The sudden voice caught the attention of both Roy and Yu Ji. Yu Meiren subtly shifted her stance, stepping in front of Roy once more, instinctively moving to protect him.
Then she remembered—Roy's power far surpassed hers, making her protection unnecessary. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face, but she quickly reassured herself. Even so, her own immortality could still shield him from fatal harm. With that thought, her heart settled again.
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Yu Ji's mind. It must be said that women do love to indulge in wild fancies.
Under the watchful gazes of Roy and Yu Ji, a stunningly beautiful maiden emerged from the shadows deep within the forest. With her appearance, a pink peach-scented breeze seemed to rise among the ancient cypress trees. It wasn't that the wind had truly turned pink, but rather that this maiden naturally carried with her an atmosphere of alluring charm wherever she went.
"Where there is great ritual, it is called Xia; where there is beauty in attire, it is called Hua!"
The maiden before them was dressed in exquisite traditional Chinese attire. Though at first glance she appeared free-spirited and vivacious, upon closer observation, one could discern an ancient rhythm of propriety in her every movement and gesture.
It is often said that during the Warring States period, ritual and music collapsed. Yet this woman embodied those very traditions in her every word and action. She was a maiden brimming with grace—one could be captivated by her even without seeing her face.
Legend speaks of China's four famously "ugly" women, each possessing unique charm. The woman before them had reached a state where physical appearance was irrelevant—her fatal allure radiated from her very soul, from the marrow of her bones. Even the bewitching fox spirit who called herself Su Daji paled in comparison.
At this moment, Roy became convinced that she was the true Su Daji. Only such a woman could bring chaos to the world, toppling five dynasties throughout human history.
"Nine-Tailed Fox, Su Daji!"
Roy spoke with certainty to the woman before him. The single-tailed fox who had claimed to be Su Daji earlier had failed to convince him.
This was a peerless enchantress with pink hair, golden eyes, and a pair of fox ears atop her head. Though her figure and seductive charm differed from that of the single-tailed fox, her allure was even more potent.
And... her chest seemed disproportionately large!
Roy's gaze then fell upon her tails—eight magnificent ones. By Roy's perception, she was indeed far stronger than the single-tailed fox. Even now, facing this eight-tailed fox put Roy on guard. One could imagine that if she were to gain her ninth tail, multiplying her power nine or tenfold, she would undoubtedly become one of the strongest beings in this Moonlit World. In her complete form, current Roy would stand no chance against her.
The difference between a nine-tailed fox and an eight-tailed one was qualitative.
'She carries the scent of dragons—very similar to the Earth Mothers in the Campione world. Indeed, myths across different worlds share common threads.'
Roy's Clairvoyance glimpsed fragments of the fox's past. Though his current abilities in this world couldn't match the complete temporal retrospection possible in the Campione world, his Clairvoyance was still exceptionally high-level. Given enough time, he could even peer into the Akashic Records.
'This fox is no ordinary nine-tailed spirit. She's the embodiment of the sun concept—likely a sun goddess in ancient times. Combined with her draconic and vulpine traits, she's also an Earth Mother. And moreover...'
Roy frowned slightly. He sensed the same aura from this fox that he had felt when using the "Human Order Incineration Ritual" to summon "Goetia" before—she carried the scent of "Evil of Humanity"!
This fox's circumstances were far too complex in every aspect!
"Su Daji? That name was already taken by that bitch (bitch), don't lump me together with that extravagant fox, or I might just sentence you to death!!"
The fox who called herself Tamamo had all eight of her tails bristling, glaring fiercely at Roy with a frost-defying, snow-white jade hand clenched into a fist. Clearly, she was furious at being mistaken for Su Daji.
"Is that so? Then I misspoke, fox."
Though Roy had a bit of a macho streak, he wasn't the type to say "It's not what you think, it's what I think"—especially since this eight-tailed fox gave him a much better impression than the previous one-tailed fox. Since he had misspoken and upset her, Roy didn't mind apologizing.
"Migu~~ Tamamo isn't an unreasonable fox either~~ Since you've apologized, I'll forgive you, nya~"
Tamamo narrowed her eyes, her radiant face breaking into a charming and adorable smile. Her entire demeanor was free-spirited and youthful, the kind of presence that could never let the atmosphere turn dull, a magical aura that made it impossible to stay serious.
Roy raised an eyebrow. Was this fox deliberately acting cute? But somehow, her voice was so sweet it could melt one's heart just listening to her.
"Hmm... Actually, now that I look closely, what a delicious soul. That kind of persistence is hard to dislike—quite the rare handsome man."
Tamamo scrutinized Roy again, her golden pupils gleaming as she licked her lips with a fragrant tongue.
She possessed the ability to see through people's souls. Her words might make one think she was some kind of monster about to devour a human, but in reality, she was merely using her ability to assess Roy's character. To her, human beauty wasn't about appearance but the color of one's soul. If someone's soul was beautiful, even if their appearance was ugly, they would still be a handsome man in her eyes.
As for those with glamorous looks but vile insides, they were the half-baked pretty boys she despised the most.
Of course, as a nine-tailed fox, her judgment of human virtue wasn't based on conventional kindness but rather on admirable qualities like courage, perseverance, and determination.
Yu Ji suddenly stepped between Roy and Tamamo, blocking the fox's line of sight, and eyed her warily. "...So you go by Tamamo now?"
"Mm-hmm~ Long time no see, Yu!! The name Su Daji was stolen by my tail, and I never liked it anyway. What do you think? Isn't Tamamo such a cute name, migu~~"
Her voice was honeyed, her smile dazzling.
She really was an exuberant and cheerful nine-tailed fox.
Roy mused silently to himself.
Though there was always a mischievous glint in her eyes, as if she might play a prank on you at any moment.
"Relax, Yu, don't worry. Although this is a rare handsome man, little Jade here would never be a third wheel~~ I absolutely despise cheating. It's just that even Yu has found love now, and I can't help but feel envious. When will little Jade get to have a husband too~"
The nine-tailed fox let out a lovelorn sigh like a maiden yearning for romance.