normally, but the rest didn’t even try to touch their food.

If things continued this way, it wouldn’t end well. Even though I felt down myself, I thought it might be better if I—who seemed relatively calm compared to the others—tried to cheer them up.

I decided to approach one of the crying girls, but before I could even speak, Hirayama glared at me and shouted, “Don’t come!”

“What?” I froze. She was looking at me like I was the enemy.

“What’s with you? Acting like you’re still in charge? Do you think you’re still the class leader? This is all your fault! If you hadn’t killed Toriyama, none of this would’ve happened¹!”
“Then why didn’t any of you stop me²?!”

I yelled, losing my temper due to Hirayama’s rant. I had indeed killed Toriyama, but no one had even tried to stop me back then. They’d all cheered for me.

“That’s why I’ve been keeping quiet all this time³! Do you think I didn’t want to complain? The whole class has gone to hell, and here you are still trying to pretend like you’re in charge. At least act like you feel guilty!”

Tears welled up in Hirayama’s eyes as she spoke. When I glanced around the wagon, I realized no one was looking at me with sympathy. There was nothing I could do. Overwhelmed, I backed away to the edge of the wagon, retreating into silence.

◇◇◇

I wasn’t sure if there were any of us who were truly rested when the silent carriage finally reached its next destination. I couldn’t bear to look at my classmates’ faces anymore. I couldn’t even think straight. Once again, we were let out and stood waiting for the commander’s instructions, just like we had done at the last village.

“This time, we’re changing our approach,” the commander announced.
“We’ll seal the gates with magic from the outside. After that, we’ll set the place on fire. Hikari, you’ll handle the fire. Don’t hold back. The rest of you will watch for anyone attempting to leave and kill them on sight. Begin!”

As the operation began, I was assigned to seal one of the gates with magic. Each of the three gates had three people working on them, but I silently wished I could have worked alone. Unfortunately, the two assigned to my group were Hirayama and Tanzawa, who Hirayama had been consoling until earlier.

Both of them were openly hostile toward me, their glares making it clear they had no intention of speaking with me.

In the oppressive silence between us, I focused on my task, beginning to chant a spell. Using earth magic, I created a reinforced mud wall to block the gate and prevent anyone inside from escaping. My Mana stats were around 100. Although I couldn’t be considered proficient, my general status was high enough so I was considered adequate to handle this kind of work.

With the three of us working together, the barriers we constructed were strong. No ordinary magic user could break through them. Even if they somehow managed to break through, the villagers and adventurers in the area wouldn’t stand a chance against the overwhelming strength of our group.

After finishing the task, all that remained was to wait for the signal. As I stood there with nothing to do, my thoughts began to wander.

(Is this all my fault? I indeed killed Toriyama; I admit that freely. However, I’m not the only one to blame for how the situation developed. Everyone bullied him. They must’ve thought of him as a burden. I just happened to be the one chosen to kill him.)

(If things had gone even slightly differently, it could just as easily have been Hirayama who took action instead of me. Hell, there’s probably a world where Takuma snaps and kills him. Back then, I wasn’t the only one who felt disgusted by Toriyama. We all did, didn’t we? It was like we collectively killed him because deep down, everyone wanted him gone. Isn’t that the reason they all stayed silent afterward?)

(Besides, Toriyama isn’t the one to blame. I ended up killing him over a false accusation, and in turn, we lost our protection. The princess is the wrong one for enticing me. I’m not the only one to blame for killing Toriyama over the false accusations. Everyone should’ve accepted that. We already discussed the matter with the class, didn’t we⁴?)

(I do feel bad for Toriyama. I tried to get him to forgive me, and I even apologized. But he didn’t forgive me. This means that there’s nothing else for me to do regarding this case, right? Besides, I’m the hero. I’m the strongest out of my classmates. So I thought I’d protect them. I wanted to cheer them up. That was all. Yet, I was blamed for it. Why was I blamed for it?)

As those thoughts churned in my mind, the world around me suddenly grew brighter. Huge meteor-like masses of fire rained down on the town, falling like raindrops.

The town was completely locked down. The fires poured down from every direction, and the people inside were unable to escape. It wouldn’t be long before this rain of destruction flattened the entire town.

(Can I do it?)

I thought, reaching for the sword at my waist.

(No, I can’t. I’m supposed to be a hero. I’m supposed to be the strongest. The reason Tsukihara can do I, and I can’t, is because…)

My head became a mess. Maybe it was because I had the sword in my hand, but the images of yesterday kept haunting me.

(Did those villagers have to die because of me?)

I didn’t know the answer to that question. All I knew was that the screams wouldn’t stop.

“Damn it!” I yelled in frustration, throwing my sword against the wall.

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