''Let's go!''
Together with an energetic Claire, I continue putting pressure on Buezrith.
As expected, after using the holy sword's divinity to heal herself, the woman's combat power seems to have decreased sharply. Feeling that the time is right, and considering that things might get complicated if Buezrith escapes, I decide to give it my all.
One problem with Claire's decision is that while her combat power has helped me weaken the enemy, she also weakened the study's barrier in the process. Perhaps the breakthrough in adjusting spatial magic earlier was completed easily because of her interference.
Yet, if she hadn't helped, I might as well still be wrestling Buezrith now. I guess nothing is perfect.
Well, it isn't as though the barrier is completely gone just yet.
''Kgh...!''
Buezrith is confronting Claire. Upon observing her stance, I realize her instability. The way she constantly darts her gaze at me, or her expression... at least, she appears to be cornered.
But I don't buy it.
She's the one who manipulated reality and forcefully seized the holy sword. This can't be all that she is amounted to. There has to be something else.
And the surest way to unravel that mystery—
''?!''
—is to slash it out of her.
With spatial magic available, I promptly blink to Buezrith's side, hurling my sword toward her neck. Acting on instinct, the woman kicks herself out of the position, yet is too slow to dodge both Claire's and my blade properly.
As a result, my sword connects, albeit tearing through her waist instead of her neck.
Stepping onto the initiative, I once again shoot myself forward.
''Argh...!''
Clutching her open wound, Buezrith hastily blocks my strike. While pressing on her with all my might, I conjure a spell with my other hand in a split second and launch it at her.
Another groan escapes her mouth as the ice rapidly devours her flesh.
Under the relentless assault and with no hope for counterplays, Buezrith grits her teeth and goes for a suicide attack—such a predictable yet annoying development.
Her eyes turn bloodshot as she tosses the holy sword aside. An immense amount of dark energy swells from her body, from which I sense her own essence. Before long, I find myself encased in countless layers of chains, so many that the world around me is dyed a hopeless black.
''Tch...!''
I can cut through them, but it would take forever. I can teleport away, but Claire would be in danger.
In front of me, Buezrith's power keeps swelling.
Behind me, I hear Claire's faint shout.
''If not me, then the others will...''
Muttering something along those lines, even Buezrith's limbs start to disintegrate. It is as if—no, it is certain that she will explode any moment.
With no other choice available, I reach my hand forward, and with nihility shielding my flesh, I desperately draw something in my void, firing it forward with all my might.
I can contain the explosion in the Backrooms.
''I told you not to be so reckless.''
''?!''
And that's when a calm voice intervenes between us.
A gentle pair of arms embraces Buezrith from behind, spurting out of a sudden rift. Under its effect, the beserking woman's runaway power gradually sinks, her consciousness slowly follows suit.
What subsequently emerges from the same rift is, unequivocally, a familiar female face.
''You...''
My initiative falters.
Not because something is suppressing my power. Far from it, the dark cage around me has faded with Buezrith's loss of consciousness. Rather... I don't know what to make of the scene before me.
''As expected, 'patience' is rather not to be touched.''
The woman... Buezrith speaks.
''...How are there two of you?'' I narrow my eyes.
Since the one I have been fighting has fainted, the 'new' one replies instead, ''That's something you'd have to find out yourself, miss.'' She chuckles, ''For now... let's part our ways here.''
''Wait—''
Both of them promptly disappear, leaving behind nothing but the mere aftermath of their darkness.
''...''
What... was that?
I fall into deep thoughts. Clearly, things aren't as simple as the 'original' portrays them. The frustrating thing is there's really no lead at the moment. Buezrith being a human? Seizing the holy sword all of a sudden? And now there are two of them?
Confusing.
''A-Aurora...''
''...Claire!''
I quickly hold Claire, who's collapsing toward me. Right after, the guardian Skylar pops up anxiously, ''She forcefully swallowed Mother Goddess's divinity with a mortal's body! We need to treat her right away!''
''Tch.''
It seems we have more pressing matters to attend to.
Grabbing Janet and Goatman, plus the holy sword, I teleport everyone into the Backrooms. Immediately, I summon Ariel, who spares the questioning and goes right into healing Claire.
''How's her condition?''
''...Her body is badly damaged.'' Ariel's face contorts. ''That much is fine since I can heal it, but... there might be aftereffects on her mana veins.''
''Because she tried to run divinity through them?''
''Most likely.''
For the first time, I see Ariel's grave expression. As she turns toward me, even with her see-through body, I can almost feel the human grief channeling, ''...She might not be able to use mana later.''
''...''
This has been... my fault.
If I hadn't wanted Claire to 'experience' her adventures the 'intended' way, if I had brought with me more manpower... maybe she wouldn't have had to resort to such reckless acts.
But mulling over it now does nothing. I can apologize later, but if I let her future be compromised now, I will only regret it later.
So, how can I help her?
Claire's mana veins are now 'contaminated,' so to speak. Traces and scars of Neveah's intense divinity are still present in them, which will permanently disrupt and impair relevant functions in the future.
...In other words, if I can get those traces out of her system and let the wounds heal, there won't be a problem.
''Ariel—''
''That... is correct. But how do you plan to proceed?''
''Finish healing her physical body first.''
It should work similarly to mana resonance. That's the name I came up with for it—the act of meeting mana between two people. Instead of that, I plan to use my budding divinity—my void—to absorb Neveah's inside Claire.
Without hesitation, I take off my clothes, leaving only plain underwear, and stand by Ariel.
''Phew... it should be fine now—ah?!''
''Strip her.''
''W-What are you saying?!''
''Just do it.''
Finally, as if sensing my true intentions, Ariel stops acting like a maiden, even if she is one, and prepares Claire for me. In the end, I pull the unconscious heroine into my room, embracing her whole on the bed, wings and all.
''Call me if there's something wrong.''
''Okay...''
With Ariel supervising the process, I calmly close my eyes.