The massive six-tailed fox phantom surrounding Tu Shanyan spread its enormous legs wide and charged toward Gustave's Thunder Giant, crushing ancient trees like matchsticks in its path.
HOWWWL!
The spectral fox opened its cavernous maw and bit down hard on the Thunder Giant's leg with all the determination of a furious house cat attacking an unwelcome visitor.
"Merde!" Gustave exclaimed, more startled than hurt. He'd been expecting some devastating supernatural technique, not... this. "You're a fox, not a dog! Why are you biting me?!"
Despite his form lacking normal physical sensations, being gnawed on by a hundred-meter fox spirit was deeply undignified. He shook his leg vigorously, trying to dislodge his persistent attacker, but Tu Shanyan's phantom jaws clamped down with supernatural determination.
This is why one should never anger a woman, Gustave reflected grimly. You never know what insane tactics they'll employ.
With no other recourse, he dissolved back into pure electricity. The Thunder Giant vanished instantly, leaving Tu Shanyan's phantom biting empty air with a distinctly confused expression.
Before she could react, a massive electromagnetic dome materialized around the six-tailed fox phantom, lifting it smoothly into the storm-torn sky. No matter how fiercely the spectral creature struggled, it remained trapped within Gustave's invisible prison.
On the ground, Gustave extended both hands to maintain his magnetic field, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool mountain air. Controlling someone of Tu Shanyan's power level demanded considerable effort—his physical strength was draining rapidly.
As the electromagnetic cage rose higher and higher, Tu Shanyan finally abandoned her phantom form and shrieked in genuine panic:
"I was wrong! I was wrong! Please let me down!"
The proud fox immortal's voice cracked with terror as she found herself completely helpless, suspended in mid-air with no control over her own body.
Hearing her desperate plea, Gustave released both the electromagnetic prison and the magnetic manipulation. Truthfully, he couldn't have maintained the technique much longer anyway.
While his stamina allowed him to fight peer-level opponents for days using thunder and physical techniques, magnetic field manipulation consumed energy at an exponential rate. Small-scale applications—personal flight or carrying companions—remained manageable for hours. But large-scale control over powerful supernatural beings? That drained him within minutes.
Thunder was simply more efficient: flashy, devastating, and energy-conservative. Electromagnetic manipulation was a trump card, not a sustainable fighting style.
Tu Shanyan, caught off-guard by the sudden release, plummeted toward the rocky ground like a meteorite.
"AHHHHH!" she screamed continuously, arms flailing helplessly.
"Well" Gustave muttered, watching her fall. "A six-tailed fox immortal who can't fly? What kind of supernatural being are you?"
Sighing at his own soft-heartedness, he extended his magnetic field once more, catching Tu Shanyan gently and lowering her to solid ground.
Even after landing safely, she continued screaming with her eyes squeezed shut, the sound threatening to permanently damage Gustave's hearing.
"Ma chère," he called out loudly, "you've landed! You're perfectly safe!"
"Also," he added with genuine curiosity, "as a six-tailed fox immortal, shouldn't flight be elementary for you?"
Tu Shanyan's eyes snapped open, darting around to confirm she was indeed standing on the mountain path, completely unharmed.
"Mind your own business!" she snapped, instinctively patting her chest to calm her racing heart. The motion drew Gustave's attention to her... impressive figure, which he acknowledged with purely aesthetic appreciation.
She would never admit that during her fall, complete panic had blanked her mind so thoroughly that she'd forgotten she possessed the ability to fly.
"My lady," Gustave said with diplomatic reasonableness, "we've fought, and you couldn't defeat me. While my friend was wrong to kill your kin, he had reasons for his actions. How about this—after he rescues his junior brother, he'll offer you a proper apology?"
His Observation Haki confirmed that Lin Jiu, Simu, and Qianhe had successfully united with Qianhe's four disciples to confront the zombie Prince Jingwu had become. The battle was evenly matched for now, but their numerical advantage should eventually prevail. Tu Shanyan, however, remained a wild card who could disrupt that delicate balance if she decided to interfere.
Upon hearing his proposal, Tu Shanyan's eyes narrowed with calculation. This man is too powerful for direct confrontation. His strange abilities completely counter my techniques. If force won't work, I'll have to use... alternative methods.
Gustave didn't need telepathy to read her expression—trouble was brewing behind those beautiful features. He instinctively stepped backward, maintaining a safe distance.
Suddenly, Tu Shanyan allowed the storm's heavy rainfall to soak through her clothing. Within moments, her crimson silk robes clung to every curve of her body like a second skin, the wet fabric becoming tantalizingly translucent. Her exposed right arm—where Gustave's lightning had burned away her sleeve—gleamed like polished jade in the intermittent lightning.
"Mister," she said in a completely transformed voice, her previous fury replaced by honeyed sweetness, "after fighting for so long, this humble woman still doesn't know your name."
"Ah, my lady. She's trying to seduce me," Gustave realized immediately.
Under normal circumstances, he would have made his excuses and departed without looking back. But with Lin Jiu and the others engaged in life-or-death combat mere miles away, allowing Tu Shanyan to escape would create far worse complications.
"Gustave," he said simply, maintaining his wary stance.
"Gustave," she repeated, testing the foreign syllables on her tongue. "What a... powerful name. It suits your... impressive abilities perfectly."
She began walking toward him with deliberately hypnotic grace, her rain-soaked robes highlighting the sensual curve of her hips and thighs with each calculated step.
"Stop right there," Gustave commanded sharply. "Stay exactly where you are."
But Tu Shanyan continued her approach undeterred, parting her lips to speak in a voice like silk and honey:
"Mister Gustave, you've proven your strength so thoroughly. What's more, I exhausted so much spiritual energy during our battle that I'm now nothing more than a... helpless woman. What could one weak, defenseless woman possibly do to someone as mighty as you?"
Gustave recognized the classic seduction scenario—and knew his own greatest weakness. While he could face the fiercest opponents with unwavering determination, soft approaches always troubled him. Against hard resistance, he would fight or flee as circumstances demanded. Against gentle manipulation... that proved far more challenging to counter.
As Tu Shanyan drew closer, her wet clothing clinging provocatively to her perfect figure, Gustave's mind raced through potential responses.
Then inspiration struck, bringing a subtle smile to his lips.
Why fight the beauty trap at all? he mused. As the saying goes, when faced with sugar-coated bullets, eat the sugar coating and shoot the bullet back. If Tu Shanyan wants to play the seduction game... I'll simply play along.
His expression shifted from wariness to interest as he watched her approach, allowing his smile to widen with newfound confidence.