Chapter 225: The Nine-Tailed Fox
"Oh? I thought even a special human wouldn't be able to notice the change in me, and yet you actually saw through it."
The expression in Tamamo no Mae's eyes began to shift—and behind her, a golden shadow gradually took shape.
"Though my current form has been greatly weakened, it's still just a mere copy of me."
Shffft——————!!!
Sensing something abnormal, Noah instantly charged forward, attempting to use the Demon Sword in his hand to stop her transformation!
Clang!!!
The demonic blade struck the mirror barrier surrounding Tamamo no Mae's body, unable to advance any further.
"Hey now—attacking without even hearing me out? So this is what the so-called ancestors of mankind are like? Completely uncultured?"
It was clearly still Tamamo no Mae, yet the magical energy surging from her body was no less than Sesshouin Kiara's!!!
"You look like an extremely dangerous threat to humanity!"
Noah prepared to suppress her, but having exhausted nearly all his strength in the battle against Sesshouin Kiara, even as a Grand Rider, he was currently at his limit.
"You say that I... am a threat to humanity?"
Tamamo no Mae's eyes flashed with contempt.
"You'd better recognize your place. To me, you're nothing more than ants and insects. I only showed up here because I thought it might be amusing."
Just as Tamamo no Mae was about to fling Noah away—seven heads of the Phantasmal Beast suddenly came crashing down from above!!!
"GRRRRR————————!!!"
Seven Beasts, each in a completely different form, launched a simultaneous aerial assault on Tamamo no Mae!
"BOOOOM————————!!!"
A thunderous explosion erupted in the next moment!!!
"Next time, if possible, give me a heads-up before you strike."
Noah had retreated in time and thus avoided being caught in the blast.
"Hmph, aren't you a Grand Servant? Something like this shouldn't even scratch you."
Draco crossed her arms, speaking indifferently.
"Ya~ while you're not wrong, we are supposed to be allies fighting on the same side here, aren't we?"
Noah sighed.
"Torn apart by my Servants like that, she's probably done for."
Draco had high regard for the strength of her Phantasmal Beasts in their fully materialized forms. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were her most powerful assets in her current Saint Graph.
For a normal Servant, even facing one of them was a challenge—let alone seven at once.
Within the smoke and dust, a sudden intense flash of light appeared.
Hundreds of talismans flew out, surrounding the Phantasmal Beasts.
"Back off—burn to ash!!!"
With a commanding shout, all the talismans detonated at once!!!
"BOOOOMMMMM——————————!!!"
A violent blaze erupted in an instant!
Sensing the danger, Mash and Johanna immediately activated their defensive measures.
Reines and Waver also erected barriers at the same time!!!
But—this shockwave was even stronger than Sesshouin Kiara's in her Beast form earlier!!!
Ethan—sheltered within—felt a chill run through his chest.
This overwhelming power... Could this be Tamamo's complete form?
Not just Ethan—Draco, too, was growing increasingly serious.
"There's a familiar scent coming from this girl... Could she also be—?!"
Moments later, the seven Phantasmal Beasts collapsed within the flames, turning to ash and vanishing from the front lines.
"Truly lacking in manners."
Tamamo no Mae—completely unscathed—gazed forward with inherent majesty, her entire body now glowing with brilliant golden light.
"To think she was once a 'Beast', and yet shamelessly sides with humanity."
Her eyes stopped on Draco.
"A species like humanity is, at most, worth observing. Do you wish to become something like that too?"
"Don't talk like you know every damn thing. To be blunt—that's just my preference. Got a problem with that?"
Draco didn't back down in the slightest, facing head-on the overwhelming pressure radiating from Tamamo no Mae.
"Hmph, how utterly dull."
Tamamo no Mae then noticed Ethan standing among the group.
"You over there—Master. Since you've recognized who I am, I'll overlook your earlier disrespect."
"Could it be that you're... the nine-tailed fox..."
Ethan exclaimed in shock.
If his guess was correct—this Tamamo no Mae wasn't the familiar one they knew.
But rather—the fusion of all nine tails, one of the Three Great Youkai equal to Amaterasu.
The white-faced, golden-furred nine-tailed fox!!!
"Oh? Seems like you've known my true identity for a while now? As expected of the one who's caught my eye—you're definitely worth 'collecting.'"
Upon having her identity called out, Tamamo no Mae burst into loud laughter.
She didn't bother hiding anymore, revealing eight more golden fox tails behind her.
Nine dazzling, golden tails swayed gently—and the sheer magical energy stored in each tail alone… already surpassed that of every Servant present!!!
The pressure radiating from her body was enough to make all the Servants wary—none dared to act recklessly.
"Senpai! Don't tell me—you know who she is?!"
Mash turned her head in surprise, asking Ethan.
"Ah, of course. Actually—she's so famous that pretty much everyone knows her."
Ethan stared intently at the "Tamamo no Mae" before him—who now seemed like a completely different being.
Her appearance hadn't changed much, aside from the new tails—but her aura was entirely different.
On her face was a playful and amused smile, her gaze fixed directly on him.
Across the outfit that covered her body, golden sun-patterns had appeared—signifying that the Divinity of Amaterasu Omikami resided within her.
"Ethan! The Chaldea Sheba Lens analysis just glitched! It just detected another 'Beast'!!!"
Dr. Romani's panicked voice came through the communication device.
"Doctor, sorry to say—but that's not a glitch."
Ethan didn't take his eyes off her for a second.
"Because the one in front of us... is almost certainly a Human Evil."
The origin of Tamamo no Mae—the white-faced, golden-furred nine-tailed fox—was divine, but in certain special states, she could become a Human Evil.
When humanity was on the brink of extinction, she would reach out to save them—granting strength.
But once mankind grew too powerful—she would become an enemy to humanity, a manifestation of Human Evil.
That—was the twisted pastime of the golden-furred nine-tailed fox now standing before them.
"...This is all so sudden I don't even know what to say anymore."
The constant emergence of Beasts was beginning to overwhelm even Dr. Romani.
"Why the hell are Human Evils popping up one after another?! Weren't they only supposed to appear when humanity faces an existential crisis!!!"
"Doctor, could it be... that right now is humanity's greatest crisis…"
Ethan—long since accustomed to such irregularities—could only smile wryly.
"You people are still in the mood to joke around at a time like this!!!"
Da Vinci, switching into glasses serious mode, furrowed her brows and shouted.
"The magical energy coming from the opponent is nearing Plant-class levels!!! This is absolutely not someone humanity can defeat!!! Especially since you all just fought Beast III/R and haven't even recovered yet!!!"
Right after, Da Vinci loudly announced the data just analyzed:
"Confirmed: The opponent is Human Evil – Beast V: Collection!!!"
"So it really was her..."
Ethan spoke calmly.
However… there was still something deeply strange.
Why had Tamamo no Mae suddenly appeared here at all?
"You suddenly appeared here... What exactly is it that you want?!"
Ethan tried to initiate conversation with her.
Because from the very beginning—she had just stood there, unrushed, silently watching him.
She seemed genuinely intrigued by his every reaction.
The golden-furred, white-faced fox wouldn't simply show up without reason. Could Sesshouin Kiara's sudden defeat be directly related to this fox's arrival?!
"Naturally, it's because I found it entertaining."
Just as Ethan suspected, the golden-furred, white-faced fox smiled.
"After all, humans are nothing more than playthings for the gods. In this Digital Ocean, I've been observing you with the mindset of 'enjoying a spectacle' for quite a long time. And during that time, humans have continued to repeat the same mistakes... until I saw you arrive here."
Her eyes gleamed with delight, staring intensely at Ethan.
"Not all of you. Just you."
"Me…?"
"That's right. Compared to those who build prosperous ages, I far prefer humans who struggle in despair. Because they're the ones capable of forging a new future. Looks like a major catastrophe beyond salvation has already struck your world, hasn't it?"
The golden-furred fox rested her chin on her hand, as if admiring Ethan himself.
"Normally, in such situations, great disasters give birth to heroes. I tend to extend a helping hand—but clearly, the situation in your world has gone far beyond that. Even MoonCell has judged that your world no longer holds any value for continued existence."
She spoke bluntly, without the slightest hesitation.
"Even the Human Order has turned its back on you. Your world is dead—beyond saving. And that's why I chose to intervene."
She slowly raised her hand, pointing directly at Ethan.
"Rather than letting you be destroyed in a tragic, predetermined future—wouldn't staying here in the Digital Ocean give rise to infinite possibilities instead?"
"You're saying… our world has already ended?"
Ethan seemed deeply affected by the fox's words.
"At the very least, that's what this moon-based supercomputer calculated. Don't believe me? Once you're out, ask those two AI. They'll tell you."
She chuckled.
"Rather than scrambling over a meaningless future, wouldn't it be better to stay here? If you offer me your reverence, perhaps I'll even help you use MoonCell to create an entirely new world."
"——————————?!"
Ethan froze for a brief second on instinct.
Was such a thing… even possible? No—it absolutely was. MoonCell truly had the capability to do that.
However, he quickly regained his composure and immediately responded:
"But in that world… no one else would exist, right?"
"Obviously. Humans are nothing more than insects. Among them, those I deem worthy barely number enough to count on one hand."
After hearing her words, Ethan fell silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline your offer. That kind of world—that's not the future I'm aiming for."
It would just be a copied replica, nothing more.
"Decline?"
The golden-furred, white-faced fox, after hearing Ethan's words, withdrew her smile.
"I was wondering what kind of future a human who caught my attention might have… Turns out you're just another boring one."
A chilling aura began radiating from her body.
The golden tails, which previously shimmered with divine light, now swayed menacingly—brimming with killing intent.
"You've bored me… and that comes with a hefty price. So tell me, little soul—how do you intend to compensate me for that?"
Her eyes gleamed dangerously as her presence grew increasingly oppressive.
"Looks like I'll just have to force you to stay—trap you in a form of existence so twisted and unpredictable, you might just become a very rare kind of 'collectible' after all."
Seeing the golden-furred fox begin to truly move into action—
Ethan immediately braced for battle.
Even if the opponent was the legendary golden-furred nine-tailed fox, he had only one choice left: fight.
"Senpai, please issue your command!"
Mash stepped forward with unwavering resolve, and the rest quickly turned their gaze toward Ethan, awaiting his lead.
"Everyone, I'm sorry—but the mission to eliminate the Beast isn't over yet! Please hold on just a little longer—For the future of humanity!!!"
With Ethan's call, Mordred, Noah, and Draco charged forward at once!
The battlefield instantly descended into chaos.
Behind Mash's shield, Ethan didn't waste a second watching the skirmish—his mind raced for a solution.
'System! The Grand Servant summon cost was halved just now—I'm using it! Right now!!!'
He began negotiating directly with the system.
He knew this was a stretch. Even though Noah was a Grand Servant, he wasn't the ideal pick to confront this legendary youkai.
The optimal choice—had always been just one.
More accurately: that person existed for the sole purpose of opposing her.
[Beep beep——Detected recent system usage. Currently in cooldown.]
Cooldown?! WTF!?
"How long?!" Ethan snapped.
[Beep… Cooldown time remaining: approximately 10 minutes.]
Good… At least it's only 10 minutes.
Ethan finally let out a relieved breath. If we can just hold out until then…
He turned his gaze to the front lines, preparing to coordinate tactics to buy time—Waiting for the arrival of the "fisherman". That's when the real battle would begin.
No matter how powerful the golden-furred white-faced fox was, the one with special attack against divinity and demonic traits would definitely pose a genuine threat—A true opponent she couldn't afford to ignore.
But then—
Ethan's eyes widened.
All the Servants who were engaged in combat moments ago suddenly froze in place.
As if something had terrified them beyond comprehension—
And in the blink of an eye, they vanished from view.
As if… they had never existed to begin with.
"Since you've chosen the path of battle, I suppose I'll have a little fun playing with you all~~~"
The golden-furred, white-faced fox gave a gentle smile—
And in her hand, she held a charm inscribed with ancient seals.