Why remain in the world of Elementalists?
Elise would answer without hesitation that the Sacred Queen might be able to break through the barrier between worlds. To ensure the safety of Lord God Space, she chose not to return, instead staying in this world to kill the Sacred Queen.
But was that really the case?
From the battle that followed, it was clear that the Sacred Queen could only absorb faith native to the world of Elementalists.
The moment Elise returned to Lord God Space, if the Sacred Queen dared to chase after her, Elise could simply use faith that the Sacred Queen could not absorb to crush her body—and even her soul—into dust.
Moreover, fighting inside Lord God Space would have given her an overwhelming advantage.
If that was so, then why did Elise choose to stay?
There were four reasons.
First, she would clean up the mess she herself had caused.
Because she was unfamiliar with the later plot developments of the Elementalist storyline, Elise made a misjudgment that led to the world's final boss appearing ahead of schedule.
And at this point in the timeline, it was still before the main story even began. How could Kazehaya Kamito possibly have the strength to resist?
One wrong move, and the world might truly be destroyed.
But this was a consequence brought about by Elise herself. How could she simply walk away?
Second, her promise to Kamito.
"If you ever run into trouble, Kamito, I'll help you too."
That was something Elise had once said to him, and she had never forgotten it.
Originally, she had intended to release Kamito's "harem" to give him a hand. Instead, she ended up unleashing a catastrophe. That hardly made sense.
Though Elise was not a saintess in essence—perhaps not even truly female—and was perfectly capable of lying, she placed extraordinary importance on promises.
If she had agreed to something under normal circumstances, why would she break her word? Even if it meant risking her life, even if it meant killing and stealing, she would still see it through.
Mm...
If she forgot, that was another matter...
(Miss Mana: ?)
In short, as long as Elise was not deliberately deceiving someone, her promises always stood.
Third, it was what a saintess ought to do.
A saintess would never allow an existence that posed such immense harm to the world to act unchecked. She would step forward and stop it.
Elise once again declared that she was not saving the world because she wanted to—but because doing so made her more like a saintess.
Fourth, she simply found the Sacred Queen irritating.
You were minding your own business, so why did you suddenly attack me?
If she didn't pay him back for that, how could that possibly be acceptable?
There were many contradictions within Elise, for example:
She had decided not to break her word again, yet she continued to face others under a false identity, telling lies while still cherishing her promises.
She brooded over the fact that she was impersonating a saintess, yet at the same time felt inexplicably confident in the saintess she portrayed...
There were countless such contradictions within her.
Humans are bundles of contradictions. Elise understood that better than anyone.
Because she could clearly see just how contradictory she herself was.
At times, even Elise could not fully understand her own heart. After all, she had played the role of a saintess far longer than she had imagined.
What had her original self been like?
It had already grown somewhat blurred.
Unimportant things are forgotten especially quickly.
Under the erosion of time, the events of one's previous life gradually fade away. Only those memories that leave a deep impression can barely withstand the torrent of time.
For instance, why did she choose to play such a saintess?
Elise had always remembered.
There was no grand reason. As a child watching anime, she had simply wished for such an existence—someone who could correct the tragedies within the story.
"No one will help you. No one will save you."
Elise hated that more than anything, so she created a false saintess.
No one cares about you?
The Saintess will care about you!
No one will save you?
Then let the Saintess be the one to save you!
Once, he had desperately longed for such an existence.
Thus, Elise Holiness was born.
A saintess who would help others. A saintess who would save others.
As she continued acting, the image of the Saintess and the image of Elise gradually overlapped in her mind.
She knew clearly that she was only acting—that it was false. In essence, she was merely a bad person and had done plenty of bad things.
Even now, Elise did not know whether she still possessed that heart that wished to help others.
But in reality, she had indeed played the role of a saintess well. She had saved many people.
So...
At the very least, she had changed some bad endings, hadn't she?
...
Smack! Smack!
Elise slapped her cheeks hard twice, forcibly snapping herself back to her senses.
"Honestly, why am I thinking about all this?"
She rubbed her face helplessly. She had hit herself hard enough that it still stung.
"I am the flawless and perfect Lady Saintess!" (proudly puffing out her chest)
"What happened in this world of Elementalists was nothing more than an accident!" (repeatedly emphasizing)
"Anyway, I'll absolutely never come back here again! Who's going to remember those dark histories?" (muttering quietly)
For Elise, who could traverse infinite worlds, the experiences of a single world were but a fleeting moment. Countless more worlds awaited her in the future. Why would she ever be bound by just one?
Through her clash with the Sacred Queen, Elise had come to deeply recognize her shortcomings in physical ability.
To make up for that weakness, she deliberately chose a world where she could grind levels.
Moreover, the next world she planned to visit had to be one that could strengthen her physical body.
She had already decided on it before even entering the world of Elementalists. However...
"Now that it's actually time to go, I'm still a little hesitant..."
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?—commonly shortened to DanMachi.
The title was long, but like the world of Elementalists, it was also a harem series.
Its combat power was said to be quite high, and it contained many A-rank monsters.
But those were not Elise's main concern.
The real issue was that DanMachi was a world where gods truly existed.
Once she entered that world, Elise would have to think twice before using any form of faith.
No one understood what it meant to be a god better than Elise. She had personally experienced the ability of "Divinization." The sensation it brought was overwhelmingly intense.
The gods of that world were said to possess omniscient and omnipotent settings. However, after descending to the lower realm, they had sealed their divine power. Though if they truly wished to use it, they still could...
"After being sealed, their perception shouldn't be that strong, right?"
Becoming enemies with gods might sound impressive, but actually fighting them was genuinely terrifying.
"I have to minimize the risk!"
Vast amounts of faith slowly flowed out from Elise's body, leaving her in the most basic state of a "mortal."
"I'll test it first. If something feels wrong, I'll leave immediately..."