In any case, let's aside Turbo-sama's persuasion for the time being. We had a more urgent problem at hand, which was Phinis-sama, whose condition was the most severe of all the goddesses.
While her wounds had been closed thanks to Magmell, she was still lying in bed with hollow eyes, mainly due to the severe emotional damage she had received.
Naturally, I still got a lot of things to say to her, but I held them in and slowly sat down by the side of her bed.
After which, Phinis-sama said with a powerless tone, "You've found a way to save them…"
Further, because I wanted to have a private talk with her, I already had everyone else give us some space.
"Yes, that's right. But it's not just them. I'm going to save you as well."
"Is that so… But I'm fine… After all, I don't have anything left…"
"..."
"My power, my children, and even the future with my baby have all been robbed by that demi-human… All that I have left is… nothing…"
Seeing Phinis-sama being overcome with despair, I asked, "…May I ask you a question?"
"What is it…?"
"I'm sorry if I've got it wrong, but this was the only possible conclusion I came to. When you were synchronized with Elysium, did you perhaps allow him to deprive your power?"
Hearing my question, Phinis-sama looked into my eyes for a moment before turning her eyes back to the front and saying, "What made you think so…?"
"Of course, that's because—it was too easy."
"Easy…?"
"Yes. No matter how much monsters' powers Elysium had absorbed, escaping from that level of restraint should be a simple matter for you if you had resisted seriously, especially considering that had obtained the other goddesses' powers. Yet you didn't. Which led me to one conclusion. That is, you didn't want to deny the existence of the monsters who were synchronized with you—am I right?"
To my question, Phinis-sama stayed silent for a while before nodding calmly, "Yes, you're right…" and saying, "After all, they are my cute children… Even if they think of me as nothing but their creator, even if they don't love me, they're still the cute children that I gave birth to… Why would I deny them…?"
"I see…"
The fact that those children had turned into her enemies was really ironic.
Perhaps the reason why Phinis-sama wanted a baby so badly was because she had expected something like this to happen someday.
And knowing Phinis-sama's motherliness, Elysium took advantage of it to take away all her power.
I must say, he's still as cunning as before…
Right then.
"Is that all…? If so, please leave me alone…" Phinis-sama said, no longer paying attention to me.
Looking at her condition, I fell into deep thought.
Sure, given that she had been deprived of her power, it would be difficult for her to make a baby if she were to go by her original plan.
But as I'd said before, the goddesses' existences were now very close to that of humans, although their bodies were still made of energy.
And even bodies made of energy bled and needed nutrition, to begin with.
My point was that their bodies were merely slightly different in structure compared to that of humans.
And now they had become more leaned toward human, and the Phoenix Seal could be engraved on them.
If so, perhaps now my power—or to be more exact, my 'skills', may work on them.
I mean, remember the skill I got from Terra-sama before? The one I had no idea what to do with.
If I used that, I should be able to fulfill Phinis-sama's wish.
Well, the problem was if we were to go with that, I would have to take responsibility as a man and I would get a lot of complaints from the girls, but… yeah, I'd just tough it up when the time came.
I mean, I took everyone as my wives with that much resolve, to begin with
Clenching my fists, I gave my proposal to Phinis-sama, who seemed to be just waiting for death. "Um, Phinis-sama. If you don't mind me asking, would you like to be my 'wife'?"
"Huh…?"
""""""""…Huh?""""""""
Needless to say, all the girls except Elma, who was out, and Igniver-sama, the only one to keep her cool, went wide-eyed.