Chapter 188: YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE AGAINST

Azrael was the monarch of this country, and he had been sitting on his throne for more than two decades, so of course, he knew the Blaze Company and its owner. They had met twice before this whole fiasco.

Even though they were not involved personally, there were a few business dealings between the company and the government.

However, it still came as a surprise for Azrael to see Zade Blaze was there when he entered the room, an hour before his press conference.

Everyone knew he used to stay in his room to rehearse his speech for at least fifteen minutes.

"Good afternoon, Azrael," Zade said. He walked toward the human king from where he was standing. The room was spacious, and the king was in the middle of it.

There was a shocked expression on his face, but he calmed down easily. He was aware his guards were outside, and they would come right away if he yelled loud enough.

The problem was that it was still questionable whether he would still be alive when they were here. He had witnessed a monster like Zade Blaze kill their opponent. In a second, they shifted into their wolf form; the next second, you would die.

The laboratory where they conducted various experiments on this creature revealed many secrets about them, and it was a nightmare. He still couldn’t believe vicious creatures like them had been living among humans for so many years, or decades.

"It is impressive for you to be able to get inside my room. Has one of my guards been compromised? Some of them are on your side?"

Even if Azrael was scared by the presence of the monster, he didn’t show it in his expression; instead, he acted very casually, as if Zade was a guest he had been waiting for.

"I come here to negotiate the situation," Zade said calmly. He crossed his arms and watched Azrael’s every move, like a predator watching its prey.

The other king didn’t lose his composure either; he opened a bottle and poured a whisky for him.

"I think there is no point for a negotiation." Azrael handed the glass to Zade, and he accepted it, but he didn’t drink it. "It is very clear that you are a threat to my country."

"It is ironic that you are calling us a threat when you have been blissfully oblivious while doing business with my kind for so many years. Some shifters have also served in the military to protect the country."

"That’s different."

"How so?"

"A tiger will not change its nature even if we call them differently."

"We are not tigers; we are wolves. You will not mistake our howls even if you call us differently."

They called them monsters, animagi, and so on, but learning about shifters’ existence didn’t change their stance on viewing them as a threat.

Azrael was in his late fifties, with messy blond hair and spectacles that sat on his crooked nose. His brown eyes looked sharp and full of calculation.

"There is no negotiation here, Mr. Blaze. But I can guarantee you and your people’s safety if you want to cooperate with us."

Zade swirled the whisky in the glass. "What cooperation do you mean here?"

"Surrender. Show us that you are not a threat. I have learned the hierarchy of your people, and I assume you hold the utmost control over them, so the only way we can solve this issue is for you to tell your people to come here in peace. We will put silver on you and monitor your movement until we are sure that you are not a threat to our community."

Zade scoffed. It seemed they had learned that silver was their weakness, and it was not even a surprise since the devil was behind all of this. Of course, they would learn a lot of convenient things about the shifters in such a short time.

"You want to leash us?" Zade lifted his head; his electric blue eyes were slightly darkened.

"No, it will be like a bracelet."

Zade found that extra detail was hilarious. He could call them a bracelet, a necklace, an anklet, or even a ring—the purpose of it was the same. They would restrain them.

"And you will actively participate in our lab."

"Do you mean to say that you want us to participate as the object of your experiment?"

"No, you put negative words into it, Mr. Blaze. The subject of the experiment will benefit you as well."

"How?"

Azrael couldn’t find the right words to explain how the experiment would benefit the shifters. "There must be something that we can improve."

"Pull back your soldiers, Azrael. I come here for a negotiation, but if it is not on the table, then I come to give you a warning." ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Azrael stood his ground. He squared his shoulders, as if by doing so he could shrug off the fear that clung to his skin.

"If you want to kill me, I am sure you will not have a problem, but you have to know that with my death, you will start an unrest. The whole country will hunt your people down relentlessly."

"And what is the difference between that and what you are doing now?" Zade looked at him with amusement.

"You have not yet heard my warning, Azrael." Zade took a few steps closer.

Azrael moved two steps back instinctively, but then his pride kicked in, and he stood his ground. He willed himself not to move an inch, despite the fear that crept in.

"Pull back your soldiers, and stop the hunt on my people. One more shifter’s blood spill, then we will paint the street red."

Zade knew he couldn’t help it; it was going to happen sooner or later. The moment he saw the determination in Azrael’s eyes and how his pride and ego bruised at the thought of having a negotiation with someone less human, like the shifters, he knew this meeting was pointless.

"You don’t know what you are against, Azrael."