Chapter 21

It’s a secret from everyone in class, okay?

I feel like everyone is looking at me with not-so-good eyes…
 

I instinctively found myself slipping into phantom thief mode, even in my mind.

 

But, honestly, what I wanted wasn't this heavy emotional reaction. I was hoping for something more like, "Wow, who’s that beautiful girl?" or "That was awesome! As expected of original protagonist-san!" or "You're amazing, sis!" I mean, sure, I’d like to be admired, but I don’t want the people around me (even though they’re holy beasts) kneeling down before me. I’m not into the whole power-trip, sadistic original protagonist thing... though I wouldn’t mind being on top!

 

These villagers seemed convinced that I was a high-ranking angel. Now, how do I get out of this situation?

 

No way... As charming as Eight-chan might be, the one who fits the angel image better is probably Mea. I prefer staying in character as the mysterious phantom thief.

 

Therefore ,this was a matter of life and death.

 

If they kept treating me as an angel, it wouldn’t be long before the actual angels found out. And if the chief angel in this village heard that I had sprouted ten wings, it wouldn’t take long for him to show up with, "How dare you impersonate an archangel! You’ll be punished!"

 

I have no intention of getting "punished," but such misunderstandings would be unworthy of a cheat original protagonist.

 

Now then, what to do? After landing on the ground, I dismissed the wings I had created from Curse of Darkness, dusting off my long skirt with my right hand as I scanned the area.

 

No good... even without the wings, they still remembered what happened. The adults were bowing in worship, and the kids were following suit, sneaking peeks at me. Stop looking at me like that!

 

As for the biggest concern, the actual angel Haniel... After wiping out the Abyss, he was back to battling with En. That rival move—so cool!

 

This is bad… I really want to go mess with them... I’d love to stand behind En with a knowing smile, saying something like, "So, you've finally mastered it—your own Fairy Burst, reaching infinite possibilities."

 

But I can't do that.

 

Honestly, I wanted to sneak away and check out their fight right away, but now, while Haniel was focused on the battle and not paying attention to me, was my chance to cover things up.

 

I crouched down to meet the gaze of the villagers bowing before me. Looking at the boy in the front, I raised a finger and urged him to be quiet.

 

『I understand you want to say something after seeing me like this, but... can you keep what you just saw a secret? Especially from the angels.』

 

『?!"』

 

Though they could understand my words, I went the extra mile. To be sure, I mixed in a bit of my "telekinesis" ability to mimic their telepathy, directly delivering my request to their minds. Famichiki, please. (tl note: Famichiki is fried chicken that FamilyMart has sold since 2006 and is the brand's flagship product .)

 

Telepathy is perfect for secrets. It seemed to work well, as the villagers all raised their heads with understanding looks. Then, an elder, who seemed to be their representative, stepped forward.

 

Oh, this old man was the one who helped En in the anime!

 

『Honored guest... we are grateful for your help in saving the village. We will prepare a warm welcome for you immediately...』

 

"That's okay. Instead, you should focus on fixing the buildings that were destroyed by the Abyss. Also... if you do host a welcome, make sure to invite the one fighting Haniel over there. He’s the one who truly fought to protect your village from the Abyss."

 

『What?! A human...! To think there was such a human... I see now... That is why you’ve taken such a form…! I accept.』

 

I wasn’t sure what he meant by "I see now," but it was good to hear that they would accept En as a guest. I had been worried that, like with Tiferet, they might hold animosity toward him, but it seemed that the general holy beasts were too busy dealing with the Abyss to harbor any extreme anti-human sentiments.

 

Huh? Does that mean the Abyss is a messenger of peace...?

 

Although the Abyss was supposed to be the enemy of all life, it was now oddly convenient for us.

 

A common enemy has always been a catalyst for reconciliation. They might have started fighting together out of necessity, but along the way, they began to understand each other, forming a bond over time.

 

Yes, we can do it! Great! If they can come to understand En and his group through fighting the Abyss together, we can surely get along with the angels, too.

 

"By the way... any casualties in the village?"

 

『None! Everyone’s safe.』

 

『Yes, thanks to you, there were no casualties. This is a first for us... We don't know how to thank you enough.』

 

"As long as you keep your promise, that's enough for me. If I had to ask for something, maybe some good water would be nice."

 

『Of course, we will arrange that.』

 

Since there were no casualties from the battle──no one died, I could go ahead with what I really wanted to do. That’s right, that would be a fun banquet.

 

I suddenly remembered how delicious the food in this world looked in the anime. Anime food and drinks always seem weirdly appetizing. I don’t know about that cabbage though.

 

I couldn’t miss this opportunity. By nightfall, we needed to repair the village. It was small, and since there were no casualties, Eight-chan could easily restore everything with her invincible original protagonist powers.

 

Better get this done before En and Haniel finish their battle! Stroking my familiar, Kabbalah-chan, I activated my Phantom Thief notebook.

 

 

 

 

Eight-chan finished it in five hours.

 

I thought that fixing a small village would take much less time, but the damage to the buildings was worse than expected because a lot of them had been consumed by the Abyss, so it took longer than I anticipated.

 

If they had just been destroyed, the repairs would have been easy. But when something is devoured by the Abyss, patching it up isn’t an option. We had to gather materials from the forest and essentially start a whole Minecraft project from scratch.

 

And so, while using stolen supernatural abilities to craft temporary housing, I asked En and Haniel-san, who had just finished fighting, along with the villagers, to help gather the materials.

 

Haniel-san’s help was especially valuable. Using his power as a holy beast—the prototype of supernatural abilities called "Sacred Arts"—he managed to produce some really nice metal. It’s a technique primarily meant for creating weapons for angels, but there’s no rule against using it as building material.

 

Actually, since the angels favor that kind of material, I secretly revered it a bit, hoping it would bring some divine blessings.

 

Speaking of Haniel, after fighting alongside En, it seems he understood En's sincere feelings.

 

He’s a serious-looking angel, so once the misunderstanding was cleared up, it was easy to talk with him. When he approached me during the feast, the first thing he did was thank me for protecting the evacuation center.

 

Was he watching me? That’s not good… I was sweating a bit inside, holding my drink nervously, but it turns out he hadn’t seen me after I sprouted wings. He only heard about Eight-chan’s battle second-hand from the kobold tribe. Phew!

 

『But to think there are humans possessing power rivaling that of angels… If everyone in your world were like you, we wouldn’t have had so much trouble.』

 

It seemed like his fight with En had cleared his mind. By the time he spoke to me, he was looking refreshed. If this angel had been in the original work, I bet he would’ve been a fan favorite. He’s strict but turns out to be a genuinely good guy once you talk to him.

 

"Someone has to take responsibility for the mistakes others make. That’s our duty."

 

『... It’s difficult for both of us.』

 

"Fufu, isn’t it?"

 

With a somewhat pitying look, he said this about us—those of us who came to this world to clean up after the evil organization’s mess.

 

I answered like I knew what I was talking about, but honestly, I’m not as noble-minded as En. I just want to be the perfect cheat original protagonist.

 

...

 

Ahh, I feel so uneasy!

 

Feeling uncomfortable, I humbly responded.

 

"If you feel it’s necessary, then you do what you must. Isn’t that the same for you all too?"

 

『…That’s right. I followed Keter-sama’s ideology because I thought it was necessary for this world. That won’t change in the future either. However…』

 

Haniel pondered my words with his serious face, seeming to reflect on something. It’s unlikely he’d defy his king after just a day’s events, but I hope he at least considers the four who’ve come to this world. After all, they’re all good people.

 

As I was thinking about that, Haniel spoke up with determination.

 

『Akatsuki, Olishua. Come to the Holy City of Tsabaoth.』

 

Oh, this is…

 

"Tsabaoth?』

 

『We currently have one of your companions captured there.』

 

"!! Who!? Is it Mea? Is everyone there?"

 

『There’s only one. He was captured when he fell from the sky into the town. His said his name was Rikidou... a muscular man with a strange hairstyle.』

 

"Rikidou… Chouta, huh."

 

『Don’t worry, we haven’t harmed him yet. It was lucky he landed on Netzach-sama’s island. Unlike Chokmah-sama, he doesn’t punish captured humans. Though, we have made sure he stays put.』

 

Across from us, En, who had been quietly eating his meal, reacted strongly to Haniel’s words.

 

Meanwhile, I was discreetly pumping my fist under the table.

 

This development was exactly like the situation I knew from "Fairy Savers." Though in the original, this information wasn’t revealed until they arrived at the "Holy City."

 

In any case, now we know where one of our companions is. In RPG terms, this would count as triggering a quest flag.

 

 

 

──This was the next development after defeating the Abyss that attacked the kobold village.

 

After being warmly welcomed by the village elder as the saviors of the kobold tribe, En and Akari learn that the place where Ein Sof rests is in the shrine of the World Tree, "Sefirot."

 

Believing that their companions are likely heading there in search of the Holy Dragon, En’s group set out for the island where the World Tree stands. On their way, they stop by the Holy City of "Tsabaoth" and hear rumors about Chouta.

 

In the Fairy World, the Holy City of "Tsabaoth" is renowned as a city of warriors, and on that day, a tournament hosted by the Holy Beasts to offer their martial skills to the Holy Dragon Ein Sof is taking place.

 

Hearing rumors of a human participating in the tournament, En and Akari believe it must be their missing companion and head to the arena.

 

However, Chouta is there making quite a name for himself!

 

After a crash landing in the Fairy World, Rikidou Chouta is quickly captured by the Holy City’s guards. He spends a day in solitary confinement, but the next day, one of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, Netzach, presents him with a condition for his release.

 

That condition was to participate in the martial arts tournament held in the city and earn the right to challenge Netzach himself.

 

Netzach claims that through this test of strength, he wants to determine whether humans are truly a threat to the Fairy World.

 

Chouta, equally curious about the angel’s true intentions, accepts the challenge without hesitation.

 

Progressing smoothly through the tournament, Chouta eventually faces Netzach and, through this battle, reflects on the meaning of his own strength, culminating in his mastery of the "Frozen Fairy Burst."

 

 

 

──And that’s how the upcoming episode starts.

 

It might feel like the story's IQ suddenly dropped, but Chouta’s episodes usually have this kind of hot-blooded, shounen battle manga vibe. After solving the kobold village incident, the next episode focused on reuniting with Rikidou Chouta, who had been imprisoned in the Holy City of Tsabaoth.

 

Despite some unexpected developments, it looks like things are progressing according to the original workline.

 

On top of that… on top of that!

 

This episode happens to be a "tournament arc," a perfect stage to showcase the original protagonist’s power to a large audience!

 

Tournament arcs, where the original protagonist can show off their strength in front of a large audience on a big stage, are popular even in fanfiction and are notorious for triggering "eternal hiatus" flags for many works. However, the potential benefits for a cheat original protagonist are huge, so this is a wave I just have to ride!

 

 

 

...No, no good. That doesn’t suit Eight-chan’s character.

 

Entering a hot-blooded arena and showing off her abilities is not the kind of showmanship a phantom thief should have. If anything, it would ruin the enigmatic vibe I've carefully built up. Close call—I had a few drinks for the first time in a while and it almost made me break character. Just now didn’t happen, just now didn’t happen!

 

No matter the situation, I’m always the cool, composed older sister. Even though I might look underage, I’d never let this little bit of alcohol get to me.

 

『Are you already leaving?』

 

『Yes, I have a report to make.』

 

『In that case, you don’t have to accompany the reconstruction efforts...』

 

『Our duty is to protect the people.』

 

While we were enjoying the warm hospitality of the kobold tribe, the chief angel was preparing to return to the Holy City. Hearing this, En suddenly stood up with a panicked expression, insisting on going with him. But Haniel gently turned down his request.

 

『I’ll tell the guards not to harm your companion. I’ll give Netzach-sama an introduction letter for you, so come tomorrow.』

 

"But!"

 

『In Adonai, strength is justice. With your current condition, you’ll only leave a bad impression on Netzach-sama.』

 

"...ugh."

 

En was clearly on edge after hearing that a comrade was in the Holy City of Tsabaoth, unable to sit still. Personally, I think he should at least enjoy the delicious food and drink we’ve been offered. I mean, the alcohol’s great, though the seasoning is a bit light...

 

"Fufu, thank you. It’s delicious."

 

『!』

 

I took a bite of the jerky-like dish a kobold child had given me, then wiped my mouth with my napkin and patted the child’s head. So fluffy—the beastman child is so fluffy. However, the child, perhaps uncomfortable with my sudden gesture, quickly scampered away with his tail up. Oops, sorry about that, drunk person here.

 

Looking over, I saw En still arguing. He’s such a stubborn guy. I feel like he was a bit calmer in the second season, but now he seems to have a stronger sense of responsibility than in the original work.

 

Let’s relax, man. Relax.

 

Seeing this, I took out my harp and played a quiet tune. The sudden music startled the kobolds, their ears twitching, but this melody was for En, so I hoped they wouldn’t mind. En, recognizing the familiar sound, turned toward me with a disgruntled expression.

 

"En, as Haniel said, let’s head to the Holy City tomorrow. You’ve exhausted yourself today. It’s better to rest up and recover your strength."

 

"...Chouta’s been captured. There’s no way I can just sit around!"

 

"I know. But you’ve already unleashed Fairy Burst three times today. I don’t know what to say in front of Haniel, but heading to the Holy City without your ability would be too dangerous."

 

That place is a den of barbarians. Well, they were also a bunch of good-natured guys.

 

The city is full of battle-hungry warriors where a mere glance between strong individuals could spark a duel. Sending En there in his exhausted state would be a terrible idea.

 

"Fairy Burst...?"

 

"It’s the form you take when you unleash that blue flame. It’s the pinnacle of ability users, but you have to be careful when you use it."

 

That’s right, Fairy Burst, the awakened form, pulls out power beyond the body’s limits, but its energy consumption is terrible. While it’s unlikely to be an issue in a fight, it’s not a power suited for consecutive battles.

 

In fact, after defeating the Abyss, En’s fight with Haniel ended in a draw because his Fairy Burst ran out just before the victory.

 

『Akatsuki En, I will settle things with you someday. Don’t collapse before that happens.』

 

"Haniel..."

 

Was Haniel showing concern for En in his own way? As he said that, he left the banquet hall, flying away with his four wings.

 

That’s pretty cool. Watching him leave, I couldn’t help but think that he’d make an excellent rival character. It’s a bit of a shame he’s not an original protagonist. But then again, we don’t need more original protagonists in this story.

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