Meanwhile.
The goddess of earth Terra was having a confrontation with
someone.
It was a young woman with light-colored overalls and features so
cold that it made her seemed inhuman.
Yes, it was the Goddess of the End—Phinis.
"This is the first time we're having a face-to-face conversation isn't it,
Terra…?"
"Yes. We split into five after you were sealed, after all…
"More importantly," Terra said, sadly looking at Phinis, "you absorbed
Fluga… I can sense her presence from inside of you…"
"Yes, that is true… I mean, you all are going to bully me and my
children again, right…?"
"…I can't deny that. To you, monsters are like your own children. No
one can blame you to be hostile to those who ostracize them.
However, the same applies to us on the mankind side. Is there no
way for us to coexist?"
"Coexist…?" Phinis laughed sardonically to Terra's words, and said,
"the one who started all of this was your side, Terra… Humans
preyed on my cute children… They were just trying to live in peace,
yet humans massacred them… all so they could satisfy their
greed…"
"That's…"
"Hence I got mad… However, you locked me up… even though
humans were clearly in the wrong…"
"True, their deeds were by no means commendable. But they've
received their due punishment. You can't bring despair to all humans
just because the fault of a few of them. Not all humans are the same.
I mean, you've met them, right? Tightly-bonded, kind-hearted people
who sympathize with your feelings."
When Terra said that, Phinis curled up the corners of lips into a smile
and nodded, "Yes, indeed, I've met one… a gentle child who took me
out of that dark place… a strong child who was nearly as powerful as
the gods… a very, very cute child…"
"That's right. There are other people like him among humans. The
saintesses are a good example of it. So—"
Right then.
"Hey, Terra…"
"?"
Phinis called out, interrupting Terra's words. And Terra tilted her
head.
Phinis then put her hands on her cheeks and said with an ecstatic
smile, "—I want a baby…"
"Eh?"
"My own baby, who can talk properly… a cute baby who loves me as
a mom…"
"W-what are you talking about…? We gods have bodies composed
of energy. We can't bear children. In the first place, we are all
females. There's no way for us to make children like humans do…"
Terra's voice trailed. She looked as if she had come to a realization.
Seeing that, Phinis revealed a smile again and said, "You catch on
quick… Yes, it's definitely possible with that child… That's why I'm
giving him more power… It's for the sake of sublimating him from
being absolutely close to the level of god to be a 'god'…"
"N-no, that can't be possible…"
"That's why I need your powers… Of course, you're going to help
me, right…? After all, you're the goddess of life…"
As Phinis slowly drew closer to her, Terra retreated, shaking her
head sideways, "D-do you understand the gravity of what you're
trying to accomplish…? We were twin gods so that we could stop
each other in the worst-case scenario. Yet you… uh!?"
Black aura stretched out from Phinis, engulfing Terra's body.
"Fufu, you don't need to worry… I'm sure everything will work out
just fine…" As Phinis smiled, Terra's consciousness was swallowed
by the black aura.
◇ ◇
"I swear I'm gonna beat the shit out of you, you muscle maniac!?"
When we returned to Estona, what greeted us was the sight of
Porco-san lying on the floor with his eyes rolled back once again,
Elma being pinned on the ground by Magmell "P-please calm down,"
and Ophir who was groping her chest while stating a merciless fact
to her "See, they really are nothin' to write home about."
"Ehh…"
What the heck is happening here…
Naturally, we were confused because we didn't understand the
situation, but it looked like it'd be troublesome if were to butt in, so
we decided to pretend not to see anything and closed back the door.