Chapter 20

A Story from an Certain World Line

The Reactions of Fans to the Mysterious Beautiful Girl Phantom Thief

As a father, I’m concerned about my son's tastes.

This all started with a certain anime that began airing this year.

A few months ago, the reboot of the anime Fairy Savers ∞ began airing—a revival of the iconic, niche, but beloved anime Fairy Savers, which first aired 20 years ago.

Now a father, the once young viewer of the original Fairy Savers watches this new version every Sunday morning with his 8-year-old son. It’s clear the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as his son seems to love the anime’s thrilling fight scenes just as much as he did back in the day. Watching his son experience the same excitement he felt as a child brings the father a deep sense of happiness.

But it wasn’t just the son enjoying the new anime—the father was hooked too.

Before the show aired, he had a somewhat cold feeling about it, thinking, "It's just a reboot, nothing more than a rehash of old memories." However, when the show actually started, he was blown away by the top-tier animation quality that far surpassed the original, the talented staff that remained mostly unchanged, and the passion behind the script, which the original creator was directly involved in. Despite being an adult, he found himself enjoying the show with the same excitement he had felt 20 years ago. I guess it goes to show that when you love something, you love it no matter how old you get.

Furthermore, Fairy Savers ∞, tailored in part to appeal to longtime fans like him, introduced several changes compared to the original anime.

The most notable of these was the introduction of a new character, "Mea."

Mea, a 10-year-old girl with a heavy backstory as an experimental subject of PSYence, experiences a normal life and happiness for the first time after being rescued from a research facility by the protagonist, En. At first, she couldn’t open up to anyone and found her purpose only in fighting. But slowly, through the kindness of En, who became a clumsy yet brotherly figure, Akihiro, who took on the role of a father, and Akari, who lovingly played the role of an older sister, she began to develop human emotions. Watching her growth stirred parental instincts and brought a heartwarming home drama element to the story.

The anime has already passed episode 30 and is still airing, offering much more time than the original, which wrapped up in 26 episodes. This extra time allowed for a more detailed portrayal of their daily lives, reassuring parents with its content.

However, things took a sudden turn the week after the intense battle in which they defeated PSYence.

Just as a new cour began with the sudden appearance of a gate and the invasion of the Element Wyvern, she appeared.

“I see, your flame is not meant to burn down those who stand in your way, but to warm the children shivering in the cold.”

A new character with an overwhelming presence had appeared once again.

In the first arc, Mea’s introduction caused some shifts in En and Akari’s personalities and relationships, but the overall plot remained largely unchanged from the original. But now, something truly different was happening.

The focal point of this new development was the heroine of the new chapter, "Phantom Thief T.P. Eight Olishua."

A supernatural ability user who steals the abilities of other supernatural ability users.

Dressed in a boyish thief outfit and exuding a slightly androgynous, tomboyish vibe, she referred to herself with the boyish pronoun "boku" but had the design of the most beautiful girl in the show. Every one of her movements carried a sense of allure that no previous heroine had, despite her having a small chest.

This new character, T.P. Eight Olishua, appeared in the post-credits scene of every episode, consistently making her presence felt.

Initially, she stirred unease by stealing abilities from warriors in locker rooms, but in her next appearance, she single-handedly crushed an anti-social organization involved in illegal dealings and even helped people suffering from their own abilities. Her actions increasingly leaned toward those of a noble thief.

Her mysterious figure, especially when she swooped in to save young boys and girls in danger, was both visually striking, beautiful, and somehow fragile.

Aren't the staff members putting in too much effort?──The father, watching with an adult’s perspective, was a bit taken aback by how much effort the staff had put into her. Sure, rebooting an anime and introducing new characters is always a delicate task, but it seemed like they had gone overboard in making her... well, a little too alluring.

In particular, there was a scene where she appeared in a park at sunset, comforting a boy consumed by sadness, gently hugging him and stealing both his ability and his heart. In that moment, something stirred deep within the father, something he had left behind as a child.

Oh right, my first crush was on a kind older girl I met when I was little──he nostalgically thought to himself. Incidentally, that first crush was now his wife, with whom he currently lived. As a father of one, he truly was a lucky man.

As for Eight’s popularity among viewers, she quickly won over many of the adult viewers. In an online character popularity poll, she swiftly took fifth place, behind En in first, Mea in second, Tsubasa Kazaoka in third, and Akari in fourth, just a few episodes after her debut.

As the episodes progressed, Eight’s screen time and heroic scenes increased. She eventually became more involved with the main cast, and when she appeared during Mea’s awakening, there were even hints of some connection between her and the Holy Beasts. Around this time, Fairy Savers ∞, which was supposed to be a reboot, started to significantly diverge from the original story, creating an increasing mix of unpredictable excitement and concern about what would happen next.

Making bold changes in a reboot is always difficult and risky. While most fans were receptive, including many newcomers and those open to the new direction, there were, of course, some longtime fans who couldn’t accept the changes. After all, nostalgia often breeds resistance to change.

However, for him, the joy of seeing a new story outweighed any complaints or dissatisfaction, so he generally welcomed the content of the new series.

His son, who had started watching Fairy Savers ∞ as a new viewer, also eagerly looked forward to the show every week. But one day, something happened.

The event in question was the airing of the TV special, Fairy Savers ∞: The One Who Exorcises the Curse of Darkness.

This hour-long episode was a reboot of the only theatrical release from the past and served as a spin-off, focusing on a boy who has no supernatural ability named "Kakeru Yamikumo" as the protagonist. The story revolved around Kakeru teaming up with the new character, Phantom Thief T.P. Eight Olishua, to fight the darkness within his heart, in order to save his younger sister who suffered a deep emotional wound.

While the plot itself wasn’t anything extraordinary, the problem lay in how the episode’s portrayal indiscriminately "shattered" the preferences of the young male viewers, the main target audience.

That day, two phrases began trending on social media: "Hang in there, boys" and "Oneshota"

Being a special episode, the staff poured their full energy into its production. The animation quality, worthy of a theatrical release, made the already beautiful phantom thief even more seductive than usual. The mysterious and enigmatic girl’s playful remarks added fuel to the fire, further stirring the hearts of the boys in the story. Although this had already been a recurring joke online, this TV special finally crossed the line, leaving its mark on the young boys watching.

Unlike the more restrained Savers, who were bound by their duties, Eight was an outlaw with no hesitation in her thieving. Though she claimed to act out of selfishness, her willingness to shield a boy at great personal risk made her seem like a charming tsundere. It was a moment that tugged at the heartstrings.

During a fight, Eight's usually modest outfit got torn in places, and her bold dodging moves revealed glimpses of her pale thighs. Even as an adult, something about it felt impactful. When he looked over, sure enough, his son was visibly flustered. It was an amusing sight.

In the main story, T.P. Eight Olishua’s role remained ambiguous, leaving fans guessing whether she was a friend or foe. At first, his son was disappointed when he learned that the protagonist, Akatsuki En, wouldn’t appear in the special. However, by the final act, he was glued to the screen, completely drawn into the episode.

Because the special focused on Kakeru, an elementary school student, his son, who was closer in age, likely found it easier to relate to him compared to En, a high school student. Watching a boy like him fight for his younger sister, and when he was at his wit's end, he was saved by a beautiful phantom thief. Eight-chan’s moves, which were both like a kind older sister and a strong older brother, stirred the hearts of the young audience.

Originally, his son was mostly interested in Fairy Savers ∞ because of its flashy fight scenes. But after seeing the diverse and visually striking techniques, and despite feeling shy about older female characters, his son immediately begged his father for Eight merchandise right after the special aired.

Later, a kira card featuring Eight-chan at sunset, which came with some gummies, was proudly displayed in his son's room in a framed case. The father was surprised by how boldly his son displayed the card of a beautiful girl, but it seemed his son had gotten over his embarrassment thanks to how popular Eight was among his classmates. Even his friends envied him, making the father feel a bit of a generation gap. When he was young, owning a card of a female character would have gotten him teased as a pervert, but times have changed—or perhaps his son’s classmates were just different. (tl note: kira cards refer to cards that have a sparkly surface . They are often rare cards that are hard to get hold of.)

In any case, it seemed his son no longer felt the need for the kind of needless bravado he used to see, like claiming, "I only like the Dark Magician Girl because I like Dark Magician!" That was a relief.

The father remembered how, during a recent shopping trip, his son had spotted an Eight figure in a toy store. Without any pretense or embarrassment, he had straightforwardly asked, "Buy me Eight!" The fact that the father found that phrase suggestive likely said more about his own mind than anything else.

Yes, it seemed his son was having a fulfilling childhood, and that was what mattered most.

Wanting something and asking for it, no matter what it was, was always worth a try. Whether or not you actually get it is a different matter, of course, but pretending to be tough and missing out on things just hurts your life overall.

Even though wanting a beautiful girl figure at the age of eight is purely a matter of personal taste, it was still surprising when his son asked for an expensive Eight action figure (the one with the expensive cast-off figure and excellent craftsmanship) as his Christmas present.

Santa is going to be confused. Elementary school students these days are amazing.

But it wasn’t just the boys who had been introduced to Fairy Savers for the first time who were getting hyped up. Online, there was also a surge of analysis and discussion from fans of the original series.

As someone who knew the original, this resurgence of popularity was deeply moving.

That day, the father opened his computer and searched for Fairy Savers ∞ on a video site. There, he found countless videos analyzing the mysterious phantom thief, T.P. Eight Olishua.

"Is Phantom Thief Olishua Actually a Fallen Angel!? The Curse of Darkness Is a Bluff"

"T.P. Eight Olishua’s True Identity Is the Abyss!? The abyss That Wanted to Become Human" (tl note: once again, katakana = Abyss, kanji = abyss)

"Eight's true identity! The Reason for Eight's Tears"

"Shotacon Bokukko Phantom Thief, Eight Olishua’s True Identity is Insane! wwwwwww" (tl note: bokukko refers to a girl who uses the pronoun "boku", which is mainly used by men)

"Eight-onee-chan Was a Villain!? Kesed, Your Body Will Get Used to Me!"

"Why Is Eight So Soft on Children!? The Connection to the Ten Angels of Sefirot"

"The 11th Angel, Daat: A Mountain of Clues Pointing to Eight-chan's Real Name"

"Eight = Related to The 8th Archangel is Probable. Hod's Daughter?"

"T.P. Eight Olishua’s True Identity as Daat. It’s   So   Obvious!"

"Eight = Binah: An Archangel Not Featured in the Original Work?"

"Are There Two Keseds!? A Shocking New Revelation!"

"Eight’s True Identity Hidden in Chokmah's Lines!? A Mind-blowing Clue 99.9% of People Missed"

"Is Eight Actually Satan!? A Comprehensive Analysis of the New Fairy Savers ∞ Character T.P. Eight Olishua"

"Eight's True Identity Confirmed as Ein Sof"

"Is Eight Actually Future Mea? Confirmed!"

"No, that's too much, use your common sense!"

He couldn’t help but exclaim at the screen. The issue with these analysis videos is how casually they throw around the word "confirmed."

The thumbnails were a ridiculous competition of outlandish theories, filled with absurd speculations.

For the record, he personally believed Eight was Daat. In both the original series and the manga, Daat was the only one of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, based on the Sefirot Tree, that had been conspicuously ignored. If you weren't suspicious of that, then what would you be? It was a rather boring meta-reading.

Curious, he decided to watch some of the videos from the top of the list—and despite their strange titles, they were surprisingly well-researched and serious in their reasoning.

Even the most seemingly outrageous theories had a strange sense of credibility once they unraveled the mythological references with scholarly precision. Despite only knowing about the Sefirot Tree through anime, he found himself learning quite a bit about mythology.

It was like “Taking a Crash Course on the Sefirot Tree Through Fairy Savers.” He made sure to click the like button before moving on.

After watching several videos, he suddenly wondered, "Why am I using so much brainpower on my day off?" With that, he closed the video site to take a break and opened another one.

This time, it was an illustration communication site where users could post and view amateur art, comics, and stories.

Although he lacked the artistic talent or courage to publicly post his own drawings or comics, and had neither the motivation nor writing skills to create stories, he was curious about how much Fairy Savers fan art had increased since the airing of Fairy Savers ∞.

When he searched, he found out that, as expected, the new anime had a huge impact.

Fans like him, who had been emotionally invested in the original series, were now inspired to create new artwork in response to the new series. Official releases always seem to spark the most creativity in fans.

"Ohh, the new characters are really popular."

The most common among them was the illustrations of Mea.

He felt a warm sense of comfort and healing as he admired illustrations of a pseudo-family featuring Mea with her father Akihiro, older sister Akari, and older brother En. He silently clicked "like" before continuing his search for more masterpieces.

The second most popular character, after Mea, was none other than the new character from ∞, T.P. Eight Olishua.

Her illustrations had been increasing explosively lately, and related artwork had even started appearing on the daily rankings.

Though most of it was likely due to the moe effect, if a once-concluded series was becoming popular again, there was nothing to complain about. Surprisingly, the Fairy Savers fandom had a relatively high level of decency. It may just be the fact that the fans themselves had grown older.

"Fumu..."

As he browsed through the elegant illustrations of Eight-onee-san, sometimes cool and sometimes adorable, an idea suddenly came to him. He clicked on the search bar.

[T.P. Eight Olishua R-18]

With the swift typing skills honed by his daily desk work, he entered the phrase.

It’s just simple curiosity, nothing more. I’m not interested in that sort of thing... I’m not! I’m just curious just how many of those kinds of illustrations existed, so I decided to search. I have no guilty feelings whatsoever!

"Hou...!"

The search results were──beyond what he had imagined.

The countless artistic, sensual images created by divine artists were far too magnificent for someone like him to easily comment on.

The cumulative number was by far the highest among all works.

Thinking that this was definitely something he couldn’t show his son, he muttered, "What are people doing with characters from a kids’ anime? How indecent!" as he calmly saved them into his personal, password-protected folder.

"You… What are you looking at?"

"Gah!"

Engrossed in the images, this father of one hadn’t noticed his wife approaching from behind! The shock he felt was more staggering than taking a steel pipe to the back of the head.

Panicking as soon as she called out, he tried to close the page, but cruelly, his cursor missed the "X" button in the top right corner. The desktop monitor in front of them still displayed the inappropriate image of a popular heroine in a helpless figure.

The uncensored illustration showed the beautiful girl phantom thief taking a bath with a little girl.

His wife, having clearly seen the image, stared at the screen with wide eyes before turning to her shameless husband and delivering a sharp remark.

"That’s a drawing I made."

"Seriously!?"

Faced with this shocking revelation, the breadwinner of the family swore to never let this truth leak out to anyone... and to do whatever it took to protect his son's sexual preferences.

Next