There was no doubt that Sū ěr had acted to shroud the four of them, leaving the Nine-Tailed Fox without a shred of suspicion. In the eyes of that jade fox, this spot was pure and untainted, filled only with the breath of nature.
He had no intention of rashly attacking her. Given Yukari mention that the fox was in a foul mood because she couldn't find anyone, Sū ěr didn't even want to strike up a conversation. He instantly shattered Yukari dream of seeing him dominantly subdue the fox and join her "glorious cause."
This Gap Youkai was still too young—not nearly composed enough.
"It's just a bit of power to manipulate plants and flowers, nothing worth mentioning," Sū ěr said, brushing off his abilities lightly. "By the way, she just stole the Yasakani no Magatama like that? Have the gods of Yamato not come to hunt her down?"
"Not at all. To be honest, if the Nine-Tails hadn't made such a massive scene when she stole it, those gods might have just pretended they didn't know it happened," Yukari laughed contemptuously. "Otherwise, why would everyone think it's so suspicious?"
Not letting Yukari flattery go to his head, Sū ěr stood on the high slope and closed his eyes. He could feel that walking mass of flame—a scorching sun, a star fallen to earth.
The nine tails didn't represent nine different powers. Even though she had defied the will of the gods and fallen to the status of a demon, for this fox, it was as simple as changing a hat. The power she possessed had only ever been one thing, the power that proved her birth and represented her origin—the Sun.
That light and heat alone were enough to incinerate anything she found displeasing.
"Let's move faster... I'm getting more and more curious about the situation in Yamato," Sū ěr urged after pulling Think hand away from his lips.
At the very least, he had no intention of exposing his presence until he understood the bizarre circumstances within Yamato.
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High walls and palaces that had no business appearing in this era loomed ahead—structures built by the gods themselves as their dwellings. However, from Sū ěr perspective, their so-called "high walls" were quite limited; even the grandest building was only three stories tall. It was a city constructed of wood and a small amount of stone.
The people inside the city were at least decently dressed, but those living in the sprawl surrounding the walls were barely covered by rags over their private parts. A few scattered fields, seemingly cultivated, were ringed by small, dilapidated wooden shacks.
From this perspective, these people possessed a primitivity that was mismatched with the grand walls and palaces behind them, yet perfectly consistent with the era.
Even without a deep investigation, Sū ěr could perceive their status in Yamato with total clarity—without a doubt, they were the lowest class of commoners.
"Just curious, how tall is Amaterasu-Omikami, specifically?" Sū ěr asked, somewhat speechless as he looked down at the city from a height.
"I wouldn't know. After all, we haven't seen her. But the height of that Tenson [Heavenly Grandchild] is known," Yukari laughed, tilting her head and pointing to Sū ěr shoulder. "He probably only reaches your shoulder."
...That short?
Well, no wonder these humans look even shorter.
Wouldn't a hulking brute like me stand out like a crane among chickens if I walked into the city? How am I supposed to sneak in?
Sū ěr fell into deep thought.
"How about using magic to turn into a cute little boy?" Floating beside Sū ěr, a metaphorical lightbulb appeared over Think head. "Your features have always been the delicate type I like, it wouldn't feel out of place at all!"
"Thanks, but absolutely not," Sū ěr rejected the foolish suggestion the instant Think finished speaking. He began scanning the surroundings for anything he could use.
"Then a little girl?"
"The gender isn't the problem! Wake up!"
Think follow-up suggestion was also ruthlessly shot down. While she had toned down significantly since falling in love with Sū ěr to respect his personality and values, the occasional bizarre thoughts she let slip still gave him a headache. He truly found it hard to imagine how "wildly" the normal Dhampirs played among themselves.
"Why don't we all just go into my gap and move in that way? It's very discreet," Yukari suggested.
"Thanks, but no," Sū ěr declined immediately, not even considering it. "Hiding isn't difficult; the point is that I want to talk to the people in the city without being flagged as an anomaly."
Sū ěr wasn't foolish enough to enter someone else's domain so casually. Who knew what Yukari would do inside her gap?
"Then how about knocking some people out and bringing them out for questioning?" Yuuka offered a constructive idea.
"Wouldn't the administrators notice? Wouldn't it cause a stir?"
"Ah, there's no need to worry about that. The disappearance of a few humans is beneath the concern of those gods and Shinjin [God-Men]... wait," Yukari suddenly raised an eyebrow as if remembering something. "Perhaps it is within their concern now... after all this time, even I don't know what Yamato has become."
"...What do you mean?" Sū ěr looked at the blonde youkai, whose words were laden with hidden meaning.
"Perhaps I don't need to say more. Aren't we already outside the city?" Yukari stepped aside and gestured with one hand, smiling. "Let's just go in and see."
"..."
It was a smile born of the youkai nature—a thirst for chaos and amusement.
In the end, Sū ěr chose to drape himself in crude sackcloth, disguising himself as a hunched, elderly man sneaking along with a cane.
Even though they were youkai, Yukari and Yuuka were both female. They unanimously rejected the plan to dress themselves in such an ugly fashion. They simply hid their forms, leaving the task of negotiation entirely to Sū ěr.
It was said that the city gates bore a blessing once bestowed by Amaterasu-Omikami, so Sū ěr group bypassed the main entrance, choosing a secluded corner to scale the wall.
The "secluded" part was only relative to the inner city. At the very least, when Sū ěr landed lightly on the ground, he found the scene before him quite lively.