-Afternoon. 3RD POV-

The victory howls from the Mana Vein Valley were forwarded across the land for 1000 Km northeast in just a few minutes until it reached two beast groups numbering in the tens of thousands confronting each other at 160 meters away with a 20-meter wide river in the middle. The wolves with different sizes and colors lining up on the plains to the south rejoiced immediately howling loudly enough to shake the ground, grass and bushes before boldly taking a few steps forward causing the earth to rumble. The fox tribe north of the river didn't feel intimidated possessing more high rankers as well as better coordination and marched out of the forest while organizing into squads with up to 20 fox beasts with their riders and forming platoons of near 200 members.

""GWRRRRWRRRR!!!"" The beast armies growl at each other as tension between them reached its climax.

*Brrrrmm! Fuash! Fuash! Ka-plash! Shruuhururushh!* The magic clash produced a noisy buzz in the air sending birds and small critters fleeing while shaking the crystalline river waters 2-meters deep and spooking the fish away. *SWOOooosh! Fwuash~ Shuvaaahhh~!* A chilly wind blows from the west in theses parts making waves in the grassy plains to the south and swaying the 20-meter tall pine trees on the north as the tilted position of the Sun in the sky past its zenith casted inclined shadows through the foliage. *Shruaassshhh!* The river water descends in rapids between the rocks sticking out of the ground forming a 400 meter wide and 30 meters deep crater damming a canal 2Km the widest and stretching for 80 Km up to the mountains. *Friuussshhh!!!* A white and orange-haired foxman hovers four Kilometers above the Lake with four flame jets under his metal slippers and hands while using light magic to enhance his vision.

Hm!? What happened? The long-haired person noticed the commotion 4 Km below and questioned. I think I'm done up here... The Mid-Rank 10 dual affinity determined and stopped feeding the elementals at his feet.

*Whiiiishhh! Fururushhh!* The firefox drops in free fall as his clothes flap enveloped in flames to ward off the frigid wind gusts coming from the ocean that produces ample rainfall in the summer and snow during winter. *Friuuushhh!!!* He ignited the fire jets once more to slow down his descent near the treetops around a hundred meters north of the waterfall aiming for a circle of beasts under the foliage of the tall trees. *Friuushh... Thump!* The handsome fox person dressed in a golden outfit with pants and long loose sleeves finely adorned with runic patterns glistering in the sunlight landed within the group of 9 foxes around a tree stump.

"How is it, Leriloy?" A red-coated fox beast little over 6 meter tall inquired from the north and pointed with his snout at bags of mana crystals next to metal helmets on the tree stump.

"Sadly, uncle Ingmar, I couldn't get a visual of the site or even the resulting smoke from the fight. It's just too far away to see the light..." Leriloy reported and lowered his ears of a different color while molding magic. "Blame the roundness of the world! How does that even work? Would it not unfurl? It's not a question of which fared. Flatness is simply not preferred..." He dramatized and finished implying a double meaning while looking at the chest of an armored vixen on the northeast.

"Did you just mocked my chest?" The long-haired woman in divine armors snapped and got closer to him while stomping the ground.

*Thomp! Thomp! Swiss--Twam! Kruarsh!* The Mid-Rank 10 firefox swung her right leg sending a kick at his nether region with cracking sounds.

"GUAA--! M-m-my nuts... have been... c-crushed to dust... Uuuuuf!" The Foxman muttered with a strained voice holding his genitals while bending over.

""Fufufu~ Oooof! Oh, my... That looks painful... His little malehood... I'm glad female beasts don't do that..."" The high-ranking foxes leered and mocked while the beasts growled commenting.

"Goodness sake... You just found a book of rhymes... And what's with those clothes...? We could be fighting at any moment!" The angry vixen rebuked with a high pitch voice.

"...I bought Divine garments that protect from slash and tear...but not from my brash wife's footwear. Uuugghh..." He replied looking up helplessly.

"Hmph! I'm comfortable with my sizes. I dare you to mock my chest again!" She taunted with tail puffed and holding the handle of a divine rapier on her waist.

"Fufufu..." An elderly vixen in hooded red and black decorated robes chuckled watching from the south. "You show him, young one. Be proud of your natural figure." The pre-divine approved standing imposingly with her hands placed on top of a cane.

"Vennisa is merciless~!" A 2-meter tall Mid-Rank 10 vixen commented wagging her tail playfully on the east.

"Hey, funny guy..." A large burly fox wearing Divine-forged gauntlets and armors called out unamused. "Did you see anything useful?" The upper-Rank 10 demanded standing on the east.

"Yes, my obtuse cousin Brutus. I saw no wolf Elder, but their forces show no desire to surrender." The dual affinity user answered and got closer to the armored vixen.

"Graaah! My name is Gaurus the mighty!" The hybrid Auramancer-magician declared flexing his biceps.

"Kohon! Brute--Kohon!" The lean Foxman insinuated while faking coughs and continued. "In any case, what I found alarming are the Birds up in the mountains gathering and observing our quarreling..." He informed with a serious tone.

"Damn! I knew we were taking too long to attack! The wolves didn't even fall for the bait we send in first..." The magic fighter criticized clenching his gauntlets.

"HMM... The birds haven't probed nor flown over us, so they shouldn't know the number of high rankers by sight alone." Ingmar asserted looking up at the mountains from within the foliage. "I don't want to probe there and give them a motive to do the same in our lands, but it seems they just want to reap some benefit from this conflict. The question is...from which side... Us or the wolves? Our workers in the fields could be in danger, and the Bears also have been waiting for an opportunity to expand their hunting grounds..." The pre-divine centuries-old beast reviewed peering into the distance at the snowy peaks to his left.

"Graah! A bunch of commoners should be glad to be sacrificed for us to achieve victory once and for all!" Gaurus declared and closed his hand into a fist chest-height.

"Grrr..." The largest beast fox started getting annoyed.

"Any luck probing? Or is there someone opposing?" Leriloy noticed the tension and asked the fox beast.

"...Not much intel. The wolf Matriarch has been interfering with us since the fight started as if she's trying to hide something..." The fox leader asserted and pointed his snout at the other pre-divines. "But they couldn't keep up and had to stop before it affected our combat potential. You know how wasteful it is to keep a probe extended that far at our rank." He revealed and affirmed looking back to the front.

"Yes. The Spirit drains consuming and releasing the Mana that it contains, but being a large beast alleviate such constraints." The gaudy fox asserted and pointed out the spirit volume giving a criticizing stare.

"Hey, even I can only probe so many times while consuming mana crystals! That Wolf is closer than me and recharges nonstop inside the mana vein. She has all the advantages to make it difficult for us. The other two Divines are also restraining Lord Father from interfering too much with the mortal fights. So, we haven't been able to gather enough information to make a decision..." The pre-divine beast announced slightly annoyed.

"How uncertain..." The dual-affinity magician muttered looking at the ground.

"Bah! Why are those fish still helping the wolves?" Gaurus derided shaking his head.

"...They are Behemoth-class aquatic Divines. Even Lord Father doesn't dare offend them. So calling them 'fish' is..." Ingmar admonished and twitched his right eye nervously.

"Whatever. If not for them, this conquest would've ended long ago." The armored fighter opened his arms to the side shrugging excessively.

"Fufu... You think they are doing that for the goodness of their heart?" The fox woman in robes chuckled amused and questioned with a smirk. "Naive! If the wolves lose the mana vein, those Divines won't receive free Manastones from them..." She lectured and declared looking at the west.

"It's all about interests..." Vennisa nodded supplementing.

"What of the advance platoon then? Has the fight come to an end?" The gaudy foxman inquired.

"Bah! Those underachieved rejects lost without killing more than 10 wolves! And if that wasn't unacceptable enough, they just surrendered as if their hands, feet and mouth suddenly stopped working... Graah!" The auramancer magician explained outraged and frustrated while the other foxes twitched their mouths annoyed.

"Whaaa...!! Is that why we are not attacking? I thought it was because of the information we are lacking." The dual-color-haired man uttered widening his eyes and turned to the northern beast asking.

"Leriloy... It's because of the way our tribesmen lost. I didn't expect such trickery when Lord Father informed me with his intent about unusual happenings over there. We were supposed to have the advantage in higher ranks and organization, yet the aftermath tells a different story. A third of the advance force was just...captured as if they aren't worthy adversaries, and we believe they'll be used as hostages to force our retreat from the borders." Ingmar elaborated and compared feeling suspicion.

"A-a third!? How...vexing..." Leriloy stuttered and touched his chin wondering.

"BAH! The wolf tribe has never taken prisoners! It's all to confuse us and gain time to recover and prepare." The burly Foxman raised his voice objecting. "What WE should do is leave our forces behind, fly over the lake to sneak into their lands and attack the wolves holding our tribesmen. They won't see that coming--" He suggested showing actions with his arms before being interrupted.

"NO! I will NOT sacrifice my kindred for an unknown chance of victory." The crimson fox beast barked denying and calmed down. "There's no guarantee that we can get close enough undetected and before the wolf Elders recover to pull that off. And our Earth users who can detect traps and defend against the barrage aren't here yet. We'll just watch the prisoners get killed without knowing what awaits us." He lectured the stubborn person.

"They'll be eaten anyway!" Gaurus argued back opening his arms in defiance.

"You don't know that!" The fox beast rebuked up close intimidatingly. "I WILL believe in our tribesmen. The advance force must have their reasons for surrendering instead of fighting to the death. We must await their fates before attacking." He declared lifting his head and looked across the lake.

"Tch! You are too soft for a Beast. Can you not see they are keeping us away desperately? It's always been our Rank 10s versus their elders, but they aren't in the frontlines now, so they rallied non-magical beasts and their young to deter us from participating." Gaurus reasoned pointing at the beasts three hundred meters away. "Their intentions are clear....we have to kill them all! The 9 of us should just go all out and slaughter these wolves, and then, march to the Mana Vein with our forces. The sooner this conflict ends the fewer casualties we'll have." He suggested making a fist-palm.

""..."" The others put on hardened expressions frowning in silence.

"You want US, direct descendants of an esteemed Divine to lower ourselves into committing...genocide...?" The Firefox asked confirmation in a serious tone and the armored man nodded equally sternly. "Maybe if we didn't have an 'audience' or we weren't the ones invading, then pre-Divines abusing power in that manner would go unnoticed, but today, there'll be consequences. At best, our Tribe would lose reputation and beasts would wreak havoc in our lands, or father's prestige would be tarnished at worse..." He explained and shook his head troubled.

"They'll point fingers in the merchant ship..." Leriloy muttered lowering his ears.

"There--there... My feeble husband with a shopping problem..." Vennisa consoled and patted the Foxman's head lightly.

"The fun later--Focus on the mission, Gaurus!" An armored foxman holding a massive two-handed axe over his shoulder rebuked from the southwest. "Our objective is to take the mana vein and push the wolves south. We must kill their last Elders and Matriarch which are already difficult without wasting our magic resources on mass-killings! Let alone try to stop the wolves from rampaging in our lands again or the other Tribes that surely won't show restrain either..." The upper-Rank 10 elaborated objectively and glanced at the northern beast.

"Tch! That stupid rule against exterminations is just prolonging the death toll anyway. Why obey something from a tall tale?" Gaurus clicked his tongue and grumbled.

"Well, the giant hole nearly a third of Arundo made by the Deity who demanded that particular law may have something to do with it..." An upper-Rank 9 Firefox beast growled rolling his eyes as if common sense was questioned.

"Ohum! Legends say...the Deity would return the missing landmass 3 million years later with incentives when the law wasn't important anymore..." The Firefox vixen under the red and black robes coughed interjecting.

"How outrageous to just...take a landmass away... No wonder immortals have been waiting for those promised riches..." A Rank 9 beast contemplated behind her old partner.

"BAH! That was over 3 million years ago! There are no more records of Deities in our Realm. And why do such a troublesome thing anyway?" The auramancer countered waving a hand.

"...No records publicly known." The Axe wielder corrected. "Have you forgotten that thing living with the Blazedancers? That creature can't possibly be from this world and it was just tossed in our tribe as if expecting us to be caretakers. Not many know that--not many should... So, how could anyone know or understand the actions of Deities?" He reminded and shrugged looking at the others.

"Yeah, but I mean...didn't the Dragons get massacred? And nothing happened. Maybe that law is enforced in vain already..." Gaurus pointed out and shrugged doing exaggerated facial gestures.

"Ohum... As someone who was...less young back then and had to migrate constantly, I won't forget..." The millennium-old vixen coughed before speaking up and recalled. "We were pretty much livestock to the Dragons and they hardly got punished...until 'that' Man appeared with a force to be reckoned with. He was a hero to many and dragons were the evil plaguing the world, so immortals turned a blind eye at first, but the destruction of dragonian cities started creating power vacuums triggering territorial disputes, change of Mana vein ownerships, and kingdoms fell like a snowball effect. That continued after a large number of immortals died trying to stop the dragon-killings, and eventually those responsible had to go into hiding, but the damage was already done... There rumors those...Tinkers are still carrying that out though. Isn't, Leriloy?" She narrated the times of her youth and asked confirmation.

"It is as you say, senior Feinia. Many Tinkers have been caught and killed close to millennia. No one understands such killing mania. Their race has been trying to improve reputation, but no one will forget such violation... The stain of genocide is not viewed with admiration." The gaudy foxman elaborated holding his hands at the back.

"Ohum... Those years of turmoil taught us all the importance of such law, so worldly affairs are under more scrutiny now than in the past." Feinia finished recounting and thought for a moment. "Hmm... For pre-divines to annihilate without political repercussions... We might just need a valid reason or some good excuse... Some kind of offense maybe...?" She asserted causing the muscular Firefox to flick his ears.

"That's right! We aren't immortals. And if mobilizing all of us is overkill... Then I'll engage first acting like a savage and cause as much damage as possible to weaken their morale while you guys lead our forces into victory. After, I'll take the blame and accept any punishment from the Divine. Easy and simple!" The melee fighter explained his plan and volunteered as a sacrifice.

"How foolish. Even a pre-divine like yourself with a perfect magic control can only suppress a few dozen rank 7 beasts, and you want to rampage...? You may have the toughest armors around, but your fleshy insides will still take damage. I don't see you coming out of your 'rage' alive." The Mid-Rank 9 Beast behind the burly man admonished.

"Oh? Partner... It's better dying in there cracking skulls and counting kills than waiting here arguing like cowards. And our Tribe will finally be free of this burden--" Gaurus looked back and affirmed when the fox on the north had enough.

"ENOUGH!!" The pre-divine fox beast barked causing an overbearing echo within the forest. "Have you forgotten the revenge of the wolf pre-divines? They gave their lives to kill all my Beast siblings! My Mother left, and now, Father forbids me from fighting alongside you all because I'm his last beast offspring..." He lectured grinding his fangs snarling with hackles raised.

"UHK! Sorry... I-I didn't know you were grounded either..." The burly man apologized nervously as the beast calms down.

"As you are now, I wouldn't be surprised if you fall in the first trap... So, no, you will NOT be leading any--thing with that mentality!" The pre-divine beast declared.

"UHK! T-that's harsh... And you were testing me.. Double harsh..." The muscular foxman realized and looked down with a gloomy face.

"Please, forgive hubby..." Pleaded the tall fox woman with a braid reaching her waist and a longbow on the back. "He can't stand inaction." The Mid-Rank 10 archer revealed and pulled the large foxman's tail.

"Uoah! Harluka?" Gaurus uttered looking behind and let himself be dragged embarrassingly.

"He's cranky after leaving that horrible place~" Harluka announced in a sarcastic tone and pulled Gaurus' head into her ample bosom covered in exquisite leather gear.

"The border barracks?" Leriloy questioned.

"The relief holes?" Feinia affirmed.

"The torture chamber?" A beast asserted.

"Gnu! Th-the hair-grooming chamber where vixens talk about their husbands..." The auramancer revealed cuddling with the busty fox woman.

""Puahahaha!!! Kyufufu!!!"" The foxes laughed unrestrainedly and even the beasts partook in the mockery.

"Tch! Laugh it up, Mr. Small penis with a big axe to compensate." Gaurus snapped and revealed a gossip.

"Haha--Ack! She said it was okay!" Ivarion stopped laughing with a hardened face and blurted.

"A hundred years ago, maybe... There's a ranking...you should visit a healer as soon as possible." Gaurus waved a hand advising.

"Hmph! I'll show her small..." The axe wielder grumbled with a red face from embarrassment and lowered his axe to the ground.

"So... Who will be leading us then?" Leriloy called the attention back on topic. "Uncle, I'm not suited for brutality, but I'm the Fox if you want leading and strategy..." He offered for the role.

"Like hell you are! I don't want to go to war with you or hear orders in rhyme..." Gaurus protested.

"HMM... Ivarion who has shown more composure will lead in my stead." Ingmar thought for a moment and decided.

"OU! Leave it to me!" The axe-wielder offered enthusiastically. "The mission comes first and avenging my Son second..." He declared and clenched the handle of his weapon.

"Haap! Zarion was defeated?! HOW??" Leriloy gasped and questioned as the last one to arrive.

"Haah... We don't know the details." Ivarion sighed and shook his head. "It was supposed to be an easy win with a Divine forged weapon and a Manastone, yet...he couldn't do anything against that wolf Elder. Maybe if Zarion had a divine armor, his chest wouldn't have been pierced... But unfortunately, he didn't earn one yet and his group was rushed..." He explained regretfully and stared into the distance.

"He's not the only one who lost family members..." Gaurus announced while his lover and the beast behind him lowered their ears.

"..." Harluka looked down with tears gleaming in her eyes as she pulled the short-haired head tighter into her bosom.

"...One spend countless years raising offsprings only to lose them in a day..." A 5-meter tall Rank 10 vixen behind the odd couple commented dejectedly. "And we must endure... For that is our way of life..." Xiurima announced grinding her fangs and looking up.

""..."" The fox beasts and people stayed silent with somber expressions sympathizing yet unable to convey their feelings into words

"Yeah... Clearly, we aren't fighting the same wolves anymore. The ones at the mana vein learned new tricks and made some strange devices that caused a lot of damage. We need to know their current capabilities without more casualties..." The firefox holding the large Axe with the left hand affirmed.

"Wait, what devices?" Leriloy perked his ears before asking.

"HM? Oh, the probes indicated something like metal tubes that spew projectiles..." Ingmar replied.

"Hmm... Metal tubes...projectiles...? AH!" The gaudy foxman muttered thinking and recalled. "The Tinkers were demonstrating these 'Sling weapons' on the Merchant Ship that shoot tiny metal shards by igniting an unknown powder inside a metal tube around this size..." He described the rough shape with hand gestures. "They could indeed pierce normal armor, and even commoners could wield them. But a little shrapnel can't stop a beast and our fire archers can do better with explosive arrows, so..." The man with a compulsive buying disorder asserted the effectiveness.

""HMM..."" The foxes and fox beasts froze unable to find the right words.

"What...!? What is it?" Leriloy looked around asking.

"Well... It's just that...the wolves may have used a bigger version of those Sling weapons. Judging by the aftermath, they were far more powerful than explosive arrows and it was operated by low ranks..." Ingmar reported what their probes were able to sense.

"Huh...!? A bigger version...? I saw no such thing on the merchant ship! Do wolves and Tinkers have a relationship? That can only be...a custom-made order!" Leriloy conjectured and questioned flustered.

"...You tell us. But it seems that's why the advance force surrendered. So, do we attack before the wolves prepare more or after the prisoners return?" Ivarion surmised before asking his elder brother.

"HMM... It seems our casualties could be massive either way. I'll inform Lord Father." Ingmar announced and extended his probe to the northeast.

"So... When does the merchant Ship return?" The axe-wielder looked at the fox couple in the middle and inquired.

"Uh... Half a year the soonest if they take our route again." The fox dressed extravagantly replied.

"I see... I wonder if it's alright to employ outside means..." Ivarion muttered with expectations.

-Nefiru's POV-

Despite doing my best to wash the dead foxman, the smell of musky wolf urine remained nonetheless and was carried uphill by the survivor foxes who pace behind me feeling downhearted... A few minutes later, we reached the beast encirclement nearing 60 meters wide long where the smells of ash, fumes, and gore drifted in the air intensely enough to make my nose itch.

*Kuash! Kuash!* We advance to the hilltop as the wolves open way for us leaving behind many paw steps gathering muddy pools dyed with blood. *Shruak! Shruak! Kru-krukk! Grack!* The wolves wounded all over with burned coat, punctured holes from fangs and claw marks take turns to munch on fox corpses causing blood to soak the ground and stream downhill as more are carried from the battlefield.

So much blood... Will they be alright with so many injuries...? I can't have more precious followers die right after taking charge... After all, these are from the original 150 wolves that volunteered out of thousands to take on the Matriarch. It was the right choice not to force them using Erina...they did not disappoint me! I observe proudly the wounded canines greeting me with enthusiasm.

""Congratulations!"" A few wolves showed their muzzle in my face barking.

""Impressive fight!"" Others praised from the sides wagging their tails noisily.

"Nah! The opponent was suppressed. I would call that just an experiment or magic training..." I growled back dismissing with gestures.

"Don't be modest. Those were Rank 8s, you killed! And that Lightning Fire was too powerful for a low rank. Hard to imagine what you'll do at high rank..." Wymer appraised.

"Maybe. But that magic would be too inefficient in a normal fight. It should be just a last-resort thing or situational at best." I explained looking back.

"I think the way you used water and lightning to end the fight in an instant is more astonishing..." Declan commented.

""Yeah! Yeah!"" The other wolves agreed and started pushing to get closer.

"Good eye! Shorter and efficient fights are better..." I approved looking up as the circle closes around me.

"Your only disadvantages seem to be size and Rank though..." Deiyan retorted looking down at me from the front.

Ack! My size again... Well, I do look like a Cat surrounded by Dogs on Earth... I compared feeling the fur sticking to my scales and noticed Erina's magic lifted on my body. Hehe... Their attitudes sure changed...I feel...cherished now... A bit of luck is nice sometimes... Those gazes and their probes tell me they'll be loyal allies in the future, so I shall favour you all! I determined and spoke up.

"Alright, we'll talk later... I need to get inside, so move!" I announced and pushed the furball in front with my head.