“It really seems like… Speaking of which, I was misunderstood because of you guys messing around before…”

 

A slightly dissatisfied mutter came from beneath the pure white fox mask.

 

Then, she raised her finger and gave a light snap.

 

*Snap~*

 

In the moment before the sound spread, a silver light flashed intensely. All the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s guards, including Amy and the three members of the 【Reaper’s Scythe】, instantly vanished from the battlefield and appeared beside the Diviner, each showing expressions of bewildered confusion.

 

Only at this moment did the echo of her snap finally ripple through the air.

 

Thread-like patterns spread across the street, and an ethereal silence enveloped the entire battlefield. In the midst of this quiet, only the girl’s crisp laughter echoed through the emptiness.

 

“The old man reacted pretty quickly, but even if you hadn’t intervened, I wasn’t planning to harm them. This isn’t some strange magic, you know~”

 

*Click.*

 

The pattern-like magic array vanished as if it had been abruptly paused and then resumed like a movie, allowing all the suspended masks and grotesque creatures to move again.

 

However, they seemed to have no understanding of what had just transpired, simply continuing to act according to that supreme will, bursting out with frenzied roars.

 

“Search… search for the light…”

 

“For the master…”

 

“Offer it to the Master…!”

 

Hearing this, the white-fox-masked girl raised an eyebrow, her tone laced with amusement.

 

“Are you seriously thinking of capturing the Goddess of Light? Come on, not only is it impossible for Her to be here, but even if She did appear, do you really think you pathetic lot could stand up to a true deity?”

 

However, the frenzied 【Faceless One】 didn’t respond to her taunts.

 

“Hehehe… Obstacles… must kill, must convert!”

 

*Sigh…*

 

Watching the grotesque figures drawing closer, Violet sighed helplessly. It wasn’t the enemies that troubled her.

 

“Speaking of which… why do all the innate skills of the 【Dominion of the Fox Mask】 have such strange forms? And this judgment mechanism… Alright, alright, dead souls, dead souls… if you say so, then fine.”

 

Without further thought, the girl raised her hand, and a delicate, small bell naturally appeared in her grasp. Facing the encroaching grotesques, she rang the bell and began to walk, singing softly.

 

“Ding-ling~ Ding-ling~”

 

“The flowers bloom on the Sanzu River~” [1]

 

“The flowers bloom on the Sanzu River~”

 

“On the other side~”

 

“The red moon~ as bewitching as blood~”

 

“One hundred years~ a thousand years~ the cycle of reincarnation never changes~”

 

“Ding-ling~ Ding-ling~”

 

“Fervent despair and devoutness~”

 

“Do not alter the weathered face~”

 

“Rebirth~ rebirth~ all transformed into soul lotuses~”

 

“Ding-ling~ Ding-ling~”

 

The girl shook the bell and sang softly, her clear and melodious tune drifting into the air.

 

As she twirled and turned her head, her dance steps rippled out with breathtaking beauty, accompanied by the rising song.

 

On the ground, ancient and weathered patterns were etched, depicting a snow-white nine-tailed spirit fox. It appeared as an ethereal shadow, circling the dancing shrine maiden as if guarding her, or perhaps even dancing alongside her.

 

The 【Faceless One】, seemingly entranced by this ancient and magnificent dance of the otherworld, began to slow their movements, eventually coming to a complete halt.

 

The closest among them were just a few meters away from the lightly dancing figure, yet it was as if they were blocked by the spirit fox’s shadow, leaving the girl enough space to move freely, without disturbing her dance in the slightest.

 

“Born as if in a dream, all turns to emptiness~ Only heart and memory remain, too many to bear~”

 

“The flowers bloom on the Sanzu River~”

 

“The flowers bloom on the Sanzu River~”

 

“The flowers bloom again on the Sanzu River~”

 

“Return, with no regrets or sorrow~ The journey on the Sanzu River is complete~”

 

“Ding-ling~ Ding-ling~”

 

The stiff 【Faceless One】 began to change, their grotesque and eerie masks morphing. The mad, the desperate, the frenzied… they all began to weep.

 

Beneath the mask, a mournful “ah… ah…” was heard, as if from one newly awakened from a great dream, yet it produced no substantial sound.

 

Everything about them was lifted by that sorrowful yet melodious song, like a cuckoo’s cry, echoing through the air.

 

They ascended toward the sky.

 

“Ding-ling~ Ding-ling~”

 

Amid the clear and pleasant bell accompaniment, a sudden “crack” echoed, seamlessly woven into the melody, as if it was always meant to be there.

 

The cracking sounds grew more frequent as those black-and-white, eerie, weeping masks began to shatter.

 

But instead of falling, their fragments rose, transforming into colorless specks of light, ascending higher and higher, gathering into a sea of radiance.

 

Beneath the masks were pairs of eyes that had long been closed, their faces peaceful and serene, as if finally finding redemption.

 

“Go on to your next life, you souls without a place to belong…”

 

The girl took her final dance step, and the silver bell in her hand also dispersed into glowing specks that gently floated away.

 

At the same time, the countless figures who had already removed their masks collapsed as if drained, bowing their heads as if in a pilgrimage.

 

In the last moments before their souls departed, they offered the priestess, wrapped in the light of the white fox, their sincere praise and gratitude.

 

*Crackle!*

 

The spatial magic array that had enveloped the street dissipated.

 

The Diviner staggered back, out of the array’s center. The Ferryman quickly stepped forward to support him, but the old man paid no attention to his companion’s concerned inquiries. Instead, with eyes obscured by sweat-soaked cloth, he gazed at the white-fox-masked girl on the street, who had just completed the 【Dance of Rebirth】 under the watchful shadow of the nine-tailed fox. He murmured softly, speaking words only he could hear.

 

“【Crossing the Sanzu River, the Red Spider Lily blooms again】… Is this… the true power of the legendary 【Fox Spirit Shrine Maiden】? To think she truly possesses the ability to transcend life and death… If only it had been her back then…”

 

“Whew…”

 

Immersed in an unprecedented and profound state, the girl didn’t hear the old man’s faint muttering. As she sent the ascending souls off, Miss White Fox slowly opened her light-blue eyes beneath the mask, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

 

“So it really was you… Let’s see how you hide now.”

 

The white-fox-masked girl turned, and amidst the urgent exclamations of those just recovering from the incredible scene, she leaped into the air and ascended toward the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

 

About ten minutes later.

 

The ground rumbled as countless Knight Templars, their formation immaculate, charged down the street, completely surrounding the battlefield.

 

Yuna Summerfield, the Bright Light Saintess, and a group of holy knights surrounding her rushed out of the military formation. She looked up and around, only to see the streets still filled with the strange sight of a crowd as if they were making a pilgrimage, a scene that had yet to be fully cleared away. Even the Saintess, known for her calm demeanor, was momentarily stunned.

 

She immediately noticed the white-haired old man standing silently beside the body of a redeemed 【Faceless One】, observing it with a solemn expression. Without hesitation, she led the knights forward.

 

“Mr. Diviner, I apologize. I heard that something happened with the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, and I intended to lead the army to support you immediately, but there were also some issues at the temple… which delayed me. What happened here? How did all these innocent people, who were possessed by demons, end up…?”

 

The old man turned around, a slight, wistful smile on his face.

 

“Yes, they have all been redeemed. Their souls have broken free of their shackles and returned to the earth. It’s a pity, Your Highness Yuna, that you arrived a moment too late and couldn’t witness such a sight with your own eyes. It’s truly unfortunate…”

 

“Redemption…? Who… who could have done this…?”

 

The Diviner let his “gaze” sweep over the many knights behind the Saintess. Just like Yuna earlier, he naturally couldn’t act as familiar as he would in private when in front of outsiders.

 

He simply shook his head slightly and said, “It’s a long story. If Your Highness doesn’t mind, shall we discuss it inside? Besides, the battle has just ended, and the street will need some time for proper cleanup. We could use the assistance of your Knight Templars for that.”

 

Having worked together for a long time, Yuna immediately understood the old man’s subtle hint. After pretending to ponder for a moment, she nodded and said, “Very well, let the cleanup begin immediately. Pedrick, I’ll leave the arrangements outside to you.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

Behind her, the blond 【Arbiter】 carrying two greatswords respectfully bowed his head in silence.

 

“Please, Your Highness.”

 

“After you, Mr. Diviner.”

 

TL Note:

[1]

The Sanzu River is a mythological river in Japanese Buddhist tradition. It’s believed to be the boundary between the world of the living and the afterlife. It’s similar to the Chinese concept of Huang Quan, the Indian concept of the Vaitarani, and the Greek concept of the Styx.

 

This has been explained before, but just in case you forgot.