"Precisely because of this, Daji cannot be killed. As long as I exist, she will not die. No matter how severe her injuries, even if reduced to ashes, she will revive. If she could be killed, I would have done so long ago, mikon~~"
Tamamo-no-Mae spoke with a hint of regret, somewhat resigned to the current situation.
Roy frowned and sighed inwardly, temporarily setting aside the idea of killing Daji.
What Daji possessed wasn't mere immortality, but a paradox born of the world itself. Because Daji and Tamamo-no-Mae were one and the same, killing either would not result in true death. To kill Daji, one must slay the true nine-tailed fox.
In other words, though the nine-tailed fox had split her tails into individual foxes, drastically weakening herself, she had also become a paradox—gaining absolute immortality. The only way to kill her was to restore her to her nine-tailed form.
But once Tamamo-no-Mae regained her nine tails, finding someone capable of killing her in the Moonlit World would be exceedingly rare, if not impossible.
'Each of Tamamo-no-Mae's tails seems quite similar to Ciel and Roa's existence.'
Roy, having played Tsukihime, came to this conclusion.
At the same time, he realized that even if Tamamo-no-Mae were killed at Nasu in the future, it likely wouldn't be true death—at most, it would be a sealing.
'Sealing...'
A thought crossed Roy's mind, and he asked Tamamo-no-Mae about the possibility of sealing her.
Roy found it somewhat amusing that he was asking Tamamo-no-Mae how to kill her, and even more so that she answered the question with utmost seriousness.
"Sealing won't work either. In my nine-tailed state, I possessed the ability to traverse dimensions. No seal could hold me. Unfortunately, when I severed my tails, Daji inherited this ability. It's impossible to permanently seal her anywhere, mikon~~"
Roy raised an eyebrow. This Su Daji was truly as slippery as an eel—none of his usual tactics seemed to work on her.
The malice emanating from this fox was overwhelming, making Roy deeply uncomfortable. That was why he had wanted to eliminate her once and for all, to "slay the demoness to prove his path." But now, it seemed none of his methods had any effect on Su Daji.
"So, the only way to keep her in check is to temporarily seal her power. But even that won't last forever. Over time, the seal will weaken unless she's constantly kept by one's side and reinforced regularly."
Tamamo-no-Mae sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration at her own tail.
There was no denying it—a fully realized nine-tailed fox was truly formidable. Every one of her incarnations was a troublesome figure.
"Who in their right mind would keep such a nuisance by their side?"
Roy scoffed.
Su Daji was clearly the type who would never behave. She would constantly stir up trouble, impossible to kill or seal away. Keeping her around would be maddening—even a saint would likely be driven to insanity by this endlessly scheming fox.
If he had to describe her, Su Daji was much like the trickster god Loki—a malicious, cunning, and utterly deceitful vixen.
"Migu~ Master Roy is absolutely right! That bitchy fox is so detestable—who'd want to stay with her forever?"
As they walked toward where Su Daji stood silently, Tamamo-no-Mae's beautiful eyes curved into crescents, her voice cheerful.
Her legs were hidden beneath the flowing robes of her lavish attire, leaving only a glimpse of delicate, snow-white ankles between the hem and her shoes—enough to imagine how slender and graceful her legs must be.
Tamamo-no-Mae skipped ahead like a little rabbit, her laughter sweet and charming. The bells on her person jingled merrily, and the jade pendants at her waist chimed with each step.
Clearly, she held Roy in high regard, feeling their perspectives aligned—what she disliked, he disliked too. After all, most men who encountered Su Daji would fall under her spell, speaking in her defense. Some wouldn't even realize their folly until she had led them to their doom.
Her ceaseless chatter filled the ancient cypress grove with laughter, brightening the mood.
What an endearing fox.
Roy sighed inwardly. He'd love to keep her by his side, listening to her sweet, birdlike voice chatter away every day—it would surely lift his spirits. Unfortunately, she seemed vehemently opposed to polygamy. For someone who lived in the feudal era, her mindset was oddly modern.
Even Yu Ji's way of thinking was that of a traditional woman—she saw nothing wrong with a man having multiple wives.
Speaking of Yu Ji, Roy suddenly realized something was amiss. He had been talking with Tamamo-no-Mae the entire way, completely forgetting about Yu Ji.
He quickly turned around and saw her trailing behind them like a wronged little wife, silent and subdued.
Seeing Roy turn his head, Yu Meiren said softly, "...My king..."
Although Yu Ji always preferred to stay in the corners, disliking attention, and would listen quietly while others spoke, secretly observing, the scene where Roy and Tamamo-no-Mae were chatting so animatedly that they forgot about her still left Yu Meiren feeling somewhat depressed in her heart.
It wasn't anger, but rather a sense of helplessness and slight grievance, feeling like she had become an unnecessary presence.
Roy felt a bit awkward, but his thick skin allowed him to pretend nothing was wrong as he said to Yu Ji, "...Why are you walking alone at the back, Yu Meiren? I know you don't like interacting with others, but Tamamo shouldn't count as human, right?"
As he spoke, Roy grabbed Yu Ji's fair wrist and pulled her to his side to walk alongside him.
Why does it feel like I'm the one who did something wrong...
Yu Meiren grumbled inwardly, but seeing Roy pull her close and then wrap his arm around her slender, soft waist, holding her in his embrace—looking every bit like an intimate couple—her earlier displeasure immediately dissipated. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she pursed her vermilion lips, revealing a reserved yet gentle smile.
Migu~~ When will I, Tamamo, find a good husband? I want to be a virtuous and good wife!
Seeing Roy and Yu Ji being all lovey-dovey while she felt like a third wheel, Tamamo-no-Mae's previously cheerful mood instantly deflated, her adorable fox ears drooping.
As they chatted and laughed, the group soon arrived before a massive pit, where Daji's body was gradually restoring itself.