"What kind of news?" the Wendigos' general inquired, his voice a low rumble.
"Someone is coming to the city, tomorrow at the latest... And from Josephine's words, this person must be incredibly important, perhaps the only one who could save them." Xanor replied, his gaze unwavering.
"Save them?" The general scoffed, a sneer twisting his lips. "I have 10,000 soldiers with me, the weakest being a Core Formation Stage 3... Who could possibly save them?!"
Xanor merely raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Don't get cocky; we haven't won the battle yet." He opened his palm, and a finely rolled scroll materialized. "This is the blueprint of the castle and city, with every secret exit marked. Make sure you guard every single one, and kill anyone who passes through them." He tossed the scroll to the general, who caught it with a practiced hand. Xanor's tone then grew serious. "And remember our deal."
"Yeah. Yeah... We won't kill all the beastmen and women. We'll take 70% of them and retreat when you face me... Then you'll be the savior and rule the beast nation. Not only that, we'll also help you take control of Planet Zax. Yes, I remember our deal," the general recited with a bored expression, clearly having gone over this many times.
Xanor stared at the armored Wendigo for a few moments, then gave a curt nod.
WHOOSH!!
Dark energy billowed from his feet, engulfing him. In the next instant, where Xanor had stood, a magnificent werewolf, its fur as black as midnight, stood eight feet tall.
The werewolf, still Xanor, inclined his head slightly. "How long to the city?" he asked, his voice now a deeper, guttural rumble.
"A week," the general replied, his eyes fixed on the imposing figure before him.
"Make it sooner. You have three days at most," Xanor commanded. He then spun on all fours and, with a powerful burst of speed, disappeared into the night.
The Wendigos' general grinned, a predatory glint in his eyes. "When I arrive, I'll kill you first," he spat out, then bellowed, "March forward! Fasten the pace!"
The 10,000 Wendigos responded with a unified nod, their speed increasing as they surged toward the distant city.
____
[The Next Day.]
[Dwarves' Nation.]
Sunny, Josephine, and Star stood before the sleek starship, observing Nioh, Nicolas, and Blood Eye who were positioned in front of a warship, half the size of the starship.
"Take care, you three," Josephine said, her voice warm with concern. She then added, "I sent a declaration on the net! From now on, you three are under our nation... No one will stop you."
Nioh turned to Sunny, then to Josephine, a worried expression clouding his face.
"The Three Eyes Nation is after me... If they get news that I am with you, they will wage war with us."
"Let them come. I plan to increase my territory. If they follow that path, their nation will be the first to fall under me," Sunny said calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion. He continued, "Anyone who messes with any of you will be my enemy. So raise your head up high; you are above anyone out there." He fixed his gaze on Nioh.
"Make sure you complete this task... It'll prove to me if you can stand by my side."
The three nodded, their faces set with resolute determination.
"Take care," Josephine added, her concern evident.
They nodded again, then turned and walked towards the warship. Josephine, Sunny, and Star watched as the warship ascended smoothly, then shot into the sky, disappearing from the planet's atmosphere.
"Come on, let's go back. It is time to meet your people." Sunny turned and began walking back towards the starship.
Josephine turned to Star, who was following behind him, and asked, "What about your wings?"
"They are in me," Star replied in a flat, almost emotionless tone. Then she asked, "Why are we different from other beastmen and women?"
"...What do you mean?" Josephine asked in confusion as the two entered the starship, the door closing shut behind them with a soft hiss.
"We three have the appearance of Humans, with only a small difference that reveals our race." Star stared at Josephine's wolf ears, then lowered her gaze to the tail swaying gently.
"Without your tail and ears, you look just like a human. Same with the king, and myself... We also have the power to turn into our full beast form... But other beastmen and women have the complete body of their beast. What is the difference between us?"
Josephine finally understood the question and smiled slightly. "In the beast race, we have two bloodlines... Known as Elite bloodline and Common bloodlines. As you can see, I am an elite bloodline, so I can transform into my wolf form and also revert into my human form... Elite blood aren't actually rare." She thought for a moment and added:
"40% of the beast nation are all elite bloodlines. Having an elite bloodline doesn't mean you are favored or lucky. You will still be treated as any common bloodline... The only way you can be respected is by unlocking the elemental power which is linked to your beast form, and all bloodlines have it." She looked at Sunny, who was ahead of them.
"I don't know your brother's elemental skills."
"I can control poison, earth, fire, light, wind, and death elements. Is that enough?" Star asked, turning to face Josephine.
"....?!"
Josephine blinked in shock, her eyes wide. "Six... Six elements?! An elite beast can only master two! How come you can control six?!!" she asked in mild horror.
Star shrugged indifferently. "These elemental skills can't be compared to my brother's." This statement shocked Josephine even more.
"If I may, how are you two related? Is he your step-brother?" Josephine asked with a surge of curiosity.
"He is not my step-brother. He adopted me," Star replied.
"....?!"
Josephine was speechless.
BAM!
She shifted her gaze to the starship, feeling it begin to move, rising from the ground.
"Okay... You remain my sister-in-law," Josephine said with a warm smile, then added, "Come on, let's get to the control room."
_____
The Dwarves' king, the general, and the advisor stood at the tallest spot in the castle, watching as the starship rose from the ground and shot into the sky, disappearing from their planet.
"Can he be trusted?" the general asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.
"That beastman spent trillions without batting an eye... Even if we don't trust him, the money we'll gain by doing business with him will help us in developing our nation... No matter what, we must hold this wealth shark," the advisor stated, his gaze fixed on the empty sky where the starship had vanished.
"Yes... By the way, we already signed the contract. We are now under him, so we will naturally benefit," the king said, a thoughtful expression on his face. He added:
"Train more soldiers. I have a feeling war is just around the corner... And there's no way we won't get dragged into it."
The two beside him nodded their heads in understanding, the weight of the king's words settling heavily upon them.