Chapter 54

Bringing up the supporting character’s past is difficult

(author: The protagonist doesn’t make an appearance here…)

 

Kazaoka Tsubasa was abandoned by his biological parents when he was a baby.

 

Having lived his life without ever receiving unconditional love since birth, by the time he was old enough to remember, he was living in an orphanage.

 

He felt indebted to the director and the others at the orphanage. After all, they were the ones who took him in, sheltered him, and taught him how to live when he had nothing. His relationships with his siblings weren't particularly bad either, and Tsubasa was clever enough as a child to have a vague understanding of how to act in a way that makes the people around him find him likeable.

 

He didn’t remember anything from when he was a baby, but perhaps it was the unconscious fear of "I don’t want to be abandoned again."

 

──But he didn't want that to continue doing it forever.

 

As a child, Tsubasa was anxious about his future, feeling that he didn’t want to live forever in fear of something invisible.

 

Or maybe he simply wanted to release the stress he had accumulated in his daily life, even if only for a moment.

 

Not knowing how to achieve that, he impulsively ran away from the orphanage one night.

 

It was on a full moon night.

 

He wanted to be free, not afraid of anything.

 

It wasn’t that he disliked his life at the orphanage. It’s just that without being able to sort out his feelings, he wholeheartedly ran like the wind through the darkness.

 

Only when he felt the wind using his inept supernatural abilities did he feel like he was himself.

 

After running about 3 kilometers without stopping, Tsubasa finally became out of breath and rolled down the slope of a floodplain. He sprawled out on his back, putting his weight on the grass.

 

His breathing was ragged, and his sides and legs ached. He had never run so frantically, even during physical education.

 

Yet for some reason, he felt really good.

 

Now I’m free, and I’m not afraid of anything… is what he thought.

 

The chirping of bell crickets echoed.

 

The river seen below was flowing gently, and the full moon and stars shining in the night sky were so beautiful he wanted to grasp them.

 

It was 10 PM. For the young boy, it was a time when he would usually already be asleep.

 

At such an hour, gazing at the sky alone, he felt as though he had become just a slightly special being.

 

Even the softly glowing full moon was cheering him on──he was immersed in a childlike sentimentality.

 

Suddenly, he heard music from the side at that moment.

 

It was the sound of a harmonica being played by someone else who, like him, was reclining on the slope of the floodplain.

 

“Why is there a harmonica playing at this hour?” he might have found it eerie under normal circumstances. But tonight, the boy, Tsubasa, was so exhilarated by sneaking out of the orphanage in the middle of the night that he instead welcomed the unusual atmosphere.

 

It was likely largely because the melody of the musical performance was to his liking.

 

For that reason, overcome by curiosity, he rolled onto his side from his lying position and looked toward the source of the music.

 

──The one playing the harmonica was a woman with shining green hair hanging down.

 

Her appearance was the most beautiful that Tsubasa had ever seen, a young and beautiful woman with an otherworldly presence.

 

The performance of the solemn melody felt mysteriously familiar in his chest, even though it was his first time hearing that composition.

 

The moment she finished playing, he was leaning forward and clapping before he realized it. At that moment, the woman seemed to notice him for the first time, and she opened her eyes wide in surprise and met his gaze with a puzzled expression.

 

Tsubasa spoke to her first, saying, "That performance was amazing."

 

She responded with a wry smile, “Thanks. But what are you doing here at this hour? Where are your mom and dad?”

 

It felt ironic to be asked this by someone playing the harmonica at such a late hour, but her seriously worrying about him made him feel bad, and he couldn’t help but avert his gaze.

 

He was clearly aware that he was doing something wrong. Although the town was relatively safe, the adults always told him going out at the dead of night was dangerous.

 

But... that's what he wanted to do.

 

Tsubasa spoke while looking down. That he had no parents. That he had escaped from the orphanage. That he had run aimlessly until, before he realized it, he ended up here, he spoke as if he confessing to the beautiful woman.

 

"I see... Boy, you're lost, too."

 

"I'm not lost. I remember the way back, and I can return to the orphanage anytime..."

 

"That's not what I meant. You're lost in how to live your life, aren't you? That's why you felt like running aimlessly—am I wrong?"

 

"Ah... yeah..."

 

With just a little bit of his life story, she perfectly captured what Tsubasa was feeling. This was a first time for him.

 

Ever since Tsubasa was old enough to understand, he had nothing.

 

He had never been given the kind of love and affection that ordinary children take for granted. He had heard that his parents had left him with the orphanage director as an infant and disappeared without a trace. That truth hollowed his heart endlessly.

 

Perhaps it was a kind of resignation, that "there's no way anyone could love me."

 

Even now, though he still had a rebellious spark that made him run like this, he didn’t know how long it would last. He was scared that as he grew older, even that would fade, leaving him to live mechanically.

 

Even when playing with the other kids at the orphanage, there were moments when he suddenly came back to his senses.

 

And then he would think, "Why was I abandoned?"

 

Why am I still alive when I have been abandoned and have no value living?

 

...And even though he was thinking about such things, he hated himself for not feeling any sadness in his heart.

 

That’s why Tsubasa had never shed a single tear, nor had he felt any anger toward his parents who abandoned him. He wasn’t particularly interested in them, yet he couldn’t help but question his own existence. Every day, he would only be burdened with gloomy feelings he couldn’t see the solution too.

 

When he ran earlier without thinking, it felt genuinely good.

 

But the thought that this heat would cool and he would return to his usual self made him feel deeply uncomfortable.

 

He was lost in how to live his life──yes, certainly, that was the truth.

 

When she pointed it out, Tsubasa finally realized it and clapped his hands as he muttered, "So I’m lost..."

 

"When you’re lost, you should do something you like. For me, that’s playing an instrument. Oh, but try to do it in a place like this where there aren’t any houses around, okay? I got yelled at by a scary old man the other day for being a nuisance to the neighbors."

 

"…Something I like…?"

 

As she offered this concrete suggestion to the lost Tsubasa, she talked about her own failure story with a wry smile.

 

Her hobby was likely playing the harmonica, as she had just demonstrated. However, Tsubasa wasn’t interested in musical instruments. Though his music grades weren’t bad, he didn’t feel like pursuing it as a hobby.

 

"Anything is fine. You have it, right? Let’s see, if you think it felt good when you were running up to here, then maybe you like running?"

 

“I don’t really care about running… but, I like feeling the wind.”

 

“The wind?”

 

“Yeah, my supernatural ability is controlling the wind.”

 

“A wind supernatural ability!?”

 

When he thought about it, that was probably the only thing he could consider a hobby.

 

Tsubasa didn’t like himself, but he did like his supernatural ability.

 

Only when he used his wind ability did he feel genuine enjoyment. When he told her this, the woman grabbed Tsubasa’s hand with a delightful expression.

 

Her sudden reaction made his heart skip a beat, but she said to him,

 

"Wow… just like me! Aren’t wind supernatural abilities awesome!?"

 

“Eh?

 

“A sacred art... no, a supernatural ability that controls the wind is also my specialty. There.”

 

She held out her hand ahead, and at that instant, a small whirlwind appeared where there had been nothing before.

 

While Tsubasa was taken aback by the sight, the woman manipulated the whirlwind, moving it left and right at will.

 

It was as though she was performing a work of God, bending even natural phenomena to her will.

 

"Amazing..." he couldn’t help but let out in an excited voice, and the woman, having demonstrated her abilities, dispelled the whirlwind and smiled gently.

 

"See?"

 

Despite being a fully grown adult, her mischievous smile resembled that of a child.

 

Tsubasa was so captivated, he seemed to be drawn into her face, and his cheeks turned slightly red.

 

Was it excitement from witnessing a supernatural ability similar to their own but wielded with far greater mastery? As Tsubasa hesitated, confused by the unfamiliar emotions, she made a proposal.

 

"If you like using your supernatural ability, would you like me to watch you use them?"

 

“I-is that okay!?”

 

"It's a secret, but... guiding lost lambs like you is part of my job. Ah, but make sure to get permission from the director, okay? You shouldn’t go out around this hour, but… if it's around evening, I'll usually be in this area. If you see me, just let me know."

 

"Yeah! Please!"

 

Without hesitation, Tsubasa accepted her proposal.

 

Opportunities to learn from a supernatural ability user with the same type of ability were rare.

 

And at this moment, Tsubasa immediately recognized that she wasn’t an ordinary bigwig.

 

As someone who could also control the wind, Tsubasa understood the incredible precision required to create the whirlwind she had summoned, and this realization led him to see her as someone who could become his teacher. (tl note: Teacher as in shishou)

 

Standing up as if tightening his obi, Tsubasa braced themselves as the woman introduced herself with a soft smile. (tl note: ‘tightening the obi’ is a japanese proverb that means to be on edge and get ready.)

 

"My name is Raphael. As you can see, I’m a suspicious older sister, but... nice to meet you."

 

──That was the moment when Kazaoka Tsubasa met the enigmatic woman known as Raphael.

 

Their student and teacher relationship continued for three years, lasting until Tsubasa graduated from elementary school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"…Raphael-nee-san was an amazing great person… and she was so kind to me, even though I was nothing more than a complete stranger to her.”

 

Looking into the distance, Tsubasa reminisced about the past as he began to speak.

 

Raphael apparently taught him many things.

 

Although he had received education in the orphanage to learn survival skills, the special lessons in supernatural abilities that she opened up for him were far easier to understand and clearly more advanced than anything taught at school.

 

It was also she who introduced him to the peak of supernatural ability users, the existence of "Fairy Burst," something no one at those days should know about.

 

Yeah, no matter how you look at it, she sounds like a holy beast. And just like Chesed-kun, she was an angel overflowing with a heart full of tenderness.

 

To have met and studying under an angel in childhood... it's just like an original protagonist's backstory. Amazing.

 

Learning about Tsubasa's past, now revealed, left me in shock.

 

It made sense that Kazaoka Tsubasa, who had already shown an outstanding sense of stability in his abilities upon his introduction, had such a past backing him up.

 

And what's more, having a enigmatic and beautiful older sister figure as a teacher character is just the best... In a different sense, I’m actually impressed he grew up to be a young man with a proper sexual disposition.

 

...Hm? You’re saying I have no right to say that? Why not?

 

“I didn’t know it at the time, but nee-san was a holy beast… an angel, I think. Normally, she hid her wings, just like you do... But when I was in danger, she would spread her four wings and rush to my side as fast as she could. Back then, she brushed it off as an application of supernatural abilities, but... She was always the first to come to my rescue… and sometimes scold me... She was like what most people would call a mother.”

 

“I see...”

 

So she was an angel disguised as a human, huh.

 

In my case, it’s the opposite. I’m more like a human disguised as an angel right now. Well, I think this is appealing in its own way.

 

There are a certain number of angels beyond the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, so it wouldn’t be strange if angels I’m unaware of had crossed the gate and infiltrated the human world even before the story began.

 

What I’m curious about, though, is why Tsubasa only recently remembered such a rich past.

 

No matter how stormy and full of drama his life was afterward, there’s no way he’d forget about a beautiful older sister he studied under for three years as a child. If their relationship was only for one or two days, then it would be acceptable.

 

This is especially true for someone with the memory of an active great detective.

 

Which means, one possibility I can think of is—

 

“Was that memory erased by someone until now?”

 

“...Yeah. Raphael... nee-san sealed it away. At that time... she said it would only be painful for me to remember her, so as we parted, she sealed it... It was her final act of consideration.”

 

“Her final act… huh.”

 

Hm, I see.

 

To summarize the story so far, Tsubasa had a teacher in supernatural abilities named Raphael, who was an angel he adored like a mother... Something happened, and they were separated by death. And before they parted, she sealed his memories, worrying about his future!

 

…Wow, I didn't want to imagine it, but what an intense circumstance.

 

Understanding most of his circumstance from his phrasing as he stared at the grave in front of him, I gently patted his back soothingly.

 

There, there, You’ve done your best. Let onee-san comfort you. I’m not much older than you, though.

 

“...T.P. Eight Olishua... You’re similar to my sister in some ways. Like how you naturally show concern for others... how you have a tendency to reveal nothing about yourself, how you’re so tolerant of people’s weaknesses, and how you listen kindly enough to make them feel comfortable... Is that just the nature of angels?”

 

“You’re overestimating me. If someone nearby is in trouble, anyone would want to help in whatever way they can, wouldn’t they? By that sense, you guys are far more like angels than I am.”

 

“...Is that so.”

 

Yes, that is so.

 

I’m an original protagonist, after all. Basically, Eight-chan always chooses what I think is the coolest course of action at any given moment.

 

In my case, since I have those kinds of mundane feelings, when someone looks at me with hollow eyes and says, “Eight-chan is seriously angel,” it’s... troubling. I’m happy and embarrassed with the original protagonist age, but hearing it from him at this moment leaves me with complex feelings. (tl note: from what I could find ‘age’ is an internet slang used on 5chan, and is used to raise a topic that has dropped in the ranking of the topic list to the top.)

 

"But I'm different... I'm not like them. It's presumptuous of me to claim myself a savior (Saver)... I couldn’t even protect the person most important to me... Far from it, I even forgot why I was fighting in the first place..."

 

"That’s why you said you're playing hero."

 

"That's right... I don't have the unwavering convictions they have, nor any vision of the future I want to create..."

 

Uh, hmm… This is getting pretty self-punishing.

 

Not good. Not good at all... This is the tendency of depression patients who are convinced of their own worthlessness. If he were just an attention-seeking chuunibyou patient, I could simply pull the rug out from under him and tear off his mask, saying, “Is that so? Farewell,” but he’s clearly serious right now.

 

"...I’m going to die here. Tell them that I’m grateful."

 

"No way. You tell them yourself."

 

"...Ha... You're right about that... My bad..."

 

I don’t feel the need to force him to tell me what happened between him and Raphael.

 

I’m deeply curious about what kind of farewell they had, but I won’t ask.

 

A sorrowful past that weighs on him this much is something we can only wait to come out when he’s ready to share it.

 

Right now, he doesn’t seem inclined to talk about it that much.

 

To begin with, I doubt he trusts me that much. I mean... a detective and a phantom thief? Having a relationship where we have counselling sessions would feel completely out of place, and if anything, being rivals would be a much more appropriate relationship.

 

Which means there’s only so much I can do.

 

But a perfect cheat original protagonist is perfect even showing concern to a heartbroken young man.

 

"I don’t know what happened in your past. But... make sure you don’t have regrets."

 

“...Aah.”

 

For now, all I can do appeal to his own heart.

 

No, I can’t just let him stay in this place and separate from the Savers. But these type of problem won’t fundamentally be solved by me pleasantly comforting him.

 

But I believe.

 

It might sound incredibly irresponsible, but if it’s Kazaoka Tsubasa, my favorite, surely—

 

“If it’s you, Tsubasa, you can overcome them… the sorrow… and the pain.”

 

“…You’re the one overestimating others.”

 

Maybe so. Even so, I wanted to be clear about how I felt.

 

After placing my hands on his shoulders as he crouched, staring intently at the stone monument, I decided it would be better to leave him alone for now and coolly walked away.

 

Although I also wanted to take in the view of the oasis, disturbing the peaceful scenery from his eyes felt wrong.

 

Although I was reluctant to part, I decided to teleport back to “Beit” for now.

 

There was something I needed to ask her.

 

Now then—

 

“What does that mean, Binah?”

 

『...You returned quickly.』

 

Yes. I returned to the throne room, even though I had just been pushed out of the ring from behind* a few minutes ago in a pleasant manner. The correct way of using Teleportation. (tl note: a sumo technique in which you dodge the opponent's attack and push or thrust the opponent out of the ring when he has turned his back to you.)

 

Having seen Tsubasa as he is now, I wanted to ask about what Binah had meant by her earlier words, “I want you to save Kazaoka Tsubasa.” Most likely, En and the others are similarly pressing Zaphkiel-san about it right now.

 

This approach, resolving issues using a different approach from the protagonist of the original work──Truly, I’m an original protagonist.

 

When I mentioned meeting Tsubasa, Binah visibly panicked, her gaze darting around nervously even from beneath her veil that she reattached.

 

...No, don't act like a kid who's been caught playing a prank. I'm not really mad or anything.

 

『I-is that true?』

 

There’s no way I’m mad.

 

Judging from her behavior, it’s probably her fault Tsubasa remembered Raphael’s memories, but… even so, that doesn’t give me the qualifications to criticize her.

 

Although Binah-sama acting suspiciously was adorable in its own way, I refrained from teasing her and instead spoke seriously.

 

"There's no way I'd be mad at you."

 

『Thank goodness…』

 

──Still, depending on your response, I might have a few stinging words to say as an original protagonist, so I hope you’ll forgive me.

 

And so, I decided that it wasn’t the right time to break into Tsubasa directly, and instead, I chose to press the archangel, who seemed to know the most about the situation.

 

The casual footwork to directly talk with the island’s king… This fearlessness is quite the original protagonist thing to do, isn’t it? Eight-chan thinks so.

 

(author: In Fairy Savers ∞, it seems the story depicts Tsubasa reminiscing from his point of view about his encounter with Raphael up to their parting over the course of two or three episodes.)

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