"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNGGGG!! Arcadia's powerful sideway sweep cleared away the countless number of palm strikes Eden had released, causing them to burst and scatter.
――Boom!
"Tsk!?"
But the huge storm of, as tall as human, palm strikes—"Thousand Kills"kept coming again one after another regardless of whether she sliced or pierced them. She hadn't been able to close the distance between them at all.
Needless to say, Arcadia had already activated"Infinite Goddess"with Phinis, but in spite of that, she still couldn't close the power gap between her and Eden, who had the territorial advantage and had already released his 'third eye'—which probably served as some sort of limiter.
However, there was another factor contributing to that fact.
"At this rate, the situation will only get worse and worse! Please give all your power to me!" Arcadia shouted.
"That's impossible… As I said earlier, my power is equal to the five other goddesses combined… Even if your body may bear it, it will put too much strain on you mentally…" said Phinis.
Yes, Arcadia—who had fused with Phinis, the Goddess of Genesis—was still using only about 40% of her full power.
"But we're not going to defeat him if we just keep evading! Yes, I'm well aware that two goddesses' worth of power has already put a considerable burden on me! Therefore, lend me all your power for just a moment! Within that moment, I will pierce through these seemingly infinite palm strikes!"
"Just a moment…"
"Yes, a moment is all I need!"
――Bang!
So Arcadia declared while running around the hall, somehow keeping Eden's"Thousand Kills"—which were hot in her pursuit—at bay.
Yet despite that, Phinis shook her head, "Still, that's not good… I can't let you take such a risk…"
"W-why…!?"
Was she that worried about Arcadia?
No, that shouldn't be the case.
They were now comrades in arms and shared the same status of being Exa's wives, yes, but Arcadia was just 'a mere human'.
Was it even possible for Phinis, the Goddess of the End, to value highly any other human besides Exa?
Naturally, that was not to say Arcadia didn't trust her.
She just felt like Phinis was not her usual self.
Her feeling told her that something had changed about Phinis after they had fused using"Infinite Goddess".
"Please Goddess Phinis! I need your power to take him down!"
"No… I absolutely can't give it to you…"
"Why are you being so stubborn!? You don't need to worry about me! I promise I can bear it!"
And it appeared that her feeling was correct.
At Arcadia's question, Phinis began, "I mean…" before continuing, "if something happens to you, what will become of the little child who is doing their best to live in your belly…?"
"…Huh? –Guah!?"
BOOM! Eden's"Thousand Kills"sent Arcadia, who had halted for a moment, flying without mercy.
"—Gaha!?"
With that, Arcadia slammed into a wall, but at that point her Phoenix Seal triggered"Substitute", allowing her to immediately get away before the following attacks struck her.
Naturally, Arcadia could have taken advantage of "Substitute"to blindly rush toward the enemy without worrying about getting injured—that would have been the quickest way to reach the enemy. However, in consideration of the difficulty to defeat Eden, and to reduce Exa's burden—who might also be in battle somewhere—Arcadia chose not to rely too much on"Substitute", if at all possible.
"H-hold on a second!? I'm unable to comprehend what you're saying!? Or do you actually mean to distract me!?"
"No, I have no such intention… I just envy you… You already have what I've always wanted…"
"T-there must be some mistake!? I-I mean, I'd love to bear a child one day, yes, but we all have made an agreement not to get a head start! I don't want to betray them, and so do Exa, I'm sure!"
"Are you talking about Terra's power…?"
"T-that's right! With that, there should be no chance of us getting impregnated no matter how many times we're embraced by Exa!" Arcadia argued.
"Yes… What you say is correct…" Phinis nodded in understanding.
But.
"Still, are you sure that nothing occurs to you…?"
"W-well…"
Immediately after receiving the question, Arcadia involuntarily held her tongue.
Because something had indeed occurred to her.
The night after purifying Terra, she and Exa exchanged vows of marriage and became one for the first time.
He also did the same with Magmell the next day, but at that point, he'd already been blessed with Terra's power—meaning, Arcadia, unlike the other saintesses, was once embraced without the use of "Perfect Conception", even if only for one night.
"…Is a new life really living in me?"
Therefore, Arcadia asked Phinis for confirmation.
"Yes…" Phinis answered promptly. "I knew the instant we fused… that there is a very young life in you… Hence, I can't risk breaking your spirit… I'm sorry…"
"…I see. I appreciate your consideration."
Hearing Phinis's words, Arcadia quietly thanked her, but—
"However!"
――BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNGGGG!!
"—!?"
As though she had renewed her determination, she cleared away Eden's palm strikes. She then smiled and shouted, "That's all the more reason for me to not hold back! –Believe me, Goddess Phinis! Now that I have something that I absolutely must protect, I have nothing to fear! I'll be sure to accept all your power—let us defeat all foes that stand before us!"