Chapter 53

The circumstances of a character from the original work’s personality change

There’s something wrong with Tsubasa.

Yeah, there’s clearly something wrong with that guy.

His mind isn’t on En and the others before him.

Having arrived slightly late to the Western-style town of "Heit," I stood on the roof of a random house, observing the state of En’s group who gathered in the wilderness using Clairvoyance.

And there I saw the last companion, Kazaoka Tsubasa, refusing to join En’s group and coldly rejecting them with an unusual attitude.

What’s going on, Tsubasa!? You weren’t that kind of character in the original work!

This is... Looks like the goddess-like person has done it again…

It’s true, getting separated from your companions halfway through the story is one of the flags for someone leaving or falling into darkness after their reunion.

In the original anime Fairy Savers, this development didn’t occur due to time constraints, but having a dispute during the reunion of the last companion for some reason is a classic trope.

Still... Tsubasa, of all people, huh.

Making Kazaoka Tsubasa, everyone’s handyman, hold that position was something completely beyond my expectations. Touché.

The character Kazaoka Tsubasa from the original anime Fairy Savers, as I’ve mentioned before, is the most useful character in the story.

Whether it’s infiltration, espionage, or other troublesome tasks, he’s the one who independently resolves most of the tricky situations, creating an environment where fighters like En can fully unleash their strength.

He is also top-class as a supernatural ability user. His ability, “Gale,” allows him to freely manipulate wind for both offensive maneuvers and high-speed mobility. As the fastest man among the Savers, he has resolved countless difficult cases.

His interior has been consistent since the beginning. He’s a bit sarcastic, but ultimately good at taking care of others, perhaps because he’s the eldest of the trio at 19 years old (almost 20). In the early stages of the story, he became adept at being the worldly-wise man that admonishes En and Chouta. It’s to the extent that even En thought he was far more suited to being a leader than himself.

Depending on one's point of view, he might seem like a walking embodiment of death flags, but is a man who avoided every single flag and grandly survived to the final episode.

Seeing that Kazaoka Tsubasa… coldly rejecting his comrades as if showing symptoms of having an evil eye, made my brain shudder. (tl note: an evil eye is a chuunibyou thing.)

──This is… character of the original work’s personality change.

Personality change fanfiction──a longstanding major genre in derivative works.

This was a popular genre that spread before original protagonists did in the era of personal sites, one many fans got to know and love. Script-style fan fictions were very prevalent on message boards at the time, evoking a sense of nostalgia.

What if a character from that work had this kind of personality...? Works that imagine and expand on such "IFs" often make readers gasp in surprise by creating original developments by means of personality changes. At times, they make readers laugh with exhilarating gags. It’s not fanfiction, but Broly MADs also falls into this. (tl note: Broly MAD is a group of derivative Dragon Ball MAD works created by volunteers on Nico Nico Douga. In the original work, he is portrayed as being reasonably intelligent, with a good memory from when he was a baby and witty ways of speaking, but in MAD works he is often portrayed as a stupid, muscle-brained character .)

In the world of fanfiction, the original characters subjected to personality change often come from works featuring numerous captivating heroines, but based on my investigations, in these types of works, the more unlucky the protagonist of the original work is, the more daring the imagination is aroused in these works.

For example, in a story where the protagonist suffers from a gloomy plot such as abuse, their personality might be changed into that of a hot-blooded superhero, leading to a refreshing happy ending.

Or consider a protagonist in the original work who was endlessly manipulated by their surroundings. By changing their personality into a hard-boiled one, they can overcome challenges in a stylish and impressive way.

Just like with original protagonist fanfictions, these fanfictions add a spice of “personality change,” offering readers an alternate storyline distinct from the original.

Of course, there are many characters other than the protagonist who are changed. Villains from the original work might be softened into gentler personalities, or a serious character might be rewritten as an outrageous pervert. Occasionally, a clumsy and absent-minded underdog character may suddenly find their footing and become surprisingly competent. These modification styles are extremely varied and wide-ranging.

Such "personality-change fanfiction" was one of my favorite genres.

But then…

“For even him to become a target of that…”

Onee-san hadn’t seen this coming.

I never thought he’d end up being the target of a personality rewrite. Hmm, how should I feel about this development?

To be fair, he did have the groundwork for it. His original personality was the type that often got the short end of the stick.

Still, I think changing the personality of the most useful character in the story is pretty risky.

...No, I can understand the feeling of wanting to meddle with him, who was originally the mediator, especially during the second half when Akatsuki En, the protagonist, has matured into a more composed character. If everyone in the regular cast has a perfect character, it becomes hard to create stories. While too many troublemakers might generate hate, having none makes long-term serialization difficult.

A similar case happened with Chouta in Tsebaoth, but could this be Tsubasa's turn? Speaking in terms of fanfiction events.

...Fine. If that’s the case, I’ve got an idea.

Having overcome the battle with Adyeshach and seeing the character overlap (Binah-sama) in person, I’m not the type to get agitated by something like that anymore. Fufufu, did you think I’d lose my composure? Too bad, but it’s Eight-chan you’re talking about. (tl note: I started playing Persona 5 recently and realized it’s supposed to be adyeshach instead of adishut.)

If anything, this is a chance—a hyper original protagonist chance.

I don’t know what’s caused it, but restoring a character of the original work’s personality that has suddenly become twisted back to their original state with an original protagonist’s SEKKYOU would be amusing. Sure, the author’s match-pump is undeniable, but it could also be called a highlight scene presented to the original protagonist.

Of course, there will be those who say, "Hey, you can't just ruin the original work’s characters like that! Think about the fans of the original work!" It's one thing if the character originally had no presence, but it's a different story if you're changing a character who was already charming in the original work. Personally, I think Tsubasa's personality is fine as it is. I’d be content to tell him, just like I did with Chouta and his pompadour issue, “You’re amazing just the way you are.”

I, myself, think Tsubasa's personality is just fine as it is to high school girls, so I was planning to tell him, just like with Chouta's pompadour problem, "You're great just the way you are."

Still, I was also happy to see Kazaoka Tsubasa showing a new side of himself.

After all, he has a very pessimistic nature…

En and Chouta may be fine heroes now, but in the beginning, they were nothing short of problem children.

En, despite his quiet nature, was like a sharp knife, refusing to communicate with his teammates. If he found someone even remotely related to his father's killer, he'd go rogue without notifying anyone, which was amusing. Chouta, on the other hand, looked the part of a problem child and acted it too, with his bad personality of recklessly charging in working in a negative direction, It wasn’t unusual for Tsubasa to follow up for him.

Of course, both of them now deeply regret their past mistakes and have made great strides since then, but there’s no need to go over their remarkable exploits here. There was no actual harm to civilians, so it's a cute past that will be laughed off as the result of youthful mischief in the near future.

──However, that leaves the issue of what to do about the accumulated anxiety in Tsubasa’s heart.

Having seen their growth up close, Tsubasa would probably forgive them magnanimously, thinking, ‘Well, it’s all in the past now.’ He acts sarcastic, but he’s not the kind of guy to dredge up old grievances and nitpick them relentlessly.

However, stress in people tends to build up relentlessly, even without them being aware of it, and the more earnest a person is at their core, the harder it is for them to completely let go of it.

What if he were in a state where he was unknowingly cornered by stress… and ended up alone in a new environment like another world?

A free environment, unshackled from constraints—that would be the perfect opportunity to cut loose.

For example, tt’s like the urge you’d feel to fire off a Kamehameha with all your might if you were stranded alone on a deserted island.

Poor thing… After silently closing my eyes and offering a silent prayer, I gazed at his image reflected in Clairvoyance with warm eyes.

Just now, he──became the wind and flew away from En’s group who were pressing him with, “What do you mean!?”

It was an application of Kazaoka Tsubasa’s ability, “Gale.” By wrapping his body in wind, he could move at super speed. This ability made him the fastest warrior among the Savers.

If such an ability was used to escape, it would be impossible to catch up.

En’s group soon lost track of his whereabouts and were left standing there, staring in a daze at the tracks of their comrade who had left them.

However, I, Eight-chan, am different.

No matter how fast someone moves, as long as they remain on this island, they can’t escape the my Search or Clairvoyance the way I am now.

Sorry for not being able to read the air, but I’m the only one tracking Tsubasa’s whereabouts perfectly. Still, man, Tsubasa-kun’s fast... Not quite teleportation level, but he might even be quicker than the fully powered “Merciful Phoenix.”

Before long, he stops in a certain place.

It was in the opposite direction from the wasteland he’d been in earlier──about 10 kilometers away from Heit, where I was at.

Unlike that place, this area was lush with greenery. In the middle of the barren lands, this place alone thrived with nature’s bounty.

It was like a shining oasis in the middle of a desert... Ah, there’s a spring. Yep, definitely an oasis.

Around the spring, lush vegetation surrounded it in an area of about 1 square kilometer. It was a wonderful terrain. As expected of another world.

Having arrived at this oasis, Tsubasa walked briskly without hesitation, and leapt onto a hill overlooking the spring before stopping.

Oh, that’s a place with a nice view.

Geez, Tsubasa. So you like high places, too? You have good tastes!

Thinking that, I observed the scenery of the oasis using my clairvoyance. However, I noticed that his gaze wasn’t focused on the spring itself as he stood still.

Then why did YOU come to a place like this...? As if answering my suspicious, he stopped in front of a large stone monument at the top of the hill.

...Hmm. I see.

The perceptive Eight-chan took one look at the scene and immediately understood his intent. Although the circumstances were unclear.

I thought his change was merely the recklessness of youth, a result of being temporarily freed from the constraints of society… but it seems the issues eating away at his mind are more deeply rooted than I had thought.

──Very well, this calls for an original protagonist.

I stopped my observation and immediately activated "Teleportation" to go directly to his location.

Ohh, the scent changed all of a sudden.

I had moved from a rocky wasteland to a lush oasis, where the pleasant breeze coming from a spring made me narrow my eyes instinctively.

Normally, a sudden shift in environment like this could cause someone to catch a cold due to the temperature difference, but fortunately, Eight-chan's body is sturdy, so there’s no need to worry about falling ill.

I unreservedly called out to Tsubasa’s back, who was seated in front of a monument as though he were speaking to it.

"Visiting a grave, Tsubasa?"

The monument he was facing had someone's name carved on it in the language of Fairy World. No matter how you looked at it, it was clearly a grave.

Hmm, let me use "Search" to translate… Ahh, it says "Raphael." Even someone like me, who isn’t well-versed in mythology, recognizes that name. It’s a very angelic name, after all.

When I peered into his eyes, which were gazing sorrowfully at the monument, I could discern his purpose in coming to this place.

“...”

When I asked Tsubasa, he gave a small nod without even turning to look at me.

Seeing him like that, I don’t know why, but… it made me instinctively put on a serious expression as well.

"...I see..."

Looking at his face,  I could tell that whoever rested beneath this monument was no ordinary person to Tsubasa. His expression as he gazed at the monument was brooding over something.

Being the original protagonist who can read the mood, I removed my silk hat as a minimal gesture of respect, then crouched down beside him and prayed silently for about a minute.

Rest in peace… Okay.

When I finished my prayer and opened my eyes, I noticed Tsubasa standing and staring at my profile with hollow eyes.

Wh-what is it? Don’t look at me with such scary eyes or you’ll give me a fright.

Did I do something wrong? Maybe I was insensitive… No, but, I was genuinely praying for the peace of the person resting here…

Ugh… It would be a shock if he says some thing like, "How impudent for a complete stranger." As I nervously turned to face him, Tsubasa let out a sigh and turned back to the monument.

"...There's no one under this."

He muttered softly while staring with a vacant gaze.

That voice was so frail that it was utterly unlike the Kazaoka Tsubasa I knew.

…Oh no. The circumstances are like, a hundred times heavier than I imagined.

What happened? What the heck is going on, Tsubasa-kun? I mean, you’ve only been in this world for a few days, right?

What could’ve happened that I don’t know about? And just what kind of relationship did you have with this Raphael person?

Hmmm... I have no idea what happened, but the emotion on his face could easily be described as depressed. This is scary… His eyes are really awful.

W-what should I do…? I won’t be able to be an original protagonist like this… At this rate, I won't be able to give some mysterious advice and then leave like usual.

Even though we had reunited, Tsubasa’s reaction to me was shockingly lukewarm. He didn't say it out loud, but his attitude screamed, "Oh, you’re here too," as if he were handling a character with no presence. Grr…

And yet, despite that treatment, the air was so oppressive that I didn’t even feel the urge to protest against him. Even the beautiful scenery and the oasis breeze felt strangely hollow.

…Stop that kind of serious character change.

When I see things like this, I remember my family and friends from my previous life who came to visit me. (tl note: visit(お見舞い) here means ‘to visit and comfort a sick person.’)

As I mulled over what to do behind my poker face and stared at his profile, Tsubasa suddenly began to speak, little by little.

“I… I remembered. After coming to this world and facing Binah's trial..."

"Remembered?"

"…The reason I started playing hero."

"Playing… hero…"

Wh-what are you talking about...?

By "playing hero," does he mean joining the Savers? If so, he’s talking about his reason for joining them, huh.

Hmm... come to think of it, that part wasn’t really explained in the original anime either. While the backstories of characters like En and Chouta before joining the Savers were revealed to some extent, Kazaoka Tsubasa had already been a member of the Savers when he appeared. He was a reliable, handsome character.

By the way, creating backstories for characters whose pasts weren’t revealed in the original work──is a classic approach in fanfiction.

Still, I was surprised that he would suddenly start talking about it, not to his colleagues like En and the others, but to me.

...But since he’s gone out of his way to bring it up, I might as well listen!

I’m the original protagonist here, after all. If it’s orthodox for original protagonists to talk about their pasts to a character of the original work, then it’s only natural for an original protagonist to hear a character of the original work's past, too.

I stared at his profile and waited patiently for his next words.

Then Tsubasa, pausing often, began to speak.

About the events that preceded the birth of the Savers’ Kazaoka Tsubasa──about his roots.

It was a memory of a woman he met in his childhood.

His encounter, as well as his farewell, to the now deceased angel “Raphael,” who was his teacher, mother, and sister who built the foundation of his principles.

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