Death... and me

"Hahaha!" Rean couldn't help but laugh. "Alright. Let's go then."

"Wait!" Lotar grew even more worried. "We need our Queen. Otherwise, our race is forever doomed."

"I have nothing to do with that," Aelire answered without thinking twice. "I absolutely hate the idea of becoming just a breeder. First of all, do I even have the ability to choose?"

"Of course!" Lotar quickly nodded. "We will prepare the best prospects of our race for you and them to work together with your female helpers."

Aelrie's mouth twitched. Isn't that pretty much a reverse harem? She was still a virgin, so just thinking about that many Shadow Ferals 'fertilizing' her eggs made her choose death in the City instead. "Thank you, but no thank you."

Rean grabbed Aelrie and went to Kentucky's back, ready to take off. Yet, Lotar gritted his teeth and made a decision. "Alright, alright! We can talk about this! You don't need to perform your reproductive duty. One day, when you find a Shaow Feral you like, you may consider it again. How about that? This should be pretty much in line with what the angels do."

Aelrie finally felt a little more satisfied. After all, she didn't really go for certain death in the City Ruins. Above all, she didn't want to end up controlled and cause even more trouble to Rean and Kentucky. "Okay... what is this deal you are talking about them?"

Lotar sighed in relief, seeing that they at least stopped to hear him. "You can stay with us. In exchange, we will tell you one of the weak points of the creature in the City. I believe it is a very fair deal since the thing up there is quite dangerous. Besides, it is not like our Queen will be trapped here forever. As I mentioned, we are working on opening a breach in this Dimensional Realm. One day, we will succeed and go out with her. At that point, she can do pretty much anything she wants while also having our full support. That support also includes me, a Divinity Realm Initial Stage Shadow Feral."

"Alright." Surprisingly, Aelrie decided to accept it quite easily.

Rean and Kentucky looked at her, quite puzzled. "Are you sure you want such a thing? It is not like he is definitely telling the truth."

Aelrie shook her head in response. "It's that connection I felt with him. It seems like it tells me whether he is lying or not. I don't know how, but I know he is telling the truth. They are truly desperate to have me stay."

Rean sighed but didn't intervene. That was ultimately Aelrie's decision. "Very well. However, what do we tell your clan? Do they even know about your true identity?"

"We do," it was at this moment that a voice echoed in the surroundings. Following that, an Angel appeared above Rean and Kentucky. On his side, there was also a female angel, although her cultivation was obviously lower when you look at her wings.

Everyone looked in their direction, none expecting anyone else to be in this place. Yet, Aelrie immediately recognized both the Angels. "Uncle Fuhiro, Kijia! What are you two doing here?!"

Rean narrowed his eyes. "A better question would be to ask about what he meant a moment ago."

Aelrie was taken aback and immediately understood. Indeed, her Uncle Fuhiro had just said he knew about her real identity. "Uncle, Kijia... what is the meaning of this? Did you know I wasn't the real Aelrie?"

Fuhiro descended and stopped some distance away from Aelrie while sighing. "That's why I told them to not let you lose. Yet, they thought nothing would happen even if you returned to the Azum Dimensional Realm. Now, lo and behold, you already found out about your real identity."

Kijia bitterly smiled as she looked at Aelrie. "Not everyone knows about it, though. The number of members of our clan that know you are a Shadow Feral can be counted in our hands. Waremis, Spiegel, Fuhiro, me..."

Aelrie couldn't help but hold on to Rean's arm when she heard that. "B-But... if you knew I wasn't real. Why would you let me stay?"

"Even my father?" Aelrie asked with some fear.

Yet, Fuhiro shook his head. "No, he knows nothing. If he knew, he would never accept you, especially considering the real Aelrie already died a long time ago in this Dimensional Realm."

*Roar!*

Suddenly, Lotar roared outside the city wall range. "You fucker! What did you want to do with our Queen? Back then, I felt that it wasn't only the being in the City Ruins that participated in that ambush against us. You were also there, weren't you?"

Fuhiro glanced at Shadow Feral. "Shut up! You didn't even know what you had in your hands." Fuhiro then looked back at Aelrie. "Come with me, child. You don't need to worry. We have a way out of this place that doesn't require you to kill yourself. That's what you want, right? Leave this place as yourself and not as another copy."

Kentucky couldn't hold back anymore and moved forward. "Go with you? Hehe! If she doesn't want to, no one will be able to take her from me. Instead, how about you open your mouth. Since you knew Aelrie was a Shadow Feral and their Queen at that, what was your plan? If you talk nicely, perhaps I won't give you too much of a beating."

"Hahaha!" Rean laughed as he pushed Aelrie behind himself. "Well said, Kentucky. I know this might have nothing to do with us, but how could we possibly leave a friend in need behind?"

"Rean, Kentucky!" Aelrie's confidence grew with their words. Finally, she stepped forward herself and demanded. "Uncle, I know you like me for real. Please, tell me what is this all about? Do you know what is inside this City? What about having the real Aelrie swapped for me? If you truly consider our relationship something of value, you won't hide it from me anymore, especially now."

Fuhiro pondered for a moment. It was true; he does like Aelrie. "Fine."

'It's not fine,' yet another voice echoed in the environment again. As that happened, a powerful Divine Energy pressure assaulted Rean, Kentucky, and Aelrie, locking them down.

Lotar's expression turned even uglier. "It's you, the creature who lives in Kanlas City!"