Chapter 19

A Third Force is an Easy Reconciliation Flag

To put it bluntly, Fairy Burst is like a hyper mode for supernatural ability users. It's a form where an ability user who has developed their ability to a certain level completely unleashes their abilities through a pure explosion of willpower. Although it operates on the same principle as the Burst State, which is the uncontrollable mode of abilities running wild, the crucial difference is that in Fairy Burst, the user fully controls that ability.

It can be said that it’s a power that, if used incorrectly, could lead to self-destruction, but is controlled by a noble rationality. I was thrilled as a kid when En awakened this power during the boss battle of the first season of the anime Fairy Savers—it definitely hit my chuunibyou sweet spot.

And honestly, I’m still excited. Go, En! Take down that random angel!

『Ngh… That power… It’s like that of a archangel…! I-impossible… How could a human possess such power?!』

Nice one, Haniel-san! You’re playing the perfect role as the punching bag!

Yes, this is it. The protagonist unleashes their true strength, completely obliterating the enemy who had been looking down on them with their newfound power. This is exactly what I wanted. Lately, there had been hints of a gloomy storyline, so I was enjoying watching En’s overwhelming power with a refreshing sense of satisfaction.

“I’ve shown you my strength. Even after this, am I still not enough of an ally?”

『…Are you out of your mind?』

“We have no hostile intentions. Tell your superiors that we’ll cooperate—just stop attacking the human world.”

『…Indeed, with such power, you might be able to fight the Abyss. But the attack on the human world is already decided.』

To bring negotiations to the table, you have to show that you’re equals. En, who seems to believe that fighting is all he can do, is still as awkward as ever, but this approach might resonate with an angel under the Netzach, the most militant among the Ten Archangels.

With En now in Fairy Burst, having shown overwhelming strength, Haniel’s demeanor clearly shifted.

However, to the holy beasts, he was merely a middle-management angel. His rod remained unwavering.

『Netzach-sama, who values power above all else, might listen to you. But even if you could convince him, Keter-sama’s decision is absolute!』

“I see... then—!”

Yeah, if it's that muscle-brained angel, showing off enough power might get him to listen. But since Haniel is the middle manager supporting his muscle-brained superior, this isn’t going to work here. Though honestly, I’d be troubled if En’s offer was accepted. I don’t want to end up as his battle slave or anything.

Haniel, now airborne with his four wings, gained momentum and came crashing down.

『Here I come, human!』

“…Bring it!”

En, clad in blue flames, calmly took a stance to counter him.

Yes, this is what a dialogue between men looks like. I love this kind of straightforward exchange.

However, their duel was interrupted.

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed from the distance. The ground shook, the clouds parted, and Haniel froze in place when he saw it.

Oh crap, this is when the Abyss shows up!

『At a time like this…! Tch! Human, we’ll settle this later!』

“What?”

The moment he spotted something in the sky, Haniel quickly withdrew from his attack on En and flew off in a panic.

En, confused by the sudden change in Haniel’s demeanor, watched him leave with a puzzled expression. But I, with my knowledge of the original work, knew why he left.

“What was that…?”

“The Abyss has appeared. Judging from the direction he flew off in… it seems, just as my prediction said, the Kobold Tribe’s village is being attacked.”

“! …The demonic beast you mentioned, huh.”

A third force always moves the story forward, no matter the era. Though this isn’t the time for me to be narrating.

I can't miss a key intervention point in the original work—it would ruin my reputation as an original protagonist!

Mixing the Curse of Darkness and Telekinesis, I summoned the Dark Phoenix, which moved in perfect harmony with my thoughts. Holding down my skirt, I jumped onto its back.

“I’m going to chase after him. What about you?”

“I’m going. If this Abyss is moving just like you predicted, I can’t leave the Kobold Tribe to die.”

“Got it. Then hop on. We’re flying.”

“…Thanks.”

“Kabbalah-chan, hold on tight.”

“Kyuu!”

With the obedient Kabbalah-chan gripping my shoulder, and En—now out of Fairy Burst—riding behind me, I commanded the Dark Phoenix to take off.

I used clairvoyance to locate where Haniel had flown, saw the chaos unfolding there, and immediately accelerated.

A perfect original protagonist always makes it in time to save someone in danger. That’s what it’s all about.

The village of the Kobold Tribe, located near the Mythical Beast Forest on the seventh island, Adonai, was under attack.

The mortal enemy of the holy beasts, the Abyss. They originated from the depths far below the sea of clouds, a world the holy beasts could not reach. These creatures had begun to stir over a century ago, and at one point, they were on the verge of flooding into the celestial realm from the abyss. However, they were sealed away until today by the power of the Holy Dragon, Ein Sof.

But in recent years, the power of Ein Sof that had kept them suppressed had weakened, and the seal was beginning to break. As a result, Abyss creatures had been emerging from the cloud sea, and the Fairy World was preparing for an unprecedented crisis.

The Abyss were fundamentally different from living beings. They were literal monsters, instinctively devouring everything around them with an insatiable hunger. Their liquid slime-like bodies could change shape at will, and their behavior, which made them devour even holy beasts, make them the natural enemy of all holy beasts, angels included. The holy beasts, regardless of species, had to band together to fend off these common enemies.

And in this village, situated near the cloud sea, Abyss attacks had become particularly frequent.

On this day, Haniel, who had been patrolling Adonai, likely stumbled upon the intruders from Earth by sheer misfortune.

Caught off guard by the unimaginable strength of the human, he nearly missed the most crucial event—the emergence of the Abyss.

『Take this!』

Haniel swiftly descended upon the village of the Kobold Tribe, crushing the Abyss attacking the villagers with a strike from his rod. Although the Abyss had liquid-like bodies, they were not invulnerable. If reduced below a certain volume through slicing or smashing, the Abyss would cease to function and dissolve into dust.

However, unless they were reduced to that extent, they wouldn’t die. Even when cut in half, they could reattach to other Abyss creatures and regenerate, or split into multiple parts. Their troublesome nature knew no bounds.

『Haniel-sama!』

『Hurry and flee! I will handle this!』

『Yes…! B-but here’s another swarm of Abyss over there…』

『What did you say!? Hah!』

The Abyss were both individuals and colonies.

Generally, they never appear one at a time but surge up from beneath the cloud sea like fountains, splitting and spreading across the islands, attacking the living spaces of the holy beasts like a wave. Even if you tried to repel them by force, there were limits to what individuals could do. They were more like pests than enemies, and far worse than anything humans could handle.

In truth, the holy beasts didn’t have the luxury to deal with humans right now.

『That human… said he could help us…』

If that were true, it would be a welcome offer, given the current situation in Adonai with the frequent Abyss outbreaks. No amount of fighting power was ever enough, and even the Holy Dragon once hoped that the human world would cooperate to eradicate the Abyss.

However…

『They are not to be trusted!』

The research into the once-inviolable gates, the abduction of holy beasts, inhumane experiments, and the organization known as PSYence that trampled on the mercy of the Archangel Chesed—all these past and present events had built a deep sense of mistrust among the holy beasts.

Haniel, still furious from his unfinished battle with the human, vented his rage by single-handedly mowing down the forces of the Abyss with overwhelming power.

But there were simply too many.

The Abyss didn’t know how to fight. They merely advanced with their liquid bodies, latching onto their prey, swallowing, and consuming them. For a master like Haniel, they were nothing to fear, but the sheer number of them overwhelmed even his strength.

The young warriors of the Kobold Tribe were also fighting back with their claws and sacred arts to defend the village, but they could only slow the Abyss down. The damage to the town continued to spread.

At this rate…

Like a swarm of the dead converging on the living, the liquid-like monsters, some over three meters tall, surrounded Haniel, trying to devour him.

『Your mimicry specialty, huh…!』 (tl note: mimicry here is spelled with 猿真似, which means “monkey see, monkey do”)

This was one of the characteristics of the Abyss: mimicry.

When the Abyss realize that they are in danger during battle, they fight back by imitating the shape of their enemy with their liquid bodies. This was their fighting form.

Although their appearance was merely an imitation and didn’t fully replicate the abilities of those they copied, their combat style and refined attacks were far more advanced than their normal forms.

『Like I’d fall for that!』

Haniel roared, swinging his rod and smashing the face of one of the creatures that had taken his form. He then used his sacred art, Lightning Knuckle, to pierce the heart of another. His iron fist, charged with the power of light, dealt a fatal blow to the Abyss.

『Guh!』

However, immediately after, Haniel was struck from behind by the same technique he had just unleashed.

Several Abyss, all mimicking his form, stood behind him. As Haniel tumbled to the ground, he glared at his enemies with fury.

『An evil being, is using my technique...』

This, too, was one of the Abyss's traits.

While their mimicry didn’t completely replicate the original power, it allowed them to create a degraded copy of the ability. The Abyss had now reproduced Haniel's sacred technique, the Lightning Knuckle, as their own.

Even as a degraded copy, if the overwhelming number of Abyss used it, it would turn into a nightmare. Haniel, seething with hatred so intense it made him feel nauseous, stood up and prepared himself as he faced the group of angel-shaped Abyss, numbering over a dozen, that had encircled him.

Advancing too far ahead alone had was a mistake... Haniel thought to himself, reflecting on his precarious situation.

But he was an angel, and not just any angel. He was the chief angel serving Netzach, one of the Ten Archangels. As the one closest to the archangel who bears the name of "Victory," he could not show his back to the enemy.

『Come at me, Abyss! I am Haniel, chief angel of the proud Netzach!』

With the pride of a warrior angel in his heart, Haniel tightened his grip on his rod.

At that moment, a blue flame rained down from the sky, incinerating the monster before him.

"Vanishing Saber!"

In a flash, a man suddenly appeared and swung his sword of blue flames, slicing through three of the angel-shaped Abyss at once.

Haniel was shocked and widened his eyes at the sight.

Why, has this man… this human, appeared here?

“These things are the demonic beast Olishua warned about... the Abyss, huh? They’re far more terrifying than I imagined.”

『Human... what are you doing here? I don’t have time to deal with you right now.』

It was the same human Haniel had been fighting just moments earlier.

This man was an intruder from the other world, as reported by Archangel Tiferet.

And now, this same human had intervened in their situation and had even come to Haniel’s aid. Haniel wore a perplexed expression as he thrust his rod forward, smashing the face of an angel-shaped Abyss that had been aiming for the man from behind.

The man, cloaked in blue flames, spun around, slashing with his fiery sword, and delivered a finishing blow to the Abyss that had lost its head. Their movements were smoothly coordinated, as if they had planned it.

“I know that. That’s why we’ve come to this world. There’s nothing to gain from fighting each other.”

『What, are you saying...』

“As long as these things are roaming around, we don’t have time to be worrying about the human world. Like I said earlier, if you pull back from the human world, we can help you fight these monsters.”

『Hm, this is your way of atoning for your people’s sins?』

“That’s part of it.”

Back-to-back, each wielding their rod and flaming sword, they slashed through the Abyss that surrounded them.

Haniel couldn’t quite grasp the man’s true intentions. Was he unaware of the situation, or did he understand it fully and come seeking dialogue because of it?

If it was the latter, it would shake Haniel’s long-held view of humans.

“I’ll pay for the sins of my fellow humans. So, please stop attacking innocent people.”

『...Human, what is your name?』

“Akatsuki En.”

『...Akatsuki, first, let’s defeat these creatures. Lend me your strength.』

“You didn’t need to tell me.”

『Hmph...』

Perhaps this human is... a bit different from the ones I had known.

Hm? It looks like… That guy, he's saying something cool again!

I dismounted the Dark Phoenix and arrived at the Kobold Village.

While using Eight-chan Thunder to burn away the swarming Abyss, the natural enemies of holy beasts, which were appearing in greater numbers than expected, I glanced over at En’s group through my Clairvoyance and couldn’t help but smile wryly.

When we reached the village, he declared, “I’m going to help Haniel,” and took off on his own, which was kind of frustrating... honestly.

It was like witnessing the stark difference between a guy who wants to become the perfect cheat original protagonist and someone who’s already the protagonist. Not that I’m jealous of him or anything, really. It’s more like, “As expected of a pro. He’s so different.” I genuinely respect his natural way of being. I almost want to ask for his autograph.

Still, even after understanding these differences, a perfect cheat original protagonist will still demonstrate his own presence.

And so, I left the Abyss around Haniel to him and decided to head over to help the young kobolds, who were struggling with the Abyss on their side.

"Return to the Abyss... This is not your place."

I summoned several dark phoenixes and enchanted them with explosive fire attributes. They transformed into literal firebirds, and I launched them one after another, providing heated support fire for the kobolds who were on the verge of defeat. Kaiser Phoenix is a man’s dream. I’m a TS beautiful girl, though.

『What!?』

『What’s that…!?』

The young kobolds, who were fighting off the Abyss near the evacuation area, turned in surprise at the overwhelming attack that had suddenly cut across their battlefield. Heh, that’s the reaction I was aiming for. Suddenly appearing, wreaking havoc freely, and capturing the attention of both enemies and allies. The original protagonist is truly unrivaled!! It feels amazing!

Of course, being the mysterious and perceptive older sister that I am, I don’t let my excitement show on my face. I keep my expression cool and collected, portraying myself as a merciful, effortlessly awesome original protagonist while unleashing my full power.

『Is that... Chesed-sama?』

『No... this power is different from his. Still, this...』

The kobolds were confused, wondering who this gorgeous girl was. I didn’t make eye contact with them and continued attacking the Abyss, signaling that I wasn’t here to fight them.

By the way, these kobolds are even fluffier than they looked in the anime. Maybe I can ask to pet them as a thank-you for saving them? Their fluffy chests, or maybe their dog-like noses... I’m not into furry stuff, but they remind me of when I wanted a dog in my previous life. I switched to cats after getting bitten by a neighbor’s dog, but I still like dogs. Hmm... Eight-chan with dog ears? Could work for undercover in the holy beasts' town.

While thinking about this, I continued to obliterate any Abyss in sight until only a few remained. Oh no, there’s still one more in the sky. And it’s targeting the evacuation center?! No one’s even noticed!

"...!"

I was getting too carried away and almost missed one. A single Abyss wipes out the villagers in the shelter──no way I’m allowing such a depressing development!

Someone who knows that something dangerous will happen because of their knowledge of the original work, but still lets the victims fall victim to it, is not a perfect cheating original protagonist. That would make you an original protagonist of a serious fanfiction. Sure, serious fanfiction can be intense and interesting, but that’s not the kind of original protagonist I aim to be.

For me, a perfect cheat original protagonist is the embodiment of convenience. I was bedridden for a week when a fanfiction I loved ended in a bad ending.

Therefore, I did not hesitate to do things that were not part of the plan in order to reach the happy ending.

I compounded “Curse of Darkness” with “Acceleration.”

I grew black wings from the darkness on my back and flew straight towards the angel-shaped Abyss targeting the shelter and started pummeling it. With a harp. …No, I didn’t have any other weapon handy in the moment.

The scene looked pretty surreal, so I quickly stowed away the harp. While floating in the air, I checked to make sure the shelter was safe. Ah, from this angle, they can totally see up my skirt... Better cover it with darkness.

While thinking such things with a calm expression, I noticed the kobolds below staring up at me. Fuhaha, behold! I am your savior, kneel before me!

... No, wait, don’t actually kneel. Why do they all look so reverent? It’s embarrassing. What I want is “Kyaa! Eight-san, you’re amazing!” admiration, not worship! Please stop!

『A archangel...?』

One of the kobold children inside the shelter sent me those words via telepathy.

Ah, just now, I grew black wings to fly... And since it was a spur of the moment, I put too much energy into it and about ten of them flapped about.

In Fairy Savers, there’s a lore like this:

In the fairy world, the rank of an angel is determined by the number of wings they have.

The number of wings of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, the highest rank of angels, is ten for King Keter, and eight for the others.

Fuh… Once again, I’ve unintentionally created another misunderstanding. Yare yare daze.

...What do I do? This might be bad. Right now, I’m basically the highest-ranked angel, even though my wings are black. Pretending to be one of the Ten Archngels will ruin the conversation En-kun was about to have with the angels! What should I do!?

For now, ten wings is not good, so while descending, I secretly reduced the number of wings to six. A capable original protagonist knows when to be humble. So, everyone, what you saw earlier about ten wings was just an illusion!

"Kyuu."

"... I’m fine. Thanks, Kabbalah-chan."

As I descended in a daze, Kabbalah-chan, who was perched on my shoulder, licked my cheek as if comforting me.

Thank you. I’m really glad I met you.

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