Chapter 3

I Have Received the Characters of the Original Work's Participation By Phantom Thief Original Protagonist

I don’t particularly have any issue with the existence of other original protagonists besides myself. On the contrary, I prefer to establish a friendly, win-win relationship with Mea-chan, who is also an original protagonist.

This is because, in stories with multiple reincarnators or where multiple original characters appear, special care must be taken with the structure of original character vs. original character. This is one of the common pitfalls where “the readers get left behind,” as I mentioned earlier, and unless each original character is exceptionally compelling, the story risks turning into a “who benefits from this?” scenario.

An exception would be if, from the start, the author’s goal was clear: “I want to write a side story centered entirely on original characters!” In that case, it’s fine. I personally love original stories set before the original work begins, after it ends, or during a blank period. In fact, those types of stories can be more interesting if they don’t follow the original plot, which makes the world of fanfiction quite tricky.

However, in a fanfic that follows the original story, switching to this kind of development halfway through is a massive death flag.

When readers start reading a fanfic that follows the original plot, they are usually interested in how the original protagonist will influence the upcoming events. But if, at that moment, they’re suddenly hit with “a character they don’t know appears out of nowhere!” followed by “an original character vs. original character showdown that sidelines the original plot,” many readers will find it overwhelming and lose track of things.

From the author's perspective, it's a sad situation. All they did was add an original enemy to the antagonist’s side to balance out the allies who had grown stronger thanks to the original character's influence… but that was the development they wanted to write the most, having come up with a well-thought-out setting for it. I understand…

Of course, there are stories that, even with such elements, remain enjoyable until the end, and there’s no lack of demand for them from readers. A skilled author can handle these landmines without triggering them. I wasn’t skilled enough, though, so I crashed and burned.

That’s why I don’t plan to expand on any original protagonist vs. original protagonist developments in this world. My policy is to avoid conflict between original protagonists at all costs. Besides, when I saw Mea-chan up close, she was a small, cute, silver-haired loli, so the idea of opposing her is unthinkable. If she’s not a reincarnator, there’s even less reasons to fight her.

That’s right, what I seek is the perfect original protagonist! That is the mission of the cheat original protagonist.

Therefore, I want a fanfic where both Mea and I can shine as original protagonists. Without either of us becoming a stepping stone for the other, we will work together as original protagonists to guide this story smoothly. This is the outline of “Two-in-One Original Protagonist Master Plan.”

In this plan, my position is the shadow original protagonist. Mea-chan, who has already taken the nice role of the amnesiac heroine, will remain as the light original protagonist, shining on the protagonist.

I will support the story as her shadow. Doesn’t being someone’s shadow feel good?… it does. I’m feeling so motivated now.

So, with that decided, how does this plan sound? Mysterious goddess-like person, please be sure to thank your past self for making the wise decision to choose me as the original protagonist.

No matter who I’m talking to, even if it’s a god, I refuse to stop being full of myself. That’s who I am.

The anime “Fairy Savers” is 26 episodes long. It’s divided into two parts: the first cour and the second cour, each with a different story direction.

The first cour is a story of the protagonist growing stronger as he fights an evil organization to avenge his father, but in the second cour, the setting shifts to a different world, and the story becomes more of an adventure fantasy than the first arc.

It starts with a god of holy beasts finally getting angry at the evil deeds committed by the disgraceful boss from the first cour, and deciding to launch a full-scale attack on Earth.

The ones who tried to stop this god’s plan were holy beast of the moderate faction who wished to prevent the war. After hearing the circumstances from them, the Sabers decide to engage in peace talks with the god of holy beasts.

The protagonist's party, acting as the guards for the peace envoys, travels with them to the other world… That’s the gist of it.

Along the way to meet the god, the envoy’s guards, including En, frequently face interference and get caught up in incidents. One thing is clear: once they enter the other world, they won’t be returning to Earth for a while.

…So, what I need to do now as the original protagonist is prepare for the upcoming isekai arc.

In other words, it’s training time. To maintain the perfect original protagonist moves in the intensifying story ahead, I need to quickly polish my combat abilities.

That’s where my cheat ability come in. I don’t know how far the goddess-like person has planned things, but my cheat ability lives up to its name, allowing me to get strong effortlessly.

My cheat ability is the ability to steal other people's supernatural abilities and use them freely. It’s a ability-stealing ability that was somewhat popular in older web novels.

To master this ability, physical training isn’t that important. It’s better to be in decent shape, but more than that, I need to steal as many abilities as possible and stockpile them to handle any situation.

That’s why I’m heading out for some ability hunting.

Of course, I can’t just steal abilities at random. To efficiently steal useful abilities, I’m headed to a place known for its specialty, “The Supernatural Ability Battle Stadium” in Akebono City.

Yes, it’s the tournament arc everyone loves from shounen manga.

In this world where supernatural abilities have become a part of everyday life, combat tournaments between supernatural ability users are popular among men. One of the members of the protagonist's team is also a battle fanatic who loves these kinds of events.

Since combat-oriented abilities are showcased without restraint in the tournaments held here, it’s the perfect venue for me to observe and evaluate them.

Weaving my way through the brutish crowd, I take a seat in the audience with my notebook and pen in hand. Since my cheat ability works better as a spectator than as a participant, it’s more convenient for me to sit back and watch.

The cheat ability I was given, the ability that allows me to steal and freely use others' supernatural abilities—it's a bit of a hassle, so let's call it the "Phantom Thief Notebook" for simplicity. This ability works by first writing a detailed description of the ability I want to steal in the notebook, and then straightforwardly telling the target, "I’m going to steal your ability." Finally, by touching them, the ability is activated.

For the second step, it’s easiest to send a calling card—just like a phantom thief original protagonist would.

As for the first step, if the description of the ability I write in the notebook is sloppy or off the mark, I can’t fully steal the ability. Stealing requires a thorough analysis of the target.

Moreover, since it's a notebook, the number of pages limits how many abilities I can steal, and I can’t create more than one notebook at the same time. Of course, if the notebook is destroyed, it’s game over.

It seems the goddess-like figure isn’t one of those "overpowered" types. While it's a nearly omnipotent ability, it’s not invincible.

Personally, I prefer cheat abilities with some limitations. Managing with a limited hand and carefully selecting which ability to steal is fun for a collector like me.

Incidentally, victims whose abilities are stolen don’t lose them permanently; after a few days, their abilities return. Of course, the abilities don’t automatically return from my notebook. For superhumans, supernatural abilities are like blood—if they rest and eat properly, they recover, just like a river doesn’t dry up if you take water from a well.

As far as stealing abilities goes, it’s fairly considerate. It saves my tiny bit of conscience from feeling guilty, so as long as I ignore the fact that it’s technically a crime, there’s no problem.

And so, amidst the feverish excitement of the stadium, I write down the details of abilities I find interesting in my "Phantom Thief Notebook" while observing the fighters in the arena.

I’ve used my abilities before, but I was particularly lucky to get the transfer ability [Teleportation] and the detection ability [Clairvoyance] early on. These will undoubtedly be invaluable for my phantom thief original protagonist moves.

By the way, I got teleportation from an underwear thief and clairvoyance from a peeping tom. I was the victim, damn it.

This world, despite being based on a shounen manga, has way too many perverts… Well, I’m not one to talk.

Watching the battle tournament of these supernatural fighters, even without the stealing aspect, is exhilarating.

Of course it is. Burly men are casually shooting beams and flames from their bodies, clashing their honed techniques against each other. There’s no way a man wouldn’t be thrilled by such over-the-top, superhuman brawls. Well, I’m a woman now, though.

Since people are betting on the tournament like they do with horse racing, the packed stadium is constantly buzzing with excitement.

《And now, folks, the moment you've been waiting for! The final match is about to begin!》

As the DJ announced the entry of the competitors, everyone except me give a standing ovation. I wanted to stand too, but I have to write down the details of my target's abilities in the notebook, so I can’t.

Since I can’t see the stage from my seat, blocked by the person in front of me, I reluctantly use "clairvoyance" to watch. You might say I should’ve done that from the start instead of coming to the stadium, and you'd be right, but there’s something special about being there in person.

《In the east corner, Hanfu Lee! And in the west corner, Rikidou Chouta! Both fighters, ready… fight!》

Kaaaan! The gong sounded, and the strongest fighters of the tournament clashed.

Both are my top picks. But the one I find most interesting is the gentle-faced young man with narrow eyes, Hanfu Lee. What was so funny was that just before the match started, in front of the whole audience, he chugged some suspicious-looking soup, and right after that, his slim body ripped through his shirt as he bulked up into a massive hulk. The sight was too much for my stomach.

“Kyaa! Lee-san!”

“DCS! Lee-san's DCS!”

Hanfu Lee, the Doping Fighter. Apparently, it’s a regular occurrence for him to receive thunderous cheers as soon as he transforms.

Though steroids and performance-enhancing drugs are banned in this tournament, his "compounding" ability allows him to brew a legal strength potion using his abilities, so it’s accepted as part of his technique. The tournament rules are pretty lenient.

While I’d hate to see my TS original protagonist self become a muscle-bound freak like him, the ability to concoct potions on the fly has incredible support potential. I should prepare a calling card for him, too.

As I watch his match, I note down the nature of his ability in the Phantom Thief Notebook.

…However, his opponent will win this match.

I knew that as soon as he stepped into the ring.

“You’re too slow, old man!” [Chouta]

“Ugh…!” [Lee]

His name is Rikidou Chouta. With bleached blonde hair styled in a pompadour, he looks just like a delinquent straight out of the 90s. He’s one of the main characters in the original story and a member of the Savers. Despite his rough appearance and aggressive demeanor, he’s a hot-blooded, good-natured guy, and a character beloved by the viewers.

He has a strong sense of justice and can’t tolerate wrongdoing, which often led to clashes with the initially twisted protagonist. However, as they fought together as comrades, the two came to respect each other’s character, eventually forming a bond of deep friendship, becoming each other’s most trusted partners.

The main cast of the anime Fairy Sabers follows the classic trio dynamic. There’s the natural airhead En, the hot-blooded Chouta, and a sarcastic, cool-headed character, making up the show’s regular lineup.

Of course, Rikidou Chouta is a key figure in the upcoming second cour’s other world arc, where he’ll join the diplomatic escort team. Because of this, I—the original protagonist—have to be careful when approaching him.

Now, as for his ability, despite his appearance, it’s ice-based.

He wields the supernatural ability to generate ice, using weapons like an ice morning star or tomahawk in his power-heavy fighting style. His character design is stylish and straightforward.

"Take this! Ultimate war hammer! Icicle Crush!" [Chouta]

"Nu— Nuuooohhh!!?" [Lee]

With a crushing blow from his ice morning star, he sent Hanfu Lee—whose body had been buffed up through his muscle-enhancing ability—flying out of the arena and slamming onto the ground outside the stage.

According to the tournament rules, a loss is declared either when a fighter’s body touches the outside of the ring or when the referee deems them unable to continue. After an intense battle, Rikidou Chouta was declared the champion.

As expected of a main character. His strength is on a completely different level from the other fighters.

Seeing his combat prowess live, I can’t help but be in awe. And… right in front of me is one of my favorite characters. I want to steal his ability so badly. But I can’t. Even though his ability would return in a few days, temporarily disabling it could drastically affect the original story’s progression.

When it comes to stealing abilities, it’s best to target characters outside the main cast, like Hanfu Lee. He’s not a character from the original story, nor is he a reincarnated individual.

The reason I’m so sure… Well, it’s something I realized when I met Mea and En. Somehow, I can just sense that there’s that kind of atmosphere around the original protagonist and important characters who play an active role in the original work.

Sorry if it sounds a bit vague, but it seems I can tell the difference between a main character and a non-main one just by meeting them. Maybe it’s another one of my cheat abilities, but if it’s a blessing from the goddess-like person, I’m honestly grateful. Having to constantly wonder if someone is a reincarnated person every time I meet them would be a nightmare.

-So, I decided to step onto the stage without hesitation.

It’s the cool debut of the shadow original protagonist.

After that day, a series of strange incidents began to occur, centered around Akebono City.

Several of the town’s residents suddenly lost the ability to use their supernatural abilities.

The victims, verified by the police, include several men arrested for crimes on the same day and thirteen fighters who participated in the tournament.

During questioning, they all reportedly said the same thing, their faces pale:

"My supernatural ability was stolen by a phantom thief."

The evidence they submitted—a card seemingly left intentionally by the culprit—has the same name inscribed on it.

"Supernatural Ability Phantom Thief T.P. Eight Olishua, has just arrived from beyond the dimensional wall."

It would be some time before the world would come to know her, the original protagonist.

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