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- Level 9?!

That was what Kaide shouted when she heard the news. Hushimao had returned, sweating, to tell them what she had seen. She nodded, her voice unable to reach her throat. The Kemono cook swallowed hard and put down her utensils. Na blinked and looked at Hushimao.

- Level... 9?

He remembered well that the Longer Bibi had faced was level 6.

So, a level 9...?!

- We haven't seen one of these in hundreds of years... It's not possible…” Kaide let go.

Not only was a gigantic horde attacking them, but now they were going to have to fight a Longer that was far too big. They had managed to destroy cities in a matter of seconds, slaughter entire peoples in a single move and now one of them had come to their continent.

Why on Arcave was one here?

Even if the Kemonos were numerous, defeating such a Longer was going to be borderline impossible. They were not prepared against such a monster... It was impossible. They didn't know how to beat it, its weak points or anything.

It was just a demon straight from the underworld itself.

- …

Na clenched her fists and ran past Hushimao.

- N-Na?!” shouted Hushimao.

The man ran through the empty corridors of the Federation, leaving the members of the Sheerah Faction behind. He could do nothing against such a Longer... but he wanted to see it.

But why?

He himself, in reality, did not know. Out of curiosity? Probably. However, the level 6 Longer had petrified him on the spot, so would he take the sight of an even more powerful Longer, much more powerful?

One that Bibi probably could never have killed on her own?

- It's gigantic..." Ambre said.

- ... Can we... win, against it...?" asked Panthera.

The two Kemonos had stopped fighting to look at the huge Longer who had screamed from the horizon. It had only just come out of the water, but only now could they see it.

It was huge. Imposing. Gigantic. Colossal.

- …

Ambre couldn't believe the sight that was presented to her, currently. She knew this Longer was a level 9: there was no way it could be lower than that. A level 10 had to be something even worse, so she didn't want to believe that he could be the first level 10 observed.

- …

Ambre was willing to fight against Longers, but certainly not against this giant. She would barely have time to get her heart pumping once that she would be instantly eradicated from this world. She clenched her fists and shook her head before killing an approaching Longer.

- Panthera, we're going back to the Federation," said Ambre.

This surprised the tiger, who blinked and was about to ask why, but Ambre answered before she could let her voice escape her throat.

- I'm almost out of water and you're still hurt... We're useless here.

- …

Panthera didn't reply and followed Ambre while watching the gigantic Longer that was approaching them with great steps.

Would they be able to beat it?

- … Hmm, where is Asus?” she wondered, not seeing her by their side anymore.

The dragon-winged Kemono was flying through the air, Salida in both hands. Above the Longers, who could not catch him from so low, he flew towards the gigantic monster accompanied by one of his friends. He couldn't stop watching the level 9 Longer in front of him, but for one of the first times in his life, he felt a little bit of fear.

A feeling that he couldn't win alone this time.

- Hey, Salida.

- Hmmm?

- Are you sure you want to fight this?

- Why not?

- Hey, it's possible we'll both die out there.

- ... Then that'll be my punishment for giving a false estimation.

She sighed and threw her trident to the ground to kill some Longers.

- I hope we don't die, though," she admitted.

- I want to know how it feels.

- How does it feel?

Nivea began to fly higher, which surprised Salida.

- To fight a giant like that.

It was at least a mile tall. That wasn't an exaggeration.

From where they were, if the Longer waved its arm in front of it, they would both be killed like flies. From its size, that was what they were, after all; or ants. That comparison would be more accurate. Salida retrieved her weapon from her hand and frowned as she looked at the gigantic Longer.

- … I think this will be the most amazing and scary fight of my life.

- Let's make sure it's not our last fight, then.

And both of them moved dangerously towards their probable death.

Na watched with his brown eyes the Longer that could be seen at the end of the horizon. He had been standing still for a few seconds, staring at it with almost bated breath. Perhaps it had been a few minutes? He couldn't say. What he did know was that it was…

Terrifying.

Incredible.

Breathtaking.

Wonderful.

Horrifying.

Mixed feelings in his heart, the scene before him was…

He didn't have the words to describe what he was feeling.

He was miles away from it, on the walls of the Federation, and yet he felt as if if it moved its hand, it could grab him and destroy the entire Federation with one move. This was obviously an exaggeration, but it was his feeling. Na stood totally still, awed by the sight.

- ... A level 9…

Hushimao stood next to him and looked at the gigantic Kemono that was heading towards them. It was far too big and its Aura proved its power. Kemonos were strong; some could be compared to Gods; and yet, Hushimao could not see anyone beating it.

In short, for her, it was a losing battle.

- The 5 Galaxies are going to move, aren't they...?” she wondered aloud.

Na turned towards her, but only weakly: his eyes still could not move from the gigantic Longer. It reminded him of the Colossus he had seen in the city, when he had walked with Bibi.

- 5 Galaxies...?” he asked, never having heard that name before.

Hushimao looked at him and scratched his cheek.

- Eeeh, to put it simply, it's 5 Kemonos that are there to protect the Federation... but you never see them in action... I think even our Constable is going to have to act now.

What she didn't know was that Maslow was not in the Federation.

- ... I see... A level 9, that's... impressive.

Na felt fear; everyone on the battlefield felt it, that emotion that gripped their guts.

But mostly he was impressed by the sight.

- ... Win…” Hushimao prayed.

Nano placed Kin in front of a Kemono who used her healing Power on him directly. Green light came out of her hands and aimed at Kin's bloody shoulder.

- He must not die," Nano said coldly.

Without giving an answer out loud, the Kemono continued her work, nodding quickly. She was satisfied with this answer and turned to the raging battle. She clenched her fists and turned her head to the right, where the north was.

Even from there, the gigantic Longer was visible.

- …

She was sure it was a level 9 Longer. It was far too big and its Aura of its own terrified their hearts. The Longers were a more than impressive horde, but that a level 9 was here at the end of the horde…

- They tire us out and come to finish us all off with their secret weapon…

She had confidence in her own strength, but fighting such a monster would kill her in seconds: she would never go there to fight. Few Kemonos would be crazy enough to go there, after all.

- I have to convince the 5 Galaxies to be part of the fight…

The 5 Galaxies were all powerful; Nano couldn't last more than a minute against any of them. However, even with their strength, Nano didn't know if it would be enough to defeat a level 9 Longer.

- If they were together, it would definitely be an easy task. But…

The 5 Galaxies never fought together, nor at the same time.

Nano didn't know how they worked, but all 5 were under Maslow's direct orders and wouldn't move an inch if the Federation wasn't attacked directly from within or if the Constable forced them to move.

But Maslow wasn't there, so they wouldn't move.

- This is the worst time to be attacked... And a level 9, seriously?!

She began to run towards the walls, away from the raging fights. She wouldn't risk her life in these battles and even though her presence could be useful, she wouldn't change her fight; unless she could convince the 5 Galaxies. She grabbed her staff that had disappeared from the battlefield and joined her hands and frowned.

- If they don't agree…

She didn't even want to think about the future of the Kemonos.

- …

Nivea was still flying high in the sky, the gigantic Longer now only a few meters away from him. Salida still in his hands, the atmosphere had changed compared to a few moments before.

Being so close to such a Longer was nauseating.

Even Nivea himself felt the discomfort. It was special and he had never felt this way with another Longer.

- ... Let's kill it quickly, Salida," he said.

- Hmm.

With a small sound of acquiescence, Salida clutched her trident tightly in her hand. There were only two of them, and yet they were facing the worst level of Longer that humanity had ever faced.

A destructive, overpowering level that could kill gods.

And they were just two powerful, foolish, and surely suicidal Kemonos, given their actions.

Nivea, with a sudden movement of his head, threw Salida towards the Longer. She waved her weapon between her two hands and sliced the air in front of her so that the stream of water which came from her weapon slashed the Longer's skin. She stabbed him as she came at him, but the Longer didn't react at all, as if he didn't feel the pain of the attack, nor the presence of the two Kemonos. Nivea continued his flight while Salida was now on top of the Longer, at its gigantic shoulder.

- It doesn't even seem to see us…” Nivea thought.

The Longer continued to walk towards the Federation, its steps slow but tall. The dragon-winged Kemono squinted and clenched his right fist. He reached for one of the Longer's two eyes and a giant fist appeared next to Nivea.

His Power was simple: this giant fist mimicked the movements of his right fist. It might not be complex and easy to understand, but underestimating Nivea's Power and reactions would be completely foolish: death would only await these idiots.

- Mh!

He struck fiercely in front of him and the giant fist next to him hit the Longer's left eye hard. This one, this time, felt the impact and stopped. Salida held on, digging her trident into the Longer's hard skin and smiled.

- Always so powerful, that Nivea!!!” she shouted, looking up into the air.

The famous dragon that protected the walls of the Federation, Nivea. Famous for his strength, but also for his history, feared by anyone who dared to stand in his way and admired by anyone who watched him fight. Who knows how many Longers he had killed since his birth; who knows how long he had been serving the Federation.

The giant Longer made a deafening noise and Nivea squinted in pain.

- Shut... up.

Nivea flew upward and then stopped with a jerk and came to the level of his left eye again. He closed his fist fiercely and sent it towards the Longer again. The accompanying giant fist hit it furiously and the giant even took a step back. Salida took advantage of this and stabbed the Longer in the shoulder again and again, hoping that it would do something. Nivea went down a little and hit it in the eye again. The Longer took another step backwards, even though it was only a short one; this proved that he was feeling the pain of the Kemono's blows.

- And yet he doesn't even close his eye…” he thought.

He waved his fist at the enemy again, but at that very moment.

…

The iris of the monster looked at him.

With a thud, a laser formed in its retina and the surrounding light was absorbed into its eye. Nivea didn't even bother to attack, astonishing and disturbing shivers ran down his back. He used his wings to descend and his dragon tail almost got hit by the yellow and red laser that came out of his eye.

- !!

He had not been hit, but he knew that if he had, he could have said goodbye to his life. The Longer was now reacting to his attacks, but Salida didn't seem to be doing enough damage for it to care... She was still on its shoulder, piercing it and hurting it with her Power.

Nivea spun around the Longer and avoided another laser, this time coming from his right eye. If he could distract it by doing damage, Salida could continue her attacks and maybe she could hurt it enough that they could beat it more easily right after. At least, Nivea hoped so.

He reached into the back of the Longer's skull and noticed that the shape of this monster was really there to mimic a giant human mixed with a Colossus. It was special and disturbing, but it gave him one more reason to want it dead as soon as possible. He charged his fist and struck the Longer with the idea of shattering its skull. His blow resounded violently and the monster even moved its head forward because of the impact of the attack. Nivea moved in and struck it again. His fist was anything but to be underestimated, he could break rocks into a thousand pieces. His other fist was also clenched, in a light-colored glove, but that was because he hated this Longer with all his body, all his mind, all his heart. He gritted his teeth and his next blow made a crack in the Longer's skin. The Longer let out a cry of pain that Nivea appreciated and he struck the Longer again and again and again. Its skin cracked more and more and purple blood flowed from the wound. Salida continued to slice the skin of the monster, but this time she was dealing with the neck. Slashes everywhere, she was trying to cut off part of its head, but its skin was very hard. She waved her trident around, water coming out of it and the sharp ends glowing red, showing that she was using a lot of power in it.

This Longer was tough, powerful and could kill them in one blow, but it was slow. Unlike the other level 9 Longers that had appeared in the past, this one didn't seem any less powerful, just way too big to stop two small creatures.

Nivea hit him again in the same spot and blood spurted out and almost hit him. He found it disgusting, but even if he had to bathe in the monster's blood to kill it, he would do it without a second's hesitation. He clenched his fist again—

— Out of nowhere, an eye appeared in the wound.

Nivea opened his eyes wide as he saw the laser being created in the retina. This eye had appeared suddenly, without even a hint of prevention. He had no time to attack, no time to avoid. The eye shot towards him and Nivea moved his head, but would that be enough?

Salida heard an ominous noise behind her and turned around wondering what had happened when she noticed what was right in front of her.

A winged Longer collided with her and pushed her off the giant's body.

- Waaaah?!

Salida fell to the ground, her trident in the mouth of the Longer that had collided with her. She shook her head and conjured up her weapon in her hands before thrusting it into the body of the colossal Longer.

But this one moved violently the hand towards her.

- …

She was only a fly, an ant in the eyes of this giant, so taking the impact of the hand would kill her in an instant. She looked for a way out, but she saw none. She couldn't avoid it.

Not on her own.

And the sound of thunder rang out before the view before her changed drastically.

- ?!!

Not understanding what had happened, she noticed that she was running towards the ground again, but even faster than before. Had she been hit? She couldn't believe it, since she didn't feel any pain in particular. Maybe the impact between her small body and the gigantic hand of the Longer had been so violent that she couldn't feel the pain directly or that death had already mowed her down?

- Yooo!

But when she heard the voice, she knew that it wasn't the case. Salida blinked and when she realized what had just happened, she landed on the ground crushing Longers under her feet. She waved her weapon and regained her composure. She looked around, but noticed that her rescuer was already gone.

- …

Salida turned and saw the gigantic Longer in front of her. Going back upstairs was going to take too much effort, but leaving Nivea alone — or rather, alone with that Kemono who shouldn't be there — would be too risky.

- !

However, now on the ground, a few Longers coming in from the ocean started to run at her. She clutched her weapon tightly, ready to kill them, but hands came to take her underarms and she started to fly away in the air.

- Woah?!

- Are you okay, Salida?" Nivea asked.

- Nivea! I'm fine, but I think I was saved by…

- Asus.

- ... Exactly! How do you know?

He frowned.

- ... Me too, just before you.

- !!!

So both of them had just escaped death thanks to a Kemono who shouldn't be on the battlefield, Asus. The one with the ferocious lightning and the recognizable voice, seeing her here was madness.

- Where is she now...?" asked Salida.

Before Nivea could answer, she noticed lightning coming from the Longer's oddly large, bald head. She sighed, but with relief.

- At least there aren't two of us anymore, I guess…” she said.

- …

Nivea continued to rise into the air with his dragon wings and, when he reached the giant's shoulder, swung Salida over. She let out a cry of surprise, but rolled over the Longer's skin before stabbing him furiously.

- We're not done!" she shouted, smiling.

Nivea continued on her way to the top of the Longer's head, where the forbidden Kemono was. Asus moved her hands at a speed he could never imitate, piercing the Longer's skull over and over again. He didn't even speak to it and slammed the head of the gigantic monster. Eyes appeared all over the skull and aimed at the two Kemonos, but Asus stopped her movements to run at Nivea and threw her weapon to the right.

- Heyy, Nivea!

With a big smile, Asus spoke to her. Wrapping her arms around him, she teleported with him to where her weapon was, avoiding all the rays of the Longer's multiple eyes.

- ... Hey.

- Oh?!

Hearing him respond to her greeting made her happy and Nivea grabbed her with his hands before flying with her.

- What exactly are you doing here?" he asked.

- Nothing but saving two powerful, yet reckless Kemonos!

Nivea began to descend from the air, avoiding the colored rays that wanted to pierce his skin and kill him instantly. One almost hit them, but Asus was able to deflect it with her katana, which surprised Nivea, but he didn't mention it.

- Where should I drop you off?" the winged Kemono asked.

- Eeeh, you don't want me to fight you~?

- Fighting in the same place would not be wise.

- Hmmm, I see... Drop me off next to miss, I'll see where I'll fight.

- Okay.

Nivea threw Asus forcefully and she spun around in the air, approaching Salida. Seeing a winged Longer charging at the water dragon, Asus pierced its head with her katana as she landed next to the Kemono.

- Yo again!

Salida blinked and shook her head: she had to concentrate. She continued to slash the Longer's neck and Asus fiercely planted her katana into the giant's flesh. Arcs of lightning came out and she repeated the gesture over and over again, as if it amused her.

- Be careful, miss, but it looks like more Longers are coming~!" Asus blurted out without even looking back.

Salida turned and frowned: she was right. Winged Longers were coming at them.

- Is it because the level 9 Longer can't reach us itself?

Most likely it was, which meant it was calling in reinforcements to protect it. Salida glanced behind her. Asus was much more powerful than she was, so—

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- — I've got your back!" Salida shouted.

- Yooosh!

Asus let out a little laugh and Salida ran and spun around before slicing the wing of one of the Longers from a distance. Thanks to the water that could come out with power from her trident, she had already managed to knock one of them down. However, the others came too fast for her to make the same move, so she took two quick steps back and blocked the attacks of the three Longers that tried to grab her with their sharp claws. They moved their heads and beaks to try to grab Salida, but she pushed them back violently. Letting them get close to Asus would be a mistake, so she would make herself useful. She beckoned them to come closer, lowering her head slightly, but not her eyes.

From her eyes shone a wonderful determination to WIN.

Nivea had returned to head level. He knew that eyes would appear to defend the Longer, but if that was going to scare him, then he might as well flee the battle and let Asus and Salida do the work alone.

He knew they were powerful, very powerful.

It wasn't that he didn't want to leave them alone, it was that his help was needed. Even though Asus was a raving lunatic and Salida showed particular resilience, the Longer under him was a level 9: he had to defeat it alongside them. The giant fist appeared next to him and as soon as it hit the Longer's head hard, eyes appeared.

But this time, the surprise effect would no longer work.

He struck the skull with his dragon tail and quickly flew into the air. The lasers narrowly missed Nivea and he dropped, gravity pulling him back to her. He spun around and landed fiercely on the Longer's head, striking it first with his normal fist before his giant fist smashed the bone in the skull. The Longer screamed in pain and the Kemonos from the Federation walls could hear it.

However, this fight was only between Nivea, Salida and Asus.

They were only three Kemonos who were not even the most powerful in the Federation, and yet this fight was all about them.

A level 9, the most frightening at the moment.

And yet there were only three of them.

- I will never let the Longers kill the Kemonos, nor the humans!” he yelled.

He struck the Longer's skull again, screaming with rage, letting the lasers aim precisely at him. He didn't even try to avoid them this time.

- AaaaaAAAH!

Smashing the skull beneath him again, Nivea fell into the Longer's own head, dodging all the lasers that missed their target. Perhaps it was luck, but it was Nivea who had taken a risky gamble. If the Longer's skull hadn't actually been fractured enough to let it fall into the skull of this monster, then maybe it would have been badly injured; maybe even killed.

Nevertheless, Nivea was always fighting with risks.

Salida blocked another attack from one of the winged Longers as the giant began to move violently. She almost lost her balance, but Asus quickly arrived to hold her before throwing her katana with a ferocious smile. The blade cut one of the Longers perfectly in half and penetrated the head of another, which bounced off the shoulder before falling to the sandy ground. Salida thanked her and as she retrieved her blade from her hands, Asus replied "You're welcome~!!!" before looking up.

- It looks like Nivea is fighting fiercely, upstairs~!!!” she let out.

- ... But will cracking his skull kill it?

After all, Longers didn't function like humans or Kemonos. They didn't have the same blood, the same organs, or the same way of life as humans. Some could only die by destroying their "core", which is comparable to the hearts of humans and Kemonos. So this level 9 must have been the same.

- Hmmm, I don't think that's Nivea's purpose~?

- ?

Salida didn't understand what she meant by that, but Asus wasn't going to give her an explanation. Winged Longers came back to them, even more of them. Asus squinted and smiled.

- Salida, will you take care of them? I think I'll help Nivea kill that big bad Longer~!

Salida couldn't even agree or disagree as the sound of thunder rang out and Asus disappeared with impressive speed. Salida clicked her tongue and waved her trident in her hands. There were more than a dozen Longers coming towards her, but they couldn't have been too high level. In short—

- Come on!!!

She shouted at them in defiance. One of the Longers was quicker than the others and ran at her first, but with a sharp top-down blow, while taking a step to her left, she sliced him in half without even staining his clothes. The Longer's severed body slid over the giant's shoulder and the others charged at her. Salida frowned and gritted her teeth.

She had been wrong about her calculations. The Longers had arrived much earlier and in the horde was a level 9. To the end, she had been wrong. It was her fault that they were all unprepared and any death on their side would be all on her.

Salida was enraged with herself.

If she had been able to better anticipate the arrival of the Longers, then perhaps they could have fought with more ease. Maslow, their Constable, wasn't even in the Federation, so her help or that of the 5 Galaxies was non-existent. The Kemonos had to fight of their own free will, killing hundreds and thousands of Longers in hopes of surviving to the end.

If she had been right about her predictions, perhaps they would have been better organized. She had only herself to blame. She couldn't believe she had been so wrong.

But it was this rage she felt towards herself—

— That made her so fierce on the battlefield right now.

She lowered her body nimbly and quickly, avoiding sharp claws, before throwing her trident into the body of one of the Longers. She retrieved her weapon by making it disappear and appear in her hand and did a 180 degree turn to go through the body of the winged Longer that had missed her and thrust it into the shoulder of the giant she was on. The other winged Longers were right in front of her, but she ran, leaving her weapon in the victim's body. When she reached the giant's neck and it screamed in pain again, she placed her right foot on its skin and used that momentum and support to jump high into the air. Avoiding all the winged Longers, she came up behind them and conjured her weapon in her hand.

The Longers were truly frightening. Bloodthirsty and brutal, they were not to be underestimated.

But they were really stupid, unlike the trained Kemonos.

Rushing at them with a cry of courage, she slashed several times in a row in front of her and stopped, one knee on the ground.

And all the bodies of the low-level Longers were cut up in every direction.

Salida's breathing became a little more labored as she began to feel the fatigue. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily before standing up and waving her weapon to get rid of the purple blood that was painting her disgustingly. She looked at her clothes and pouted.

- It's going to take me so long to wash them…” she complained.

Nivea pulled out a piece of Longer's brain using his normal hands. He thought it was disgusting and all the blood around him was getting in the way, but his goal was not to completely destroy that brain. Eyes appeared inside the skull, lasers aimed at Nivea. He was about to run away with a growl when everything lit up.

- !!!

All eyes were cut out at once, leaving Nivea speechless. Behind him, someone appeared and her voice echoed with her madness.

- Need help, little dragon~?

- ... You're smaller than me, Asus," Nivea sighed.

- Hihi!

Asus made a V with her left hand before waving her blade and thrusting it wildly into the Longer's juicy brain. Nivea flew up with her wings and out of the skull before Asus hissed with laughter and arcs of lightning filled the inside of the Longer's skull. Nivea noticed that lasers sounded and raced toward Asus, but he didn't fear that she would be hit.

Asus was a monster, so fearing for her life would be pointless, Nivea knew that.

He looked at the giant Longer, who began to whimper more and more, the pain must have been unbearable for it. However, it was clear that his core was not there... Nivea took a deep breath and charged towards the fried brain of the Longer. He clenched his right fist and gritted his teeth. Asus noticed this and threw her blade out of the Longer before teleporting in, watching Nivea with a big smile.

The dragon Kemono slammed into the brain and pieces of it flew in all directions, exploding with a foul and nauseating sound. The Longer felt the damage and screamed in pain, threatening to burst the eardrums of the three fighters. Level closed his eyes and screamed:

- SHUUUT UUUUUP!!!!

He struck the inside of the skull again and cracked the insides; the impact shook the body of the level 9 Longer. Salida had to hold on by digging her trident into the skin of the Longer's neck to keep from falling. Asus reached Nivea's side before jumping twice and slicing beneath her with amusement. Nivea struck again and the body shook again, leaning back in pain.

From the battlefield, from the walls of the Federation, the suffering level 9 Longer was visible.

It was a scene that could not be explained. No one really knew what was going on out there, and yet they were certain that the Longer was in pain. He had stopped moving and some of the lower level Longers began to run towards the giant.

- ... What does this mean?" Hushimao said as she saw the landscape.

Lots of Longers were heading towards the level 9, dropping out of the fight against the Kemonos. Even though there were many Longers leaving, it was really only a tiny fraction of all the current monsters. The fighting continued to rage on, on the floor of the Justice desert. Na was still standing still, watching the landscape with wide, curious eyes, impressed and frightened. That such things were possible…

Strangely, he wanted to analyze the Longers. He wanted to do it so much.

- AAAAAH!

Nivea struck the Longer again, penetrating further and further into its body. However, it was so giant that it would take him too long to have fun looking for the core in this way. Also, the eyes were getting too numerous for Asus to slice through them all in time. She didn't have half a second to rest and had to keep cutting them all out. On the one hand she was laughing and having fun, on the other hand, if she let any of them go, Nivea would probably get seriously hurt. The dragon Kemono stopped hitting the insides of the Longer and flew off, catching Asus in the process. She waved her blade at the speed of sound, deflecting all the lasers that tried to kill them. Nivea placed Asus on the destroyed skull of the Longer and cracked her neck.

- Eeeh, a level 9 Longer, that's kinda disappointing~, ahah!!!” laughed Asus.

Nivea couldn't lie to himself: even though this Longer was more than impressive, he was really slow. Maybe he and Asus were monsters during the fights, that they could manage to fight this Longer ; that was as impressive as it was scary. Obviously, Salida was also helping, of course. She was a great help, actually.

Nevertheless, it was because Asus was there that they had the advantage. If it wasn't for her, Nivea would have already been killed by this Longer.

- Actually, this Longer is super powerful, it's just Asus who is a monster…” Nivea thought.

Her speed, ferocity and reactions gave her the opportunity to get rid of the Longer's laser eyes. It was clear that without her, defeating this Longer would be next to impossible. Nivea turned to her and nodded.

- We're going to win, thanks to you, Asus," he admitted.

She blinked and blushed, shaking her body and pelvis.

- Woaaah, the great Nivea is flirting with me!

- I'm not attracted to women.

- Wooooh, I know, let me have fun!

Asus stuck her katana into the Longer's skin with a pout. Nivea didn't care about her childish behavior and looked at the Longer as he began to walk back to the Federation.

- Even wounded like this, he's still heading there... His only goal is to destroy the Federation?

It was strange, but thinking about it would do no good. He cracked his knuckles and sighed.

- N-Nivea! Asus!

Salida's voice rang out and they both saw it rise to the skull of the Longer. The dragon Kemono came to her aid and asked her what was going on.

- The Longers...!

She pointed to the ground and Nivea flew up to see what was going on. He frowned as he saw the sight before him.

The Longers were climbing over the giant's body.

They were climbing quickly, but given the size of the level 9 Longer, the Kemonos had some time before they arrived. However, the winged Longers were also coming, so they didn't have that much time. Nivea turned back to Salida and Asus.

- We have to get this over with as soon as possible," he said.

- What's going on?" asked Asus, using her katana as a toothpick.

- The Longers are climbing on this one to defend it, I think. There are so many of them that its body is covered with them.

Asus stopped picking her teeth and grinned terrifyingly, her eyes shining in her own madness.

- Eeeeh~?! I love it, I love it!!!

She waved her blade in her hands and licked her lips.

- Let's get it over with~!” she said.

She whispered her "ingenious" plan into their ears and Salida opened her eyes wide. She rubbed her chin and nodded. Nivea did the same.

- Let's do this," he said.

- I think it can work..." said Salida.

Asus laughed.

- Let's be the trio that ends the third level 9 observed by humanity, wahooo!

- If you were a dragon, we could have been named Trikens*,” Nivea said.

(* Trikens is a three-headed, three-element dragon who is still alive in the world of Arcave, though his location is unknown. That way, you'll understand her “joke”.)

Asus blinked before laughing and slapped Nivea's back. Salida only smiled, but the Kemono's joke managed to calm her down. She clutched her trident tightly in her hands and smiled.

- Let's win," she said.

Asus nodded, accompanied by Nivea.

- Let's win!" they both said.

Nivea grabbed Salida in one arm, Asus in the other. He used his dragon's tail to throw himself quickly into the air and began to fly in a straight arrow. The winged Longers that had been closing in would never have time to catch up with them now.

Nivea was climbing higher and higher, reaching beyond the clouds. As if he was trying to reach Arasol, he used all his strength to carry Salida and Asus to a suitable height. He squinted because of the speed, but he had to get high enough. Carrying them wasn't too difficult, but they weren't the lightest in the Federation.

And Nivea stopped at a satisfactory height, although he couldn't tell how many meters above the ground he was. At least two miles, maybe three?

His wings were wide open, his two arms occupied by two beautiful women and a determination that would burn down an entire forest. Asus' plan was probably the easiest way to win, so he was ready to defeat this Longer.

Level 9 Longers were considered calamities that could possibly eradicate humans…

BUT THEY WEREN'T HUMANS, THEY WERE KEMONOS!

- SALIDA!!! shouted Asus with a sharp smile.

- Aaaah!

Salida raised her trident as high as possible and threw it as fast as she could. The speed was such that the sound barrier was broken and Nivea's eardrums suffered, but nothing he couldn't handle. Salida's trident raced towards the ground, but it would never reach the desert sand.

On the way, the trident passed through the body of a winged Longers and finally sank deep into the body of the giant who screamed.

The force that Salida had used had been so great that Nivea had almost dropped her; nevertheless, he was strong enough to keep her in his arms. It was more Asus who was going to be a problem. The horse-like Kemono licked her lips and nodded, moving her hair.

- Well done!" she said.

From here, it was impossible to tell if Salida had actually managed to sink her trident into level 9, but Asus had confidence in her. The clouds were blocking their view, but they could still see a minimum, which was enough for them.

- Hehe, my tuuuuurn~!!!

Asus threw her katana high into the sky and it spun around several times a second. The Kemono gently pushed Nivea and jumped with the support of her arm. Her jump was so violent that Nivea moved from her position and almost dropped Salida again. Asus grabbed her katana and spun around, but instead of throwing it to the ground, she threw it even higher. The blade reflected Arasol's rays, glowing and arcing with lightning. Asus fell to the ground, staring at her katana and smiling quietly. She passed Nivea, who looked at her without worrying. Asus hummed a tune and continued to fall to the ground, coming dangerously close to the level 9 Longer. She might be a powerful Kemono, but from this height she would die if she hit the ground. She would be nothing but a puddle of blood, flesh and guts.

But Asus would never let herself be killed. She would never let death take her; not until she accepted it!

Asus, only a few feet off the ground, teleported to her katana and caught it in her right hand. She laughed gravely and brutally before spinning around not once, but twice, and screamed in amusement before hurling her katana toward the ground at a speed that easily surpassed Salida's. The wall of sound was broken again and the sound it made was very similar to thunder. Her katana was heading straight for the ground, following a perfect trajectory that only Asus could imitate. Behind this weapon, arcs of lightning clashed and went in all directions to show Nivea, Salida and now all the Kemonos on the battlefield, an uncommon sight.

To them, it was as if a fierce bolt of lightning fell on the giant Longer.

The katana sank into its skin and met Salida's trident, which pierced more flesh, bone and internal organs. The katana electrified the level 9 Longer, who spasmed, but Asus' real goal was something else:

All the Longers climbing on it were also hit and they fell like dead flies to the ground.

Crashing to the ground, bumping into each other before hitting the desert sand and dying with foul noises, the Longers who had tried to protect their asset died all at once; all by the very Power of Asus. Asus fell to the ground and grabbed Salida's hand, but the force was so strong that Nivea couldn't hold on to her and they both fell.

- WoaaaAAAAH!!” shouted Salida.

Nivea watched them fall and sighed, but he didn't care: Asus would use her power to save herself and Salida. It was part of the plan anyway, Nivea was the one who had to finish the job. He looked down at the ground before taking a deep breath. His giant fist clenched together with his right fist and Nivea squinted.

- Nivea, never forget your purpose. Never forget who you are. My son, the one I love the most.

- Yes, Mom.

- You are the most beautiful, the most incredible and the strongest dragon in existence. You will win every fight, I know it.

Nivea nodded with a small smile. To see his mother complimenting him like that, with words that came from her heart, it could only make him happy. He was still young and small, but he would be the most imposing of all.

- You make me proud with every passing second. I am sure that one day you will be a hero for all.

She meant it seriously, sincerely, with all her heart. Her confidence in her only son was so beautiful that it made her teary-eyed, and the kiss she placed on his forehead could only be a proof of love. With her amethyst eyes, reflections of her pure soul, she looked at her son with joy and affection.

- Never give up and keep on training forever.

- I promise, Mom!

He jumped with happiness and his mother stroked his hair.

- Protect your people, protect the Kemonos and one day stop the war against the Longers. You can do it, sweetheart.

- AAAAAHH!

Nivea used his wings to crash to the ground. Fists clenched, teeth clenched, and eyes fixed, he had only one destination. His heavy dragon tail prevented him from having the speed he wanted, but he had been so high in the sky that he was sure it would be enough. He broke through the clouds and finally saw the gigantic Longer properly.

A level 9 Longer, so impressive, so powerful.

But too bad for it— Nivea existed.

- Hey, Longers...!!!

He screamed as he fell and placed his right fist behind him. He knew the monsters couldn't hear him, but he didn't care. Coming dangerously close to the level 9 Longer who had stopped spasming and was trying to continue his journey towards the Federation, Nivea accepted a small smile. Showing his teeth to the colossal Longer, he then shouted:

- Remember that here in the Justice Desert, protecting the Federation... !!!!

He opened his mouth wide and the giant fist behind him grew even larger; at least six times the size of Nivea.

- IS YOUR WORST ENEMY !!!!

He landed in the body of the Longer, where Salida and Asus' two weapons were no longer, and struck him brutally, screaming. His giant fist followed and went right through its body before hitting the sand of the Justice desert. A huge jet of sand shot up into the sky, pushing back all the surrounding Longers and even killing some. The level 9 Longer, the gigantic monster that had tried to come and exterminate them all, groaned in pain, howled in pain, and let out its last cry.

And Asus, with the help of Salida, sliced it in half, ensuring its death.

Nivea got up with a sigh and behind him the mile-long Longer fell backwards. Its blood spurted everywhere, painting Nivea completely, and his inner organs fell to the ground, cut out or destroyed by Nivea's ferocious fist. He looked at the Federation for a moment before looking up to the sky, where Arasol was shining so brightly.

Around him was not a single Longer. They were all dead within yards of each other.

Sure, the level 9 Longers were impressive. Powerful. Capable of wiping out the human race and others.

But humanity and the Kemonos had improved since then. They were no longer so weak.

Salida ran to Nivea and hugged her, while Asus grabbed a piece of the gigantic Longer and laughed as she ate it. The dragon Kemono spread his wings and smiled again, but with more kindness. Looking up at the sky, he nodded.

- I will protect my people until my death, Mom.

The level 9 Longer was now dead, killed by only three Kemonos.