Max looked with complicated emotions at the passed out fox tribe leader who was breathing lightly as she continued to sleep. The dark circle under her eyes were evident of the struggles and sufferings she was going through.
"You know, this war doesn't seem merely like the bloody war for power and superiority. There is something we are missing and I need to meet up with Mina before she takes further actions."
He got up and after making sure she was lying down in a comfortable position he said to the system.
"We are going back for now and we need to meet with Mina as soon as possible." After thinking for a while he asked the system, "That woman is just like me and I am positive she has a system just like me. Can you establish a connection with her system?"
"Let's do that then." Within a blink of eye they were far away from the camp of fox tribe and heading towards the wolf camp so as to meet up with Mina. As Max was running he sensed someone coming towards him at a very high speed.
"Just in time." He let out a grin as he caught dead tired Mina who was on the verge of collapsing. "Since you are back guess I don't have to go through the main story again." Mina sighed as she made herself comfortable in his arm breathing a sigh of relief. Having a partner or team mate was such a big relief.
"Daphne…." The fox tribe leader woke up with a jolt as if she had been in a nightmare. She looked around for sign of the intruder who attacked her but was nowhere to be seen. Realizing everything was fine with her and her body she felt complicated? 'Was he a good guy?' She thought to herself but immediately discarded the thought as she remembered her younger sister.
"I will make the wolf tribe pay for abducting you and for making me cry tears of blood." Her eyes got blood shot. Fox beast men were not suited for war and physical attacks. They specialized in trickery and pranks so this war was taking a toll on her tribe and herself.
"I don't have time to waste on a couple of man." She straightened her back with new determination as she walked out of her chamber.
Mina told her side of the story excluding some of the embarrassing parts but made the story from the wolf tribe's leader perspective clear to Max who was amused every second when her story contradicted what he knew.
"The fox tribe has a woman as a leader and yes she hates men but her younger sister Daphne fell for a man and at that for a beast man from the wolf tribe." Max continued with his share of story. She was reluctant at first but because she loved her sister more than anything she gave in and went against the rule allowing inter-tribe marriage." The story up to this part was almost similar but it branched out after this.
"On the night before the ceremony was to take place, someone sneaked in their tribe and abducted her sister Daphne. Although she was not willing to believe that they have been betrayed, the wolf tribe mark left inside her sister's room was the perfect evidence of the crime."
"Wait, they have evidence that wolf tribe really abducted their female?" Mina felt like she was getting at something but she was not sure what that uncomfortable feeling was. Max nodded as he continued.
"They took a group to the wolf tribe only to find them ready with their weapons to attack them as if they already knew they would be coming. The wolf tribe denied their charges. Not only that they blamed death of the groom-to-be upon them."
"So this is how the war started and is still going on in a large scale." Both of them fell into silence as they made up their own hypothesis and tried to figure out which side was speaking truth and which side was lying.
Mina interrupted his thought as she spoke, her ways widened in shock, "What if both side were wrong and both side were right?"
Max looked at her, "What do you mean by that?"
"What if they were played by someone else in believing the other party was guilty and they are just a pawn at the hand of master mind?" Mina further added, "What if all this bloodshed and war was just a means of entertainment for someone else who looked at this misery with satisfaction?"
The more she spoke the more she felt sick and frowned in disgust. She felt closer to the truth when she took this approach but somewhere within her she wished she was wrong otherwise all the lives lost in this bloody war will be wasted and meaningless. Her mind wandered back to the lonely figure she saw for the last time as she was retreating. He looked so sad and empty that it was truly saddening.
Max had his own assumptions which when combined with Mina's proved to be the best reasoning out of all.
"Breaking the tradition and allowing inter-tribe marriage goes against the law of beast men and there is someone powerful enough to invade both of their tribe and attack them. What's more is that that being can actually perform them without risking his identity and life. Who can it be?"
"Bingo Damian, my boy. You are finally seeing the truth." He clapped his hand twice. The door to next chamber opened and two heavily armored beast men guard dragged someone with them. Even though she was haggard and looked miserable, looking at the pair of fluffy ears on her head and her fluffy tail was enough for Damian to recognize her identity.
"You….."F**king piece of shit. Damian wanted to swear at his face but kept his cool. Daphne whimpered as she was pulled forcefully by the guards against her will. She had been kept captive for months but she still hadn't given up fighting. She had burning fire inside her eyes.
"This little foxy is hard to tame." Lord Kennedy stroke her head with his beastly hand which brought goose bumps all over her body. She shuddered in disgust and anger.
A loud and crisp slap sounded through the entire room as her face became swollen in one side. "You dare to be disgusted by me?" The sinister voice threatened the poor fox who held her swollen cheek as tears spilled from her eyes uncontrollably. "Your sister is at my mercy. As long as you behave she will live otherwise…" He grinned. "I know her weakness and dislikes; maybe I will send some of my men to provide service to her."
When threatened with her sister Daphne could no longer resist and fight back. Seeing the docile fox Lord Kennedy laughed while Damian frowned in disgust looking at the mad man before him using petty methods and blackmailing people.
Meanwhile Mina and Max were trying to figure out the mystery from the clues they have got so far.
'Someone powerful enough to mess with both clans.' Mina gasped as she grasped something.
"The beast king!!!!!"
If it really was the handiwork of beast king Mina was not sure how to deal with the situation. If a tribe leader of a tribe was as strong as Ray then the one who ruled over whole of the beast men will be insanely strong. Even thousands of her will not be able to take on the beast king.
A horn sounded indicating the end of war for the day. The sun set and darkness started its reign. It was the first time Mina had spent a night in other dimension. The night was creepy but she had someone she could rely on this time. As she closed her eyes to sleep she felt the familiar sensation of someone staring at her but this time she could sense something more than curiosity. It was filled with concern and wait a little bit of jealousy?!
Mina, whose perceptive powers had increased recently looked at the place from where she felt the eyes looking at her but it disappeared in flash of light. Sensing her sudden movement Max asked if anything was wrong.
"No, it's nothing. I just felt something for a brief moment. You can go back to sleep." She assured Max as she also drifted into sleep after all she went through lots of thing that day.
Beth who had been pacing the whole mansion the whole day occasionally looked at the screen in order to detect his master but he was nowhere to be seen even when the woman was almost taken. He stopped in his tracks when he felt the familiar energy approaching the mansion, "You are back, master!" His face lit up with joy but in his heart he had already punched the man thrice and was going for the fourth punch.
"I wish to be alone. Leave this place and make sure no one enters this place."
"But.." Beth tried to protest but was immediately turned down by Damian.
"As you wish, Master."
Although he was unwilling the order from the master was absolute so he left the place.
Once he was left alone, he removed his clothing. Damian growled in pain as he touched his right side of stomach where the claw mark was. When he touched the wound, his hand was stained with blood. The blood dripped from the wound, making him hiss in pain as he healed himself.
He unleashed his spatial space magic making a body drop on the ground. When he reached his hand to pick up the body, Daphne who had her cheeks and eyes swollen trembled even when she was unconscious. She was afraid of even the slightest touch even when unconscious.
Damian looked at the fox girl wondering why did he attack a Lord of dimension. Just because he felt bad for someone was not a good enough of reason for his emotional outburst that he showed today. But the deed was done and now he had taken away the hostage of Lord Kennedy from right under his nose. He had no idea what to do with the extra baggage he brought with him.
"My Lord, Is it okay to let him take away her?" A beast man dressed in smart clothes asked as he bowed down before the beast king.
"I was getting bored with her anyway. She already completed her task of fueling the war and now she is as good as dead for us. It doesn't even matter if Damian take her away."
"I feel thankful since he saved me the trouble of disposing of her myself." Kennedy spoke as he looked towards the jungle where far away Mina turned and twisted in her sleep as uncertainty about things filled her tired mind. His animal instinct was even stronger. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the deep dark forest. "I smell danger coming from there."