Chapter 39

The guy who breaks the secret boss flag with consecutive critical hits

Having agreed to Tiferet's request for questioning, I decided to gather En’s group for a meeting.

 

The location should be the hill with Chesed’s perch. That place feels good.

 

 

So, the group that gathered were me, Tiferet, En, Chouta, Malkuth, and Chesed’s chief angel, who is the acting administrator of the island, alongside the other attendant angels.

 

When I went to call Chouta, Malkuth was sparring with him one-on-one.

 

But to my surprise, the fight wasn’t like the tense, deadly kind they’d had before, but it was more of a mock battle. Maybe it’s that, where they bond through fighting a common enemy… or not. It’s not.

 

Despite her appearance and demeanor as the cute youngest sister, known as the “Final Sword of Keter,” she isn’t one to show mercy once she deems someone an enemy. Her relationship with Chesed in the original work reflected just that.

 

There was a clear trace of anger on her face as she struck Chouta down, showing no hint of reconciliation.

 

Yet, as he endured her strikes, Chouta’s face somehow looked to be having fun.

 

Just to clarify, he’s not the type to enjoy being pummeled by a cute girl. Since he has the temperament of a martial artist, he was simply thrilled to face a strong opponent.

 

Well, certainly, they’re both the typical impulsive type, so maybe their personalities actually complement each other well. Enjoying the banter between characters who didn’t interact in the original is one of the real pleasure of fan fiction.

 

Hm, Chouta and Malkuth is becoming popular? Just because they’re in the same space doesn’t mean it’s a CP (coupling). But I think a rival flag is becoming popular. Besides, she has Keter… I just realized “Keter” and “becoming popular (kiteru)” sound similar.

 

Even though Chouta couldn’t beat an archangel one-on-one, when she realized that I had woken up and scored a point in front of me, he celebrated like a child. Not bad, clap clap.

 

Malkuth, momentarily stunned by this unexpected strike, huffed, 『What? That was just me showing pity to a miserable, pathetic human! Obviously, I’m stronger than you! Don’t get cocky!』 It was funny to see her get angry and verbally attack. Why is this girl so worth teasing every time?

 

 

Meanwhile, En was already near Chesed’s perch even before I called for him.

 

On top of the hill, he was meditating like a monk in training.

 

It seemed that En had grasped something from the battle against Adishut, and when using "Search," I could see that his power rose even further. As expected of the protagonist, he gets stronger whenever there’s a chance.

 

As soon as he finished meditating, Eight-chan’s face popped up right in front of his view, startling him, though he was immediately pleased that I’d woken up. Hey, sorry for worrying you.

 

But then he said, "If you're here, let me know... it's bad for my heart," which sounded like I’d done something wrong, and that annoyed me a little. What’s with that?

 

 

──Well, that’s how I met up with the two and reported to them that I was in good health.

 

 

Incidentally, Kaballah-chan didn’t come along. She was curled up by the bedside, napping with Mea-chan.

 

Wait... could this be NTR...? I used to sleep with Kaballah-chan as a body pillow, so I was literally netorared by Mea-chan. What the hell is this?

 

…Putting that aside.

 

After confirming that everyone was gathered at Chesed’s perch, I started the briefing to explain the truth using Chesed Memory.

 

Incidentally, Hod apparently went to report the situation to Keter.

 

Therefore, he was no longer on the island. Hearing that put me at ease.

 

Now that there were no commentators who were better at explaining things than me, I was on my own from here on out. (tl note: commentators in manga and anime refers to characters who are in a position to clearly explain to the reader or viewer what is the situation during a battle or other competitive scenes. Think of Speedwagon from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.)

 

Feeling in high spirits, I decided to perform a bard-like ballad with my harp.

 

I’m not fooling around. It’s because it looks cooler this way.

 
And at the moment I strummed the harp, I noticed Tiferet’s eyes sparkled slightly.

 

As the archangel who presides over “Beauty,” she has a deep appreciation for culture and the arts. Since the harp is an unknown instrument in this world, she looked intrigued.

 

Personally, I’m interested in her playing or singing, so I hope she’ll oblige me someday.

 

──Well, after the briefing, the mood wouldn’t really allow for that.

 

 

 

 

 

──The Archangel of Mercy Chesed was simply unlucky.

 

Upon learning that Keter had begun to view the human world as an enemy due to the abduction of the holy beasts, Chesed crossed the gate into the human world to warn them to stop interfering with the Fairy World. In return, he planned to handle any holy beasts that accidentally wandered into the human world himself.

 

However, at that moment, an incident occurred.

 

In the hyperspace connecting the Fairy World to the human world, a massive “darkness” suddenly appeared and attacked Chesed.

 

The name of that darkness was—"Kaitzul."

 

Long ago, in the early days of the Fairy World’s creation, Kaitzul was one of the Qlippoth of the abyss, sealed within the dimensional rift "Peor" by Holy Dragon Ain Soph.

 

At this time, Kaitzul temporarily broke the seal and came into contact with Chesed, who tried to cross into the human world, and a battle ensued.

 

After delivering a mortal wound to Chesed, Kaitzul planted the soul of his brethren, the Qlippoth "Adishut," into Chesed’s body. It was like he was planting a single seed.

 

All this was done in order to revive Adishut, who had just been reincarnated and was still incomplete, in a perfect state.

 

Kaitzul planned to bring forth the ultimate Qlippoth by infusing the soul of the revived Adishut with the power of an archangel.

 

──However, this plan was derailed from the start due to an unexpected event.

 

Chesed, gravely wounded by Kaitzul, crash-landed in the human world and was supposed to be completely consumed from within by Adishut.

 

But of all things, it was "PSYence" that first discovered Chesed in this state.

 

To PSYence, who had been researching the power of holy beasts, Chesed’s existence was ideal. In order to create the strongest Fairy Child, they captured his dying body, extracted his factor, and implanted it into a suitable test subject.

 

That subject was a girl named "Mea."

 

However, no one—not even Mea herself—realized that the Qlippoth of the abyss, Adishut, was lying dormant within that factor.

 

As an irregular phenomenon, Adishut transferred from Chesed’s body into hers and decided to bide his time, waiting patiently for the time of his revival.

 

And after that long wait—that time finally came.

 

When Mea awakened to Chesed’s powers due to the arrival of Chokmah and gained the power of an angel, it must have been a stroke of luck for him.

 

Thanks to this, he too was able to obtain the power of an archangel as planned and develop into that form.

 

 

 

 

…...Yes, that’s the truth.

 

By gaining Chesed's memories, I understood the truth behind Chesed absent.

 

And it’s all because of that guy, "Kaitzul."

 

Ah, PSYence is usually extremely evil, so as soon as you find remnants, do whatever you want with them. You’re free to do so.

 

However, that's probably why Mea-chan didn't notice the existence of Adishut inside her. It seems that careless Chesed's power was so great that they couldn't see him carefully hiding behind. (tl note: careless here refers to doing something half-heartedly that doesn't need to be done, which ends up bringing a bad result.)

 

That is to say──

 

That was close…! A secret boss was about to emerge from Mea-chan!

 

It was an outrageous bomb that had been planted.

 

That original boss called Adishut was actually in a state that wasn’t fully matured.

 

I can't even imagine how terrifying it would have been if he emerged from Mea-chan on his own after much more time had passed. That’s too scary.

 

But from his point of view, I must have been the biggest miscalculation.

 

Because if I hadn’t meddled with Mea-chan’s body at that time, he would have continued growing inside her undetected.

 

Naturally, we wouldn’t have had a clue. If, just as we defeated the final boss Keter, ready to return to Earth, he’d suddenly burst out of Mea-chan’s body like, “Secret boss reveal! Ultimate Perfect Great Adishut Sudden Emergence!”—I’d be bedridden for life.

 

The one who set up this horrific plan was the goddess-like person herself… You really are serious.

 

Killing a young girl at the happy grand finale of a story that’s almost over, plunging En and the others into despair—that’s an act of a brute. Onee-san is a bit sombre.

 

…Well, I stopped that scheme, though! Take that, goddess-like person! Take that, Kaitzul!

 

Apparently, Adishut couldn’t migrate into this T.P. Eight Olishua’s body, so, with nowhere else to go, he awoke earlier than planned and was forced to fight in his incomplete state.

 

Unintentionally breaking the secret boss flag before it happens, aren’t I amazing?

 

I truly am the perfect cheat original protagonist. Well, it's all just a coincidence, though, so let’s leave it at that. With this, Eight-chan’s reputation skyrockets even more!

 

...No, if I don't say that everything's alright, it’ll seem like summoning that monster was my fault.

 

If the affected townspeople held an impeachment against me, that’d be very miserable.

 

Anyway, I’m genuinely relieved that my miscalculation didn’t lead to any holy beasts in town dying. That’s my true feeling.

 

When I heard that from Tiferet, I felt the most relieved. If there had been any casualties, I would have been devastated. The biggest reason why I don't like gloomy developments is that I don't want to be gloomy myself.

 

 

Once I finished explaining everything, the meeting was filled with a sombre atmosphere.

 

Yeah, expected that. Anyone would look like that hearing such a story.

 

“Certainly, I thought it was strange… but something like that…”

 

“No matter how you look at it, old man Netzach and these guys are stronger than the PSYence boss. Now that I’ve fought them, I get it… that Chesed guy couldn’t be taken down by PSYence.”

 

『It’s almost exactly as Hod guessed… but Kaitzul—and other Qlippoth were involved…』

 

『...』

 

Everyone had a bewildered look on their face, as expected.

 

Even I was shocked. If I didn’t understand the goddess-like person’s intentions when Adishut appeared, it could’ve been dangerous.

 

Perhaps receiving the influx of unknown memories through Chesed would have turned Eight-chan into a panicking mess. I was already panicky enough when I made Mea-chan cry, but this would be more than that.

 

In that regard, Tiferet and Malkuth are archangels after all, maintaining their composure and staying calm even after hearing such a story.

 

Yes, that's right—Kaitzul, that one who sounds like a "modding (kaisou) tool," is the mastermind behind Chesed absent.

 

PSYence is usually pitch black, but they simply acquired Chesed by chance, and Mea-chan is, from start to finish, just an unfortunate victim. When En, Chouta, and I stood together like a collage of Adélie penguins and preached about this, the originally kind-hearted Tiferet was at a loss for words, saying, “Ah...”

 

Using guilt as a shield, I thought it felt really good to point out your superiority over a beautiful older sister.

 

Meanwhile, Malkuth remained silent the entire time.

 

I initially thought, given my interpretation, that she'd express her anger toward the mastermind cutely. But instead, she remained eerily quietly to the whole explanation and listened obediently to the end.

 

Her face kept glancing at mine as if she wanted to say something but... as expected, even I couldn't read minds, so I had no idea what she was thinking.

 

As I was giving her a sidelong glance, En started questioning me.

 

"Did you know everything, Eight?"

 

──Here it comes.

 

Fuh… but I already anticipated this question.

 

While adjusting my glasses in my mind, I gave the answer I thought out beforehand.

 

"I had sensed that Mea was a special existence. I also knew there was a great being behind her... confirming that was also one of my objectives."

 

"I thought so..." [En]

 

"Then why did you keep quiet until now? If you knew that Adishut guy was inside Mea, you should have removed it much sooner." [Chouta]

 

This is the strong character’s innermost secret, the "I knew it all along move."

 

By implying that I alone noticed something no one else did, I can pass this rating test.

 

However, it's not a lie. I've been aware since the beginning that a great being (the goddess-like person) was behind her... I was thinking from an original protagonist perspective.

 

『...That's true. Before that girl Mea underwent Hod's trial, Adishut didn't have that kind of power. I shouldn’t say this since I got in the way... but couldn't you have done it at a different timing?』

 

"Yes... it had to be this timing. Before, Adishut’s presence was too weak to extract. Plus, despite how he looked, that child was cautious. Without strengthening Mea’s own resistance, there was a risk she'd be taken hostage, creating complications. In that regard, Hod training her was a fortuitous convenience."

 

『So, you mean it was necessary to do it the day before yesterday... is what you’re saying.』

 

That’s what I’m saying.

 

The day before yesterday, ahh, so I really did sleep for a whole day. Well, that's not a problem. There's more leeway in the schedule than in the original work’s timeline since the tournament in Tsebaoth didn’t happen.

 

Of course, now that this happened, the original work’s timeline can no longer be relied upon. In the first place, even the history we’ve followed is different, so it's no surprise.

 

Thinking about it, facing divergences from the original work is also part of the mission for a cheat original protagonist. I forgot about that.

 

Reflecting on how rigid my thinking had been until now, I hung my head slightly.

 

"...Though it was necessary, it's like I practically summoned Adishut myself. I can’t deny that I might be partly to blame... but Adishut was still a larva in the middle of its development. Considering that it would only get more uncontrollable in the future, that timing when Hod, I, En, and Chouta were there was the only opportunity..."

 

"That guy, that thing was just a child?! Those outrageous Qlippoth of the abyss guys are..." [Chouta]

 

Yes, according to Chesed's knowledge, the Qlippoth named Adishut would grow into a much bigger, sturdier form over time. Apparently, before reincarnating, he was a massive dragon about 200 meters long…That guy’s in the wrong work.

 

So, managing to stop it before that happened was quite the fine play on my part.

 

Though, maybe it doesn't make up for all the danger I put the island through... I sighed as I looked down at the town of Gedulah, now left with painful scars.

 

"...Sorry, everyone..."

 

『You…』

 

I bowed deeply toward the town, sincerely apologetic.

 

No, really, truly… at least I’m genuinely relieved that no one died.

 

I’m not a good boy, but I have no desire to cause harm to those around me. That’s because I can’t feel good as an original protagonist if I do that.

 

I also gave my thanks to the chief angel’s group. While they weren’t much help in the battle, they worked tirelessly, guiding evacuees and dealing with stray attacks. Without their efforts, even with my assistance, it would have been difficult to achieve zero casualties.

 

『N-no, that’s…』

 

As a small act of atonement, I’ll help with the restoration work once this is over to make up for the time I spent asleep. With my main character powers, I should be able to restore the town to its original state. I feel like if I don’t contribute here, I’ll fail as an original protagonist.

 

『...Hey.』

 

Calling out to me, Malkuth spoke up for the first time during the meeting.

 

What’s up? If it’s Kaitzul’s location, he’s still in the dimensional rift. The seal doesn’t seem to be fully broken yet.

 

『Will you……save Chesed……？』

 

She was usually so strong-willed, but she asked me this with a hint of sadness her eyes. Seeing her so devoted to her older brother even moved me, I also… it resonated with “Chesed’s heart within me.”

 

Yeah… that’s right. They may have questions about the mastermind, “Kaitzul”, and other matters, but that's probably the first thing she would want to ask.

 

Bringing the absent Chesed back to life. I thought that this was the original protagonist mission given to me by the goddess-like person, and the reason I first drew this power from Mea.

 

But now—Chesed spoke from within me.

 

“It seems… now is not yet time.”

 

『……! Why!?』

 

I’d love to bring him back as soon as possible but… he seems to want to remain in this state for now. “Because this way, I can help this world,” Chesed within me said, refusing. As expected, it seems the Ten Archangels of Sefirot are a stubborn bunch.

 

Eh? No, I’m not imagining things. It’s a strange sensation, but when I focus my energy, his will somehow rises to my mind. I just realized this just now.

 

So at this moment, I regretted not reviving him sooner before I became aware of that voice.

 

Ah, but this situation where another person is within me… it’s kinda chuunibyou-ish and cool. Just this time, I thought of it as an escape from reality.

Next