After Aruma made the historical announcement, the beasts began preparations to move out.

Aruma, along with Vyaghra and Vyomendra, moved inside an army tent planted behind the platform.

"Mother, I want to talk to father," Gumiho said as she walked toward the tent as well.

The duo took the longer path since the main one was being rushed by the army beasts.

"Father, I want to convey something," Gumiho said as she reached the tent's entrance.

"Come inside."

A huge stone table stood at the center, on which a rough map had been drawn and strategies to attack the fox-clan were written.

When Gumiho entered, the trio stood around the table, discussing their plans.

Aruma's dark expression immediately softened the moment Hana and Gumiho appeared.

"You shouldn't move around much," Aruma said as he quickly placed a heavy chair beside Gumiho. By the look and size of it, it was wiser to say that it wasn't just a chair but the very throne where Aruma sat and commanded his soldiers.

Before Gumiho could even speak, he softly pushed her by the shoulder, placing her on the seat.

"Fath—"

"Why are you barefoot? You will catch a cold."

Aruma drew a pair of pink shoes embedded with crimson emeralds from his pouch and sat before Gumiho on the floor.

"Raise your foot."

He cleaned her feet with his hand before putting the shoes on her.

"Do you like them?"

"They're pretty," Gumiho murmured, trying to hide the smile behind her embarrassed face.

On the other side, Vyaghra and Vyomendra watched the entire scene with their lips parted.

"Is he the same man who is called the Grim Reaper of humans?"

Seeing the surprised faces of the duo, Gumiho got flustered and blurted, jumping off the chair, "Father, I'm here to talk about something important."

"Oh, I apologize, I got ahead of myself," Aruma chuckled as he stood again.

Gumiho took a deep breath; her expression turned serious as she declared, "I also want to participate in the war."

"No, you can't," Hana instantly rejected. "No matter what, I won't let you get hurt again."

"But moth—"

"I don't want any more discussion about this."

"Dear wife, Ume must've a reason behind her decision."

"Husband, not you too. How dare you entertain her childish thoughts?" Hana scolded in a firm voice.

"Pfft..." Vyomendra laughed but immediately held back when Vyaghra clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Dear wife," Aruma said nervously. "Ume has already grown. You should at least hear her out."

Before Hana could protest further, Gumiho spoke up. "I'm the reason this whole war is happening. I refuse to remain idle when people die fighting my war. And also..."

Gumiho's hair glowed and her pupils turned vertical as she continued, "I want to see him die with my own eyes."

"You heard her dear wife," Aruma said raising his arm in surrender.

Hana took a brief sigh and touched Gumiho's cheek before asking, "Do you really want to go?"

Gumiho nodded firmly so Hana finally gave up and permitted her.

"Your daughter is as stubborn as you Lord Aruma, " Vyomendra laughed, gathering their attention.

"Come here, Ume," Aruma said as he took Gumiho closer to the duo. "This is Lord Vyomendra, the head of the tiger clan and my closest friend, and this young warrior is Vyaghra, son of Lord Vyomendra and the heir to the tiger clan."

Gumiho, who had spent three quarters of her life in a caged room, had forgotten the basic courtesies she needed to show. She just stared at them blankly, wondering what she was supposed to get by knowing them.

"Greetings, Lady Ume," Vyomendra spoke up after an awkward silence of a few seconds. He then elbowed Vyaghra, giving him death stares.

"Gr... greetings, Lady Ume," Vyaghra unwillingly muttered, rubbing his belly.

"Ume, you should also greet them," Aruma whispered softly.

Gumiho was confused but, still respecting her father's request, greeted them back.

"Since you're all here, let me provide you with your roles in this battle. Lord Vyomendra, I need you to fight against Yamato, the Head of the fox clan. He is at peak of Mid-Tier, so he won't be a problem for you."

"Lord Aruma, it's a useless worry of mine but still I must ask. You have fought numerous wars side by side with Yamato — do you have any problem if I kill him?"

"He was aware of my daughter's abduction and yet he shamelessly betrayed me for years. I want to kill him myself but I'm needed somewhere else. As for you, young warrior, I have the most important task for you," Aruma said, his focus shifting to Vyaghra. "Protect Ume with all your might when I face the Ancestor."

"So you want me to be her guard dog?"

"Vyaghra, watch your manners," Vyomendra ordered, his voice turning heavy.

"Do you have the ability for it?" Aruma smirked, looking at Vyaghra as if he were looking down on him.

Vyaghra frowned at Aruma's remarks and muttered, "I will show you that I will be overkill as a mere guard."

Their voices began turning distant and the vision started to distort. I had already guessed what was about to happen. Another time skip.

---

As the sight returned to my eyes, I found myself at the border of the fox clan. Before the huge walls of the city, nearly a hundred thousand fox soldiers stood, equipped with weapons and armors. However, the sight where I stood was equally terryfing. There was a huge army of beasts beside me. Their number wasn't as high as the fox beasts', but they were all of different species, which made them even more intimidating.

Commanding them from the front, Aruma was standing with the sword in his only hand. Gumiho and Hana were standing beside him with Vyomendra, Vyaghra and Yuta slightly behind them.

Aruma raised his sword in the air and roared with an ear-deafening sound. With his voice alone, nearly twenty percent of the fox army were forced to their knees while ten percent had already fallen, unable to bear the overbearing Soulforce of this calamity.

"Attackkkkkk!!," Aruma shouted, pointing his sword at the frightened foxes before him.

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