-Evening. 3RD POV-

The Sunlight receding over the skies of black wolf territory give way to the starry mantle of a cold night encroaching on the western side of Telum continent. Now, at the twilight hour the tension continues at the northern borders, but the two large forces retreated slightly to rest and prepare for the imminent clash.

The wolves at the hills near the Mana vein entrance separated the metals to make more air cannons and repair the damaged ones while the fire wolves practiced when the peace was disturbed suddenly.

"GET OUT!" A Firefox riding a beast ordered yelling as they approach the corpse pile.

""Huh? What?"" The beasts and people present questioned while turning to look at the commotion.

"Oh, Karla!" Nefiru recognized and turned around as his tail passed just above the firefox sitting on the ground. "Came back to join me?" He asked excitedly while approaching her.

"Sorry to disappoint... I came for Elmyra that's hiding in the corpses." The dark-skinned vixen denied rolling her eyes and announced.

"Huh?!" The dragon blurted with his jaw hanging and sent a probe into the corpse pile where he found a curled woman.

"ELMYRA!" Karla shouted again making the hidden fox flinch.

"I-I don't want to go back. I don't want to be alone anymore. I don't want more punishments..." The firefox broadcasted strong emotions through her Spirit continuously.

"Guh! Calm... It's okay... Stay..." The scaly beast endured the intense emotions piercing his mind and transmitted back comforting the distressed fox covering her eyes.

"...Stormy...?" Elmyra questioned back taking the hands off her face.

"Trust...me..." He reassured and retracted the spirit.

*Zruu! Fwish!* The hidden vixen struggled out between two large beast heads on the south and walked north before stopping in front of the female fox who crouched.

"I'm sorry Elmyra, but I have to take you back to your family." Karla reaffirmed and extended her left hand.

"Nuuhuhuu... If I go back...I'll get blamed for my partner's death and get punished." Elmyra whimpered with her tail between the legs and tears gathering in her eyes. " Y-y-you don't know what it's like to be punished like me." She uttered in a low voice looking down with her ears bent forward.

"...We know! Why do you think the punishments got lighter and you didn't sleep with the Beasts anymore?" The vixen leader revealed and closed her hand into a fist that trembled.

"Yo-you pleaded my husband?" Elmyra looked up slightly and asked surprised.

"Plead? We coerced that monster! But alas, the Main Families aren't easily moved. We couldn't do more..." Karla disclosed feeling ashamed and shook her head. "However, we can protect you after going back. Come, now, don't be afraid." She announced and offered her hand again warmly.

The disfigured vixen cheered up and extended her hand timidly while the scaly beast stopped two meters behind her. The low-rank firefox grabbed the long sword stabbed in the ground and used it as a cane to support her aching body as she approached the other foxes.

"Hold up!" The dragon called out stopping the vixen in front. "What kind of sleeping?" He asked and Elmyra's ears twitched without turning back.

"Tch!" The dark skinned woman clicked her tongue and replied. "The kind you might imagine... This foolish vixen was persuaded that we could mix with fox Beast descendants of the Divine since we are related by blood... But it's just a myth. We are too human to mix..." She explained with a pitied look.

Hmm... This woman is more complicated than I thought... Nefiru asserted and observed the fox tail coming out of her pants. A Fly...? He noticed the familiar mechanism tied to a belt.

"Auugh... I... I-I'm willing to try a-anything to give birth..." Elmyra mumbled in a low voice desperately and shrank as if wanting to disappear.

"Haaaim... The problem is in you, not other males." The vixen leader sighed troubled and asserted.

"T-that's why...if I--if I can get healed and return to give birth...t-then I'll have value in the family..." She declared with hope showing in her red eyes.

Tsk! She bought into the dragon's sweet talk... Karla realized and twitched her lips annoyed.

"But if I don't bring you back with me, then I'll be punished!" The dark-skinned woman reaffirmed in a serious tone that made the other fox shrink.

"Auugh... T-then tell them I got eaten?" Elmyra suggested interlocking her fingers.

"I wouldn't dare lie to the Elders!" The dark-skinned vixen disgruntled.

"A-ah... T-that's true... I'm sorry..." The short-haired firefox stammered acknowledging and her animal features changed looking gloomy.

The disfigured vixen timidly grabbed the rider's hand when the dragon spoke from behind.

"...Then it's fine if you don't lie." Nefiru declared and loomed over the reluctant fox.

""What do you mean?"" The two questioned while tilting their heads puzzled and let go of their hands.

Endure...swallow... The dragon sent a probe conveying and opened his mouth wide as the rider became increasingly anxious.

"...!!? KYAA--!" Elmyra's face became pale and shrilled watching the maw approaching from above before she could react.

*HAUMM!* The Dragon lashed at the paled face vixen and bit down at her thighs before gobbling her up. *SHLUAG! Wruak! Snap! Wauk! Shluak! Crunch!* He munched hurriedly while the other foxes stare dumbfounded hearing crunching sounds and tearing.

"ARGH! AHH--!" The woman screamed while being mauled.

"NOO!" The dark-skinned vixen bellowed in consternation while extending a hand at the terrifying jaws that had no intention of stopping.

*Shlaaarrrrg! GLUOP!* The beast slurped and gulped then licked his mouth.

"AAAaaaahhh..." The firefox's muffled screams move along a bulge traveling down the long scaly neck.

"Ah that feels good~" The dragon said delightedly while feeling the person drop in his stomach. "GROOROP~!" He burped and licked his mouth again as the dark-skinned vixen's face transformed.

"You...you ate her..." The dark-skinned vixen said with an appalled expression while trembling.

The fox beasts grinded their teeth and glared with killing intent but didn't show it.

"Yep! I love eating things alive." Nefiru said touching his belly and shaking the person struggling inside.

"You're a monster!" Ayumi insulted scrunching her face and a cold glare that wished death.

"And happy to be one~" The scaly beast merely smiled saying.

"I'll only let you meet Marie inside a Cage now!" The low-rank said pissed at the betrayal.

"Seems fair." He nodded accepting.

"Before I grill you in a low fire!" She remarked angrily while showing him the middle finger.

"Scary~" The dragon mocked and cringed away pretending.

"Are we done here?" Karla turned away and asked.

"Ah? Yes... Thankfully..." The red-haired calmed down and replied with relief.

"I see..." She muttered dispirited and tapped her beast partner.

"Wait! Let me ride with you." Ayumi called out and was helped onto the beast.

The Rank 10 golden wolf released the green fox who nodded and followed the three vixens out of the beast circle.

...

The four foxes descended the hill avoiding the large dark holes while two more beasts trudged upwards with an injured person riding the orange-coated firefox.

Hoh-oh? The Dragon let quite a lot of them go huh? Damya stopped and contemplated the enemies retreating.

"Oh! Aremis and...that thing survived too... What happened?" Karla rejoiced while approaching and asked.

"Ugh... We fell in nasty traps. Then, Simon, here decided to mate with the youngest wolf Elder." The firefox youth with legs and arm broken announced.

""What?! Huuh!! Unreal..."" The foxes sounded flabbergasted and directed their gazes.

This invasion...has changed too many things... Karla asserted and took a last look of the battlefield.

"Why?! She has killed so many of us..." Ayumi questioned the orange fox.

"I belong by her side..." Simon declared and snuggled on the black wolf.

"Save your breath... Let's hurry back." The vixen leader declared and started moving downhill.

"Hey, can I ride you?" Aremis called out the green fox.

"Sure..." Ramika accepted and got closer.

"Hnng... Ah-ah-aagh..." Aremis dragged his broken body across the gap between the two beasts painfully and mounted the green fox.

"Take care, Aremis. And tell Mother--" The orange fox growled goodbye while looking back.

"Yeah yeah... See ya never, sack of bones..." The youngster waved a hand saying without looking back.

The fox group picked up the pace towards the north hoping to reach their territory as soon as possible.

...

The black she-wolf and the orange fox reached the top of the hill as the last vestiges of daylight disappear and the stars provide enough illumination for the beasts as they sniff the arrivals.

"Dragon! Heal us..." The Mid-Rank 8 she-wolf demanded with the fox in tow.

"The hell?! Do I look like a fucking healer to you?" The purple-blue dragon looking north retorted.

"Aren't you Water and Light user too?" Damya insisted while approaching.

"Don't be unreasonable! That takes years to learn, and many more to master... I already tried and gave up." Nefiru rebuked as he recalled.

"That's right... I'm still slow and make mistakes..." A healer suddenly interjected approaching from the north as well.

"Lightwater, heal us!" Damya demanded again.

"I need Mana..." He informed apologetically.

*Shoo...* The dragon sent out mana crystals.

"And this Fox...?" The healer asked while molding magic.

"I'm keeping him," Damya said and looked around. "Does any Beast have a problem with that? Please have a problem..." She questioned showing her front teeth menacingly.

""Hiup! Hiee..."" The wolves from all around whimpered disappointedly.

"Hm?" The dragon took a better look at the orange fox and sniffed. "Heeh~ Somebody enjoyed their toy fully." He mused looking at the she-wolf.

"Hun~ We're compatible. I don't know how much we can trust him, but he did betray his Tribe for me. He can just stay in my cave..." She replied with a smug expression.

"No, no... Everyone must be useful..." Nefiru opposed shaking his head. "He can learn Fire Magic and fight the Serpents along wolves. A common enemy will make them accept him. Especially in the South where they don't fight foxes." He pointed with his snout explaining.

"OHH!" Damya sounded impressed and wagged the tail excitedly. "Yes, yes, do that. He's using water magic, so teach him that too." She approved and added.

"Oh? FOX!" The dragon called out in Stilus making the orange fox twitch. "You will learn fire and water magic from me. We'll learn your language..." He declared in a rough tone.

"Hyu? HAUF!" Simon barked surprised and accepted after understanding.

Meanwhile, inside the scaly beast, a firefox woman pushes back the fleshy stomach walls while in an uncomfortable posture with the tail between her legs and enveloped in a layer of water.

What's happening out there? How much longer do I have to be in here? Can he really get me out...? Elmyra wondered hearing the muffled sounds. Eugh... I want out! This is more scary and icky than being tied in the basement... Augh... My tail lost fur and the clothes are already gone...I feel like I'd get dissolved alive... She complained feeling her magic reserves depleted from producing air to breathe.

"Can't you two at least do Light regeneration on us?" Damya asked pointing at the white-haired girl.

"Give me a moment." The dragon growled and peered north. "It doesn't look like any more foxes are arriving and Wamu's group is late." He spoke out loud and turned south. "I need a couple of wind users to chase Wamu's scent on the west." The scaly beast ordered.

"Not it! You guys go..." Waldo opposed and sent a group away.

"Leave it to me!" Wuenia declared and sniffed around.

The dragon watched the green wolf sprinting away and communicated with the vixen inside his stomach again.

"Out." Nefiru commanded and prepared.

Ah... Finally! Elmyra rejoiced. It was a terrifying plan, but the Tribe will think I'm dead now. He even used ice to fake crunching sounds and make it more real...could've fooled me. Has he done this before? Ah! But what do I do after coming out? I have never been free... I didn't think this throuuuugh! She affirmed and followed the instructions transmitted earlier.

*Gloop! Slosh! Slosh!* The dragon enveloped the firefox in a large water bubble and controlled the muscle contractions while lowering the neck. *Sshhleeeerk~* The firefox slipped through the Esophagus semi-curled within a bulge traveling slowly towards the head.

"Uargh! Bleerg!" Nefiru retched the fox woman out as she slid on the tongue.

*Bluarsh! Drip! Drip!* The Firefox dropped on the dirt covered in watery stomach fluids, and saliva before getting up covering her privates with the tail embarrassingly.

"Eugh! Ha... Ha... Ha... " Elmyra wobbled and quivered in disgust while panting.

"I am not trying that again..." Damya commented watching from the side.

"...Why?" The dragon asked after licking his mouth.

*Fwuaasshh! Shuu...* He washed the wet fox clean before drying the ground where she stood.

"I don't want to talk about it." The black she-wolf shivered and turned her snout away saying.

The white-haired girl left the crystal daggers on the black wolf to the east and approached.

"Are you trying to make a Harem?" Shaila interrogated while frowning.

"Uhh... She came out of me, so she's my child now?" Nefiru said jokingly.

"That's...not...how it works..." The white-haired girl said with an unamused stare. "Either way, she doesn't qualify as your partner." The little girl opposed waving a finger.

"Don't be mean. Give her a chance to be an ally." He opposed and moved the right paw to pet the vixen.

"Hyuun!" Elmyra stiffened when the toe descended on her head and closed the eyes.

"Your intentions are too obvious!" Shaila reproved looking at the vixen's waist.

"Erm... Can't I have friends with benefits?" He pleaded and continued stroking the hair between the long fox ears.

"Nnnngh..." The vixen sounded as she relaxed and started wagging her tail slowly.

"...Uuuuuuugh... This lewd dragon..." Shaila grumbled and created a yellow ball of light dimly illuminating the surrounding.

"Eeep!" The firefox shrieked after seeing the glaring wolf eyes in the dark and the patting stopped.

"Hey, scaredy cat, what relationship do you want with the pervert dragon?" The white-haired girl asked with an arm on the waist.

"Aun... R-relationship? With Stormy? Is that required to get me fixed?" The red-haired woman asked and tilted her head puzzled.

"NO!" Shaila bellowed making the fox shrink. "It's my Grandma who heals for payments. You just need to wait until she returns from overseas." She announced in a calmer tone.

"Oh... B-but I don't have anything valuable... Wha-what should I doooo?" The vixen realized and asked in a panic.

"Hmm... She can serve as a guard in your house, tell us general information and translate for the Fox beast to repay the debt." Nefiru proposed pointing East.

The orange fox nodded approving and staggered.

"...Fine..." Shaila acknowledged softly.

"B-but...how should I repay Stormy...?" Elmyra questioned peeking to the side while holding her hands on the chest.

"Hehe... By learning everything. See everything. Experience more. Think for yourself. Overcome weaknesses..." The scaly beast declared and smiled.

"...Stormy~" Elmyra enchanted with the encouragement looking up as her round eyes wide open gleamed in the night becoming moist.

"Heal, NOW!" Damya noticed the fox's condition and demanded.

...

The vixen leaned on a fox corpse near the resting black wolf and covering her sensitive parts with her hands and tail unable to find any clothes. The Rank 6 healer finished molding magic and started treating the black she-wolf's left side from the East while the Dragon and the human girl speed up regeneration on the orange fox laying down.

"Dragon... Are you using all three affinities to speed up healing?" Lightwater called inspecting the work on the opposite side and asked.

"Yes. Shimmer taught me regeneration, and we did some experiments with Lightning as well, but the concentration is not a joke. You healers have my respect." The dragon replied and bowed slightly while praising.

"Thank you." The white and blue wolf said and nodded. "But you are one step from becoming a full-fledged Healer already. You should try to learn the whole process before traveling. Why didn't Shimmer tell you before...? You have the potential to excel at healing with your talents..." He encouraged and accused.

"HEY!" Shaila snapped and paused. "I only learned about Light magic healing... He was going to learn from Grandma who's an exceptional healer. " She growled from the orange fox's right side

"Hmm..." Nefiru thought for a moment and replied. "Nah, I would rather spend the few days that we have left practicing magic in the Mana Vein." He declared and continued stopping the bleedings.

"Please reconsider." Lightwater requested worriedly. "Shimmer could get hurt badly, and not being able to save someone precious when the time comes is not a regret that you want. I also heard that weak Humans almost killed you not long ago and you have trouble flying--" He insisted disclosing the rumors before getting cut off.

"AHH! Stop it with the pointy remarks already! It hurts..." The dragon uttered flustered on the she-wolf's right side. "Huu... We'll just need a humanoid healer and protections for Shimmer. I prioritize attack power and defense since my body recovers non-lethal injuries, so allocating Life-force that can't hold nor feed Elementals while adjusting the proportions of three affinities is madness. Mana shortage would kill me waaaayy before injuries." He contemplated and listed the reasons for opposing.

"Uh-uh... Good Healers are far rarer than Earth magicians..." The white-haired girl shrugged denying.

"It's not like that, dragon..." The low-rank wolf shook his head denying. "Dedicated Healers like me must store Lifeforce to heal as quick as possible and treat a large number of individuals or we wouldn't be able to save lives in time. Understand?" He cleared the misconception.

"Yes, Sir." Nefiru acknowledged and recalled the schedule. "What progress could I expect in a day?" He considered and requested an estimate.

"That's...hard to say... I and the other two Healers can guide you through the process only since we can't help with magic perception, but you are a pretty outrageous creature, so I'm fairly confident that you can learn to mold Life-force quickly. And learning is all that matters... You'll inevitably practice to get better whenever you heal wounds, strengthen muscles or cure fatigue... And you can multitask with Lightning, no?" The healer elaborated the upsides.

"Wait... Is it worth curing fatigue?" The dragon asked recalling the mentally taxing activity.

"Ruff! Of course..." Lightwater snorted and nodded saying. "The healing process with life force is faster and less strenuous than mere regeneration. It'll allow better control of your body and fly tirelessly." He compared and proclaimed with a grin.

"HOOH! That sounds enticing indeed." Nefiru opened his eyes wide uttering and nodded approving.

"Hm-hmm... Don't let his fluffy appearance fool you. The three of them brought all the metal Midas had in a cave and Lightwater pulled the heaviest load while refreshing our soreness...for 3 days!" Shaila revealed in Stilus.

"Heeh~ SOLD! I'm in..." The dragon admired and decided. "Teach me!" He growled towards the white wolf.

Did Shimmer praise me? Lightwater asserted happily while wagging his white tail up high.

"That's good to hear, dragon." The healer said relieved. "Just...don't be disappointed if you are slow at first. The hardest part of being a healer is molding Lifeforce for others quickly. So, just focus on Shimmer--" He announced the downsides before being interrupted again.

"Wait, wait, waaaaiiit! Do I have to make Lifeforce for others too? Just for myself is a pain already!" Nefiru blurted in a loud voice feeling tricked.

"How else would you patch the missing vitality in their wounds? Only those with Light and Water affinities can change their Lifeforce for others, and the speed determines how good of a Healer you are." The white wolf retorted noticing the ignorance, then revealed.

"Say whaaaa--? Patch...? Healers have tiers too?" The dragon growled surprised once again and asked.

"Obviously. The three of us here are the highest tiers in the Tribe while the rest are either at the border or training downstream from your lair..." Lightwater replied and continued. "What good is a healer that takes several breaths to mold a different Lifeforce and has bad Magic Control?" He questioned their ability to save those critically injured.

"I see..." Nefiru acknowledged recalling how beats don't prioritize magic control. "But why would affinity combinations enable that?" He questioned the mechanism.

"Weeell~ Why shouldn't they?" Shaila responded with a question.

"Ah... Then what other combinations are there? Can all multi-affinity effects even be activated? Do they have conditions?" He accepted and asked wondering about his three affinities.

"Umm... We know for sure about Healers, Necromancers, and...um, Plant users? All involve Water... Gem-makers just do a process that otherwise requires a higher rank... But everything else is just baseless rumors." The white-haired girl said in Stilus and raised a hand realizing. "Lightwater, does personality have something to do with healing? My Mother is terrible at it..." She growled while tapping her lips remembering.

"Humm... Possibly... We, Healers, are life-givers, so not having that mentality could be detrimental. Although not every creature is easy to heal, and we can't even make Lifeforce for vegetation." The white wolf pondered before announcing.

Hmm... If the elemental aspect of Light system is emission and Darkness is absorption, then Necromancer with Darkness and Water are...life-takers? How would they control corpses then? Unless they can bind Souls with their own Lifeforce and hold them hostage... Not every Soul accepts death and leaves the World right away... Nefiru conjectured and wondered.

"Umm... You just need Earth and Water affinities to heal or grow plants. Other compatible affinities just enhance the processes as he does with Lightning." The light magician corrected.

"Wuoh?! That explains why the blue Magical trees can attack with wood and restore other trees... There are different types of healers!" Lightwater announced catching the attention of Aidan nearby.

"Wait, what blue trees?" Nefiru sneered picturing the funny sight.

"The ones South of your Lair where we train Life-force. Some High-ranks are over a thousand years old. They don't attack you first, but...Grrr... The piss-sucking bastards allow Serpents to sneak-attack us frequently..." The low-ranking healer answered and scorned with an ugly expression.

"Woah... I haven't sensed a ranked tree..." The dragon sounded fascinated.

"Yes... I noticed how you haven't experienced much, and lack basic knowledge despite being a human pet..." The healer accused shaking his head.

"Guh! T-they, uh, held information back waiting for me to be loyal, and most of the time it was me teaching them." Nefiru stammered and shifted the blame.

"HEY! Even I didn't learn everything at School, and you annoyingly criticized our misconceptions constantly..." Shaila snapped lecturing and calmed down before speaking again. "You also spent a lot of time in the forest or sleeping... Time that you don't spend with me..." She muttered looking down.

"Ah... I guess...I also rejected their faulty knowledge..." The scaly beast growled apologetically.

"Wuoh?! Are the Human-learning places, no good?" The healer asked perplexed.

"Uh... It's not bad, but...they keep secrets..." He replied twisting his snout.

"Hehe~ The teachers there don't explain like a certain dragon." Shaila boasted and recalled. "It's all demonstrations of basic abilities and explanations of how it feels to do it... There are places of knowledge, but they either have restrictions or conditions. Although there is a lot of garbage written too..." She described thinking of the school library.

"Even so...even so, it sounds interesting!" Lightwater declared wagging his tail.

"...Hey, Shaila, what's up with lover-wolf, there?" Nefiru question rolling his eyes.

"Pfft! Lightwater wants to visit our kingdom and go to school..." The white-haired girl said in Stilus.

"Ah? Puahahah! A magical wolf at school? Ghahaha!" The dragon burst out laughing while stomping the ground.

The wolf in question tilted his head puzzled and noticed Damya's gaze before feeling slightly embarrassed. The two foxes looked around curiously as they found the interactions entertaining.

"Hihihi~ He's bored here. Don't you think he deserves a vacation?" The girl giggled and replied.

"Aaah... Yeah, I think we all deserve a vacation. But now's not the time--" Nefiru approved when growls interrupted.

"HEALER!" A 4-meter tall wolf called out using wind magic.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!* A Top-Rank 8 Wind user approached the beast circle followed by a Top-Rank 9 darkness wolf. The two beasts greeted beasts on the way to the golden wolf and nodded to the rest assuring before approaching the two black wolves lying on the north side of the corpse pile. *Thomp!* The green wolf stopped next to the healer as the largest black wolf stopped on his right side and probed the battlefield.

Phew.. Everything went better than expected here. We sure showed those foxes! And we even kept some as pets, it seems... The black wolf commented.

"Welcome back to life, Wesley!" Nefiru greeted poking his head under the she-wolf's neck.

"Tha--anks...huh? I'm a Weslee now?" The green wolf said sniffing the dragon and questioned. "Nhaa... Whatever... Gnnngh!" He accepted the name and stretched.

"And should you be walking around, Dante...?" The dragon asked looking at the other arrival.

"Ah, yes... It's fine--...Dante? Hmm... I like it. Dante...Dante, uh? It sounds familiar..." The darkness wolf replied and mused.

"You two accepted a name TOO FAST!" Damya criticized looking to her left.

"Hhm? Yeah, I don't feel like hearing a list of reasons of why it's important..." Wind 8 said and winced from a headache.

"Why not? I just had my balls ripped off for that dragon over there. That's a bigger deal, you know? And now, he owes me more." Dante declared and nodded proudly.

"Good point... This is our dragon now..." The she-wolf reaffirmed looking to her right.

"Ha ha ha ha..." Nefiru laughed awkwardly under the vicious gazes when an upper rank 7 beast approached.

*Pawf! Pawf! Thomp!* A 3.5-meter tall blue wolf with white stripes arrived behind the Elders.

"Here." Aker Lugo reported and looked at each beast. "Are the balls detaching, Elder?" He sneered looking at the hindquarters.

"D-don't say something so ominous!" Dark 9 snarled and lowered his tail covering his rear.

"Good. Reattaching something so messy was hard work..." The healer remarked thinking back to the operation.

"On me, healer." The green wolf said and turned around facing East. "My head killing me... I may have failed the Elemental rampage..." Wesley wondered lowering his head for the healer to inspect.

"Actually... The matriarch maaaay have bashed your head on the ground while you were unconscious. Probably." Nefiru called out and revealed.

"WHAT?! GRRR! How dare she! She didn't suffer enough humiliations... Not. Nearly. Enough!" The green wolf got pissed off and snarled.

"Ma Mah... At least you didn't get your testicles ripped off as punishment..." Dark 9 appeased while recalling his horror that came true.

"I just prioritized... Erina chased after the matriarch while leaving her body parts behind, and then, the foxes attacked." The dragon shrugged explaining.

"If something happens to my body parts, I'm taking Dark 9's," Erina called out and declared in a stern tone that made the male wolf shiver.

"GWRUFF! This is all his Mother's fault. She better behave, or...else..." The green wolf threatened.

"Or, else, what? We are hiding what Mother needs to become a Divine until the dragon leaves on his journey..." Dante rolled his eyes admonishing.

The green wolf glared for a moment and controlled his anger before sighing.

"Yeah, I'm keeping her busy with a difficult task. To think she couldn't realize something so simple in a thousand years... She's truly the worst magician ever hahaha!" Nefiru announced deriding.

"HMM... Well, 'the worst magician ever' has a task for you too." Dark 9 informed and the scaly beast's expression changed.

"Eh-wha--?!" He uttered puzzled.

"You are to carry these Manastones to the aquatic Divines in the Sea as payment for suppressing the Firefox Divine," Dante announced and opened his mouth.

*Thonk!* A golf-sized spiky crystal chunk fell on the ground and the beasts all around strained their eyes watching the valuable resource.

"Huh? Why me?" Nefiru asked suspiciously.

"Because you can fly over the ocean... It's a poor excuse...but you know you can't say 'no,' right?" The black wolf answered and added.

"...Fuck my life." The dragon realized the ploy and cursed.