With another successful godslaying, Phoenix's spirit and will coalesced into an Ether Body, materializing within Pandora's domain in the realm between life and death.
The world around her was monochrome gray, stretching endlessly to the horizon's edge.
"I believe our last meeting was quite recent."
"My beautiful daughter, we meet again. Come here and give your mother a hug."
As Phoenix's consciousness fully returned, a voice as gentle as a breeze reached her ears.
She looked up to see a goddess with an incredibly slender and delicate frame. The figure appeared to be only twelve or thirteen years old, leaving one uncertain whether to call her a young girl or a maiden. Though her appearance was youthful, the smile at the corner of her lips carried both allure and maturity. This girl who should have been innocent instead radiated an enticing charm.
Her perfectly shaped face held a sweet smile, her figure so slender that no curves could be seen at the front.
Flat-chested... even flatter than mine... Phoenix couldn't help but think as she stared at the girl's chest.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, the girl stomped over angrily, cheeks puffed. She reached up on tiptoes, trying to pat Phoenix's head.
But Phoenix stood over 175 centimeters tall, while the girl barely reached 150. Even on her toes, she could barely touch his head.
"Huff... Mother's so mad! You were definitely thinking bad about me, weren't you?"
The young girl withdrew her hand, planting it on her hip in a huff. She tilted her small head upward and spoke.
Though her body possessed an ordinary Young girl's frame, she radiated an inexplicable allure that surpassed even the charm of the previous goddesses of love and beauty.
Rather than calling her beautiful, one might describe her as having an adorable doll-like face. Her long golden hair was divided into two ponytails that cascaded down to her calves. Clad in a thin white dress, every movement she made seemed utterly charming.
Yet beneath this innocent, childlike demeanor lay traces of unexpected maturity and allure.
"Hmm... Why aren't you talking anymore? Is it because Mom scolded you? If that's the case, Mom won't be angry anymore. So why don't you keep talking to me?"
The golden-haired Young girl with twin ponytails clasped her hands together, speaking as if in prayer.
"No, wait... Did the powers of the Undying Bird and Aphrodite transfer to me?" Phoenix asked, gazing at the Young girl Pandora before her.
She remained deeply concerned about these powers, after all, they were essentially Crystals!
"Indeed, you've managed to eliminate several Heretic Gods in such a short time. Even I, your mother, can't help but want to reward you." As Pandora spoke, she revealed an adorable smile, as if genuinely considering giving Phoenix a reward.
"A reward..."
Phoenix's gaze immediately fell upon Pandora's thin yet alluring red lips, recalling what had... happened last time.
The intimate contact with the young girl Pandora, and that too with someone nominally considered her mother, strangely brought a sense of pleasure.
All Campione were Pandora's children, so it was true that she was their nominal mother.
"Aiya, are you longing for 'Mother's' sweet kiss again? What a greedy 'daughter' you are. Obtaining 'Mother's' reward isn't impossible... though you truly are quite peculiar, my youngest child."
Pandora gazed at Phoenix before her, her childish yet alluring voice filled with amusement as she spoke.
"...It's truly remarkable that you can retain memories of this place even after leaving Yōsei."
"Is it really that unbelievable?"
Having already grasped Pandora's personality, Phoenix no longer felt any concern. Besides, she had already obtained the authority, so it mattered even less.
"Not exactly. Such things have never happened with the other children. But... my dear daughter! You must have possessed immortal-like strength even before becoming a Campione, right? Being able to retain memories here probably wasn't an accident."
"You're not like them. You're special!"
"..."
Phoenix remained silent, simply gazing at her calmly.
"But my beautiful and adorable daughter! It seems there's a slight problem with your sexual orientation! To think you'd develop feelings for your mother - that's not proper."
"However, this time, Mother will reward you again! Come... pick me up..."
Pandora spread her arms wide, beckoning Phoenix to lift her.
Without hesitation, Phoenix picked up the "mother" who wasn't much larger than Higokumaru.
The moment she held Pandora, the goddess immediately bestowed another fragrant kiss.
"Darling daughter! Call me 'Mom' one more time, and I'll tell you something important!"
Pandora dismounted from Phoenix's body and gazed at her.
"..."
Phoenix was speechless... This Pandora had clearly become addicted to playing the mother role!
"...M...Mom..."
"Mm-hmm, just as I expected—a well-behaved and clever child. You're far more adorable than my other children..." Pandora chuckled mischievously.
She flashed a childlike, innocent smile and wrapped her pale, delicate arms around Phoenix in an affectionate embrace.
Among Pandora's other six children—the six other Campione—especially those with Luo Hao and Marquis Voban's personalities, even if you tried to beat them to death, they'd never call Pandora "Mom."
However... Phoenix's attitude toward Pandora only extended to the use of that title. As for any actual familial affection, that was pure nonsense.
Moreover, compared to a mother, she preferred to treat Pandora—a vibrant, energetic young girl—as a little sister to nurture.
"Alright, now let's discuss serious matters! Though the time hasn't come yet, if you ever encounter a Heretic God bearing the 'Steel' divine core in the future, you must be extremely cautious."
Pandora's expression turned grave, all traces of her earlier vivacity vanished. Her emerald-like eyes locked onto Phoenix's face with intense focus.
Phoenix even detected a hint of resentment within those eyes.
"Those 'Steel' entities are your sworn enemies, especially the Supreme Steel."
Phoenix knew that the "strongest steel" Pandora spoke of was the "Last King"—the archenemy of all Campione.
While there might be room for compromise between Heretic Gods and Campione, the conflict between the Last King and Campione was one of eternal opposition.
"In the beginning, human societies were matriarchal, with women holding positions of authority and all supreme deities being female."
"As eras progressed, these matriarchal systems gradually declined and were replaced by patriarchal structures. The once exalted goddesses fell to becoming mere appendages of men, with some even degenerating into primitive dragon-snake entities."
Take, for example, the renowned goddess Nuwa, who possessed a human head and serpent body. The Nuwa clan itself adopted the snake as its totemic symbol.
"These fallen dragon-snake entities were later defeated by the 'steel' wielded by subsequent heroes, giving rise to what we now call 'steel heroes'."
"I personally oversee the Campione reincarnation ritual, and since I possess attributes of these dragon-snake entities, the Campione themselves share similarities with the goddesses who fell into that state."
"The gods you target as Campione, seeking to preserve their own interests, have united to grant divine protection through oaths. They've selected the strongest steel to oppose you."