"Would it be possible not to comment on my current form? It's not like I have it by choice." (So)

I'd like to grant that wish, but there's one present factor that she really should've known better about.

"OhmygodthisistheabsolutecutestI'veeverseen!!!" (C)

Without any mercy, Chiaki swipes the goddess into her arms.

"Urgh, not again." (So)

Okay...

After a ruthless cuddle session, Chiaki lets this poor thing back down.

"Sigh. If we could now please discuss our general situation." (So)

"First, I'd like to know what made you end up like this." (I)

"Yeah, I want to know too!" (C)

"Is it really so difficult to guess? I'm out of faith. This form is everything I can sustain now." (So)

Thinking about it, I'm rather sure this goddess wouldn't look like that if she could help it.

"So you had no other way but to turn into..." (I)

"A fluffy! I approve!" (C)

"As it should be known by now, I am a bit short on resources. It required quite a lot to both perform a miracle of bountiful harvest in the whole area and show my form in front of non-believers with the accompanying 'effects' as you'd call them." (So)

So she used everything she had there.

Seems like I can't argue that she didn't commit to this whole endeavor.

"Oh yeah! Your show was really impressive! I even would've paid an entrance fee to see it!" (C)

"Just like you. Yes, I went all out and it worked. It's only a trickle, but I receive faith from some of them. Which is good, as otherwise, I would perish now." (So)

Sorry, what!?!

"P-perish? But why?!" (C)

"A goddess without faith is nothing. I used up my last reserves. Without sustainment, my form would crumble. But I'm not someone to go half-assed about things. This was either my final moment or the signal to my return." (So)

She's quite full of herself for a little fluff ball.

"Oh please, don't do that to me!" (C)

I'm slightly concerned now to hear that her cute form essentially means she's dangerously weak.

"So does this mean we should go on a tour to get your face among more people and spread your religion?" (I)

If it helps her to get back up.

"Are you a moron? I can't show myself again anytime soon. Not for the near future. Already during the last display, those mortals saw far too much of my form. Belief only accumulates if the subject of worship is too ethereal to be the target of mundane judgment." (So)

"Ah, right. Just like you shouldn't show the monster in a horror game openly or everyone's going to question every little thing about it!" (C)

If that's her comparative.

"Now that I let you unravel every little thing about my current predicament, may I ask what led to this form you took up to pose as servants in my temple?" (So)

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Ah... right... well...

"Uh, you see..." (I)

"Iori conjured some kind of ultracool eldritch VR headset! That thing has so many awesome functions! My real body lies somewhere in the backroom while I'm operating this one here." (C)

Just why am I now the target of her glare?!

"You..." (So)

"I'm the victim here! I can't do much when someone makes suggestions within my dream!" (I)

"Sigh. And this is the creator goddess I'm now subordinated to." (So)

Uh, I didn't really want to become her boss.

Even now I'd rather give up on this role.

"Since this is now settled, Chiaki, can you finally return to your body and take off this wretched headset?!" (I)

"I support this!" (So)

If not, I'll make her.

Who knows about the inner workings of this device?

It could definitely be bad for her.

Or at least unsafe.

After all, the interdimensional soul connection between host and avatar could be hijacked if anyone gains access to the dimension that routes the mental link.

Okay, where did that come from?

"Fine, if such a cute fluffy says so." (C)

Soraja groans and I'm just happy that she reined in.

So we head back to the room where we left Chiaki's body, which is still as it was before.

Chiaki seems to mentally fiddle with something and her fox body promptly drops down.

At the same time, her real one opens her eyes and groans.

"Urgh, my neck is so stiff. I think I was lying the wrong way there." (C)

Yeah, that's something you should pay attention to if you shut down your frickin body!

However, next, she seems to fiddle some more with her mental settings, and just as surprising as it is relieving the headset lets go from her face.

"See? Perfectly safe!" (C)

At this, Soraja and I both share a look and simultaneously roll with our eyes.

"Okay, now that Chiaki is finally freed from her face-hugger, what do we do now?" (I)

"I'd suggest you two return home. If I move away from this place, this will cut off my supply and be my end." (So)

Oh, right.

Aureas was the same.

Without the connection to his believers, he started fading away.

Since Soraja is right now crawling on the ground, energy-wise, she wouldn't even last a second.

"But once you're better, will we be able to have you out of here again?" (C)

"There are ways to store faith, which will allow me to spend a significant length of time without a steady supply. However, that's far in the future. First, I need to recover, before any endeavors can be even considered." (So)

"So that means goodbye?" (C)

"It does. Don't miss me too much. Or well, please do. Do it so much till you can only think about me. Farewell!" (So)

Soraja would make a somewhat decent impression saying this, if not for the fact that she's a furball proudly striding out of the door.

However, before any of us laugh, I decide to put an end to this venture and port us

back to our world.

As I don't want to transport Chiaki twice, I directly teleport to the front of her door.

Naturally, I switch back to my human form.

I mean, it would be pretty difficult to explain why I suddenly became a foxgirl.

And it's not like I did so in a rushed manner after I became aware of that fact after my arrival, eheheh...

Anyway, so I let Chiaki back out.

"Waaahh! Ugh. I, I think I'm getting better with this travel sickness. With which I want to say that what happens during that time is totally sick!" (C)

"My pleasure. We're right at your place." (I)

To be honest, I tried to improve the impression a bit for Chiaki.

Mostly shenanigans to maintain her mind's condition, like storing her body in a, for her, comfortable way and making sure her mind stays pristine.

What we don't do for friends.

However, I also should point out that I noticed that her aura does stuff during transport.

Something like preserving itself, making it unaffected by outer influences, different for example from the occultism club whose members I messed up so badly.

But in general, she looks fine, which is the most important.

"Well, today was pretty exciting, right?" (C)

"You mean because we did such a minor thing like establishing a frickin goddess?! I don't know what should be exciting about that!" (I)

"Yeah, yeah, you drama queen. So anyway, today was fun! But I'm really tired now and should get in." (C)

The moment she says this and turns around to move the door to ring it, all the alarm sirens in my head go off!

Chiaki is never tired!

Absolutely never!

Which either means something is horribly wrong with her or she's trying to cut this conversation short.

According to the hunch I receive from my subconscious overbrain, which apparently studied psychology, it's the latter.

"Chiaki, is there something you'd like to tell me?" (I)

"Tell you? What would you mean?" (C)

Is she really trying to outsmart a being that has access to almost unlimited omnipotence?

The moment I'm thinking that thought, an eye already points me at the gist of the issue.

"Ahem, Chiaki, what is this in your right hand?" (I)

She tried to hide it, but there I find an awfully familiar piece of flesh.

A piece in the form of a bodysnatcher headset.

"You seriously brought this with you?!" (I)

The other question would be how she managed to move it past me, but that's not the part that questions her sanity, which I deem more important.

"I thought it was a gift?! And it's so cool! Please, don't take it away again." (C)

Oh no, she's begging.

Could never do much against begging Chiaki.

However, I have an ace up my sleeve.

Valid concerns!

"What do you intend to tell your mother if she were to find this thing?" (I)

"Oh right! You don't know one of the best parts about this thing yet! Just wait a sec!" (C)

With an extremely distressing lack of self-preservation, Chiaki pulls the body snatcher once again over her face, where it promptly latches on.

Then she apparently fiddles with some settings in that created VR-mindspace and after some moments the whole thing starts to shift.

It... turns into a retro pair of sunglasses.

Those clunky, slightly too big ones, with sci-fi theme.

And this pair is what Chiaki takes off now.

"See? Everything's covered!" (C)

Our opinions are drifting so far away from each other here.

"Chiaki..." (I)

"Oh, it's you two. I was already asking myself who's causing that ruckus here. You come too, Iori?" (Emiko Sato)

"Sorry, I need to get back or mum will be worried." (I)

"Iori, didn't I tell you last time that it doesn't help much if you bring Chiaki only to go home by yourself." (Emiko Sato)

Sound logic, without teleportation in this equation.

"Sorry. Still, I need to go now, or mum will get worried." (I)

"Completely founded, to say the least! It's already late. You should be more careful with yourself. Well, off you go. Chiaki, come in, please." (E)

"Sure can do mum!" (C)

And so the quirky whirlwind has reached her place, and I’ve concluded every obligation that, if unfulfilled, might make a certain goddess inside my dream hate me and start a dark crusade within my mind.

"Huh, are those glasses new, Chiaki?" (E)

"Yes! They were a gift!" (C)

Oh no, she got the headset!