"By the way, what'll happen when I go back? Won't I just die if I end up right back in the Mana Current? Actually, would you be able to send me straight back to Earth?" I inquired hopefully.

"Sorry, but no. Even bringing you here while you're still alive is technically taboo, so I can't do that. But don't worry, you'll be fine. When I send you back, you'll go back to the same position you were in, but you'll be shrouded in a cloak of divine energy, for about five seconds. And for those five seconds, you'll be completely invincible, so you can survive just fine."

"Okay, that's good. On another note, I don't suppose it'd be okay if I request some new powers?" I responded with a wry smile.

"No, your body is effectively at capacity, it can't handle any more power. You aren't going to get any more powerful than you currently are, you've hit that ceiling.

Well, unless you somehow find a way to evolve past it. But I can't do that for you, I've done too much already as it is.

Hm, but...I suppose I can give one or two of your abilities a bit of a tweak, that much should be fine," She mused, before adding as I felt something shift in me, "Okay, it's done."

"What did you do?" I asked her curiously.

"A new application of Devour and Drain, and by extension, Ravage. Ai can explain the specifics. Oh, and speaking of her...you once mentioned how you imagine her, would you like for me to give her a physical form you can summon, like you do with the Apostles of Sin?"

<What?>

"Huh? Seriously?" I responded in bemusement.

"Yeah, it'd be pretty easy, actually. And she won't take up one of the remaining two spots in your Apostles, so you won't be losing anything."

"In that case...yes," I nodded without hesitation.

<W-Wait, don't I get a say in this?>

Are you opposed to it?

<Not necessarily, but...I don't know>

Let's just go for it. If you don't want to be summoned, I'll refrain.

<Well...okay, then, I suppose there's no harm>

Cool.

"Alright, it's done," Smiled Samara, as I felt another slight shift in me.

Sweet, I'll finally get to speak to you face-to-face, Ai.

<Yeah, let's do that later...I feel like I need some time to prepare myself for that>

Sure, fine by me.

"Oh, I just remembered, there's something I've wondered about for a while. My new appearance is the exact same as my old one, why is that?"

"Again, it's because of the compatibility issue. I couldn't reincarnate you normally, so I had to construct an artificial body for you...well, I say artificial, but for all intents and purposes, it's very much a real body, so don't worry about that. Making it biologically identical to your old body helped work around the compatibility issue.

Or course, I did make it a lot fitter and healthier than your old body was, not to mention the powers that came with the Sinner System. After that, I tweaked reality a tiny bit to fit you into the timeline," She explained, before elaborating, "Your 'parents' that died when you were baby, they never existed, so that whole backstory never actually happened in reality. I planted false records of their existence in databases and whatnot.

Not to mention records of your existence, along with false memories of you in the people at the orphanage. In reality, you did not exist in your current era until your reincarnation. Your body didn't exist before that, you simply materialized in the fifteen year old body you found yourself in when you reincarnated."

"Huh...not gonna lie, that's kinda scary. I mean, I kinda suspected as much, but now that I know it's the truth, I feel sorta disconcerted," I responded wryly.

"Yeah, interfering in the living world like that is kinda forbidden, but I was discreet enough to pull it off," She remarked smugly.

"Mind if I ask why you took such a risk? Since it's forbidden, I'm guessing you would've gotten in trouble if you got caught."

"Oh, yeah, big time. While I am a deity, I'm a mid-ranking one, so my authority is far from absolute. Abusing my power is a big deal, though I'd say all these violations are relatively minor offenses, so even if I was caught, I probably wouldn't have gotten in too much trouble.

As for why I did it despite the risks, well...I was touched by your mother's selflessness and love for you. Which is also a violation, since deities are supposed to be impartial," She smiled sheepishly.

"I see...thank you, I'm really, really grateful to you. My new life, it's been great, setting aside my current predicament, I've truly been happy. So, thank you," I replied with a respectful bow of my head.

"The one who really deserves your thanks is your mother, none of this would've happened if it wasn't for her selfless request."

"Yeah...I wish I could see her again and thank her. With how suddenly she was killed and taken away from me, I never even got to say goodbye to her," I replied quietly, before adding as I shook my head and cleared my throat, "Anyway, I...I should probably be heading back now. I've got matters to attend to, so-..."

"Wait, before you go, there's one more thing. Since I had been hoping for an opportunity to get to meet you as I have now, I've held onto your mother's soul in stasis, in case that opportunity ever arose.

Even though she requested that I reincarnate you in her place, I'm still going to give her the opportunity to reincarnate in the world of her choice with her memories intact, she more than deserves it. And since I've held onto her soul...you will be able speak to her, one last time," She remarked with a smile.

What?

My mind blanked for a moment, as I struggled to process what she'd just said. As it sunk in, I felt a lump in my throat, a slight sting in my eyes as my chest tightened.

"R-Really? I...I can see my mom again?" I uttered emotionally, my voice cracking.

"Yes. Your time will be limited, but I'll try to stretch it out as long as possible. Here I go, I'm waking her soul," She replied, before a bright glow appeared before me as she stepped back, the glow taking shape, in the form of a familiar figure...

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