Interstellar Age

I just wanted to take a second to remind those of you who read the original versions of chapters 90, and 91, that they were rewritten shortly after being released. If you find this chapter to be confusing, please reread those chapters at /book/interstellar-age_26235247006730205. And with that out of the way, let's get into today's chapter:

---

Erich sat alone in the cloning facility with nothing but his thoughts and tears. He had no idea that Emrys had just negotiated with the Great Oni Emperor to secure Ayumi's release, and at the moment, that was all he could think about.

Well, that and the fact that for the briefest of moments he had been a father without even knowing it, and yet Yumi had snuffed that life out before it even had a chance to fully flourish. The grief and worry which he felt caused the man to sob in silence. That is, until the door opened, and he was forced to become stoic.

Emrys once more stood in the doorway of the cloning facility. He had been gone for only a few hours, but judging by the look on his face, he had some good news to preach, which he was quick to do so.

"I have some good news for you. Yumi is currently being cloned as we speak. Once the body is capable of sustaining itself, we will inject her old memories inside. Though we can't recover those thoughts and feelings that have occurred in the year since she visited the Empire, we can inform her what happened, and guide her through recovery.

As for the other Oni woman who you have become close to, I have secured a trade agreement with the Great Oni Emperor. Ayumi will be given over to us in exchange for her brother, where she will then live with you on Teutonia. I have no idea what will happen when your wife realizes that you have brought home an alien woman to look after, but that will be entirely up to you to deal with.

As far as the Empire is concerned, Ayumi is a ward of the state, and you are her assigned guardian. What happens in secret between the two of you is none of my concern, and I would prefer if we kept it that way. Do you understand the meaning behind my words?"

Erich obviously knew that Emrys was silently saying that he needed to keep his relationship with Ayumi a secret from the public. If it were ever to become common knowledge that the two of them were in a relationship, it would be an enormous scandal, one which Emrys simply could not wipe under the rug.

Thus Erich nodded his head with a solemn expression on his face. The first of his two worries was dealt with. Ayumi was safe and would become a member of his family. But the loss of his unborn child still weighed heavily on his mind.

Despite this, he was more concerned about Ayumi's safety, and was thus quick to ask about when and where the trade was occurring.

"Where is the trade going down? I want to be there to greet Ayumi to the Empire!"

Emrys had a concerned look on his face as he shook his head and denied Erich's request. He could understand that the man's feelings were currently conflicted, and thus there was a rather gentle tone in his voice as he explained his reasoning for doing so.

"Absolutely not! Erich, as far as the Great Oni Emperor is concerned, you are dead, and if you were to show up at the exchange, that would cause many questions to arise. Which could potentially lead to our enemies finding out about Yumi's resurrection. If that were to occur, then an all out war with the Great Oni Empire is unavoidable.

You must stay here. Yumi will be breathing again within a few hours, and she will prefer a familiar face to explain the situation to her. Trust me, I will ensure Ayumi is well taken care of, and that no harm comes to her. But under no circumstances can you reveal that you are alive to the Great Oni Emperor until I say it is okay to do so."

As much as Erich was determined to meet with Ayumi face to face, he understood Emrys' reasoning for preventing him from doing so, and thus he clenched his fists, and took a deep breath in order to calm his nerves.

Upon seeing that Erich was being obedient, Emrys smiled and patted the man on the shoulder before assuring him that everything will be alright.

"I'm proud of you Erich, you have matured a lot over these past few years. Now, I'm afraid I have a meeting with the Great Oni Emperor. I expect you to take care of Yumi when she finally comes to, and to explain the situation to her properly. Until then, get some rest. You look like you could use it..."

After saying this, the Supreme Leader of the Germanic Star-Empire departed from the cloning facility and took off with his fleet to oversee the prisoner exchange in person. As for Erich, he sat down on a medical bed and did nothing but think for the next three hours.

---

After some time had passed, Erich was contacted by one of the robotic nurses on his NeuroLink to report to a different floor where Yumi had just been resurrected. He hastily made his way to the appointed area, where the beautiful Oni woman looked at her surroundings in confusion.

When she witness Erich rush into the room dressed in nothing more than a pair of boxer shorts, she was even more confused as her brow raised along with her voice.

"Erich? What the hell is going on here?"

Erich had an expression of pure joy on his handsome face as he rushed to the woman's side and held her hand. He then spent the better part of an hour explaining everything that had happened between them. Which caused Yumi to look at him with a complicated expression.

She now understood how Erich had survived the war with Terminus, despite supposedly sacrificing his life in the Empire's defense. The Germanic Star-Empire was simply far more developed than she ever realized in the field of medicine.

Though there was a philosophical debate about whether or not she and Erich were truly the same individuals they were prior to their deaths. The reality was that she had the same memories and feelings as her past self, and thus she could only assume that she had indeed cheated death.

However, this immediately created several more questions, causing Yumi to look at Erich's complex expression before asking a serious question.

"You said that the doctor took a sample of my DNA, and a scan of my memories when I was last here... So then that means you know why I visited the Empire?"

Erich's expression shifted to one of pain as he silently nodded his head. This caused Yumi to break out into tears as she wrapped her arms around Erich and begged for his forgiveness.

"Please forgive me Erich, I had no choice! If my family found out about our child, there would have been dire consequences. I mean, just look at the state we are in. If what you say is true, then I revealed our relationship to them, and the end result was our deaths."

Despite personally witnessing the fury of the Great Oni Emperor and the Kondo Dynasty, Erich still felt like this was a poor excuse. They could have found a way, if Yumi really wanted to. Still, he understood perhaps better than anyone the trouble that would result from such a taboo being revealed.

He himself had narrowly avoided the public's outrage, which had occurred because he simply took a suggestive photo with Yumi. If not for Emrys looking out for him, he would have been executed long ago. And though he found it difficult to accept, Erich was forced to forgive Yumi as the woman cried in his chest.

After some time Yumi finally got control of her emotions, and was quick to ask about her niece, who Erich mentioned was implicated in their deaths.

"Wait, you said that I got Ayumi involved in our relationship? What happened to her? Is she alright? If her father tried to have you killed because he saw you being intimate with one another, then I can only imagine what that poor girl has been forced to endure!"

Erich's heart bled a little when he heard this, before informing Yumi about everything he knew regarding that matter.

"Supposedly she's still alive, and under house arrest. Emrys is heading towards the borders of the Great Oni Empire to exchange Ryu for Ayumi as we speak. She will become a ward of the state, and under my protection.

As for what comes next, there is going to be a civil war within the Great Oni Empire. Emrys intends to plant you on the throne and use you as a puppet. I'm sorry Yumi, but this was the only way he would agree to bring you back. The alternative was open war between our two Empires."

Yumi wiped the tears from her eyes. She now had a pretty thorough understanding of the situation, and could only sigh in defeat as she expressed her thoughts aloud.

"It would appear that I flew too close to the sun and got burnt. Now I must lie in the bed of my own making.... I understand that this is entirely my fault, and I will take responsibility for my actions. You have my word. I will comply with whatever demands your Supreme Leader makes of me."

After saying this, Erich and Yumi spent the rest of the night getting reacquainted with one another. All the while they waited for Ayumi's arrival.