Chapter 20: Attack On Titans, Part 9

“You said the condition for wielding the Founding Titan’s power is contact with a Titan of royal blood. How do you plan to achieve that? According to you, there are no more individuals of royal blood within these walls.”

“There is.”

“There is?”

“Yes. A trainee soldier, a woman named Christa, is of royal blood. Her true name is Historia Reiss.”

Levi, who had been silently listening to our conversation, asked, “But how do you know all this?”

“I saw it in my father’s memories.”

“Your father’s memories?”

“Yes.”

Erwin interrupted our conversation.

“Eren.”

“Yes.”

“What are your plans? Revealing all these secrets suggests you have a plan.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, contemplating.

‘It’s starting now.’

A world where everyone is happy is impossible. Therefore, I intended to create a world where my people could be happy.

And to do that, I needed power.

Overwhelming power.

Only overwhelming power could bring me peace.

The cycle of hatred between those within and beyond the walls couldn’t be broken with mere words.

Only overwhelming power, so absolute that it crushed any will to resist, could ensure the happiness of my people.

I opened my eyes.

“I will rule them all. As the Demonic God .”

After our conversation, I was released from my confinement.

“We have no means to restrain him anyway. And he hasn’t withheld any information. He has revealed many truths to us.”

“Have we all been dying just to uncover these truths…?”

Erwin placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder.

“Levi, think positively. What was the reason we dedicated our hearts?”

“To uncover the truth.”

“Exactly. To uncover the truth. And now, how much have we learned? A lot, Levi. If it weren’t for Eren, we would never have known that humans existed beyond the walls, that those humans are our enemies, or that Marleyan warriors had infiltrated these walls.

We wouldn’t have known any of it.”

“Does that mean we were just living in ignorance…?

This isn’t like me.

All this time, I’ve fought to uncover the hidden truth.

As always, I don’t know what lies at the end of this path, but I have to keep moving forward. That’s what those who died would want.”

Levi, regaining his composure, glared at me.

“Kid, let’s go capture those bastards. They’ve killed enough of our people. Time for revenge.”

“Hmm, could you leave that to me? If anyone else interferes, someone will inevitably die.”

The answer came from Erwin, not Levi.

“Yes. According to you, those two are inheritors of the Nine Titans, capable of wielding the Female Titan and the Armored Titan.

If we intervene, there will be casualties.

So I’ll leave it to you, Eren.

Capture them.”

I nodded in response.

It was a late hour. Reiner Braun, the Armored Titan, and Annie Leonhart, the Female Titan, were conversing.

“So Eren was the inheritor of the Attack Titan.”

“He always displayed unusual abilities. It makes sense if he was the Attack Titan. So, what are we going to do, Reiner? The plan to breach the wall again has failed, and Bertolt is imprisoned.”

“We’ll stick to the plan for now. Annie, you head for the Military Police as planned.

I’ll stay with Eren and join the Survey Corps to monitor him.”

“What about requesting reinforcements from Marley?”

“That’s not an option. If we leave now, the others will realize we were connected to Bertolt.”

“Alright. But are his words true?”

“What do you mean?”

“Eren. That he knocked Bertolt down with a punch after transforming into a Titan. Eren is 15 meters tall, and Bertolt is 60 meters. That’s a 45-meter difference. How is that possible? Is the Attack Titan’s ability super strength? That would make sense.”

Reiner shook his head.

“No, the Attack Titan has no such ability.”

“Then how did he do it?”

“I don’t know! He clearly punched Bertolt, knocking him down, and then he said something to him while he was struggling to get up! As soon as he said something, Bertolt couldn’t move. Eren has something we don’t know about. An ability we can’t predict!”

Reiner, speaking frantically, calmed his ragged breathing.

‘What are you, Eren?!’

As he thought about Eren, a voice came from behind.

“Oh, you’re right, Reiner! I do have a special ability. Have you heard of the Demonic Divine Art?”

“When did…?”

Eren’s hands were already on Annie and Reiner’s shoulders.

‘I didn’t even sense his presence.’

Annie Leonhart considered. What would happen if she transformed here?

‘According to Reiner, our chances of winning are slim… But it’s better than being captured without a fight.’

Having made up her mind, Annie signaled Reiner with her eyes. To transform.

‘Here?’

‘Yes.’

‘Alright, let’s do it.

If there are two of us, we might find a way to win.’

Just as they were about to transform, a chilling voice pierced their ears.

“Do it. If you want to die.”