Chapter 45

The original protagonist who gets caught in between ships

(author: If it’s a TS original protagonist, then it’s good! (confusion))

──I tried my best.

I really tried my best.

Thanks to Eight-chan's supernatural ability cooking, I managed to create an independent vessel that could communicate with the Chesed within me. I must say, I’m a pretty creative original protagonist.

The ingredients I used were these: "Curse of Darkness," which composes the body; "Telekinesis," to transfer the thoughts; and sensory abilities like "Clairvoyance" and "Search," along with all the other abilities I’ve stolen so far, and stuffing them together using “Compounding,” I achieved a miraculous balance to complete the creation.

It’s fine to call it a high-end model of the "Dark Phoenix," but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it my child!

…It would be crazy to have a child several thousand years older than me. Never mind, forget I said that! I won’t acknowledge it.

And so, the new Chesed was born, though there was unease during the manufacturing process.

Although he was originally a light attribute, he was placed into a dark attribute vessel called the "Dark Phoenix."

The compatibility between opposing attributes is poor, and if he had a personality that detested darkness, it could have become a nasty destruction of dignity.

I would have preferred to conduct more thorough testing before proceeding but… seeing Malkuth unable to meet her brother even though he was right by her side made me rush to complete it.

In any case, I’m glad it ended without incident.

The resurrected Chesed has the same personality I knew of him, and he doesn't seem to have any bugs from being placed in a dark vessel. If I knew it would go this smoothly, I would have done it before Tiferet left. It’s really frustrating that I unconscious for an entire day.

But with this, the “Chesed Absent” tag has officially been erased. Hahaha! I win, Goddess-like person! Malkuth’s heart is being pulled down by Chesed’s gravity! You’re trying too hard!

“Sniff… I’m sho glad…”

“Aah… I’m really glad…!”

The revived Chesed seems to want to talk privately with Malkuth, so the cool Eight-chan decided to be considerate and rejoice at the sibling reunion from afar.

There, sensitive Mea-chan was crying in sympathy, and Chouta was rubbing his eyes while gently patting her shoulder. What kind-hearted folks they are. Seeing their reactions made me feel like it was worth the effort to show them.

That said, even I’m worn out, so I’d prefer to avoid such things in the future.

“…Once again, you helped us out. Thank you.”

The kind-hearted protagonist, Akatsuki En spoke to me with a look of appreciation.

He doesn’t talk much, but he’s a gentleman through and through. No wonder he’s so popular with older women.

“What, I just did what was natural. I had the power to help him… that’s all. I really am exhausted this time, though.”

“You do it because you can, huh… But there’s no need to take everything on yourself.”

“Hm?”

I tilt my head in puzzlement towards his words, spoken along with his thanks.

Do I really take on everything as much as he’s saying? Saying it myself is a bit weird, but since coming to this world, I’ve done whatever I wanted, freely and as I pleased. There’s no way I’m carrying anyone’s burden. I’m a casual, original protagonist.

…Ahh, maybe En was talking about the fact that I was secretly carrying out the Chesed revival challenge?

I know that was my bad. Considering his strong sense of responsibility, he probably thinks I’ve caused him unnecessary worry and feels bad about it.

I already knew from the anime, but he sure has a troublesome personality. Well, I like that about him. As a fan.

“It seems you’re having a misunderstanding…”

In order to make up for him, I return the same words.

“I just didn’t want to see a sad misunderstanding between a pair of loving siblings. This was my own self-satisfaction… You’re the one who doesn’t need to take everything upon yourself. Tei.”

“...Mmm…”

Look at others and mend your own ways.

I thought it was him, not me, who took on too much responsibility. I lightly flicked his forehead, giving him a taste of Akari-chan’s worries.

Then, close to his ear, I declared in a whisper,

“I’ll just fulfill my mission. You should focus on fulfilling yours.”

“…I see.”

I aim to be a perfect, cheat original protagonist for the Goddess-like person, but first and foremost, I do it because it’s fun for me.

I don't have such noble intentions like good will without compensation whatsoever. While Eight-chan is a romantic who pursues her ideals, I’m also a realist who understands pragmatic judgement. I’m so elegant.

If I don’t clarify this stance, even a slight deviation in behavior might get me scathing comments like, “Isn’t this guy too indecisive?” Being an original protagonist is tough.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m not such a convenient good girl.”

That’s right. T.P. Eight Olishua is a cool, original protagonist who doesn’t like excessive closeness.

That’s why I want to make sure the main characters never mistake me for some kind of saint.

The big move that carries something sad on its back is a stylish depiction as a cool-type original protagonist, but being seen as a selfless saint who’ll help anyone for free is bound to cause trouble down the line. So, while I enjoy watching their future from a box seat, I want to keep a certain distance. Well, I don’t mind getting closer, you know? Because I like them.

“…A cute older sister who’s just acting like a villain, huh… Maybe he was right…”

Hm? Did you say something?

I’m not the hard of hearing type of original protagonist. It’s just that at that moment, his voice was so soft, as though it wasn’t meant for anyone to hear, that I couldn’t catch it properly.

I did catch the word “cute,” though, so he was probably murmuring something about Mea-chan. His gaze, after all, was on Mea, who was being consoled by Chouta.

I’m not cute, I’m a cool beautiful girl, so I could never be the subject of “kawaii”!

『I'm sorry, everyone... I've caused trouble for you all because of me. I am the fourth of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, Chesed of ‘Mercy.’』

"Aah, nice to meet you."

After wrapping up his conversation with Malkuth, Chesed returned to us, now literally transformed into the "Dark Phoenix."

His body was entirely made of pitch-black darkness, but I had deformed it with special specifications, giving him eyes, a beak, and foldable wings resembling those of a real bird.

In this form, he resembled a massive crow, about four meters in length. If I infused more of my power, I could make him larger or smaller as needed. Man, I’m the one who made it myself, but it sure is a masterpiece. Who knew the skills I honed making figurines in my previous life would come in handy here?

That's right, let's take the opportunity to give his vessel a name. Fortunately, I thought of a good one.

“That vessel──how does the Merciful Phoenix feel?”

『Yes! This vessel is wonderful. How do I say this, it feels as if I'm connected to you, Eight-sama, and it’s very warm!』

"I see. I was a bit worried since the trial run was incomplete, but I’m glad to hear that."

Merciful (hiragana)──that means “merciful (kanji)” in English.

Fufun, I do have a knack for coming up with cool names. But still, German has this bombastic feeling that really tickles my chuuni heart. Like ein or zwei, even though they’re just numbers, they sound insanely cool. It’s almost unfair.

With that in mind, I reached out to Chesed, now the high-end model of the “Dark Phoenix” rebranded as the "Merciful Phoenix," and stroked his cheek as he lowered his head in response to my intent.

...Hmm. The texture of his body, inspired by Kabbalah-chan’s fur, was incredibly soft, almost impossible to believe it was made of darkness.

Even now, Malkuth was clinging to his body and refusing to let go, clearly enamored with the new Chesed’s unique, addictive fluffiness, a different sensation than Kabbalah-chan’s.

Perhaps feeling competitive, Kabbalah-chan started rubbing against my leg, seeking attention. How greedy. I scooped up the small creature with my left arm and rubbed my cheek against her head, enjoying the two fluffiness.

Ahh, this is the reward for doing my best. My ideal fluffy paradise is here.

While Chesed was going along without resistance to Malkuth and me, he was carefully patting Malkuth’s head with his large wings and offered his gratitude.

『Thank you, Eight-sama, for indulging my selfishness...』

"Wanting to talk with your beloved sister, is that really being selfish? Your choice was the right one, Chesed."

『...Hearing you say that makes me feel relieved.』

He has such a humble attitude. Even thought he has a shota voice.

No, actually, it was thanks to me that he was able to express his intentions in this way, and he had a big reason to be grateful to me. Since I was honestly happy about that, I was feeling proud deep down. Praises really do feel good.

"When you said, ‘Now is not the time,’ I thought, ‘What should I do?’"

『…That is, I’m sorry. I never imagined I’d be able to speak with Malkuth again like this.』

The reason Chesed did not want to be resurrected in the first place was because he did not want the archangel's power to be lost from within me.

In that respect, the "Merciful Phoenix" was the perfect solution, meeting his requirements. The first to notice was, as expected, Mea.

"From within Eight… Mea can still sense Chesed’s power? Is Chesed still within Eight?"

"That’s right, Mea."

Having trained with Hod, Mea had grown attuned to the presence of angels. She was puzzled that, even with Chesed before her, his power still resided in me.

Mare said that she had come to be able to sense the presence of angels through her training with Hod, and was wondering why Chesed's power still resided within me, even though Chesed was right in front of us.

Of course, there’s an explanation for this.

『Indeed, this body is nothing more than a vessel. This is our first time speaking directly, Mea.』

“..., ──!”

Essentially, Chesed right now is like a communication device, with his true self still is within me.

Therefore, even if Malkuth had impulsively pierced him at that moment, it would not have had any effect on the Chesed within me.

Of course, the process of transferring Chesed into the Dark Phoenix was utterly exhausting, and I wouldn’t want to do it repeatedly.

My energy was drained, and I felt like I needed at least another hour before leaving this island.

Though, it looks like a short break won’t be enough. After all, the archangel who was the lord of this island had been resurrected, albeit in a pseudo-form.

The islander inhabitants who had been watching Malkuth’s duel with the Sabers were now noticing Chesed’s presence, and voices calling "Chesed-sama!" were echoing from everywhere. Ah, the chief angel looked ready to dash over but held back out of consideration for Malkuth-sama. What a great angel. He’s modest but a good person.

"Chesed... Chesed...!"

『Obuh! Um, everyone, could you please back off a little...? My five senses have been perfectly replicated, so this is quite distressing… No, it’s not that I find it troublesome but—』

『Shut up, idiot! Be more distressed, idiot Chesed! You blockhead! Loser! Bath peeping tom!』

『Well, I was asleep at that time, so I neither heard nor saw what was going on outside, you know? Ouch, ouch, don't strangle me, Malkuth!? Mea, could you step back too? Please?』

“No.”

…Fumu.

Reuniting with the holy beast they longed to meet and talk with, the beautiful girls were overjoyed and embraced him without hesitation, sharing a skinship moment, the two—are coming. It's becoming popular. (tl note: the same kiteru from a previous chapter.)

If you exhibit the facts, it was a scene that would make anyone seethe with jealousy and want to shout, "Just scatter already!" But as for me, I felt no hatred toward him. (tl note: line is from samurai 8)

—Yes, because he’s fluffy.

A charming young man with a flower on each hand, that must be a tough scene for anyone looking.

However, if it’s a non-human who differs from humans in terms of thinking, it is permissible. As long as there’s no humanization (transforming into a human).

Chesed can't return to his angel form anymore, so I’ll allow it with a magnanimous heart. After all, he endured the pain of losing his body. If it were me, I'd be in despair.

For that reason, I never harbored the so-called stepping stone reincarnator’s jealousy toward Chesed.

If anything, I’m the opposite──

“Wah.”

『Kyaa』

『!?』

Mea-chan in my left hand, Malkuth-sama-chan in my right, Kabbalah-chan on my head, and the merciful Chesed-kun in front of me.

Seeing this perfect formation, I couldn't suppress my inner pathos. I leaned in to embrace them all together in a tight hug.

This is the perfected, taboo secret technique allowed only to accomplished TS original protagonists—“Get caught in between!”

…No, inserting oneself between couplings would be an unforgivable outrageous act, even for an original protagonist, but I can’t help it!

I worked hard for this precious sight.

It's a fact that I was brought to tears by Malkuth's “I love onii-chan aura” that was no longer hidden.

This makes me cry...as a Fairy Sabers fan!

"Eight..."

"Nee-chan..."

Seeing what I was like, I heard the two men gasp from behind.

Ugh… this is bad. At this rate, my character will...! The cool, mysterious Eight-chan's character will crumble!

Ohh, Hold it together, tears! I must display my usual composure and flash a nihilistic smile! You can do this, me! A perfect, cheat original protagonist never sheds tears in front of characters of the original work!

…Ah, but maybe a sorrowful, fleeting gaze could work.

In that case, the heroine would look into the original protagonist’s eyes and think, "What a sad look in their eyes..." And thus, a romantic flag could be raised.

But overdoing it could make me seem persistent, like a male version of a "atekushi" type. Be careful, Goddess-like person! (tl note: atekushi" is a first-person pronoun used by pretentious, arrogant characters in manga and is sometimes used sarcastically.)

Hmm… Ah, it’s no good. Even my usual excellent opinions on fanfiction can't distract me this time, this much is irrepressible!

Yare yare, I cried.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Chesed, Malkuth, Mea...!"

I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Goddess-like person!

Maybe your favorite ship was Chesed x Malkuth, so I’m sorry for to have an original protagonist in between them!

I’m sorry for blending in with Mea-chan! I’m sorry for even dragging Mea-chan into this!

Chesed and Malkuth, too, I’m really sorry for getting in your way.

Ahh, it’s so precious…

『...Daat-sama…』

『Are you really… mother…?』

This passion that allowed me to see the imperfection of my original protagonist moves and the privilege of witnessing something so precious as a Fairy Savers fan—is truly “love.”

Oh Goddess-like person… this is love. The joy of obtaining it… the fear of losing it!

Do you want to thank me for rescuing the characters of the original work…? That is the blessing of those who wish for preciousness… Goddess-like person…!

I was filled with a variety of emotions, and I couldn't hold back the tears that overflowed from my unstable emotions.

My mind, soaked in fantasy and seeking freedom too much, was so jumbled that I couldn’t even comprehend the telepathic messages being sent by Chesed and Malkuth.

──That’s right, I… was born for this──.

While the chibi character Eight-chan in my head stood alone against a pure white background, I quietly realized the truth.

After overcoming all kinds of absurdities, creating a precious scene and stepping into it myself──that is also what I have been seeking for in the ideal world of the “perfect cheat original protagonist.”

TS Original Protagonist Wants to be the Perfect Cheat Original Protagonist──The End.

──That was a lie.

I just wanted to say that because I felt a small sense of accomplishment. Since the story of En and the others are far from over, of course there’s still plenty I need to do.

If anything, it’s hell from here on out! …No, maybe it’s heaven, from a Fairy Savers fan’s perspective.

Having learned another thing about my fetish, I decided to revise my plan again.

That’s right… since we’re here, we might as well aim for it—the salvation of the final boss (Keter)!

In the first place, the big goal of becoming a “perfect cheat original protagonist” was something I vaguely set to allow for flexibility, so now that the story is past its halfway point, I figured it was time to solidify a more specific plan.

For now, the immediate priority is reuniting with Tsubasa Kazaoka, but ultimately, I thought that ending it by defeating the final boss as per the original work would go against my style.

──Life is your own story. As long as it’s not causing a nuisance to anyone, it’s fine for us to do original protagonist things with a free approach.

Of course, it's fine to have a story where the characters move around on their own, emphasizing a lively feel. That’s also the fun of fanfictions.

But at least decide on a conclusion. That’s a promise with Eight-onee-san!

(author: The next chapter will be the end of this island story.

I’ve been thinking, “Maybe I can do it nowadays…?” as I quietly aim for my goal of 20,000 pt. I’ll do my best. It’s all thanks to everyone!)

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