Chapter 24

※There is no sluttification in this work

(tl note: mesu ochi/sluttification/メス堕ち literally means "to fall into female status " or "to fall and become a female." In situations such as TS fiction and gender-bending , the term is also used in a similar way to describe a former man who becomes addicted to the pleasures of being a woman. In this case, the character is physically female, but mentally male until he falls into depravity.

That’s good knowledge, isn’t it?)

The air travel was comfortable.

The massive World Tree "Sefirot," an entire island that transforms into a gigantic tree, was just one of the many things that amazed me. As someone who loves heights, merely gazing down at the world from the sky was a satisfying experience.

Along the way, I almost took a few detours because something interesting caught my eye, or I nearly went in the wrong direction. But thanks to Clairvoyance-senpai’s navigation, I managed to stay on course.

After hours of flying, I finally spotted the place that seemed right.

Amidst the lush nature of this island was a Romanesque town, clearly more prosperous than anything around it. It looked quite sacred at a glance. In the center stood a grand castle, far more magnificent than Arisu’s, and surrounding the town were wyvern cavalry and angels stationed to protect it from external threats. It was clear that this was the Holy City of Tsabaoth.

To confirm, I used my clairvoyance to survey the town and spotted the dazzling streets that I’d seen before in the anime "Fairy Savers."

Now confident that I’d arrived at the Holy City, I reached over and shook En, who was sound asleep on the bed of shadows during our trip.

"Wake up, En. We’ve arrived."

"...Hmm...I see...I slept that long?"

"You must have been really exhausted. Here, have some water."

"...I appreciate it."

I activated the ability of the "Item Box" that I’d stolen in advance for this isekai arc. I handed him a washbasin, a bottle of water for washing up, and a hand mirror. En definitely wouldn't prepare these things on his own, so it’s up to Eight-chan, the considerate original protagonist, to help out.

"...That’s convenient."

"It’s not my power, though. I’m grateful to the original owner who nurtured such a useful ability."

Honestly, it’s incredibly handy. Thanks to it, I don’t need to go to hideouts or lodgings just to change clothes. I’m really glad I found this power before setting out. Though it only works for inanimate objects, anything that fits within the capacity can be stored and retrieved. It’s an adventurer’s essential tool. I hadn’t really thought much of it, as it’s a default ability for both the Phantom Thief Notebook and the Anywhere Harp, but it truly makes a difference. Someday, I might even put on a phantom thief magic show with this power.

"Well, shall we go?"

"...T.P. Eight Olishua."

"Hmm?"

Just as he finished washing his face and we were about to set out, En called out to me from behind.

What? If you’re hungry, we can eat over there. If you’re still sleepy, I can wait a bit longer...

"Thank you. I’m glad you were here."

………………

….…..….!

….….?!

What’s with that gap moe look? Hey, you should be doing that kind of stuff with Akari-chan! Didn't the operator girls tell you that often enough?

You've got a partner, and you're getting all dere with the TS original protagonist, you bastard?! What if you change the genre of the story of the goddess-like person?! You're not that easy of a character, is this the kind of character collapse that's typical of dream novels?! (tl note: dream novels are fan fiction novels published online, mainly with a love theme, in which readers can freely change the names of the characters.)

Hah, so annoying! Hah, so annoying!

…Seriously.

“I don’t quite get what you’re talking about, but I have a heart too, you know… it makes me happy to be thanked so genuinely like that.”

Not wanting anyone to see my expression, I pulled my top hat down low and looked away as I replied.

That was close… It's the first time I've received such a genuine look of gratitude from a character from the original work, especially the protagonist, and I got all flustered. No wonder so many original protagonists are head over heels for this kind of praise. Honestly, it feels pretty damn good.

No, I’m not like I’ve fallen as a female or anything like that, okay?

As the TS original protagonist, my current sense of gender identity is somewhat different from either male or female. And besides, I’m not the heroine; I’m the original protagonist. Anyway, if it were viewed from the main heroine's perspective, this would be a full-on NTR situation, which would be utterly unforgivable. No leniency for that!

But then, I don’t like it when people get all riled up and calling it NTR or saying they're used goods over some character with a boyfriend or girlfriend interacting even a little with someone else. So, I guess it’s okay, right…? Please forgive me, goddess-like person!

Despite being somewhat shaken by the unexpected dere moment from the protagonist, I regained my composure by focusing most of my attention on petting Kabbalah-chan's fluffy fur.

With that, I landed the Dark Phoenix in front of the Holy City of Tsabaoth.

Every time I release the Dark Phoenix, I always end up thanking it with a "Thanks, great job." Even if it's an imitation of Chesed’s “Lightning Garuda,” it’s still an essential ability for our journey. I’ll keep using it more and more.

I’m extremely grateful towards Arisu-chan. When I return to Earth, I should go thank her properly. I hope Kakeru-kun is doing well too… It’s almost summer, so maybe I’ll take them to the beach. It would also be good rehabilitation for Arisu-chan to go out. I realized that I might be more attached to those two than I thought. Though maybe it’s just because I recognized them as characters from the movie.

Hmm… "I Got Reincarnated into an Anime World, and Saved Mob Characters! ～The Characters I Saved on a Whim were Actually the Main Characters of the Movie! I Regret Treating Them So Roughly, but It’s Too Late Now～" or something like that sounds like a novel that could actually exist. Damn, that would mean I’d end up abandoned by Arisu-chan and the others and meet a tragic end! I’d better be careful.

After setting foot on the ground for the first time in hours, we moved forward, soon seeing a heavily guarded checkpoint. Seeing it, En looked a bit cautious, but since we did have an appointment, there was no need to worry. I decided to approach the checkpoint casually, thinking that if anything happened, I could just handle it like a cheat protagonist would.

All the guards were over two meters tall and extremely muscular men.

They all had two horns on their heads, with skin colors either red or blue. Seeing these ogre-like beings right out of a fantasy RPG, I felt a different kind of thrill than I did when I met the kobold tribe. While the Abyss has individuals over three meters tall, from my perspective of 158 cm, they all seemed like giants.

As I gazed at them in awe, they noticed us, and although they initially looked wary, one of them said, “We’ve heard from Haniel-sama. Please wait a moment,” and led us to the waiting room.

Thank you, Haniel-sama! Having the backing of a chief angel really comes in handy.

I was worried for a moment that the gatekeepers might not have received the memo, but it looks like the soldiers of Tsabaoth are well-coordinated in their communication.

Accompanied by a few guards, we were led to the waiting room and expressed my gratitude by playing the harp. The guards looked at me in surprise.

Apparently, the harp is a musical instrument that does not exist in this world, so it seems to have piqued their interest, just like it did in the kobold village. I did it again, didn’t I? Street performer dude! Your harp is a hit in another world!

Though music can’t change the world, it seems that its appeal is universal across dimensions and cultures.

Feeling pleased with the attention, I started playing various pieces from the Fairy Savers soundtrack, including Netzach's theme that I had memorized by ear. En looked at me with an indescribable expression, though.

The cheerful melody seemed to appeal to their temperament, as they soon started nodding along to the rhythm.

This continued until our guide from the Holy City arrived. When we were done, the guards looked visibly disappointed, which left a lasting impression. These guys are kind of cute.

Umu, that matches my interpretations.

Netzach’s people, for better or worse, are intense in expressing their emotions.

I remembered how, in the original work, the crowd initially booed Rikidou Chouta when he entered the fighting tournament. But, after witnessing his fierce battles, they were so inspired that, by the time he faced Netzach, the entire stadium erupted into a frenzy, no longer caring that he was human.

In other words, it was pure meritocracy. Demonstrating skill in martial arts meant you’d be accepted, regardless of species, perfectly capturing Netzach's principles.

It’s quite a muscle-headed way of thinking, but it feels good not having to overthink things. As the original protagonist, it made for a rather comfortable atmosphere, though En didn’t seem able to keep up.

The one who came to pick us up from the waiting room after the concert was an angel with two wings, a direct subordinate of Haniel-san.

In the original, since En and the others were wanted, they had to sneak into town in disguises, courtesy of Chesed’s power. But, since we had an official appointment, it was nice not having to sneak around. Haniel-san really is a top-notch angel.

I personally liked this kind of subtle alteration in fanfictions that stuck to the original workline. Although, it was a bit rough when the townsfolk openly gave us suspicious looks as we walked openly around town as humans.

Eight-chan likes attention but doesn’t appreciate being looked at like that, so she subtly hid behind En and the guide to avoid their gaze.

『...This way.』

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“So, it’s here…”

The place where our angel guide led us was exactly where I expected—Netzach’s castle, towering at the center of town.

We had been invited as honored guests who had saved the devout kobold tribe’s village from the Abyss. In the grand hall of the archangel’s castle, we reunited with the blonde, pompadoured man.

“Chouta!”

“Oh, so it was you guys they were talking about! That saved me! I finally got out of that cramped room thanks to you!”

It was none other than Rikidou Chouta, who had been captured. He mentioned that shortly after arriving in Fairy World, he had been restrained by the guards, but judging by his appearance, he seemed healthy and well-groomed. Just as Haniel said, it doesn't seem like they did anything rough to him.

“I’m glad I fell onto Netzach-sama’s island,”he said, and I could tell that wasn’t sarcasm. Netzach’s reputation had certainly skyrocketed.

Although it’s a little different from the original work where they reunite at the stadium during the tournament, in essence, we still reunited with Rikidou Chouta almost exactly as it was in the original work. Now, we only needed to find Tsubasa Kazaoka and Mea. Tsubasa seems like he’ll be fine even if we leave him alone, but I was a bit anxious thinking about Mea’s role possibly replacing Akihiro Mitsui’s.

For now, though, let’s just celebrate reuniting with our comrade.

From a strategic perspective, as well as in terms of liveliness, his presence was reassuring. Now, the Dark Phoenix’s atmosphere would feel a bit lighter. It’s dark, though.

But this doesn't mean we can resume our journey without further ado.

As we were rejoicing in our reunion, standing before us,  was none other than a mighty eight-winged archangel, accompanied by Chief Angel Haniel, descending into the grand hall.

All the soldiers stationed along the walls of the hall knelt in unison.

One of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot: the Angel of Victory, Netzach.

This man, larger and more imposing than the ogre tribe, possessed a remarkable presence, setting him apart from both the angels and sacred beasts of the town.

His buff, wrestler-like physique was intimidating, even though I knew he had a cheerful personality. He wasn’t as terrifying as Tiferet, who’d genuinely tried to kill us, but his imposing figure still made me tense. It wasn’t the kind of atmosphere where you could casually joke, “Is this old man the king of this country?”, though Chouta might have said something like that.

Netzach—arms crossed like tree trunks—looked down at us.

『Umu! You are the humans who protected the kobold tribe’s village, as reported by Haniel, yes? I am Netzach, the ruler of this island! I can’t offer you a lavish welcome in these times, but I am grateful for your actions! Thank you!!』

Netzach, with his deeply-carved American features, spoke in a pleasant baritone voice and first looked at En.

Though his voice was unnecessarily loud, I didn’t sense any ulterior motives behind his gentlemanly words. In fact, I hadn’t expected such straightforward gratitude, so even I, who knew the original work, was taken aback.

Besides… I wasn’t used to being looked down on by such a towering muscle-bound man, so I found myself instinctively hiding behind En. Ahh, what am I doing, acting like a scaredy-cat when I’m the original protagonist?!

It wasn’t that I was scared of his gaze. It’s just that the height difference was so extreme. For the same reason, Kabbalah-chan also shrank back, minimizing her presence. There, there—it’s not scary, it’s not scary.

Netzach only gave me a brief glance, focusing his interest instead on Akatsuki En standing in front of him.

Oh, could that look be...?

『So… are you the one? The human who fought on par with Haniel!』

『...I’m stronger.』

Ohh, he’s interested in En’s strength! That gaze, brimming with anticipation, was the same as when he saw Chouta’s power in the original and ordered him to join the tournament.

Thanks to Haniel’s report, he knew that En possessed angel-level strength. With a lively smile, he declared,

『I want you to know this: I have no intention of interfering with whatever you choose to do in this world, as long as it doesn’t harm the people!』

He spoke in a voice that seemed to crack the air itself, then turned to Chouta and bowed his head. This unexpected gesture from a great angel left the other angels around us in a flurry.

『I kept Rikidou-kun under what amounted to house arrest for two days. With Chokmah around, I had to make sure there was no real danger. I apologize!!』

Haniel-san’s frantic reaction in the background was amusing. I thought Chouta would have a snappy response to this apology from the king himself, but he seemed overwhelmed by Netzach’s forceful apology, merely mumbling, “G-got it,” as he accepted it. It seemed that he had not been treated as badly as said after all.

I felt a wave of relief. Despite expecting that the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, led by Tiferet, would have maxed-out hostility due to Chesed-related PSYence incidents, Netzach was the same as I remembered. I couldn’t help but feel reassured.

Indeed, in the original work, his stance towards humans is always neutral.

Netzach was a man who is not influenced by other angels and only believed in what he saw with his own eyes and felt with his own fists. Apart from his tendency to speak through his fists, he was truly a muscular, macho gentleman.

『I understand from Haniel’s report that you’re here to stop the conflicts in this world! I have no intention of interfering with your brave endeavor!』

Honestly, I'm really grateful for that. Even if we don’t necessarily need his support; as long as we have Ein Sof on our side, we’re good. If he remains the same as in the original work, it makes it easier for me to follow the perfect protagonist plan, and En and the others will be able to operate freely on this island.

But En, having only encountered angels who attacked him without warning so far, looked unsure and wary.

“You… don’t hate us?”

『? Why would I hate you for something other humans did?』

Kyaa! Netzach-sama!

I offered a hearty round of applause in my heart, smiling with satisfaction as he calmly replied. Netzach-sama is so solid (?). En and Chouta, both with perplexed expressions, were surprised by his words.

『Don’t worry about Chesed, the Angel of Mercy! His misfortune is a result of his own actions! Frankly, getting tricked by bad humans is his own fault!』

『But Netzach-sama, just recently, you…』

『I’d love to crush my enemies with my fists, but that’s a separate matter! Haniel, now that we know there are good humans, there’s no justice in excessive retaliation.』

『…Yes.』

…Yeah, this is what the Angel of Victory, Netzach, is like.

In a way, he’s quite angelic. Though he might seem overbearing and tends to settle everything with his fists, he fundamentally has a rational mindset. It’s the same kind of logic as a reasonable gorilla.

『Therefore, I have no intention of punishing you as the ruler of this island! However, would you do me a favor?』

“…What is it?”

This must be one of those “that’s a different story” moments.

Rather than as one of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, he was speaking as Netzach himself.

『I want you to fight me! I don’t mind if it’s two against one with you and Rikidou-kun! If you win, I will fully support your endeavors!』

…Is he serious?

Eh? Is he seriously offering us that much?

Given that Haniel mediated, it seems like he’s a little too trusting, which makes me nervous in a different way. He gave me a quick glance and smiled, though his smile was a bit intimidating, so I couldn’t help but look away. I know this great angel is kind-hearted, but his presence is overpowering.

Still, this kind of unexpected turn is more than welcome.

It looks like I don't need to use my brain this time, I declared victory in my heart.

(before anyone says anything, the missing honorifics are intentional. they are not mistakes. it is like that in the source material.)

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