"What is… this…?" Phinis-sama looked down at her chest, stunned.
She looked like she couldn't understand what had happened.
Right then.
――STAB!
"—Gah…!?"
""""""""Wha!?""""""""
The same object that pierced her chest skewered Phinis-sama's whole body like it burst out from the inside of her body.
Due to that, her body was suspended in the air, cutting a horrible figure.
"—You let your guard down, Goddess Phinis."
Meanwhile, a familiar man's voice echoed in the hall.
The man's right arm was deformed, and he was the one who was piercing Phinis-sama from behind her.
The man was a demi-human of oni tribe, and once been the leader of the saints.
"Ely…sium…!?"
Yes, it was Elysium, the 'Sword' Saint who had escaped Phinis-sama's blackdollification.
I'd figured he was probably alive, but to think he'd showed up now of all times…
As we were frozen, dumbfounded, Elysium said in his usual indifferent tone, "I thank you, Savior. Thanks to you and your women, I was able to escape Phinis's notice. Therefore, I'd very much like to give you something in return, however—"
――Crackle crackle crackle crackle!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"
""""""""!?""""""""
"I don't have time for you at the moment."
Sparks ran all over Phinis-sama's body as if she was struck by lightning.
"H-hey, stop it!?" I couldn't help but raise my voice, but Elysium didn't listen at all and kept looking up at Phinis-sama silently.
"Kh…" I couldn't just watch and was about to go to help her—but at that time.
――Fssshh!
"""""—Gaha!?"""""
""""""""Wha!?""""""""
Suddenly, five lights leaped out of Phinis-sama's body, before they rolled around the stone floor.
"Old hag!?"
As Ophir said, they were the goddesses who should have been absorbed by Phinis-sama.
"You two, go check on the goddesses!"
"I've got it!" "Alright!"
As Arca and Elma ran up to the goddesses, Ophir took Turbo-sama into her arms and called out to her.
"H-hey, old hag!? Wake up, old hag!?"
"Gh, don't scream in my ears, you stupid girl…"
"O-oh, my bad…"
It looked like she was okay.
"You okay? Goddess Fluga."
"Tsk, how did I of all people make such a blunder…"
"A-are you okay, Terra-sama?"
"Yes, I apologize for making you worry…"
It seemed the other goddesses were fine, too. I patted my chest in relief.
Then.
――Thud.
"!"
Has Phinis-sama been released? I found Phinis-sama already lying powerlessly on the ground when I turned around.
"Phinis-sama!? –Wha!?""
But what drew my attention more, and what made doubt my eyes, was the figure of the man standing behind her.
"—I see. So this is the power of the god."
It was, without a slightest of doubt, Elysium who was opening and clenching his right hand.
But his appearance had changed so much. His bare chest was covered with something like an exoskeleton, and his hair had changed color to pure white.
He looked completely different from the 'Beastified' state he was in before.
"What have you…"
"You can tell just by seeing it, can't you? I took it away—the power of the 'Goddess of Genesis'."
"You took what…!?" I went wide-eyed, astonished.
Elysium gave me a nod, "That's right," and said, "I'd absorbed the powers of all sorts of monsters. That made it possible for me to synchronize with Phinis, their creator. That's one of the reasons why she couldn't detect my presence, but… well, that's beside the point. At any rate, what comes afterward was the matter of will."
"…Will?"
"Yes. Just as you exchange power with your women through Phoenix Seal, I also synchronized with her and dragged out all of her power into my body. Along with the power of the goddesses that she had absorbed."
"Along with the power of the goddesses… don't tell me!?"
As I looked in the direction of the goddesses in panic, Elysium grinned widely and said, "Of course, those wrung out dregs no longer have the power to maintain their existences. They will soon disappear from this world. It's an end fit for those foolish gods."