When Phoenix next opened her eyes, she found herself lying across a girl's lap once more.
She couldn't help feeling incredibly fortunate. This time, the one supporting her head wasn't Pandora the "mother," but a familiar little fox girl.
It was her own little pet and mount, Higokumaru.
As Phoenix breathed in Higokumaru's scent, she didn't detect any fox-like odor. Instead, there was a unique milky fragrance.
She wondered where Higokumaru's milky scent came from. After all, Higokumaru was already over 50,000 years old. Though she looked like a young girl, she had long since passed the age of nursing.
But she couldn't deny... it smelled wonderful.
"Phoenix-nee, you're awake! I'm so glad..."
Higokumaru immediately brightened upon noticing Phoenix's awakening. She leaned down to look at Phoenix sitting on her lap, her previously drooping fox ears suddenly standing erect with renewed vigor.
"Hmm... Where are we?"
Phoenix disentangled herself from Higokumaru's lap and sat up, surveying their surroundings. They appeared to be in a small town recently devastated by a natural disaster.
The place was now utterly ruined beyond recognition.
This was the destructive power of the Heretic Gods.
Though these places weren't targeted, their very existence brought calamity—whether through passive influence or active manifestation, they unleashed disasters beyond mortal endurance.
"Phoenix-nee, after you slew those two gods, you somehow ended up floating on the sea. Since the previous island had been completely destroyed and sunk beneath the waves, I brought you to this nearby location."
"Phoenix-nee, are you alright?" Higokumaru gazed at her with genuine concern.
"I'm fine..."
Phoenix lowered her head, carefully tracing her memories. To her slight surprise, she found that everything she'd experienced in the 'realm between life and death'—including her encounter with Pandora—remained vividly etched in her mind, without the slightest trace of forgetfulness.
In the original Campione stories, after their first successful godslaying, the protagonists would enter the 'realm between life and death' to meet Pandora. There, they would undergo her dark rite, becoming Campione and gaining the power to slay heretical gods.
Yet, according to those tales, all events occurring within that "mental realm"—including encounters with Pandora and the dark rite itself—were supposed to be forgotten entirely.
Now, however, she remembered everything with perfect clarity.
Upon reflection, she realized she wasn't like those ordinary people - not even a native of this world. Being different from them hardly mattered.
But... Pandora hadn't detected the foreign elements within her body - the alien fire and Honkai energy? Or perhaps she simply wasn't surprised by their presence?
"Is this because of you, Ai-chan?" Phoenix asked.
[Correct. I previously masked the power within your soul, preventing Pandora from detecting any abnormalities.] Ai-chan responded directly to Phoenix's question.
"I see... That explains it."
Everything made sense now.
Phoenix had complete faith in Ai-chan's System capabilities. The fact that she could continuously traverse different worlds demonstrated how far superior this power was compared to beings who couldn't leave their original realms, whether mortal or divine.
"By the way... can I bring the authority I gained in this world to other worlds?" Phoenix posed her most pressing question.
If these powers could be taken away from this world... then my options would truly multiply.
[Yes, but it requires consuming a Crystal to eternally bind these powers to your soul. Only then... can you wield these powers in any world, Boss.]
[The Crystal consumption varies depending on the power's strength.]
Phoenix hadn't harbored high expectations, yet the revelation came as a pleasant surprise - these powers could indeed be transferred across worlds.
Though it meant spending Crystals to make these powers hers permanently, ensuring they wouldn't vanish when she changed bodies.
Phoenix found this reasonable. As long as the Crystal cost wasn't excessive, she'd gladly accept the trade.
This world's gods outnumbered the stars in the sky, their powers as diverse as the cosmos. Surely some would prove useful to her.
Even if her current Valkyrie status didn't require these powers, other Valkyries might desperately need them...
For example... White Comet?
After all, the Captain's White Comet couldn't possibly transform into Knight Moonbeam.
However...
Just as Phoenix was feeling quite satisfied, Ai-chan suddenly added a "however," making Phoenix's heart leap with anticipation.
"What's the catch?"
[Since each world has different rules, if you want these powers to be fully usable in every world, just like Valkyries' abilities, you'll need to spend Crystals to optimize them.]
[Valkyries' power and everything in the account warehouse were initially optimized for free by the System. But items obtained from other worlds require payment.] Ai-chan continued explaining...
"More Crystals? Are you some money-grubbing penguin? Ai-chan, you've changed!
You're no longer that pure, kind, and adorable Ai-chan I knew."
[...]
[Even if you praise me, Boss, this isn't my decision. Equivalent exchange is a fundamental rule across all universes and dimensions. Nothing can be permanently free.]
"Fine! Fine... I'll first understand what powers I've obtained from these two Heretic Gods... Then I'll see if it's worth spending Crystals."
[However, Boss, there is some good news...]
Just as Phoenix was about to explore her divine power, Ai-chan's tone suddenly shifted.
"What's the good news?"
[For each Heretic God you slay, you'll earn 50-300 Crystals. If you don't want the divine powers you obtain or leave this world, you can sell them to the System Shop for Crystals.]
[Recycling Price: 1-9999 Crystals]
[This way, you don't need to worry about lacking Crystals for eternal blessings and enhancements. Aren't you happy, Boss?]
"..."
Treating Heretic Gods and divine powers like commodities? Only Ai-chan would do something like that, right?
But I do like it...
"Not a bad system..."