Dragged to Another World… and I Took the Goddess with me!

All Seraphina saw after shaking her head slowly was Finn's hands suddenly wrapping around her neck. Her body jolted in surprise as his face twisted with anger and desperation.

"Why did you never bother getting a new staff?!" he yelled, shaking her.

She gagged, choking, her eyes rolling back a little. She didn't even fight back—it almost looked like she was having some kind of spiritual awakening.

'Oh God, I hope I'm not actually killing her!' Finn panicked internally.

The surrounding priests, mages, and soldiers froze. Some shouted in shock, others looked ready to intervene.

Realizing what he was doing, Finn immediately let go. Seraphina stumbled back, gasping for breath, clutching her throat and rubbing it tenderly. She looked like she'd just been reborn—or worse, enlightened.

"The first thing you do when a woman doesn't have what you want is strangle her?!" someone shouted in disgust.

"It is not like that! That is completely out of context!" Finn snapped, waving his fists.

"Yeah, right, woman strangler!" a woman blurted.

Throwing his arms up, Finn shouted, "Oh, come on! Me strangling her was just—just fluff! An impulse! A reflex! Nothing more!"

Another woman gasped. "So your reflex is to choke women?!"

"I DIDN'T SAY THAT! PEOPLE, WE ARE LOSING THE PLOT HERE!" Finn barked, trying desperately to reason.

Meanwhile, Seraphina rubbed her throat slowly, her face flushed, standing there like she'd just discovered a brand-new side of herself Finn really didn't want to unpack later.

Frustrated, Finn grabbed her shoulders and shook her, eyes wild.

"Oh my gosh, he's touching her again!" gasps rippled through the crowd—mostly from horrified women covering their mouths.

"Seraphina!" Finn cried out, his voice cracking. "Please! Tell them I didn't hurt you—make me look good! Say something!"

Seraphina looked at him dreamily, then turned to the crowd. A soft smile spread across her lips.

"He beats women all the time."

She said it casually. Like it was just a fun fact about him.

Finn's entire soul shattered like a glass window dropped from a skyscraper. His jaw hung open. He didn't move. He couldn't move. There was nothing he could do.

The crowd stared at him in horror, disgust radiating from their eyes like he'd just confessed to kicking puppies for fun.

He turned to Seraphina in disbelief. She really just did that. To me. To ME. It was the kind of chaotic stunt Chestelle would pull—except this time, there was something unsettling in Seraphina's emerald eyes.

And then she doubled down.

"He thinks it's a form of love," she said softly.

The crowd gasped again, even louder. Concern mingled with hatred as whispers rippled through them.

"Who raised you?!"

"You should be beaten so you know what love feels like!"

"Seraphina never lies! She's too pure to lie!"

Finn threw his arms up. "What are you doing, Seraphina?! You're making me look like a monster here!"

She only smiled gently at him.

'She's giving me serious Ardin vibes right now!' he thought in panic.

"Please, I am begging you!" Finn dropped into full desperation mode. "They want to do unspeakable things to me! Horrible things! You have to stop this!"

Finally, Seraphina turned back to the people. Her voice was soft, but carried like a command.

"I am sorry. He does not mean to cause harm. Please forgive him. I am sorry."

Instantly, the crowd shifted. It was like she'd flipped a switch.

"We're sorry!"

"Forgive us for doubting you!"

"We didn't mean to upset you, Seraphina!"

All the priest girls bowed in unison, treating her like a holy idol whose every word was scripture.

Finn blinked, dumbfounded. Why are they apologizing to HER and not ME?! he screamed inside his skull.

Then Seraphina clasped his hand gently, her emerald eyes brimming with pity.

"I'm sorry, Finn. I did not mean to."

Finn sighed, beaten down, face hollow. "…I forgive you."

Turning back, Finn saw the battlefield still raging. People clashed with the creatures, barely holding their ground. The giant slime creature had finally stretched its malformed wing into place—it looked like a bird's wing now.

They were running out of time.

Refocusing, Finn gripped Seraphina's soft hands tightly. "Seraphina, we need you to get a staff. If not, everyone here is going to die."

"I agree… this is not good at all." She frowned. "What kind of priest am I if I can't do anything?"

"That's why I need you!" Finn pushed. "Do you have anything that can help us fix this?"

"Well, yes of course I do," she said with a hint of proudness. "What priest would I be otherwise? Though… I've never had to use such things."

"Well good thing today's the day you do!"

She opened her mouth again, "Well, you remember—"

"Of course I remember!" Finn cut her off, smacking his forehead. "You need a staff, or whatever, to use bigger spells or heal more people at once. Duh. Why wouldn't I remember something that important?"

She smiled softly at him. "I'm so glad you remembered."

Her genuine tone caught him off guard. He looked away, suddenly embarrassed. "Oh yeah, sure… wasn't really anything."

"Well," she continued, "we need to find a staff. But it can't be just any staff—it has to be one strong enough to carry my magic without breaking."

'Oh great. So it's like those RPG leveling systems for gear in this world too. Of course it is.'

"How do we even know which staff is strong enough?" he asked with a forced grin.

"Just look at it."

'Oh yes,' Finn thought bitterly, 'because that makes perfect sense. Forget magic analysis or stats. Just… eyeball it.'

"Well, do you know anyone here who has a staff we can just… borrow?" Finn asked, almost hopeful.

Seraphina nodded. "Yes, there is someone."

Finn's face lit up in relief. "Oh, thank God. That makes this so much easier. Let's just go ask them then."

Her expression dimmed. "…Well, that's the problem."

Finn's lip twitched. "…What do you mean problem?"

"The person who owns it… she brags about it constantly. It's her delight and joy. She won't be willing to give it away."

"OH COME ON!" Finn threw his arms in the air.