Chapter 52

The phenomenon where a character who left comes back acting like a different person

(sorry I’m late. I had to write three different essays, two of which I’m not sure how they would benefit humanity.)

(author: Dissatisfaction.)

Daat. Daat, huh... Somehow, I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before. Maybe because the motif of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot is often used in other works, like that mythology about the “Tree of Something”?

 

I’m not very knowledgeable about the mythologies that serve as the basis for these kinds of anime, but back in middle school, one of my friends used to go on and on about the origins of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot.

 

Well, his deep knowledge was always about as important as poop, so I just let it go in one ear and out the other, but if something like this was going to happen, I should have paid more attention back then. (tl note: deep knowledge (蘊蓄) and poop (ウンチ) sound the same.)

 

…No use worrying about someone I can’t see anymore.

 

I’m an original protagonist living in the present.

 

After spending about an hour leisurely chatting with Binah, I stood up from the cushion, ready to do what I needed to.

 

“Well then...”

 

『Are you going?』

 

“It’s about time En and the others reach Tsubasa. Thanks for the fun snack time, Binah.”

 

『The pleasure was mine. Thank you for your precious time.』

 

During my small talk with Binah, I heard that this Elohim is known as the “Island of Understanding,” and it has the most detailed collection of information on the history and origins of Fairy World.

 

It seems there are many sites that evoke a sense of romance, like ancient ruins, and apparently, there are even a few records about this “Daat” remaining.

 

It would be nice if I could find some definitive evidence somewhere to prove that I’m not "Daat"... Well, let’s look for it with the mindset of tackling a side quest in an RPG.

 

For now, though, what’s more important is what you might call the main quest, reuniting with the last member of the Savers, Kazaoka Tsubasa, the most important part of the story.

 

Man, it’s been a while.

 

It hasn’t actually been that many days, but it feels like I haven’t seen him in about a month. These past few days have just been so intense, but I should say it’s as expected of the prided Isekai Arc, known for its high density even in the original story.

 

While the location and flow of our reunion with him have deviated quite a bit from the original work, the fact that he’s the last one to join the group among the five remains consistent.

 

"What will you do now, Kabbalah-chan?"

 

“Kyuu.”

 

『It seems like she wants to be with you guys. As for me, I’d also like to keep track of your movements going forward, so I’d appreciate it if you could take her along.』

 

“I see. Fufu... come here, Kabbalah-chan.”

 

“Kyuu!”

 

When I beckoned to her, Kabbalah-chan let out a happy cry and leaped into my arms.

 

There, there. Of course, we’re staying together, aren’t we?

 

To be honest, I was a little worried that Kabbalah-chan might actually be a beastified human. Think of something along the lines of non-human fanfictions.

 

But now that it’s clear she’s undoubtedly a small animal, I can be affectionate without hesitation. Well, not that I wasn’t being affectionate on her before. But even the shift from 99.9% peace of mind to 100% makes a big difference emotionally.

 

『Kabbalah-chan, huh... Naming her after ‘Wisdom of Kabbalah,’ the fairy world’s database that predicts fate from the roots of the World Tree, is very stylish. You’ve been given a good name, Kabbalah-chan.』

 

“Kyuu.”

 

Huh? Wisdom of Kabbalah? What’s that?

 

The reason I named her Kabbalah-chan was simply because I thought adding “Godzilla” to “carbuncle” would make it better, but... that proper noun already existed? What a coincidence.

 

Well, whatever. To put it simply, the name I gave Kabbalah-chan was highly praised as a nice name by Archangel Binah-sama. As expected of me.

 

“Is Binah not coming along?”

 

『I’m busy, you know. I’ll leave Tsubasa to you guys.』

 

“Got it. Leave it to us.”

 

I’m curious about the intention meaning behind her meaningful statement, “I want you to save Kazaoka Tsubasa,” but well, if it’s him, there shouldn’t be a problem. Kazaoka Tsubasa is the Savers' most versatile character, so if anything, I’ve been expecting he has been solving various problems off-screen.

 

Moving away from the Japanese-style carpet, I put my boots back on. These boots, designed to be easy to run in and secure enough not to come off during any phantom thief activities, are a little difficult to put on, but that’s just part of the fun.

 

Hup… There, okay. Now then, let’s go.

 

“May Sefirot’s blessings be with you, Binah.”

 

『...Yes. Take care, Daat.』

 

I said I’m not Daat… I shouldn’t be, but,

 

When I gazed into Binah's silver-white eyes, brimming with such tender emotions directed at me, I felt a strange fear of carelessly denying her.

 

Yes, the Savers’ most versatile character, Kazaoka Tsubasa, is a detective by profession.

 

What’s more, he’s a very well-known detective. In the anime Fairy Savers, the episodes centered around him always made my childish mind think, “Isn’t his style kind of different?”

 

In episodes where Tsubasa took the lead, they typically began with a mysterious incident caused by supernatural abilities. As a detective, Tsubasa would track down the mastermind, followed by the task force members En and Chouta stepping in, and the three of them would resolve the case.

 

Since each episode conveniently concludes its story, it was very reliable to see him solving mysteries at a good pace during part A.

 

He is, without a doubt, the perfect person to investigate mysteries like this.

 

Alright, I’ll subtly guide him into looking into this so-called “Daat,” the zeroth archangel of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot!

 

Being a great detective, he should quickly uncover everything there is to know about Daat.

 

Then I can confidently reaffirm that I, as the beautiful TS phantom thief cheat original protagonist Eight-chan, have nothing to do with Daat, and deny it with peace of mind.

 

In that case, Of course, that would mean Binah-sama might experience the heartbreak of a false reunion with an old friend, but… that’s outside my control. An original protagonist is an original protagonist, and no matter what cheat supernatural ability I have, I cannot become someone else.

 

With that settled, I need to hurry and rendezvous with them.

 

Using my “Clairvoyance” and “Search” abilities compounded into a hyper-sensor-like power, I began scanning every corner of the holy city of “Beit” in concentric circular motion.

 

Thanks to the Chesed Power I recently acquired, the effective range of this ability, along with “Teleportation,” is on a whole different level than before.

 

Naturally, catching up to En and the others would be a breeze.

 

Let’s see… En and the others are… Ah, there they are.

 

En and the others, guided by Zaphkiel-san, had landed in a town about 1,000 kilometers away. Looking at this, the speed of the “Merciful Phoenix” is pretty staggering.

 

The town they arrived at was a small village nestled in a valley. Unlike Beit, it had few man-made structures and a feeling of ruin.

 

The landscape was overwhelmingly brown, with very little green vegetation. It had a vibe reminiscent of a Western movie set in Texas.

 

Is this really where Tsubasa is…? If anything, since he’s more suited to the city than the countryside, this place is different from what I imagined.

 

“…Let’s go.”

 

In any case, there’s no way to know without actually going there. Time to depart.

 

With Kabbalah-chan on my shoulder, I activated “Teleportation.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The deserted town of “Heit,” located roughly 1,000 kilometers away from Beit, is an ancient battlefield where Archangel of Understanding Binah and Archangel of Severity Gevurah once cooperated and fought a fierce battle against the Qlippoth of the abyss, Sheriruth.

 

Even to this day, the scars of that ancient battle remain visible, with the central area of the town still barren, with not a single blade of grass growing. This served as a testament to the battle’s sheer devastation.

 

Adjacent to Heit lies a massive fissure in the earth known as the “Cage of Lucifugus.” Imprisoned wiithin its cage of light is the Qlippoth of the abyss, Sheriruth, sleeping in its ancient form.

 

This sacred ground, where a great archangel vanquished evil, also serves as the resting place of that evil’s seal. It has been the mission of Heit’s inhabitants, who have continued to do so since ancient times, to guard the “Cage of Lucifugus.”

 

Therefore, this town has been a holy ground, such that only those born with the special bloodline that inherits the power to seal have been permitted to reside.

 

"Was it okay to bring us to a place like this?"

 

When En’s group landed in the desolate town of Heit and heard the explanation about the town given by Zaphkiel, Binah’s chief angel, they were puzzled by Binah's decision to bring humans to this holy ground.

 

While they were grateful for the trust Binah had shown after monitoring them through Kabbalah-chan’s eyes, they couldn’t help but feel that this generosity towards outsiders might be excessive.

 

In response to En's question, Zaphkiel answered with a wry smile.

 

『If anything, it was because you are human that Binah-sama invited you to this land. The Qlippoth of the abyss lies dormant here... perhaps for that reason, this island experiences the most frequent occurrences of the Abyss.』

 

“So you want us to exterminate them?”

 

『Indeed. That person is a rational one, after all.』

 

She said that inviting humans benefits them as well.

 

The reason was that, including the Qlippoth of the abyss, for all the Abyss, the human supernatural ability users are even more of natural enemies than the archangels.

 

“Hod said something the other day. That the Abyss is an existence that reincarnates continuously, no matter how many times it’s defeated, and that the only thing that break the cycle is with human’s supernatural abilities.”

 

『Yes. Therefore, Binah-sama believes humans and holy beasts must cooperate to completely eliminate the threat of the Abyss.』

 

『Ain Soph, too. But I see... Binah thought the same thing as me.』(tl note: not a mistake. Raw uses 『』)

 

Even if the angels defeat the Abyss, it will only be a temporary solution.

 

The Abyss is reborn after death, growing stronger each time.

 

And En's group had been told that the moment the Abyss acquires a power beyond anyone's control, it would signal the end of Fairy World.

 

For that very reason, now was not the time for humans and holy beasts to be at odds with each other.

 

『That said, most humans still haven’t fully unlocked the power of their supernatural abilities. I thought they were not yet mature enough to stand against Abyss, and that it would take a few more generations before it happens, but… You, both of you, and Kazaoka Tsubasa, seem to have already become accomplished supernatural ability users already.』

 

"Fairy Burst..."

 

The key to the battle against the Abyss was awakening to Fairy Burst, a state achieved by those who have reached the limit of supernatural abilities.

 

En awakened to this power during the battle against the boss of PSYence. Chouta awakened it during the fight against Netzach.

 

And now, the third──the two reacted immediately to Zaphkiel’s words.

 

“Tsubasa can also use it? This power?”

 

『Yes, after undergoing Binah-sama’s trial, he, too, awakened his power like you.』

 

“Ohh! Damn it, I really wanted to tease him for being the only one who can’t use it.”

 

“Chouta, you’re awful…”

 

“J-just kidding, Mea!”

 

As expected of Kazaoka Tsubasa, he’s reliable man. Even when isolated from his allies, he seemed to take it in stride.

 

It wasn’t that he had no spirit of cooperation, but from the start, he often operated alone within the Savers, and this turned him into a trickster-like presence that turns situations towards a positive direction.

 

He even deceived his own allies to infiltrate the enemy hideout, which contributed significantly to the downfall of PSYence.

 

However, in the early stages of their socializing, he seemed to have a terrible shady character, and it took some time before the three developed the camaraderie they now share.

 

For En, perhaps the one he most felt fortunate to have as an ally among his comrades was the man named Kazaoka Tsubasa.

 

Now that Tsubasa had awakened his Fairy Burst, it was akin to giving an oni an iron club. (tl note: japanese proverb which means adding even more strength to something that is already strong)

 

As En’s group felt reassured by their ally’s increase in power, Zaphkiel turned his gaze toward a specific direction and spoke,

 

『Having gained that power, Kazaoka Tsubasa has pledged loyalty to Binah-sama and chosen to become a sword to slay the Abyss. Just like over there…』

 

"...!?"

 

"That's...!"

 

──Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the town.

 

As Zaphkiel turned to look, his hair blowing in the wind, the scene that spread before them was one of overwhelming disaster, visible even from a afar.

 

“A tornado…?”

 

Beyond the desolate landscape stretched a wasteland──beneath towering cumulonimbus clouds, a thin, spiraling column of air rose from the ground to the heavens, rapidly twisting upward.

 

──It was a massive tornado, nearly 100 meters in diameter.

 

Unleashing ferocious winds as though it were a raging dragon, the tornado sucked up a liquid-like black objects from the ground and dispersed them.

 

Even as a natural phenomenon, it would have been astonishing, but what was truly terrifying was that this tornado clearly possessed intent. It caused no harm to the holy beasts in its vicinity, instead targeting and mercilessly destroying only the "enemies."

 

Once they realized this, everyone instantly saw through the true nature of the phenomenon.

 

『...! That’s a supernatural ability! A person is causing that…!』

 

“Amazing… it’s blowing away that entire group of Abyss in one go…!” [Chouta]

 

“That’s, Tsubasa’s power after awakening to Fairy Burst…?”

 

The tornado was not a natural phenomenom, it was the power of a supernatural ability.

 

If you look closely, a figure could be seen at the tornado's center.

 

As they gazed in astonishment, the fierce winds eventually subsided as all the Abyss had been eradicated.

 

『It seems to be over. Let’s go.』

 

“Ah, aah.”

 

So, this is the power of the current Kazaoka Tsubasa… It was a sight that instinctively made them feel dreadful of the power that was supposed to be on their side.

 

Regaining their composure, the group mounted Chesed and flew off toward the location Zaphkiel had indicated.

 

 

 

 

 

The wilderness that had been visible from the town of Heit was even more barren than it appeared from afar.

 

It could already be called a desert. The ground was scarred over a vast area from the earlier tornado, showing the tremendous power of the person who caused the phenomenon.

 

As expected, there was a young man standing still alone.

 

Though other holy beast warriors had also been battling the Abyss alongside him, even they had been unable to approach recklessly in the face of that storm.

 

“Tsubasa!”

 

As En's group descended from Chesed's back, they called out the name of the young man standing still in that place.

 

His outfit was a Savers battle suit, and, for some reason, a poncho and boots reminiscent of a Western gunslinger, but there was no mistake.

 

There was no mistaking it. Before them stood a long-haired young man with a well-featured look, Kazaoka Tsubasa.

 

“Hm…”

 

Noticing En’s voice, he turned his gaze, which had seemed to be fixed on some distant point, toward the group and spoke.

 

"Ah, it's you guys. Just like Binah said, you're safe."

 

"Aah, and Eight's with us too." [En]

 

"I've heard... Did you come to meet me?"

 

"Yeah! Now everyone’s here!" [Chouta]

 

It had only been a few days, yet it felt like far longer.

 

Over the past few days, they had shared intense moments together, but as Tiferet and Binah had said, seeing their companion safe and sound brought the three a sense of relief.

 

At the same time, however, En felt something strange emanating from him.

 

And then... there was that nagging feeling. The words Binah had spoken, "I want you to save him," kept bothering him.

 

"Alright then, let’s go! The three of us who awakened to Fairy Burst are heading straight to the Holy Dragon's place!"

 

In any case, the Savers were now all assembled.

 

As soon as they reunite with Eight, they would head immediately for the World Tree, where the Holy Dragon lay dormant.

 

Fortunately, this island was close to the World Tree, Sefira. The end of their journey was near, and the group was overjoyed.

 

However—

 

"You guys do that. I’m staying here."

 

“Eh…”

 

Tsubasa coldly brushed off Chouta's cheerful words.

 

I have a bad premonition… En closely stared into his eyes.

 

And then, he involuntarily gasped.

 

The current Kazaoka Tsubasa──felt fundamentally different from the one they had always known.

 

"Is it because the Abyss is surging? If so, then let’s take them all down together..." [En]

 

"I don’t care about that."

 

"Ha?"

 

His eyes—weren’t looking at the three.

 

They were filled with an endless void, as if all light had been extinguished.

 

──Like a child who had lost their family, all their hopes.

 

"I don’t care anymore... about the human world."

 

Seeing his face steeped in deep despair, the three finally understood what Binah’s words meant.

 

What on earth could have happened…? The man who was easygoing yet always reliable when it mattered most, was now unrecognizable, leaving the three at a loss for words.

 

(author:

En: "Tsubasa, what happened? You were so much brighter in the old work!"

 

Tsubasa: "I’ve fallen into a hell deeper than the darkness... En, you’ve got it good, huh? Surrounded by friends, living a life full of joy. I’m different… Even the darkness is too dazzling for me now."

 

En: "Next time on Fairy Savers ∞: ‘Tsubasa’s Rescue! The Wandering Isle of Understanding’."

 

Tsubasa: "I’ve forgotten it... the meaning of the word 'savior'...")

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