Chapter 91

A Story From a Certain World Line

Tag: The Heroine is Eight

(a professor took a look at our class schedule and said, “No wonder you all act like there’s a festival whenever our class is canceled.” Apparently, we were only supposed to have three or so major classes but ended up with seven. Each one having very tedious projects to be done, including one where I have to get close to a professional. So now I’m trying to overcome my social anxiety.)

The word “heroine” can be interpreted in various ways depending on how it is received.

Fundamentally, using it as the feminine form of “hero” is the correct way, but in fictional works such as manga and drama, it is more commonly used to refer to “female key characters” appearing in the story.

In a work with a female protagonist, the heroine may simply refer to the protagonist herself, and in a work with a male protagonist, in the case that his partner is female, then that character may be called the heroine.

This is clear from the fact that in fan work novel sites, 90% of works tagged with “the heroine is ○○,” are used with that nuance.

In such stories, the heroine is treated as the second-most important presence after the protagonist, which inevitably results in more appearances and more event scenes with him. And like that, they are grandly treated as the “main heroine,” a key person in the story.

Of course, there won’t only be one heroine.

Even in commercial works as a whole, it is not in any way unusual for there to be female characters besides the main heroine who interact a lot with the protagonist and have many appearances. Such characters are called “sub-heroines,” and depending on the work, may end up surpassing the author’s expectations and eventually usurp the seat of the main heroine.

Especially in “harem-style romcoms,” where multiple heroines vie for the male protagonist, there were cases, both inside and outside the story, where views about which girl was worthy of being the true main heroine were knocked against each other, mockingly referred to as “heroine debates.”

As that deep history shows, the main heroine is a special existence in the story.

Regardless of the presence or absence of romance elements, each and every one of them shoulders elements that touch the core of the story and can be said to be a being who holds strong influence over the protagonist.

And when it comes to the question of who the main heroine is in the anime Fairy Savers ∞… until quite recently, opinions among fans were extremely divided.

In response to the question, “Who is the most important female character to the protagonist, Akatsuki En?” the most appropriate answer would undoubtedly be Mitsui Akari.

After all, from the very beginning of the story up to the final stages, her presence consistently occupied weight in his heart. In the first half of the story, when En refused to open up to anyone, they were at odds at times, but by now, each has come to recognize the other as a precious presence [partner], and as they grew through the story, they became firmly aware of their romantic feelings.

In that sense, no one denied that Mitsui Akari was Akatsuki En’s heroine.

However, when the question becomes “Who is the most important female character in Fairy Savers ∞?” the story changes.

That is because, other from her, there was a character so important that she formed the foundation of the work’s theme, which could be said to be its supreme command.

T.P. Eight Olishua—also known as Daat.

Her true identity was that of a primordial archangel who protected Fairy World in the era before the birth of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot.

And it was said that the power of supernatural abilities bestowed upon the human world by the Holy Dragon Ain Sof had been originally hers. So to speak, she was a being who could be called the progenitor of all supernatural ability users.

From the moment she appeared, her enigmatic words and actions made her a character who drew enormous speculation, both serious and humorous… And when the shocking truth about her was finally revealed, a huge number of viewers erupted online.

In the story, En asked her about it, but her secret maneuvers as the “Supernatural Ability Phantom Thief” were, strictly speaking, not about stealing abilities, but rather about reclaiming the powers that had originally belonged to her.

Being the origin of the power of all supernatural ability users, in a manner of speaking, she could be called a goddess or a mother for En and the others.

—Though, judging from her demeanor, it seemed she had always held feelings of guilt over that fact.

Though she never stated it outright, her good-naturedness was something her meaningful atmosphere that couldn’t conceal.

Guessing what lay in her heart from her nature, I noticed that in each of her actions in the human world, some deep meaning had been hidden.

She often mocked herself as a “bad big sister” in from of innocent children, but… looking back now, that attitude likely came from “the guilt of throwing the laws and precepts of the human world into disorder.”

That is why, when her sin was forgiven by one of her own victims, Akatsuki En—she showed the most exceptional of smiles within the story.

…Such was the impassioned speech Virtual Dekiruo gave as a viewer on screen.

“There’s still a lot more I’d like to talk about, but… I really love that scene.”

【I get you】【Wight thinks so too】1【As do I】【As does I】【As shall I】2【So good…】【En-kun, who achieves perfect communication here, really is the protagonist】【Eight-chan’s face is just too good】 (tl note: 1. meme based on a monster from Yu-Gi-Oh. 2. all say “me too” but with different pronouns)

On a major video-sharing site, the white creature that performed a guerrilla livestream grinned with an eerie smile as it chatted with viewers’ comments*. (tl note: a livestream that takes place without prior notice)

The owner of this channel, Virtual Dekiruo, also known as Dekki, had always been a frequent streamer, but since the anime Fairy Savers ∞ had reached its climax, his streaming frequency had risen even more.

The content sent in these guerrilla streams was basically him crudely spreading his impressions and speculations on the anime he had just watched while self-indulgently chatting about this and that with like-minded followers.

Setting aside whether there was much demand for that among the general public, Virtual Dekiruo was a Vtuber who somehow always managed to maintain a decent number of concurrent viewers.

And he was seriously speaking about his number 1 favorite anime character, “T.P. Eight Olishua.”

“Eight forgave the darkness in people’s hearts, and En forgave the sin of Eight, who had changed the world. Seeing how they’ve become a relationship where they affirm each other, I feel like the theme of Fairy Savers ∞ is really about ‘forgiving one another.’”

【Hmm】【I see】【He’s only sharp when he’s doing serious analysis】【There’s truth to that】【Part one was all about socking someone utterly unforgivable, so this makes sense】【To suddenly be on the mark in spite of creepily gushing about characters just earlier… he’s got strong-character vibes】【Even though it’s Dekki…】

“I’m always serious. I’m Virtual Dekiruo after all.”

So long as people live, everyone holds darkness in their hearts.

How one confronts that darkness had been the theme of the Fairy Savers series, including the older works, but──T.P. Eight Olishua, I think, is a character who demonstrates one of the answers to that.

She doesn’t reject the darkness in anyone’s heart.

Not Arisu-chan’s, not Chouta’s, not Tsubasa’s… not even the darkness that En confessed for the very first time, she neither scorned nor rejected them.

And yet, at the same time, she was deeply saddened by people who were crushed by their the darkness in their hearts and tormented themselves. So much so that, without any hesitation, she would put her body on the line to go and save them, telling them, “Your heart won’t be saved that way.”

“…Actually, when I saw Eight-chan being too much of a perfect angel, I worried about her own heart, but… En-kun handled it well. Kids like her tend to take everything on themselves, thinking, ‘I’ll be fine,’ so there was a chance for her to burst and turn into the final boss. I even had visions of a ‘fall into darkness’ flag.”

【Ahh…】【I kinda thought the same thing】【A fallen Eight-sama will be absolutely beautiful】【For being Dekki, you actually noticed something good, huh】【I guess, Keter is the likely winner to be ∞’s final boss】【Kaitzul will probably get settled next episode or the one after】

No matter whose darkness it was… Even it’s the Abyss, the archangel Eight tried to accept it without hesitation. But when it came to Eight herself, she constantly set a boundary between herself and others, and what was within her heart had always remained a mystery.

That was finally revealed in yesterday’s episode.

She revealed the darkness in her heart—that she had always carried guilt toward En and the other humans.

When “stealing” supernatural abilities, that she only targeted those who were suffering because of their powers was itself likely an expression of her feelings of atonement.

Though there are still some elements for speculation left even after her secret was revealed… this was an important episode where the dots of her past actions finally connected clearly together.

And so, with the main body of the Qlippoth of the abyss “Kaitzul” advancing into the human world, the True Fairy Burst, and a special ED, and En returning home in the C-part, it gave the sense that the story was speeding up without stopping.

As the climax approached, what one was concerned about, as brought up even in the comment section, was the confrontation with the final boss. Now that the true identity of T.P. Eight Olishua, the greatest mystery within the story so far, had been confirmed, the biggest mystery at the present was the topic of “Who will be the enemy that brings the story to a finish?”

“The final boss, huh… let’s see. According to the program listings, there are only a few episodes of ∞ left, but at this point, it’s hard to see who the final enemy could be. I suppose that’s also a sign of promise.”

【That kind of thing happens in multi-POV-style anime】【Since they’ve already changed so much compared to the unlabeled*, they’ll probably change the final boss too】【Charon is blatantly suspicious】【I didn’t watch the old series, but isn’t the Holy Dragon the final boss? The fact he hasn’t shown up yet is fishy】【Isn’t it Eight? Like they’ll fight as promised after everything is settled】【I thought the same thing during the Keter fight, but Eight-chan is surprisingly warlike】【Maybe some guy will pop up as the final boss…】【The Holy Dragon-san is… yeah】【The final boss is the shota who calls his friends】 (tl note: unlabeled here refers to the work before sequels came out. (like Dragon Ball, not Z or Super))

“That’s unforgivable.”

To the bizarre comment tossed in the confusion of the moment, Virtual Dekiruo reflexively snapped back out of difference in ideology.

Even if Fairy Savers ∞ had “forgiving one another” as its hidden theme, there were still things in this world that could never, by any means, be forgiven.

Especially concerning differences of opinion regarding oneshota, he had conviction that it was something he could never forgive, now or ever.

Still, it was precisely because of that… he believed that even in such a world, the existence of someone who accepts any darkness and forgives it is something dazzling and precious.

It was in the exchange between T.P. Eight Olishua and Akatsuki En that he felt a sentiment that resembled enlightenment.

“Well, the most dazzling one was Eight-chan’s white skin, though! Dekkidekideki!”

【True】【lol】【That laugh is gross】【Isn’t that laugh kind of painful?】【That laugh’s not gonna catch on, and we won’t let it】【Give a more Dekiruo-like laugh】

“Hm, a Dekiruo-like laugh like you said would be… Gerageragera!”

【That’s it】【Amazing… that’s the annoying smile I’ve seen a so many times in AA* memes】【I like the Yaranaio version of it】【Rather than that, Eight-chan’s new outfit is cute】【I prefer the original】【A boyish beautiful girl with visible armpits and thighs is good for your health】【I think the phantom thief outfit is sexier than the simplistic miniskirt dress】【Both are sexy】 (tl note: ASCII art)

“Yes, I think both outfits each have their own charm. Actually, I’ve already been drawing nice illustrations. They contain a large number of expressions that might damage her image, though, so I can’t show them to you all. I cannot show them to you!”

【Ha?】【Show them】【Don’t get cocky, you white manjuu】【Trash. As punishment, that art will be confiscated】

“I refuse.”

Whenever he slipped in some cheeky banter, the comment section would openly become more excited, his channel followers were just that disciplined. It was something called beauty of style.

Virtual Dekiruo continued his rambling, slovenly chatter, but when the same topics had started to circle back around, the stream had already gone on for over two hours.

His tongue was getting tired, so he decided to wrap it up around this point. After casually mentioning his plans for the next stream, he ended with an odious smile, cut the mic, and brought the stream to an end.

Though it was a holiday, it was impressive that so many viewers had gathered on a Monday morning. Smiling wryly at the lot with strange tastes, he nevertheless found himself thinking that that this time wasn’t so bad.

It felt like he had gone back to his student days, fooling around every day with his friends.

“…If time could go backward, huh…”

The words Eight had spoken—asking if he had ever thought about what it would be like if the time he lost could come back—stabbed at his heart.

Within the story, she had asked Akatsuki En that question in a meaningful manner, but that question even shook his emotions, who was just a viewer.

This isn’t how it was supposed to be, I want to start over—He had such a thought more than once.

Even now, as an adult, he could be more impassive about it, but he had never once been satisfied.

Yes… like the day he lost his bosom friend. He had always been thinking about it.

Unable to do anything, feeling ashamed of himself… there was nothing. He remembered clearly even now, years later, how his heart had been hollow for a long time after losing something so precious.

To put it like how T.P. Eight Olishua would, that would be his “darkness in heart.”

『When you’re spending happy, fun times... You catch yourself thinking on a whim, don’t you? ‘If only time would just stop like this... if only there nothing would change...’』

—Ahaha… You’re so silly, Dekki… time will never turn back, right? Besides, I don’t regret the time I’ve lived, you know?

“──!?”

Staring at a photograph set on his desk while immersed in in sentiment, the Eight’s line yesterday had and the words of his now-deceased friend overlapped in his head… or so it seemed.

Without thinking, a dry smile escaped him.

“Ha… haha.”

Knowing that the boyish voice he heard from the photo was just an auditory hallucination, he couldn’t help but give a wry smile at himself for being to empathetic and having become more absorbed in the world view of Fairy Savers ∞ than he’d expected.

At the same time, he understood the reason he empathized so much with the character named T.P. Eight Olishua.

It was, after all, because there was something similar between them.

—Time will never turn back no matter what… so I lived with everything I had. Thanks to you guys, it was a truly fun life. Thanks, Dekki.

“He,” who had died young, never once denied his past in his life.

When he saw them ungracefully wailing in front of him, he gave a strained smile as if embarrassed.

That was the kind of man he was.

Sickly and frail, but… in that sense, he was a man strong of heart.

Still, Virtual Dekiruo doesn’t think even “he” had ever accepted his own death.

After thanking each of his friends, he laughed through the tears.

Just like Eight in the last episode, he didn’t even seem to realize that he was crying.

“…You’d always tried to look cool, didn’t you? Come to think of it, Eight-chan is overflowing with things you’d believe as ‘cool.’ She’s a girl, though.”

Picking up the propped up photo—a class photo taken at their high school graduation—for the first time in a long while, he sentimentally spoke.

He wasn’t strong like an anime protagonist, so he couldn’t return a powerful gaze like Akatsuki En.

But the flow of time had slowly soothed even him, and he’d managed to recover enough to now be a lively anime otaku like this.

It was because he was who he was now that he could imagine.

“I wonder what you would have felt… About Eight’s line.”

Tired from finishing a long stream, throwing himself onto the bed, he closed his eyes and murmured as he thought of the time that would never return.

Time lost would never come back. But the memories would remain in his heart forever.

So at the very least, I’ll never forget you until the end──that was one of the answers he had arrived at in his own way.

…Though saying that is just me trying to sound cool, I guess.

With a bitter smile, he drifted into a brief nap.

Author:(“It looks like Dekiruo’s first love was Ao no Ko♂*.” seems to already be a thing

It seemed like just another slapstick youth story where the usual members going wild, but in the end it looks like it’s turning into a sinful thread that closes with a heartrending farewell to the heroine(?). (´･ω･｀)) (tl note: top google result shows Soseiseki from Rozen Maiden, though she's actually a girl)

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