Jujutsushi Wa Yuusha Ni Narenai-Chapter 269.2 - To The Lowest Floor 1

BGM: GENS D'ARMES – YS VIII

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Momokawa Kotaro… He might be the worst enemy who killed Reina, and a despicable traitor on top of that. And yet, I couldn’t help but compare myself to him. Because the way he led the class, his ability to command everyone, was the real deal.

That's exactly why he was such a terrifying man. Deep down, I felt there was indeed a faint wish that it was all some kind of mistake.

「But this is for the best. It took time, but no one died, and no one was seriously injured. We all made it here. I don’t think Yuuto-kun’s decision to prioritize everyone’s safety is wrong.」

「Thank you, Class Rep.」

「That's right, Big Brother is right. After all, the way it should be is for him to lead the class.」

「The class leader is Class Rep, Sakura. It's true that I'm the one directing things in combat, but… To be honest, I'm not even sure how well I'm actually doing at that.」

In terms of the class’s combat strength, the absence of our two ace-level members, Ryuuichi and Futaba-san, had had a significant impact.

However, when it comes to leadership and coordination, I couldn't help but keenly feel the impact of Momokawa's absence, whether I liked it or not.

It was true that everyone had grown stronger. But to put it bluntly, the atmosphere when we fight now felt low in morale. Everyone understood the situation—we had to hunt boss-class monsters and gather cores.

However, the atmosphere here was clearly worse compared to the time when we were preparing to take down Yamata no Orochi. The shock of Momokawa's betrayal was likely still casting a shadow over everyone.

Yamata no Orochi was such an overwhelmingly powerful boss that even Ryuuichi and I, working together, had nearly given up on defeating it through conventional means.

Even when we were preparing to face such a hopelessly powerful enemy, back then, it felt like everyone was filled with a sense of hope somehow. Myself included. I think we truly believed that if we all worked together, we could overcome anything. That kind of positive hope kept us going.

But now, I couldn’t see anything that could be called hope.

It was true that the current situation was slightly different compared to back then, but… Maybe it was Momokawa who gave everyone that sense of hope. And that was what I couldn't give right now.

I wanted to do something about it. I knew that I should give them hope and bring everyone together. I understood that much, but I had no idea how to make it happen.

Ever since the day Momokawa left, I’d been leading the class in battle up to today, and along the way, I’d come to painfully realize just how lacking I really was. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

「That's true. Looking back now, maybe all of us were relying on Momokawa-kun’s leadership in one way or another. Even in simple battles, and especially in the larger operation to take down the Yamata no Orochi, it somehow just felt like things would work out if we followed his lead.」

「… So you feel the same as me too, Class Rep.」

「That’s not true. Momokawa only joined the Yamata no Orochi subjugation to use us for his own purposes. Relying on the power of someone like him is something that should never have happened in the first place.」

It sounds just like saying, “You shouldn’t rely on alcohol or drugs.”

However, that phrase feels like the perfect fit for the situation.

Even if Momokawa Kotaro was a poison, we still relied on him. We had no choice but to. When you're facing something like Yamata no Orochi, you need a drink just to be able to go through with it.

Come to think of it, I think Momokawa once said something like this: “People don’t act based on what's right alone.”

Yeah… he was absolutely right. Just doing the “right thing” isn’t enough to keep people motivated and moving. The low morale everyone’s feeling right now was proof of that.

「Even so, the fact remains that the class right now just doesn’t have a very good atmosphere.」

「Yeah, it would be nice if I can do something about it…」

The problem wasn't just with commanding in battle, the overall gloomy mood of the class was also an issue.

That said, the situation was what it was. There was no way we could have some dramatic solution… Even now, when we were finally about to gather all the cores needed for the transfer, there was hardly any sense of accomplishment.

「———— Ryouko-chan, meals are ready」

Just as I was starting to feel increasingly gloomy with those thoughts, Natsukawa-san’s cheerful voice rang out.

「Ah, it's already meal time, huh. I'll be right there.」

We headed from the entrance workshop to the cafeteria in the 2nd-floor Fairy Plaza. However, what was supposed to be a comforting place for a meal only ended up making the gloomy atmosphere of the class feel even heavier.

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The large table in the Fairy Plaza now had three fewer seats. Everyone was already seated, and we, called over by Natsukawa-san, were the last to arrive.

「———— Let's dig in!」

Today's menu was a hot pot dish similar to motsu-nabe (stewed offal). Since it used freshly hunted meat, it was probably even tastier than the motsu-nabe I used to eat back in Japan.

If I had to complain, I'd say I wish there was some rice to go with it, but I should just be grateful that we could eat soft bread in this kind of environment.

Yes, we were really lucky. The reason we got to enjoy delicious food again today was none other than because Futaba-san was the one making it for us.

「Ah, hey, what the heck. Himeno’s the only one who's got sausages in theirs!」

「As expected of Futaba-chan, she remembered that I’m not good with offals.」

「Yeah, a lot of people aren’t fond of offal. If there’s anyone else who can’t eat it, I’ll switch it out for something else.」

「Hehe, I might want mine changed a little too~」

「I can eat offal just fine, but I want some sausages too!」

「Nice idea, Yamada.」

「My thoughts exactly, Yamada.」

「Sure thing, I made a lot of sausage. Just tell me if you want.」

With a smile like that of a mother watching her growing children eat, Futaba-san served seconds with sausages to Yamada and the Totem Pole Trio.

At a glance, she seemed no different from how she used to be.

But everyone understood. Futaba-san hadn’t truly come back to her senses.

「———— Futaba-chan, I’ll help you clean up.」

「Thank you, Hime-chan.」

After dinner, Himeno-san began cleaning up together with Futaba-san. Since Natsukawa-san was on meal duty today, she joined them, and the three of them worked together.

Everyone else had already finished eating and left their seats. No one stayed behind longer than necessary since they couldn't bear to see Futaba-san's situation.

However, on the table, there was still one serving of food left untouched.

「… Futaba-chan, what shall we do with Momokawa-kun's portion?」

「Leave it right there. He might come to have a meal in a while.」

「I see now! You're right!」

And there was Himeno-san, forcing a slightly stiff smile on her face.

Since that day, Futaba-san had prepared a meal for Momokawa every time without fail, setting it on the table alongside the others.

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