"Oh? Is this question that important to you?"
Daji initially burst into laughter directed at Tamamo-no-Mae, but after laughing for a long while, her expression shifted back to that inscrutable, fox-like cunning.
She glanced at Roy, a flash of delight in her eyes, licking her lips as she said, "...It's not impossible for me to tell you what that person took and who he is. But intelligence is also a kind of commodity. If the Conqueror wants information, he must offer something in return~"
"Hmm? You know me?"
Roy watched Daji intently as he spoke slowly. This fox perfectly embodied what it meant to be a vixen—not only was she bewitchingly beautiful, but her fox-like cunning was also flawlessly displayed.
"Of course! The name of the Conqueror of Western Chu is known throughout the land now. I'm not that foolish fox who only knows about romance. Everything that happens in the Central Plains is clear to me. Any question the Conqueror has, you can find the answer here with me!"
Daji threw him a flirtatious glance, her voice dripping with allure. She arched her chest slightly, the movement sending a tantalizing ripple across her ample curves—enough to draw any man's gaze.
Roy wasn't sure whether he should look or not. If he didn't, would that mean he wasn't a man?
With that thought, his eyes naturally settled on Daji.
After all, he had already seen everything when she was unclothed earlier—surely she wouldn't mind these few glances now.
"The only reason a vixen like you keeps such close tabs on the Central Plains is because you need that information to toy with humans, isn't it?"
Tamamo-no-Mae, who knew her counterpart all too well, bluntly stated Daji's intentions.
But Daji didn't seem bothered. She merely narrowed her eyes and smiled. "...And what if it is? Originally, if you hadn't severed your tails, we wouldn't have needed to chase after information at all. But now that I can no longer act as I please, I have to find another way to seek amusement. What's wrong with that?"
"...So, Conqueror, are you prepared to offer something in exchange for the information?"
At the end, Daji's gaze slid back to Roy as she cooed with a seductive laugh.
"Though I don't like you, I do agree with some of your views. A transaction requires both sides to offer something of equal value. So, Daji, what do you want?"
Roy met her gaze directly, smiling as he asked.
"My, I find myself growing fonder of you by the minute, Conqueror. Such a delicious and radiant soul, even sharing some of my views. Are you really not considering being with me? Over eight hundred years ago, King Zhou of Shang was infatuated with me. He built pools of wine and forests of meat for me, slaughtered loyal ministers for me, gave me everything—yet until his death, he never realized he was ensnared by my illusions. He never even laid a finger on me."
"...But if it's the Overlord, I'm willing to treat him with sincerity and let him enjoy the true pleasures of wine pools and meat forests. With the Overlord's power, he surely wouldn't be deceived by my illusions, so he should be able to trust my words, right?"
Daji's tone was seductive, her voice melting into the bones. Roy's strength had indeed shocked her, even making her suspect that Roy might not be human at all.
When Roy had beaten her earlier, she could sense that it wasn't even his full strength—he still possessed vast, abyssal power that he hadn't yet unleashed. In this era where the Age of Gods had faded and human order flourished, such an overwhelmingly powerful existence was something Daji found almost unbelievable.
Though she couldn't fully grasp Roy's true strength, she could roughly estimate that his power was at least above that of a Divine Spirit.
'God' and 'Divine Spirit' were two entirely different concepts. 'God' was the existence people imagined—true incarnations of nature, one of the world's rules. During the Age of Gods, 'Gods' truly lived upon the earth, mingling with humans.
But as the Age of Gods receded and Gaia's influence waned, 'Gods' became 'Divine Spirits.' That extra character 'Spirit' signified that the 'Gods' had lost their physical bodies. Like Aiwass, a god without a physical form could never exert power comparable to their prime.
The many gods Scáthach had once slain were true 'Gods,' and she had even erased their very existence.
In the world of Campione, the so-called Heretic Gods were actually 'Divine Spirits'—avatars of 'Gods.' The true Gods resided in the 'Undying Realm,' but due to the unique rules of the Campione world, true 'Gods' could never appear there.
Roy had never encountered a true 'God' and didn't know how strong they were, but 'Divine Spirits' were already something he could casually slaughter. Based on his own speculation, the true gods of this world who lived in the Age of Gods—aside from beings like Zeus or Odin, whose true strength he couldn't estimate—would likely still be no match for him.
The complete form of the Nine-Tailed Fox was a true God, the very conceptualization of the sun. Even among the gods, the Nine-Tailed Fox's full power was likely among the strongest.
But regardless, a 'true God' like Roy shouldn't exist in this world governed by human order. When Daji encountered a human she didn't recognize yet possessed godlike power, it was only natural for her to feel shock and disbelief.
'But if I can control him, I'll be free to do as I please again.'
Daji thought maliciously. Though Roy wasn't as easily fooled as King Zhou of Shang, and she might have to sacrifice something, so be it. What was there to fear? Compared to the gains, her losses would be trivial. Besides, she was the very incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox's 'evil'—doing outrageous things was only to be expected.
And no matter what she did, it would be as if Tamamo-no-Mae had done the same. If she sold this body, it would be as if Tamamo-no-Mae had sold hers. The thought of humiliating her other self made Daji feel a little excited.
Su Daji is the embodiment of the "evil" aspect of the nine-tailed fox, yet the nine-tailed fox is a unified existence. Their aesthetic standards are also the same—they judge not by human appearances but by souls. Thus, whether in Tamamo-no-Mae's eyes or Su Daji's, Roy is considered an exceptionally rare handsome man. However, Su Daji has no interest in "romance" or "love." Compared to chasing after handsome men, she prefers stirring up trouble.
In Tamamo-no-Mae's eyes, Roy is a "taken" beauty, but Su Daji harbors no such thoughts. For her, everything revolves around her own pleasure.
In an instant, Su Daji contemplated many things. With seductive eyes, she gazed at Roy and exhaled a fragrant breath, saying, "...Overlord, what I desire is very simple—it's... you!"
As soon as the words left her lips, Yu Meiren glared at her furiously.
Su Daji giggled coquettishly and said with charm, "...Oh well, oh well. Yu's glare looks like she wants to devour me. I wouldn't dare steal someone's beloved. How about this—that eight-tailed fox over there, though I look down on her, is just as beautiful as I am. I'm sure the Overlord would find her interesting too!"
"...If the Overlord wishes to obtain detailed information from me, then let us join forces to subdue this eight-tailed fox. Once she's captured, she'll be yours to do with as you please~~ And let me add this—since she and I are ultimately one and the same, no matter how you handle her, toying with her body and mind is essentially toying with me~~"
Su Daji proposed an offer no man could refuse.
Not only would one obtain the exquisite beauty of the nine-tailed fox, fulfilling a man's wildest desires, but they would also gain the intelligence they sought. Truly a tempting proposition!
Meanwhile, Yu Ji hesitated for a moment before decisively betraying Tamamo-no-Mae, saying, "...If my lord truly desires this, your humble consort is willing to help you capture her!"
For Yu Ji, as long as Roy remained by her side, and as long as her lord was happy, she would be content.
Tamamo-no-Mae stared wide-eyed at the unfolding scene. In the blink of an eye, she had become the prey. She could feel the predatory gazes of all three present fixed upon her, causing her to let out an awkward laugh and retreat a few steps nervously.
Ugh, this bitchy fox is so mean, meow~~~ Little Tamamo's chastity is in grave danger!!
Tamamo-no-Mae's face fell in despair.