Alex's grip tightened around Aeliana's wrists, but even under Origin Collapse, she was becoming harder and harder to restrain.

Her mana kept building inside her body, swirling violently like a storm trapped in a glass bottle.

'If that mana keeps building up inside her,' Alex thought, jaw clenched, 'she'll explode.'

With a furious roar, Aeliana suddenly wrenched free and shot into the sky—and Alex was dragged along with her, still clinging on.

They pierced through the shattered roof and soared higher and higher. Wind howled past them, debris falling away as the base shrank below. Aeliana's wings beat chaotically, fueled by unstable power rather than conscious control.

Then, without warning, she folded her wings.

They plummeted.

They hit the ground like a meteor.

The impact shook the entire area, a deafening boom splitting the air. The earth caved in, forming a massive crater that swallowed rubble and dust. Shockwaves rippled outward, toppling broken walls and shattering already‑cracked stone.

For a moment, both of them were buried in dust and debris.

Aeliana moved first.

She tore herself free from Alex's hold and rose to her feet, breathing raggedly. Her crimson eyes burned with feral intensity, veins bulging beneath her skin as mana poured off her in waves.

Above them, the air shimmered.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of swords made of pure mana materialized in the sky. Each one glowed with condensed power, their edges so sharp the air around them warped.

Aeliana raised her hand.

With a single, savage motion, she brought it down.

The swords rained down like a divine execution.

They stabbed into the crater with merciless force, exploding on impact. The ground shook under the bombardment; stone vaporized, dust erupted in columns, and the crater grew even larger and deeper. For several seconds, the world was nothing but light, noise, and destruction.

Then, silence.

Aeliana, chest heaving, stared down into the obliterated crater, searching for any sign of movement. Her mana flickered around her like a ragged cloak.

Nothing.

For a heartbeat, she thought it was over.

Then a calm voice came from behind her.

"You're too dangerous to be left like this," Alex said. "I'll knock you unconscious now."

Aeliana spun around—but no one was there.

A shadow fell from above.

A massive impact slammed into her from the sky, driving her straight into the earth. The ground split open, forming another crater as her body tore through rock and dirt before finally coming to a stop at the bottom.

Alex landed above her, dust swirling around his feet.

To his surprise, Aeliana was still conscious.

Even after that hit, her eyes blazed. Her mana surged even more violently, the veins under her skin standing out like dark rivers. Tiny blood vessels burst along her arms and neck, crimson lines leaking onto her scales.

"Damn it," Alex muttered. "Her mana's going completely berserk inside her body… she can't handle that kind of power for long."

He extended his hand.

A faint, gentle glow—life energy—flowed from his palm into Aeliana's body. Little by little, ruptured vessels knitted back together, torn flesh mended, and the worst of the internal damage was held at bay.

'Without this, she'd die in seconds,' he thought.

"Don't worry," Alex said quietly, clenching his fist. "You'll get proper treatment soon."

He raised his other hand, preparing a final strike to knock her unconscious.

"Stop!"

The voice rang out from above.

---

Black tendrils burst out from Alex's back and shoulders, forming shadowy chains that wrapped around Aeliana's limbs and torso. They pinned her down, holding her in place, preventing her from lashing out further.

Alex looked up toward where the voice came from.

A massive wyvern descended from the sky, wings beating strongly as it hovered over the battlefield.

Valar.

On its back stood Elaria.

But she was… different.

Divine power wrapped around her like a cloak. Her blond hair now carried a faint greenish hue, strands shimmering like fresh leaves in sunlight. Her amber eyes glowed with a soft, otherworldly light, deeper and more commanding than before. A faint sigil in the shape of intertwined branches lingered over her chest, fading in and out with her pulse.

She looked even more beautiful—but also more distant, like something half a step away from divinity.

'Am I seeing things,' Alex thought, staring, 'or did she really do what I think she did?'

The system's voice answered him.

[ Your guess is correct. Someone just chose her as their Avatar—and it looks like she accepted. ]

'Wow,' Alex thought. 'Today is full of surprises for sure.'

Elaria stepped off Valar's back and began walking toward him, her boots touching down lightly on the cracked ground. Each step radiated calm, controlled power.

Alex squinted at her.

"Is now really the time for you to do makeup and try to look pretty," he said, "while I'm here doing all the heavy lifting? You really don't have any shame, do you?"

A vein popped on Elaria's forehead.

'Calm down,' she told herself. 'Calm down. Just ignore him.'

She took a deep breath, forcing her expression to remain composed.

"Don't hurt her anymore," Elaria said, eyes focused on Aeliana. "I can turn her back to normal now."

A slow smile spread across Alex's face.

"Is that so, huh…" he said. "Looks like you finally found a way to make yourself useful—instead of being a crybaby."

Elaria's mouth twitched violently.

'Control… yes, control,' she thought. 'Ignore the sarcasm. Ignore that smug grin I really want to punch off his face right now.'

She walked past Alex and knelt beside Aeliana.

Gently, she placed her hand on her mother's forehead.

Warm, green‑gold light flowed from her palm, seeping into Aeliana's body. The berserk mana raging inside began to stir, then slowly, reluctantly, move. It poured out of Aeliana in streams, like smoke being drawn out of a burning room, dispersing into the air and dissolving harmlessly under the goddess's influence.

Aeliana's breathing steadied.

Bit by bit, the madness in her crimson eyes dimmed.

And for the first time since the transformation began, the forest's rage started to calm.

----

A/N:

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