Chapter 43

Please use tsundere according to correct usage and capacity

(author: Failure incurs strange hate, so it’s difficult.)

(tl note: in cases like “King (Keter),” King=spelling/what is said and Keter=pronunciation/intent.)

Malkuth-sama’s so strong.

I was genuinely surprised by the strength of the beautiful girl with olive-colored hair, who was more than on par against the two’s Fairy Burst.

The two are much more refined now than when they fought Netzach, and their combat skills have improved even more. Honestly, I thought that if the two of them could just create a two-against-one situation, they’d have no trouble defeating Malkuth.

But what’s happening? Malkuth, who put herself at a disadvantage, is skillfully toying with the two, showing no sign of being affected by the numbers disadvantage.

In the original anime Fairy Savers, Malkuth first appeared in episode 22. She and Chokmah attempted to stop the Savers, who were trying to reach the World Tree, launching an attack on them for the first time.

She challenged the protagonist En and our heroine Akari-chan, and questioned the Chesed within Akari-chan the value of humans. Looking back, that might have been her way of trying to restrain her older brother.

However, as we all know, the persuasion failed.

No matter what she said, Chesed believed in the potential of humanity, and together with Akari-chan, triggered a new secret technique, “Commandment of Mercy,” which only Fairy Warriors who have fused with holy beasts could use. The powered up Akari-chan and En delivered a cake-cutting-like attack to defeat Malkuth.

As Malkuth fell during her exit, she shouted at Chesed, “You idiot! Die! I hate you so much!” At the time, I laughed at the childishness of those words, but thinking about it now, I can’t help but feel pity for her that those were probably the only things she could say with her mind in a mess after being rejected by her beloved older brother.

They say “pitiful is cute,” but we have a relationship where we hang out naked together. Since I'm already intervening in the original word as an original protagonist, I want to save her more than in the original work. (tl note: kawaisou = pitiful, kawaii = cute)

So, no matter the outcome of this duel, I’ve already decided how I’ll handle the Chesed within me.

But for now, the three of them are fighting well, so I won’t interfere.

En and Chouta have a lot to gain from fighting one of Ten Archangels of Sefirot. Especially with their cheat-like battle sense that lets them pick up new techniques during real combat, and by continuing to fight stronger foes than in the original work, they’ve grown far stronger than they were before crossing into this other world.

“Everyone’s amazing...!”

“Watch closely, Mea. Especially how Malkuth uses her power. It’ll be a good model for you.”

“Okay.”

In front of Mea-chan, I continue to make instructor-like moves. Now that I think about it, I’ve probably caused her a lot of trouble, but she’s an original protagonist too. In a story with double original protagonists, one has to take the hit as a necessary expense. I’ll do a follow up for this later, so please forgive me.

She’s weakened after I stole Chesed’s power, but since she still has four wings left, it doesn’t seem like she’s completely lost her angel powers. In my analysis, like other supernatural ability users whose abilities I’ve stolen before, I think her angel powers will eventually return.

…Wait, wouldn’t that mean there are two Chesed? Hmm, I’ll need to investigate. I used Search on her this morning, almost like a palpation, and I might need to keep checking in periodically.

I don’t think there’s anything strange left in her, but… there’s something very blasphemous about having various things inside a little girl. PSYence is the worst.

『What's wrong? There’s not a scratch on me! Your true strength, guided by Chesed and that person, shouldn't be at this level!』

“Ugh…!”

“So- so strong…! She’s harder to deal with than old man Netzach…!”

While I was watching Mea-chan’s funny and earnest profile as she observed the three-way battle, En and Chouta were both slammed down onto the ground. Above them was Malkuth-sama with a shining halo.

Yes, her absolute territory is dazzling today too—wait, no, this is a serious discussion.

Malkuth-sama is seriously strong. In the original word, she was mentally unstable, torn between her attachment with Chesed and her loyalty to the king’s orders. In short, she was quite vulnerable.

That vulnerability, however, is now nowhere to be found. Whether she was dispelled of doubts by last night’s hot spring power or not, with the unshakeable goal of “bringing back Chesed,” her worldly thoughts are completely gone. She’s truly an archangel worthy of the name of the “Kingdom.” Yup, she’s so cool. Cute and cool, this girl is the strongest.

Unlike the time with Netzach, who fought En directly in the confined space of the arena, Malkuth makes use of her small frame to dodge every attack that her holy sword can't parry, utilizing nimble movements. She’s a rare type among their opponents so far, and for Chouta, who prefers a heroic way of fighting, she’s a tough opponent to deal with.

However, despite how he looks, he’s surprisingly good at using crafty ways of fighting.

It’s probably not preference, but just like when he kept Adishut in check, restricting an opponent’s movements is where the "Freezing" ability’s strong area.

To make him realize that, I throw in a little bit of original protagonist-like interference.

『Chouta, even though the output has increased with the Fairy Burst, you mustn’t forget your own strengths. And En, you don’t need to hold back for your opponent’s sake. Malkuth is motivated, so respond to her earnestly.』

"...!? Nee-chan? Okay, got it!"

"Just like the holy beasts, you can also use telepathy... Aah, I understand."

…Huh? Have I never spoken to En using telepathy before? Oh, now that I think about it, I guess I haven’t. I mostly only use it for secret conversations with the holy beasts.

I had used it with Chouta when he was in Burst Mode before, so his reaction was quicker.

You see, it’s quite handy since you can reliably communicate even in the midst of a busy battle. It’s also useful for sharing secrets you don’t want others to overhear, making it great for party play too.

Yes, this is the presence appeal of an observer-type original protagonist—offering advice during combat. To be honest, the two of them would have figured things out without my input, but just rooting for their fight felt like my role was too small this time, so I decided to give support.

『Hmph…  it seems like you’re having a secret conversation, but it’s pointless. You cannot win!』

"Is that so? We won’t know until we try!"

The beautiful archangel, who I would definitely be flirting with if I were a male original protagonist, looked down at the two with resolute eyes, raising the shimmering holy sword “Malkuth” under the sunlight towards the sky.

In response to her sharp words, Chouta, sprouting wings of ice, flew at her, launching ice shard bits from all directions.

"En! You know what to do!"

"Yeah! I leave the immobilization to you!"

Oh, their movements changed. Their roles are now clearly divided.

That’s a bold move. It looks like Chouta is now focusing solely on pinning down Malkuth’s movements, creating an opening for En to deliver a finishing blow.

As proof, Chouta is the only one engaging Malkuth, while En has closed his eyes, concentrating his mind and gathering blue flame energy throughout his body.

This is why these two make a strong team.

Chouta freezes the opponent in place, and En’s overwhelming firepower crushes them. This kind of bold strategy has proven to be a decisive tactic against superior enemies, even in the original word.

And in this world, Chouta’s array of adaptive techniques has become ridiculously diverse, allowing them to cover for each other's weaknesses entirely. If the all-rounder Tsubasa Kazaoka were to return, they might even be able to face Keter head-on. I’m not sure if they’d win, though.

...Huh? Isn’t my role kind of weak?

Oh no, how could I not notice such a mistake... I got so excited at the powered up two being stronger than in the original word that it became harder for me to dominate as the original protagonist. That was careless of me.

I was completely devastated by the fact that I had narrowed down the intervention points of the story. Perhaps it showed on my face, as Mare-chan peered at me from the side with a concerned look.

"Eight, you look lonely…"

"Eh? Do I? ...Haha, I’m just happy to see them grow."

I look lonely, huh──was that the expression I had while watching them close in on the strength of a cheat original protagonist? It’s the sorrow of being too excellent. I apologize for being such an excellent original protagonist. Ehehe.

Feeling both truly lonely and wanting to give an embarrassed smile, I ruffled Mea-chan’s hair as if to brush off my feelings. She seemed to have grown accustomed to it, as she narrowed her eyes comfortably, unlike at first when she was a bit hesitant. So cute.

"...My role is, after all..."

"...?"

However, with them becoming this strong, my intervention points will likely be focused around the Abyss.

Thinking deeply, power balance in original protagonist fanfiction is difficult. One of the real pleasures of fanfiction is that the original protagonist's intervention makes the protagonist team more powerful than in the original, but if you go too far, fights with the main enemies in the later stages can feel like mere formalities, and the second half of the scenario, which should be exciting, loses that excitement. It's like over-leveling in the first half of an RPG.

Many writers have given up their stories because of this issue, and as a result, for the sake of making the second half of the story easier to create, there has been a lot of trial and error in various places.

Yes, in this world, The "Qlippoth of the abyss" is exactly that.

Although I still don’t agree with the goddess-like person’s policy, I understand them. Now that things have come to this, I no longer have any complaints about fighting original bosses.

“Do your best! Everyone!”

So, I’m leaving the angel-related problems to you all. Well, if there are any openings, I'll intervene.

With that intention in mind, I cupped my hands around my mouth like a megaphone, cheering them on with my voice instead of telepathy. Mea-chan followed suit, shouting "Go for it!" and Kabbalah-chan, who was at our feet, watched the battle of the three with great interest.

"!? Alrightttt!!"

"! What is this...!?"

Ah, Chouta’s move succeeded. Yay!

Nice, nice. Ice was spreading from the wings hit by the ice shard bits, slowly freezing Malkuth's body. Wow, that’s a pretty dirty technique for an ally to use.

For the first time, Malkuth showed a look of panic, placing one palm on her body to channel her sacred arts into thawing the ice.

But that, in itself, created a small opening.

“There’s an opening!”

『! You…!』

The moment her holy sword switched to a one-handed grip, Chouta dove in close, conjuring a giant ice hammer with both hands and swung it with all his strength directly towards the blade of her holy sword.

The attack itself didn’t damage the holy sword; instead, the hammer was horribly chipped away. What was frightening is the power of the holy sword "Malchut" given by Ein Sof. As long as she held it, no attack could reach her.

──But that’s precisely why he targeted her sword relentlessly during that slight opening.

『Ahh…!　You… you savages!』

"You know very much I’m not a classy guy!"

『Kya…!?』

The hammer of ice regenerates from the point where it was shattered, and relentlessly slams over and over again.

In that close-quarters position, straightforward physical strength made the difference.

It slipped off.

From Malkuth's hand, her holy sword did.

Chouta unintentionally grinned at things going according to plan, although I found his reaction a bit off-putting.

『You… insolent man!』

“Owah!?”

With her face flushed from the numbness in her hand after losing grip of the sword, Malkuth kicked Chouta away with her leg.

The sight made it seem like Chouta was being treated like some a molester, and I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.

But this was a duel. Since they were clashing with all they had, I chose not to make any unnecessary comments.

"Sorry... but this is our win!"

『──!? Ah…』

As Chouta was kicked away, he wore a confident smile.

And in that very moment, Akatsuki En, at full power, launched a deadly fireball at her.

"Infinity Flare!"

──I lost.

Malkuth, who should have been consumed by a rage that churned like boiling guts, was clearly aware of this fact as she gazed at the fading blue sky.

Even the muscle-headed Netzach acknowledged it. The human heroes they had looked down upon were undeniably strong.

And they weren’t just strong. Their attacks were unerringly straightforward, filled with a fiery conviction. They’re almost enough to reach the Ten Archangels of Sefirot.

How frustrating... how frustrating, how frustrating, how frustrating, how frustrating, how frustrating!

When Malkuth actually felt her defeat, that was the first emotion she felt.

She was frustrated to have lost to humans who hadn't even lived a hundred years, and frustrated that, despite permitting them to take her on as a group, it ended like this. She was frustrated that she couldn’t fulfill the expectations of the King (Keter), and she even wanted to bite her tongue at her own immaturity.

But more than anything, what frustrated her the most was not being able to draw out Chesed (onii-chan), who would likely wear that self-satisfied expression and say, “See? Humans are amazing, aren’t they?”

...She was also very frustrated at herself for almost admitting it.

In that moment—She remembered the words that the archangel of “understanding” Binah who she rarely met, said to her.

『Our essence is to ‘guide,’ Malkuth. To give a push to someone trembling with fear, to nudge someone who’s hesitating and about to take the wrong path... After that is, let’s see. To quietly drape a blanket over a child shivering in the cold is our mission, and our essence.』

Binah, the eldest daughter of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot and the oldest existence in the Fairy World after Chokmah, had once said that.

She said that angels like them existed to lend just a little courage to the people. She pompously preached that, in doing so, they would find joy, and that it was a providence of this world that has continued on since the time of creation.

Back then, Malkuth was young and had listened obediently. But after losing faith in the eldest sister who never helped their troubled King (Keter), Malkuth had deliberately blocked those words from her mind.

Yet, she recalled them now because they struck a chord in this moment... Malkuth realized that, alongside the sting of defeat, there was a slight sense of fulfillment in her heart.

She didn’t want to admit it... but she might have to.

At the very least, these humans who had come to Fairy World were different from those who did cruel things to Chesed (onii-chan).

The fact that they had only inflicted just enough damage to her without killing her was proof enough.

She, who had been making herself disagreeable towards them, thought they’re quite soft people.

Perhaps that's why... she felt a sense of purpose, a reason to guide those two—no, those three.

Deep in her heart, Malkuth bowed her head, acknowledging that her defeat had proven that Chesed (onii-chan) and Eight (great senpai) were correct.

──I’m sorry, King (Keter)... but, if you could, please meet them once.

If Eight (great senpai) really is Daat (okaa-san)... and if she is guiding those humans... then perhaps she might be able to save you... Or she might end up hurting you…

Carrying her words of repentance to the king in her heart, Malkuth closed her eyes.

Imprinted in her mind was the figure of the king who was the most noble, the warmest… and always looked lonely.

Unlike them, who return to the World Tree and are reborn when they lose their lives, the king, who even overcame mortality, is a solitary existence who has lived since ancient times.

Therefore, there is no one who truly understands him. The other archangels all felt sorrow for the king’s inner turmoil. Even Chesed had said that this current campaign to invade the human world was born from the king’s madness.

Malkuth, who was born to serve as Keter’s final sword, had always sided with the king and believed that Chesed’s words were madness.

But with this──Malkuth found herself unsure of what she should do as an archangel.

If guiding is the essence of archangels, then she, who longed to be guided by someone else, was not fit to be one.

This brought a single tear to Malkuth’s cheek.

It was the same kind of tear she had shed when she was first told that her beloved brother had died.

『Onii-chan.』

With feelings of both love and hatred, Malkuth muttered the name of her family from her lips.

The one who responded to her words was──a voice she thought she’d never hear again, a voice like that of a young boy.

『I’m sorry, Malkuth... I never realized you tormented yourself so much because of someone like me... You’re right, I was not fit to be your older brother.』

──Eh?

『Eh?』

She opened her eyes wide, her face going blank with shock.

The consciousness that had been on the verge of slipping away snapped back as her head felt like it was cooling down.

Eh? Was that a hallucination? I heard onii-chan’s voice so clearly, but was that just a hallucination? Malchut was brought back to consciousness by a voice that sounded too real.

She felt as if something was carrying her.

Instead of crashing helplessly to the ground, something had caught her.

As she got up, she turned her gaze to the thing supporting her, and once she identified what it was, Malkuth—quickly summoned the holy sword "Malkuth" back to her hand, mustering what little strength she had to raise it high.

The holy sword and Malkuth were one and the same. Therefore, she could summon it to her hand with a single thought. Although there was a slight delay from the moment she called it until it arrived, which meant that it wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the earlier battle.

The reason she called her holy sword now was because the being she was riding──albeit much smaller, resembled the Qlippoth of the abyss they had fought just the other day.

『Adishut! You're so stubborn...! Mimicking onii-chan with that appearance...! How much will you insult him...!』

『W-Wait, Malkuth!? It’s me! Chesed! I was summoned by Da... by Eight-sama!』

『Ha?』

The dark giant bird that was carrying Malkuth hastily explained itself, narrowly avoiding being pierced by her holy sword.

『Ha?』

The confused Malkuth could only say that, still poised with the sword raised.

Behind her, a girl in a top hat, who appeared who knows when, muttered with a slightly tired look on her face.

“Exactly… It’s Dark Phoenix.”

After a long, tense moment, Malkuth realized that the presence she felt from the giant bird perfectly matched that of her older brother. The instant she understood that, she tossed the sword aside and clung to the bird’s neck.

『──!!　────!!』

『...I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… Malkuth.』

──In that moment, she forgot she was an archangel, and cried out loud.

(author: One passage is finished, so I guess it's time to write... ♠ (A Certain World Line))

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