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On The Bench (AOT/DxD)

Reader mode
Understanding
  • Threadmarks
    • "That shall wrap up today's lesson," Sona said, putting away her flash cards.

    She took Eren's portable whiteboard and marker and wiped it of the kanji and hiragana he had been practicing, taking care that nothing stained, before stowing it, along with the rest of the lesson's material, in the chest kept beneath the bench.

    "I shall see you next week," the young Sitri said, standing up and walking away, carefully not looking at Mikasa as her aunt went through a few exercises.

    "Sona," Eren called, and the student council president paused.

    "Yes, Eren?"

    "I need to talk to you."

    Sona closed her eyes, exhaling, and turned.

    Aunty was still doing her cool-down stretches, and Sona felt another pang of envy at the sight of her toned physique.

    It wasn't even the muscles, the grace with which she moved, or even the self-confidence Mikasa held herself with.

    It was everything.

    Every little thing her aunt did recently sent feelings of doubt and envy through Sona, wounding her pride.

    And it was entirely self-inflicted.

    Sona knew it was.

    Knew it was irrational and unfair.

    Sona knew that her aunt did not realize the effect she had when she decided to use Sona's lessons with Eren as times when she could get some physical conditioning in.

    Sona would even bet that her sister's Pawn was trying to be kind and give Sona some time alone with Eren without her hovering over them.

    Mikasa Ackerman had always underestimated her beauty.

    Sona hid all those feelings of envy and so many others as she looked over at Eren.

    "Is it important? I have a meeting to get to."

    Sona felt a twinge of shame at the lie. She was busy and did have a meeting to get to, but not for a few hours.

    "It is," Eren nodded gravely. "It shouldn't take long, but you have been busy, so I need to get this out of the way while I still can."

    Sona's heart seized.

    "While you still can?" She asked, her worry shining through.

    "I don't know if I'll have another chance," Eren's lips pursed. "You've been avoiding me lately."

    This time, Sona could not hide the wince at the accusation.

    "I've just been busy," Sona explained. "Some stuff happened over the summer, and I need to do a lot of networking for my dream. I haven't had much time for anything at all."

    "I am not accusing you," Eren denied. "Despite how busy you are, you haven't missed even a single one of our lessons. I know I am not the most important factor at the moment, and that is fine. It's just... there is something I need you to understand, and I need to be sure you do before anything happens."

    Sona looked to her aunt, wondering what she was making of Eren's grim words.

    Mikasa was still going through the motions of winding down, but her eyes were closed, and her face was set in a line of grief and sadness.

    Sona couldn't help but feel terrible.

    Yes, she was jealous. Sona could admit that to herself.

    Yes, she had good reason to be.

    Right when she had decided to confess to Eren, she learned about his complicated relationship with the woman she had been going to for advice.

    And yes, Sona was extremely busy.

    Not only with her duties as overseer of this territory, Student Council President, King of a Peerage in the middle of the Young Devil Tournament, a student set to take her college exams soon, and now coordinating and appeasing her sponsors.

    But that didn't mean she should have lost herself in her own life and problems.

    Not only wasn't it Eren or Aunty's fault, but they had made no effort to rub their relationship, whatever it was, in her face. As far as Sona had seen, they might not have even kissed, let alone anything else.

    Sona did not want to become a leader who would let her personal feelings get in the way of not only her happiness but also the happiness of people she cared about.

    And... Eren was right. He didn't have much time left.

    A few months at least if he did truly die at nineteen, but still, Sona should not be letting her awkwardness and jealousy take away from the time she did have to spend with her friend.

    Losing herself in her work was easy.

    Confronting her feelings, the truth of them, the truth that they would go nowhere, was much harder.

    But it needed to be done.

    If nothing else, she didn't want to regret missing these days later in life.

    "Sorry," Sona said, closing her eyes and bowing in apology to the boy on the bench. "I shall endeavour to do better."

    "Sona," Eren sighed, and Sona could not help the way her heart fluttered at the fond exasperation in his voice.

    It was so hard to get even the slightest praise or concern from Eren that when it did shine through, it never failed to fill her heart with warmth.

    "I am not saying you need to spend every moment with me. I do not need to be babied. Just slow down. When was the last time you played chess with Rias? Or spent any time with your Peerage outside of training?"

    Sona... couldn't remember.

    She knew it couldn't be too long ago, but the days were blending together. The closest she got was watching that ridiculous movie, and she left not long after to make up for the work she missed.

    Sona was just... so busy.

    Now more than ever.

    It seemed like every one of her sponsors had wanted information on the events leading to Loki's death.

    Half of the remaining Pillar Families were knocking down her door because they knew she had been there when the god died and were suddenly feeling the threat of Chaos Brigade.

    While it had increased their respect for her, it also multiplied the demands on her time.

    Had she talked to Saji about anything that wasn't his duty or how he was handling Vritra's other Gears? What about Riruko or Momo? Had their affections penetrated Saji's thick skull?

    She knew her Peerage was doing well academically, as she tracked that, and physically because Aunty was helping them train, but emotionally?

    How were they doing in their lives after watching a god die and being exposed to the True Longinus?

    They had all almost died, and Sona... wasn't there to talk with them.

    Even if she couldn't provide the emotional support Rias could to her Peerage, Sona had always prided herself on being able to lead them well, with a steady hand and a rilability unique among her generation. She strove to be someone they could trust to have their best interest at heart.

    And she was failing them, just as she was failing Eren.

    "You are right," Sona said gravely, meeting Eren's grey eyes. "You once told me I should not lose myself to my dream and forget to live. I have done just that."

    "Your dream is actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Eren nodded at the spot on the bench beside himself that she had just left.

    Sona retook her seat, well aware of her aunt's gaze.

    "What about it?"

    "The first time we met, you told me you wanted to be a teacher who would accept everyone. Do you remember?"

    "I do," Sona couldn't help the smile that arose at the memory.

    Oh, if she had only known who she was talking to then... Actually, Sona wouldn't have changed anything.

    Still, Eren's approval had stuck out, if only because of what it meant to her.

    "You called it admirable. A good dream."

    "It is," Eren nodded, tapping his cane along the ground. "Do you remember what you said next?"

    Sona cast her mind back. While some parts stuck out, it had been a year and a half, and specific details had faded.

    "I thanked you for your words?" Sona half guessed.

    "No," Eren denied. "Your exact words were, 'I am dedicating everything to achieving it.'"

    That sounded about right to Sona's ears.

    She was a bit surprised he remembered her exact words, though.

    Sona was even more surprised when her aunt suddenly stopped her stretching to look at Sona in surprise.

    "What is it," Sona asked, uncomfortable with the sudden attention without knowing why she received it.

    "I am surprised you remembered," Mikasa said simply. "You were young."

    "Remembered what," Sona asked again, unsure what the two were talking about.

    "Our world, our military at least, had a salute," Eren explained sombrely, eyes lost on a distant horizon. "We, who believed we were all that stood between humanity and extinction, knew we could die at any moment. Knew the survival rate was abysmal. At that time, we did not have a nation, and though we had a king, very few of us ever actually fought for him or the institution. No, we were fighting for something else. Something greater than ourselves."

    Mikasa, in an almost unconscious act, stood with her back straighter. Her left hand fell behind her back, and her right rose to form a fist over her heart.

    "Shinzou wo Sasageyo."

    Then she shook her head, dropping the pose.

    It was as if the memory and salute were instinct rather than anything she had consciously thought about.

    Half of Sona heard the words in the language Mikasa and Eren occasionally spoke. Eldian, she guessed.

    Thanks to devils' ability to understand all languages, the other half heard it in the closest equivalent she could understand. Japanese, in this case.

    "'Dedicate your heart?' As good as any salute as I've heard," Sona nodded.

    She wasn't an expert on military subjects by any means, but she did know the basics. Salutes, flags, anthems, and marching songs were all tools to help create a sense of unity, of shared purpose and mission, in a military so that soldiers would focus less on themselves and more on the 'army' as a whole.

    "It was the salute of those going to die," Eren said plainly. "It meant to dedicate your heart to something so completely that, even when you died, you entrusted your comrades to carry your heart on. Our dream would not die with us. A dream, a future worth dying for. A horizon we were all chasing."

    "We all..." Mikasa started to say before shaking her head. "Or I guess most of us believed we were fighting humanity."

    "You showed me this salute?" Sona asked, not really remembering something like this.

    "When you were six or seven, you asked about my world," Mikasa said, wiping her sweat with a towel. "I told you I was part of a military. You wanted to know why I wanted to be a soldier and I didn't have an answer. I just told you I dedicated my heart to something and wanted to defend it. You spent the next few days telling everyone that would hear that you would dedicate your heart to anything and everything."

    Sona's face burned with shame, and she didn't look at Eren in fear of what his face would look like.

    "I thought here words were a coincidence," Eren said. Was Sona imagining it, or was there humour in his voice? "It was partly why I agreed to these lessons in the first place. I didn't mind helping a dream like that. I didn't know it came from you."

    "That never happened!" Sona protested, face aflame. "I don't remember any of that!"

    "It was before you had solidified your dream of being a teacher and a school for everyone. The words resonated with you," Mikasa said, pulling a bottle of water from the mini-fridge under the bench. Sona definitely wasn't imagining the humour in her aunt's voice. "We have magical recordings if you want. Serafall thought you were adorable and recorded you telling her you'd dedicate your heart to her. I'm surprised she hasn't used it to tease you."

    Now that Mikasa brought that up, Sona had vague recollections of saying something like that, but she had been so young at the time.

    She must have repressed the memory.

    Repressed it hard.

    "You stopped saying it when Serafall wanted you to say it while wearing a magical girl costume. 'Miracle Girl So-tan will dedicate her heart to justice!' If I remember correctly."

    "Aunty!" Sona whined, mortified by Mikasa's plain and deadpan delivery of her dark history.

    The way Mikasa said it, like she was talking about the weather, made it infinitely more embarrassing for the young heiress.

    Sona wanted to die.

    She wanted to dig a hole, crawl in, and bury herself alive.

    The shame was the primary reason it took Sona so long to notice the look in Mikasa's eyes.

    "You are messing with me," Sona accused her aunt. "Aren't you?"

    "The story is true," Mikasa said plainly, but she nodded. "But yes, I am. I've always been concerned about your habit of putting feelings aside for work. Your reactions are more genuine when you feel your pride has been damaged. It is half the reason your sister acts the way she does."

    Sona winced, acknowledging that Mikasa agreed with Eren about her workaholic tendencies. She knew that it was true, too. She did have a high sense of pride and fell to embarrassment quickly when it was poked.

    "You two planned this," Sona asked, glaring at Eren.

    "No," Eren shrugged. "We just work well together."

    "Fine," Sona sighed. "I will take more care not to lose myself in my dream and the work involved."

    "That's good, but..." Eren hesitated. "Not actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Both of you."

    That got their attention.

    Mikasa had been with Eren these last few months, almost every waking moment of every day. Anything he needed to say to her could be said without the other's present at any moment. Sona was sure they did so, talking about secrets from their world when nobody was around.

    It was odd that he needed to talk to both of them simultaneously.

    "Eren?" Mikasa asked, her plain tone giving way to worry and concern.

    "I..." Eren paused, closed his eyes and tightened his knuckles on his cane. He exhaled a deep breath. "I don't have much time left."

    It was like all air was sucked from Sona's lungs.

    She knew. Had known it. They all did.

    He had just said something similar only a few minutes ago.

    For a while, Sona had still held out hope that Eren would become a devil, even after rejecting Mikasa.

    Then she saw Rias make Rossweiss her Pawn and knew her friend would never use those pieces if hope remained.

    Eren would not be reincarnated.

    He would die a human.

    Sona had just drowned that realization in more work.

    Mikasa didn't look any less devastated than Sona, though her reaction was of grim acceptance.

    As if she had already prepared herself.

    Sona supposed her aunt had.

    Mikasa had already buried Eren once before, after all.

    "I've been talking with the others," Eren continued. "Trying to get them to understand. You two... You're all that's left."

    Rias had mentioned something to that effect, something about Eren acting differently with everyone, but Sona hadn't been around for most of that.

    Now, hearing his words, something clicked in her mind.

    "You're leaving a will behind," Sona guessed in the silence after Eren trailed off.

    "That's... not wrong," Eren said with hesitation. "I've done what I can to prepare the others, but I will entrust the rest to you two. I think... together, you can do it."

    "Do what?" Sona asked.

    "The hardest job of all," Eren said grimly. "Leading and teaching."

    Sona still didn't understand.

    Mikasa, though, understood Eren.

    She understood what was happening.

    After all, he had done this before.

    At least this time, he was clear about what he was doing before he died instead of running ahead and leaving them to figure it out.

    Maybe Eren really had changed.

    "He wants us to make sure there is not another Eren Yeager," Mikasa said hollowly.

    "What?"

    "In our world," Mikasa explained, her voice as dead as Eren's had ever been. "His death left a mess for us. One that took years to clean up. But he entrusted that mess to our friends. And me. You want me to do it again, don't you?"

    "It will not be the same," Eren denied, but his voice was weak. "I don't want it to be the same. But..." Eren shook his head and looked into Mikasa's eyes. "All I am asking you to make sure they do not make the same mistakes I did. That is it. Help them understand. Help them learn."

    "Understand what?"

    "That to dedicate your heart to a better future is dangerous," Eren said simply. "It must be done. Everyone born in this world has the right to live in it, and we inherit the hearts entrusted to us. But when you pass on your heart, when you dedicate yourself to a dream, you never know who will pick it up after you. Or what they will do with it."

    "You... want me to carry on your dream?" Sona shifted uncomfortably.

    "No. I've entrusted that to Rias. I want you to ensure she does not lose herself in it. I want you to pull her back. I want you to be a voice of reason."

    "Sona is not Armin, Eren!" Mikasa snapped protectively. "Don't put this on her."

    "I know that!" Eren snapped back, standing from the bench to loom over the shorter woman. "I am not asking her to be! I don't want her to be Armin. I want her to be Sona!"

    "What are you two talking about," Sona joined in, eyes narrowed in anger at being left out.

    The two former soldiers stared at each other briefly before Mikasa answered.

    "He's asking us to make a better world," the Pawn said, not taking her eyes off Eren's. "He wants you to try and fix this world's problems."

    "What?"

    "You cannot fix people," Eren shook his head in dismissal. "You cannot fix a world. War will follow peace, and peace will follow war. That is reality. Accept it."

    "What, exactly, are you trying to say, Eren?" Sona asked.

    "I want you to achieve your dream, Sona," Eren said plainly, his eyes finally tearing from Mikasa's to stare through Sona's glasses and into her own. "I want you to be a teacher who will teach anyone who is willing to learn. And I want you to teach the truth. No political spin. No flattery or lies. The brutal truth of what sort of monsters are out there."

    Mikasa's eyes widened at the realization of what Eren was truly asking.

    "I was going to do that anyway," Sona huffed, a bit affronted that Eren expected her to not already intend to do so.

    "No, Sona," Mikasa said, her voice filled with... fear? Sona looked back at her aunt and saw she was pale. "He means he wants you to teach about our world. To do that, he wants me to tell you everything."

    Why... did her aunt look so afraid?

    "They need to know," Eren said forcefully. "They need to know this path's risks and consequences. They need to know why we did what we did."

    "Please, Eren," Mikasa begged. "Please don't ask me to do this to them. They will not... They can't..." Mikasa seemed to search for the words, unable to express whatever she was trying to say. "Their memories will be tainted. Do you really want this? Can't we just be happy?"

    "I can only trust you with this," Eren said, voice laden with grief and self-recrimination. "If you weren't here, I wouldn't do this. They'd never learn, or if they did, they wouldn't understand. If I told them... If I had the time to tell them, they might not believe it. You saw it. You lived it. Please do this for me, Mikasa. Please do not let them make the same mistakes I did."

    "They are so young," Mikasa closed her eyes. "They won't understand why you... Why I..."

    Sona wanted to be affronted at the insinuation, but the pain writ clear across her aunt's face held her tongue.

    "You can't baby people just because you are stronger," Eren reprimanded gently.

    "Then what good is all this strength if I can't protect the ones I love!"

    Eren's face softened at the tears beading Mikasa's eyes.

    "You don't have to do it soon," Eren shook his head. "Sona is busy. They still have a while before they need to face it. But they need to know before walking down this road. There were too many corpses on ours. They need to look for another way. When they are ready, you need to tell them. Or history will just repeat itself. Please, Mikasa. You are the only one who can change the future."

    It was as if Eren had punched her.

    Mikasa swayed, and Eren stepped forward to steady her, pulling the Pawn tight against his chest.

    Sona felt distinctly uncomfortable as if witnessing a private moment for which she should not be present.

    "Sona," Eren said, still holding Mikasa close to himself. He looked over at the younger girl. "When you feel you are ready, you can ask Mikasa about our world again. She'll tell you. She's strong enough to tell you. And... You need to listen. No matter what you learn, you need to understand the reasons why it happened. Only then will you be able to teach others about it. Can you promise to do this?"

    Sona looked at her aunt, searching for any response or further denial.

    She received none.

    All Eren was asking was for Sona to gain access to information she had always been curious about, yet it felt more than that.

    It felt like there was some great, dark secret that would change her entire view of Eren and her Aunt. Like some yawning abyss that she would have to dive into if she actually agreed.

    Mikasa Ackerman had always hesitated to talk about her past, and Sona would finally know why.

    Yet she felt fear at the prospect more than joy.

    "I will," Sona said, her throat dry.

    "Good," Eren nodded. "As I said, I want you to be yourself and pursue your dream. Dedicate your heart to it. I know you can do it. Mikasa and the others will help you, but you need to be the ones to lead them."

    "Rias is too headstrong," Sona denied. "And the others will follow her."

    "She'll listen to you," Eren shook his head. "I know you aren't their King. That's for the best. They don't need a King. They need a friend and leader they can trust. I am trusting you to keep them in line. You need to be the one to make the hard calls. To need to be the one to pull them back when they run too far."

    "Eren," Sona said hesitantly. "What does this all mean? I don't understand."

    Sona was an intelligent girl, but even she was confused.

    Eren was simultaneously trying to pass his heart and dream onto her and Rias and trying to make sure they didn't make the same mistakes he and Mikasa did.

    It was contradictory and confusing, not helped by the fact that Eren didn't feel he could tell them what those exact mistakes were.

    Over the year and a half with Eren, Sona had pieced together the bare bones of the 'mistakes.' Eren had never hidden that he considered himself just as bad as the worst monsters out there, but it hit Sona then: she was missing something crucial.

    This was much, much bigger than any of them had suspected.

    The only thing Sona could say with any confidence at the moment was that both Eren and Mikasa were trying to protect them, but each had different methods.

    Mikasa wanted them safe and happy, taking the burden on herself, while Eren wanted them prepared to shoulder it themselves.

    "Mikasa will help you make sense of this later," Eren shook his head. "I can't be the one to tell you. While she might not be impartial, Mikasa will be much better than I. And she knows more than me. You can go to her for advice after I am gone. Trust her to support you."

    "I see," Sona said, looking away.

    "Not yet," Eren said softly. "But you will."

    Maybe she would. One day.

    But it didn't stop the ache in Sona's heart today.

    "Eren?"

    "Yes?"

    Sona hesitated for a long moment, then, swallowing her pride and embarrassment, she asked in a quiet voice.

    "Can... Can you hug me, too?"

    Sona's ears burned, and she couldn't look at the older boy.

    Her heart was pounding so hard, she was sure Eren could hear it.

    What must Aunty think?

    "...Sure."

    Sona didn't give herself time to psyche herself out. She dove for his open arm and, hesitantly, wrapped her arms around Eren and her Aunt.

    With one fist bunched in Eren's shirt, Mikasa wrapped the other around Sona.

    They might not have much time together left, but Sona didn't want to miss any more of it.

    For the first time, Eren sat in the center of the bench.

    This close, Sona could hear Eren's heartbeat.

    The heart he was entrusting to them all.

    It was not the love and the life Sona had hoped for with her crush.

    But no matter what the future held or what she learned, Sona would have memories like this to push her forward.

    Memories of warmth, of friendship, and of beauty.

    Despite all the pain that came before and would follow after. All the tragedy and sorrow.

    Despite learning of the Devil, Eren Yeager.

    His betrayal. His crimes. His war.

    Despite it all...

    Sona Sitri wouldn't once regret stopping to wake the dying boy on the bench.

    ********

    I won't say much about this chapter or the next.

    By this point, I want the story to speak for itself. If I've done a good job, it will. If I didn't, it won't.

    I will meet you all on Sunday for the last chapter of part 3.

    I'll be waiting on the bench.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Great chapter, nice to see how Sona is handling things, and seeing that see will come to learn of the atrocities that Eren did and still not have any regrets on meeting him is also nice. Though I hope that means that Sona does learn from his mistakes. Also feeling that Mikasa is in for a rough time having to explain about their world, which feels like a bit of a dick move on Eren's part to leave it up to her, for the second time at that. See you Sunday on the bench.
     
    Last edited:
    A Short Dream
  • Threadmarks
    • Mikasa Ackerman knew Eren Yeager.

    And she had been watching.

    It was easy to watch when every day that with him passed felt like a new miracle.

    Even now, after months, it still felt like she was living a dream. Every day, she awoke expecting to see the familiar ceiling of her small cabin in the woods, only to be met with the bare furnishings of Eren's extra room.

    These simple days of planting flowers in the park, of training young devils, of sitting on the bench by his side, talking about everything and nothing...

    They passed by so quickly, as if those four years they never had were condensed into two months.

    It was... everything to Mikasa.

    Everything to the woman who had killed the boy she loved.

    And through it all, Mikasa had been watching.

    Baring the occasional moment where she would visit Serafall or help the Peerages train, she spent her entire day by Eren's side.

    It was a fool who discounted Mikasa Ackerman's presence because she rarely spoke, who considered her dull because she rarely emoted, and who thought her weak because she chose to love again.

    Mikasa Ackerman was none of those things, even in this dreamlike time of happiness and reminiscence.

    Mikasa had been watching Eren.

    Nobody knew the boy on the bench as well as she did. The only possible exception had lived and died a world away.

    And Mikasa knew, Eren had changed.

    Not only from the boy she grew up with but from the man who had crushed the earth flat under his feet and wadded through an ocean of blood.

    She knew why.

    She was certain the Rumbling had an effect on Eren.

    It had affected them all, but Eren most of all. And he had never had the time to process it like she did. Eren had seen it coming but had not lived long enough to reconcile the actions he took.

    No matter what propaganda had said, he had never been an emotionless monster.

    Eren's problem had always been that he cared too much.

    He raged. He grieved. He believed. He loved. He despaired.

    Rage and grief had led to a promise to exterminate all titans. With his final breath, he had done so.

    Belief in an ideal had led him beyond the walls, beyond the sea, and beyond time and space in search of his freedom.

    His love of his friends, of his family, and of his home had seen him slaughter a world that wished for their extermination.

    Eren's despair over the actions he would take had led to years of fruitless search, and when that failed, death had been his only escape.

    And even then, he had used his death to fulfill his goals. He had destroyed a world so those he loved could build one of their own.

    All this because Eren cared.

    And the Rumbling had been the final result of Eren's care.

    An ocean of blood at the feet of a boy who only dreamed of freedom.

    Armin and Mikasa had spent years, decades, trying to understand Eren. They had failed while he lived, so they had refused to fail his memory.

    Mikasa could not say she understood him perfectly, even after all this time, but she had understood one thing from watching the boy on the bench.

    Eren was trying to be understood.

    It was a simple realization. Eren had said as much to more than a few of the children who joined him on the bench.

    But it was alien to the girl who had chased Eren's back for her whole life.

    It was only after his talk to Sona about the future that Mikasa truly realized what it meant.

    Eren was laying out a path.

    Not just running ahead, not just charging forward, forever attacking a world that cried for his blood.

    Eren was trying to lead these children to a better future.

    Even as he remained on the bench, he was still advancing, but now he had slowed down. Been forced to slow down.

    And, as he slowed, he reached out to those behind him for the first time.

    Mikasa had been wrong when she assumed Eren was trying to make Sona into another Armin.

    Eren was not making anyone into anything. All he was doing was showing the path that had been run before.

    Eren was trusting them to not make the same mistakes he had made.

    In doing so, he trusted Mikasa to be with these children, to remain by their side, and to remind them of those same lessons. To be a voice they could turn to when he was gone.

    He wanted them to live long and happy lives.

    Even if it meant the people he had come to see as friends learned of the boy who destroyed the world.

    Mikasa didn't think these devils would hate Eren when they learned of the Rumbling, but nor did she doubt they would be able to think of him the same way again.

    It was just another way Eren was trusting these children.

    So, when, on the morning before half of Eren's friends were set to return from their school trip, Eren suddenly asked Mikasa a question, and she was able to answer with full honesty and confidence.

    It was a vague question but one she understood.

    Mikasa had been watching, after all.

    "Could you do it again?"

    "I could."

    The answer was immediate and without hesitation. It clearly took Eren off guard, and he looked at Mikasa. As if questioning whether she truly understood the question.

    She looked back, willing him to understand her determination.

    "Even after all I did? Even after all the pain and death? Even after I hurt you, lied to you, manipulated you, and fought you?"

    "I could."

    "...Why?"

    Mikasa took a bit longer to answer this time, giving her words some thought.

    "...Because it's worth it."

    "Is it? Time and time again, I can't give you anything but pain and loss. I-"

    Eren closed his eyes, and Mikasa pretended not to have noticed the wetness in them.

    "I'm going to hurt you again. No matter what I do, I will hurt you again when I am gone. I don't want to, but I will. Because I can't change who I am."

    "I know," Mikasa said, resting her head on his shoulders. "It took me a long time to realize when I was a girl, but caring for you is to be hurt. Over and over again."

    "It's not right!"

    "No," Mikasa agreed with Eren's angry exclamation. "It's not. But it's what we have. The world was never about what was right or wrong. It is about fighting for the future we want. You taught me that."

    "...You hate fighting."

    "I do," Mikasa admited. "But I am good at it. I am strong. So, I will keep fighting for the future I want. One where we both live long, happy lives."

    "I wish you didn't have to be strong," Eren said almost petulently. "I wish I could have been the strong one."

    "I need to be strong. To keep chasing you. To catch you."

    "... You've caught me before."

    "Every time I do, you slip through my fingers. All I can do is hold on for as long as possible, and then you are gone again."

    Mikasa pulled away from Eren.

    He looked at her, and she smiled, resting a hand on the scarf around her neck.

    "I can do it all again," Mikasa said softly. "I chose to do this. I have always been free to choose what I want to do. Beyond life and death. Across worlds. The boy who wrapped this scarf around me. I will keep chasing him. As long as it takes."

    Eren's hands gently brushed against the red fabric, but he did not take it in his hands.

    As he did, his face contorted as if some tremendous internal struggle was taking place within his heart.

    Mikasa didn't say anything to press him.

    Eventually, and with a voice laden with guilt, Eren spoke.

    "I will not lie to you again," Eren said gravely, staring at the scarf. "I will not push you away. I will trust you to chase your own happiness, no matter what."

    "Thank you."

    "But... There are things you need to know. Before anything else, I need to tell you about her."

    Mikasa closed her eyes as her heart seized.

    For the last few months, there had been an unspoken agreement between both of them.

    Both knew each other. Both were jealous people.,

    But both wanted the other to be happy—even if they weren't the ones they were with.

    It was a painful dichotomy, one all too common in people.

    Both knew the other had moved on and were, in their own way, glad for it, but neither wanted to hear about the details.

    Mikasa had told Eren stories of her son, of the life she had lived and what had happened to the world he had left behind, but she had carefully avoided Jean.

    Just as Eren had carefully steered clear of his mysterious companion.

    In the few times he talked about his time in this world, there had been allusions to a woman, or at least a partner, who had accompanied him during his missions as a mercenary.

    "Why," Mikasa asked, not looking at Eren.

    "She got in touch with me again. Recently. While you were away. She knew about you. Who you are. What you mean to me."

    Eren's voice was flat, and he spoke in clipped sentences as if he didn't know how to explain anything but the facts.

    Mikasa didn't ask who this woman was, how she went unnoticed, or when this happened.

    Mikasa knew Eren.

    Any woman he came to care for would have to be not only competent but outstanding in some way. Everyone had fallen over themselves for Krista, the girl with angelic kindness.

    It was only Historia, the worst girl in the world, that Eren had come to admire.

    And it wasn't like Mikasa spent every second with Eren, as she didn't want to smother him. That had been a mistake of her youth, unable to recognize and control the emotions she felt. So she had given him what space she could.

    So no, Mikasa did not ask about Eren's lover. She truly did not want to know, even if Eren felt she needed to.

    Instead, Mikasa asked a more important question.

    "What do I mean to you?"

    Eren didn't answer.

    Instead, he continued his explanation.

    "I... I was alone. I didn't know why I was reborn. There was no Eldia. No Titans. None of our comrades. Armin wasn't here. You weren't here. So I... I just kept moving forward without knowing why. I fought. It's all I'm good at."

    Even with her eyes closed, Mikasa reached out to Eren's hand and held it in her own.

    "She was a tool. A comrade in only the sense that we fought together. We used each other. I never set out to... It was a side effect, I guess. I used her, and she used me, and somewhere along the way... it became something else."

    It hurt. It shouldn't hurt, but it did.

    Mikasa understood it. When you love someone, you want to be the one they loved in turn. You wanted their eyes only on you. Love is the most selfish of emotions.

    That didn't change that it hurt.

    A younger Mikasa, one who was unfamiliar with the world, her feelings, and love, would have sulked. Lashed out, maybe. Maybe she would have even hunted this woman down.

    What she would have done then, even Mikasa didn't know. It would not have been pretty, no matter what happened.

    But this was not a young Mikasa Ackerman.

    This was a grown woman, one who had lived a full life. One who had faced the worst the world could offer and come out stronger. One who had already lost the boy she loved. One who had killed her heart once before.

    So, she asked the most critical question.

    "Were you happy?"

    "No."

    Mikasa did not feel any pleasure, any satisfaction born of jealousy, at the answer.

    All she felt was grief and sadness.

    "But," Eren paused, lost in thought. "...I think I could have been. If not for my limit. If not for my power. I think I could have lived a long and happy life with her."

    Like Mikasa had with Jean.

    It went unsaid but understood.

    In some weird way, Mikasa was happy to hear that.

    Happy that Eren, after all he had done and endured, could still find happiness in a world not plagued by titans and not dependent on Mikasa's existence.

    Eren was going to die.

    But if there was another world beyond this one, she hoped he would find the happiness, the life he deserved.

    Eren and Mikasa were not soulmates, destined lovers, or anything of the sort. They were just two people who cared for each other.

    But that small amount of joy, even tainted by jealousy as it was, did not erase the grief and sadness that Eren was not happy now.

    There was a long minute of silence after Eren's confession, both processing their own complex emotions.

    Nobody ever loved only one person. Humans were not built like that, and neither were devils. Emotions were messy, complex, unclear, and, more often than not, contradictory.

    Still, Eren wasn't done.

    "I'm telling you this because... well," Eren said in embarrassment, and Mikasa opened her eyes finally to see him looking away, his cheeks flushed red. "Like I said, I talked to her recently. She... She wanted me to..."

    Mikasa furrowed her brows, not understanding the implications.

    Was this woman just as jealous as she was?

    Was Eren's lover telling him to tell Mikasa to leave?

    That Mikasa was not needed now that Eren had moved on?

    "Are you telling me to leave?"

    They had not expressed any romantic connection except for the kiss they shared when they first reunited.

    Mikasa wouldn't lie and say she hadn't wanted more, but knowing Eren had someone he had come to care about, she could understand why he had been hesitant to bring up anything of the sort.

    She would have been just as confused if Jean had still been around.

    Eren was not the sort of person to cheat. Mikasa knew that. It was why she had been content to not press him and remain by his side without bringing it up.

    Besides, both of them had been relatively content in each other's presence.

    Meeting again was already a gift that neither had ever expected.

    Still, if this woman thought she could chase Mikasa away without a fight, she was in for a surprise.

    "No!" Eren hurriedly said, face still red. "It's... It's not that."

    Mikasa still didn't understand.

    "What did she say," Mikasa asked.

    "It's... She knows how much you mean to me and..." Eren stuttered out.

    Of the man who had crushed a world, barely a shadow was left.

    Only a boy unused to expressing his feelings, or even talking about embarrassing subjects.

    Eventually, Eren took a deep breath, held it for a long moment, and exhaled.

    With his air, all his embarrassment left him, and he looked into Mikasa's eyes.

    "She wants me to be happy. Even if..."

    Oh.

    "Even if she's not the only one."

    OH.

    It took Mikasa an embarrassingly long time to realize what this woman had meant.

    It was her turn to blush.

    Even after spending more than a few days listening to Issei Hyoudou talk about harems and such, those thoughts were still alien to her.

    It still boggled her mind how open people were about such subjects, especially those who were part of the supernatural communities.

    Yes, they weren't human, and even among humans, there were some cultures that practiced polygamy.

    That didn't change the fact that Mikasa Ackerman was not the type of woman who really considered such things. She didn't have any judgment on those who did. She just never... really considered it.

    As possessive and jealous as Mikasa knew herself to be, she didn't even think she could have done what this woman did. If Mikasa knew Eren would definitely be happier with someone else, she could stand aside.

    Maybe.

    But Mikasa also knew Eren wanted her to be happy, and seeing him with someone else would, knowing it wouldn't ever be her... Mikasa certainly wouldn't be happy, just like Eren wouldn't be if he were to see her with Jean now.

    Did that make her a worse person than his mysterious lover?

    Not really. Just a different person.

    One who was almost wholly unable to really consider the long-term implications of such a decision at this moment.

    Especially considering Eren's current situation and limited time.

    In the end, Mikasa did what she usually did in these situations.

    "What do you want, Eren?"

    Eren leaned back on the bench, looking up at the white clouds passing through the blue autumn sky.

    He looked just as conflicted as Mikasa felt.

    Embarrassment. Jealousy. Shame. Grief. Love. Concern. It all roiled in Mikasa's gut.

    But she endured it, waiting for him to speak.

    "I... I want an answer."

    "An answer?"

    Eren looked at Mikasa, and their eyes met.

    Mikasa understood.

    She might never be able to fully understand 'Eren Yeager,' but she understood him there and then.

    She knew the question.

    A question Eren had gone to his death without knowing its true answer.

    It was a question he had wanted answered honestly for over nineteen years.

    She knew what she was going to say before he even asked.

    "Mikasa. What am I to you?"

    She knew what pain it would mean for her, what sorrow waited for her with her answer.

    Mikasa would still choose to do it all again.

    And Mikasa answered.

    Those three words Mikasa had whispered as her blade severed Eren's head from his spine eighty years ago.

    The three words that haunted her nightmares.

    Hearing her answer, a weight seemed to lift from Eren. A burden he had been carrying for too long had finally fallen, and he could finally breathe.

    As if, no matter what happened now, Eren was finally free.

    Hearing Mikasa's answer...

    "I love you."

    ...Eren smiled.

    ********

    Surprise.

    I decided to give you an extra chapter when the finale for part 3 got too long. I will still release one tomorrow, but I want to keep these chapters within the bounds I've set, and I've already gone way longer than I intended. So I pulled a Mappa.

    Complaints and comments (and there will be plenty) will have to wait for the next time we meet on the bench.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • fantastic chapter with a beautiful look into both Eren and Mikasa in a way that is rarely seen, and even though tragedy and sorrow are still going to come, it's nice that Mikasa and Eren got at least some closure together. See you tomorrow on the bench.
     
    Gwynx said:
    yuck, when Mikasa finds out that Eren used everyone again as damn chess pieces it will be very funny
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Nah, she already knows, at least subconsciously, he all but spelled for her and Mikasa is not wrong in saying that she's the one person closest to fully understanding Eren Yeager.

    At least that's my opinion, if you can prove me wrong by all means do so.
     
    The World that the Boy Saw
  • Threadmarks
    • Something was different.

    The young devils who joined Mikasa and Eren noticed the change almost immediately, but they couldn't quite pinpoint what.

    Something had happened with Eren and Mikasa, certainly, but neither of them made any mention, and, by and large, they acted as they usually did.

    So, the teenage devils enjoyed the pleasant evening air, with food, stories, and laughter in that clearing in the park with the bench. It was a time to unwind after the school trip and tell everyone about their time in Kyoto.

    Or be interrogated about it, as the case may be.

    What else could one expect when they were friends with Rias Gremory?

    "I'm so jealous," Rias pouted, kicking her feet petulantly. "I want to go to Kyoto."

    "You can teleport there whenever you want," Sona sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Though it would be better if you took the train, otherwise you will need to alert the Yokai of your arrival, and it might become an incident."

    "It's not the same," Rias whined. "Going to Kyoto on a school trip is a girl's Romance! A right of passage for all protagonists!"

    "Then you must be a side character," Akeno giggled slyly as her King stuck out her tongue at the Queen.

    "It was interesting," Yuuto said with a smile as he passed around samples of his newest recipes, which everyone accepted with delight. "While Japanese-style swords are not my usual preferences, they have some rather fascinating examples of various works in one of their museums."

    "Right!" Rias nodded eagerly. "I hear they even have a Masamune blade in the magical quarter. Gah! I want to see it!"

    "...Good food," Koneko said, adding her input to the conversation between bites of a rather delectable lemon and poppyseed scone.

    "The temples were really pretty," Asia joined in with a wide-eyed smile.

    "Which ones did you visit?" Rias asked in excitement. "Kinkaku-ji? Tenryu-ji? Tell me you at least took pictures of Tou-Ji!"

    "All three," Issei nodded with a smile. Asia fused over him, brushing crumbs from his shirt. "And we had time to visit Arashiyama. We even ran into a Tanuki!"

    "Were there any issues," Sona asked with concern. "The Yokai are not fond of devils."

    "Ah, um, no. We saw a few, but, um, they didn't try anything."

    "What our Rook isn't saying," Akeno said, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Is that almost all of them asked for his autograph. Apparently, Oppai Dragon is being broadcast to other factions now."

    "How do you know?" Rias asked, wondering how her Queen had heard of this and she hadn't.

    "Rossweiss told me," Akeno said guilessly. "She was chaperoning, and we've been texting. I've been giving her advice on being a devil."

    Rias narrowed her eyes at her Queen, well aware of their ongoing bet but unwilling to concede.

    Ravel was this close to officially joining Issei's harem.

    Rias could feel it.

    "The show is way more popular than I expected," Issei said, completely missing the by-play. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I think it's making Ddraig sad. He's been sighing a lot lately."

    "The Divine Dragons have been a staple of the Supernatural world since before recorded memory," Sona lectured. "They are figures of fear and awe, and every faction of any significant history has dealt with them before. Their Sacred Gear holders are just as, if not more, infamous due to their tendency to do battle wherever and whenever they wish, without regard for what is around them."

    "...They destroy cities. Or countries," Koneko deadpaned. "People talk."

    "The premise of having a show based on one of them would attract international attention, even discounting its quality," Sona continued. "And, if I give her nothing else, my sister's studio would not give anything less than their best."

    "She won't say it, but I think Serafall likes the competition," Mikasa said, a small smile on her face. "She complained that the industry was getting boring, but she's been more fired up than usual. She even told me they are planning a crossover episode."

    "...Cool," Koneko nodded.

    "Will the mysterious 'senpai' show up in it," Akeno asked with a look at Eren, who shuffled uncomfortably. "Maybe Miracle Girl Levia-tan's secret crush?"

    "No."

    "A tengu we met asked about him, you know," Yuuto said conversationally as if he didn't notice Eren's discomfort. "I didn't really know what the studio has planned, so I just said he was an important character that would play a larger role later."

    "Ravel's been keeping me updated on everything related to the show," Issei chimed in. "The devil forums are full of rumours and theories. Some think he's Oppai Dragon's brother or rival. Others are convinced he's secretly the big bad. He even has fans!"

    "That is a bit excessive," Sona frowned. "A character that only appeared once for a few seconds is that popular?"

    "Twice," Akeno said, holding up two fingers. Eren looked at her in horror. "The one in the movie, and in the most recent episode, my character had a flashback of her own. A younger version receives encouragement from a boy on a bench to throw off society's expectations."

    "Please tell me you're kidding."

    "His words give her strength to declare her own desires like Oppai Dragon without shame," Akeno said, wrapping her arms around herself as if in a tight embrace. "She becomes a recurring supporting character who uses whips and leather. 'Mistress Night.'"

    "Akeno," Eren asked desperately, knowing that the Queen definitely influenced such a story. "Why? Just... Why?"

    "Because it's funny," Akeno giggled.

    "It certainly helped the rumours," Rias nodded sagely. "You should never underestimate a fandom, Sona. They will pick apart even the tiniest detail and come up with the wildest theories. That is what happens when you love something so much. You are always thinking about it. Then the creator will pull the rug, and everyone will go, 'Wow! How did we miss this!' That is the beauty of anime!"

    "Please don't go on another rant about anime," Sona sighed in despair. "I only have tonight and the morning off. I don't want to spend my limited free time listening to a weeb preach."

    Rias, in a demonstration of her maturity and grace, stuck her tongue out at her rival.

    "Did they have television in your world, Senpai," Issei asked Eren.

    "Not before I died," Eren denied but looked at Mikasa.

    "We had something similar," she nodded simply as she munched on a cookie. "They were still new, though."

    "If you don't mind, Aunty," Sona said, leaning forward curiously. "I would love to hear about your world. Nothing important," Sona hurried to say at the frown almost overtaking her aunt's face. "Just its society and technology. I imagine its development without the influence of magical races is wildly different than this one's."

    "...Maybe later," Mikasa said, with a sideways glace at Eren.

    Sona nodded, swallowing her curiosity for the moment.

    Rias took that opportunity to ask more about the Kyoto trip, the sights the second years had seen, and how she would have done things differently.

    Rias had the layout of the famous Japanese city memorized and her ideal itinerary already planned.

    It was the one time she was more organized than Sona.

    "I'm sure I can get passes for the Yokai side," Rias said passionately. "Their leader, Yakasa, occasionally lets diplomatic envoys tour the imperial gardens and temples."

    "You are not a diplomatic envoy," Sona said after swallowing the last of her muffin. Then, before Rias could reply, she cut her off. "And no, you cannot use your family's influence to make you one. Besides, you hate throwing your brother's name around."

    "Kyoto is worth it!" Rias declared without shame. "And the Yokai side still has buildings dating back to before the Jomon period. You cannot say you aren't interested."

    Sona paused as if the thought really was tempting. Then she shook her head.

    "No, it would be a gross misuse of authority."

    "... Boring."

    "I am not," Sona protested as almost everyone giggled at Koneko's deadpan.

    No.

    Not 'almost.'

    Everyone.

    The laughter died quicker than it arrived as everyone stared at Eren in wide-eyed shock.

    "Did you just..." Rias asked, unable to even ask the question.

    "What," Eren asked, uncomfortable with the attention.

    "He did," Mikasa said with surety, her own smile radiant despite its subtlety.

    "Yes!" Koneko clenched her fists in victory. Then she held them out to Akeno. "Pay up."

    Still in shock, the Queen absently handed over a bundle of yen thicker than her wrist that appeared from nowhere.

    Koneko hopped on Eren's lap, shuffled to get comfortable, and then started counting her winnings. Satisfied it was all there, the Rook stuffed the money in her bag.

    She'd be ordering the imported sweets tomorrow, and Rias couldn't nag her for spending her allowance since she had lost as well.

    It was a good day to be Koneko.

    By the time the younger girl was done, the group had largely gotten over their shock and were back to talking and laughing, even happier than before.

    Seeing that everyone, especially Eren, was in such high spirits, Rias decided to try her luck.

    "What about you, Eren?" She asked. "Was there anywhere you wanted to visit?"

    Eren's birthday was still months away, but Rias had not forgotten about her failure this year. She wanted to do something memorable this time and was gathering information to plan it later. Nothing too large, but something Eren would enjoy.

    Especially since it might be the last they have to celebrate.

    (It should be noted that Rias' birthday was a national holiday in Gremory territory, so her ideas tended to be a bit... grand.

    What she considered 'not too large' was already at the stage of renting out an entire amusement park or reserving whole sections of a city so they wouldn't be disturbed.

    Needless to say, if Eren knew what she was thinking, he would have been completely befuddled by her thought process.)

    "Not really," Eren said casually.

    "Really? Nowhere?"

    "No."

    "What about you, Aunty?" Rias asked, judging that Eren wasn't lying.

    "Me neither," Mikasa shook her head. "We didn't have many options. Most buildings and cities in our world were less than fifty or a hundred years old."

    "Then what about the favourite place you've visited," Sona suggested, catching on to what Rias was doing.

    They were both committed to making sure Eren's birthday was as memorable and enjoyable as possible.

    (Sona, at least, had a more reasonable sense of scale when it came to such occasions.

    She was much more likely to do something small but meticulously planned down to the last minute. One could argue that expecting people to adhere to such a schedule was even more unrealistic than Rias, but Sona showed how much she cared in the details.

    And she had a lot of details planned for Eren.

    This was despite the fact that her birthday was also a holiday, one even more famous thanks to Miracle Girl Levia-tan celebrating it every year with a special episode. Naturally, the reach of Underworld's most popular TV show should not be underestimated. Hundreds of millions of devils celebrated her birthday in big and small ways.

    Every.

    Year.)

    Mikasa and Eren looked at each other as if in silent communication.

    "The sea," Eren eventually said, and Mikasa nodded.

    "Truly," Akeno asked. "We could have gone this summer if we had known."

    "Not to swim," Mikasa denied. "The sea is... it's special."

    "How come?" Rias asked curiously. "You've seen it before, right?"

    Not only had Mikasa been around for decades, but Eren had travelled the world as a mercenary. Both should have seen the sea plenty of times.

    "It's not that," Mikasa shook her head with a small smile. "The first time we saw the ocean... It meant something."

    The group looked at the pair in silent question.

    "'Did you know?'" Eren said, looking to the sky.

    His voice was lighter than almost anyone there had ever heard him.

    It sounded like he was quoting a book.

    Or someone he knew.

    "'Most of the world is covered by a water body known as the sea. And the sea is entirely made of salt water. It's large enough to never run out. Beyond the wall... there's a sea. On the other side of the sea... is freedom.'"

    It finally struck those young devils.

    What had been off while they talked, joked, and laughed.

    Eren's expression.

    For most of the afternoon, almost imperceptibly, Eren had been smiling.

    The most minor, most content of smiles.

    "Ah," Rias swallowed her suddenly dry throat and tried to speak again. "If you want, we can go to the sea. It's not far. I can't teleport us using my house's sigil, since you aren't a devil, but I can call a ride."

    Then, her eyes lit up with an idea.

    "Actually, my family has a private island off the coast with a small home. We can stay the night!"

    That seemed to shake the group out of the strange state Eren's words and expression had put them in.

    "It isn't a school night," Sona acknowledged with a tilt of her head. "And we do have the finals for the tournament coming up. We have been training hard, and some time to relax will do everyone some good. Very well."

    "Awesome!" Issei said, standing with excitement. "I haven't seen the sea in years."

    "Ufufu," Akeno giggled at the younger boy's enthusiasm. "We won't be wearing swimsuits, though. It's too late in the year to go swimming."

    Issei immediately wilted, and Yuuto consolingly patted his dejected friend on the back.

    Mikasa looked at Eren with a raised brow.

    Eren looked surprised, but after a moment, his expression settled, and he nodded.

    His smile was just a bit smaller, though.

    It took little effort to clean up the clearing with the bench and put the blanket, utensils, and food away in the storage container and mini fridge.

    Before she could call a ride, Mikasa whispered something in Rias's ear.

    The redhead frowned in thought, then nodded at Sona to come over. Leviathan's Pawn repeated the action to her honorary niece.

    "It should be possible," Sona said, also frowning in thought. "It's common enough for magicians, but devils usually don't usually need it except for familiars."

    "Do it," Mikasa told her. "It is important to him."

    Her words took the two Kings by surprise.

    Something so banal and mundane was important? If they had known, they would have done it a while ago.

    The sea and now this? It made them curious about what else they didn't know about Eren, even after a year and a half by his side.

    Eren looked at the exchange curiously, but none of the three women answered his silent question.

    Instead, Sona just approached him and held out her hand, pressing it against Eren's chest as she furrowed her brows in concentration.

    "What are you doing?" Eren asked.

    "One moment," Sona said.

    Then she started to glow with blue power as the magical circle of the Sitri house covered her arm. The blue circles flowed like water from Sona's arm, and Eren flinched as they passed into him in a wave.

    Nothing seemed to happen, though.

    "It should work and last for a few hours," Sona said, stepping away with a frown at her aunt. "But we don't really have the time for him to get used to it if we want to go to the sea tonight."

    "It works like ours?" Mikasa asked, and Sona nodded. "Then he already knows what to do."

    "Even new devils take a few weeks or months to get used to it," Rias pointed out, worried for Eren. "It's even more difficult for humans. Their brains aren't used to thinking in the way they need to move safely."

    Mikasa just shook her head at the younger devils with a small smile.

    Then, without warning and in a voice that commanded attention and obedience, Mikasa barked a few clipped sentences.

    "Incoming! East side! Twenty meters! Treetops! You have the nape!"

    While the young devils jumped in surprise at the sudden orders that didn't make any sense, Eren had acted on instinct.

    His body had whirled to face the east, one hand tightening on his cane and pressing a trigger that didn't exist while the other balanced himself.

    A few of the more observant noticed how his hips were perfectly pointed toward the top of a tree trunk, but that was all they had time to notice.

    Suddenly, Eren was off, flying through the sky with a cry of surprise.

    Mikasa was flying right behind him, her wings extended and a slight smile on her lips.

    "Wha," Issei asked dumbly.

    He wasn't the only one surprised.

    "It will be quicker if we fly," Rias said with a shrug, taking off after Eren and Mikasa, still slightly worried Eren would fall or hit something.

    The rest extended their own wings, taking flight as well. At least Sona had the foresight to cast the usual disguising magic so people would see a bunch of teenagers flying through the air.

    "How did he do that?" Yuuto asked curiously, pulling up beside the Sitri King. "It took me weeks to learn to fly that quickly."

    "What spell did you use," Akeno asked curiously.

    "Nothing fancy," Sona said. "Standard flight spell used to give landlocked familiars the ability to follow their partner in the air. It mirrors devil's flight magic, but it requires training to use."

    "... Mysterious," Koneko summarized.

    They didn't get an answer to their question as they chased Eren's shadow across the sky.

    Eren had no problem staying in the air, though he initially flew in starts and stops as if he were being pulled by ropes rather than carried on wings.

    Eventually, though, he gained the trick of it.

    Eren stopped in the air, hovering and looking at his hands in wonder.

    He looked above and around him, searching for something holding him aloft. He looked under his feet for a platform that wasn't there.

    The only one with him was Mikasa, smiling slightly at him. The others were flying toward him as well.

    It hit him.

    He was flying.

    Maybe not with his own power, but with his own will, Eren was flying.

    He could contain himself no longer.

    Eren took off toward the sky.

    No longer carried, he rose by his own will.

    Up.

    Up.

    Up.

    Eren breached the clouds.

    There, in the light of the dying autumn sun, with white clouds beneath him, the blue sea in the distance, and his arms wide as if they were his own wings, a sound rang out through the air.

    There was no mistaking it this time.

    The voice was deep, weathered by time and tragedy, but there was something pure and boyish in the laugh that resounded through the air.

    Flying right behind him, Mikasa smiled.

    Behind her, a group of young devils chased Eren through the clouds with their own laughter. Seeing Eren like this, the usually so dour and taciturn man... They couldn't help but laugh.

    They flew to the ocean, free and happy.

    The great blue sea stretched out infinitely below them as Rias led the group toward a private island the Gremory owned.

    Even flying, it took the better part of an hour to reach the white beaches.

    Nobody complained.

    Not when they could see the smile on the boy's face.

    The way he rose and fell through the clouds, travelling at speeds most reincarnated devils did not achieve for years, made it seem like Eren Yeager was born to fly.

    Even when they arrived at the 'small home,' a mansion in its own right, Eren continued to spend hours flying over the waves, trailing his fingers through the surf until the spell wore off.

    Sona offered to cast again, but Eren shook his head and remained with them on the beach.

    They remained by the ocean for hours, Rias calling the rest of her Peerage to teleport to the island and Sona doing the same for hers.

    The new arrivals brought more food with them, and a bonfire was lit as they sat on the beach.

    The impromptu party by the sea lasted well into the night, devils being naturally nocturnal creatures. Most didn't have anywhere to go the next day.

    Eren?

    Well, he was the only human there.

    It didn't stop him from staying with them till the late hours of the night.

    His smile might not have been as wide, his laughter not as loud.

    But it was there.

    Eren laughed.

    Eren smiled.

    Looking back, everyone would be able to tell something had been different about him.

    Not just his smile but his words and actions.

    For that one night, Eren lived the life of a boy his age should.

    As if all his burdens had been lifted.

    As if he was at peace.

    As if he didn't want the night to end.

    But everything ends.

    And Eren was only human.

    As the bright moon danced on the waves, Eren told them he'd see them all later as he made his way to one of the guest rooms of the Gremory Mansion.

    Nobody commented when Mikasa followed him in without a word.

    It was everything they needed.

    Everything they both needed.

    For one night, they were truly happy together.

    It wasn't perfect. Nothing ever was.

    But it was theirs.

    It was all they had for a moment, and for the moment, their love was all they needed.

    When morning came, and Mikasa woke alone in bed, she did not grieve for what was to come.

    For a few moments, as she lay amidst the memory of their shared warmth, Mikasa allowed herself to smile.

    To be happy for the memories she had made on the bench and off of it.

    For a few moments, Mikasa Ackerman remembered the beauty of the world.

    Then she steeled herself to face its cruelty.

    Getting up, Mikasa did not dress in the casual clothes she usually wore.

    Instead, she pulled her combat clothes from her storage tool.

    Leaving her room, she didn't say anything to the young devils eating breakfast, even when they called out to her.

    Mikasa marched straight to the teleportation circle to return to the Occult Research Club under their confused gaze. This was a Gremory building, not Sitri, so their wards would stop her teleportation tool if she left from anywhere else.

    It was fine, though.

    Mikasa knew where to go.

    Eren wouldn't have gone to the austere house they had shared over the last few months.

    Mikasa had been watching.

    This time, Mikasa had not lied to herself.

    Eren had changed.

    But he was still Eren Yeager.

    And she had promised him.

    Mikasa could do it all again.

    Mikasa would do it all again.

    If it meant meeting the boy who wrapped this scarf around her neck, she would do it a thousand times.

    One world or a hundred worlds.

    Two thousand or twenty thousand years.

    Mikasa would chase Eren

    Until they could have that long, happy life together.

    It was just a tragedy that this did not seem to be the world where that would happen.

    In a mirror of that day, only a few months ago, Mikasa flew toward the bench.

    This time, she didn't rush. She even took her time.

    Mikasa braced herself for what she would find.

    She steeled her will to fight once more.

    She'd pick up that knife as many times as it took.

    No longer in a daze, in that dreamlike state that had seemed so common over the last few months, Mikasa approached the bench.

    Somehow, despite being prepared for anything, even an empty bench, Mikasa was still surprised.

    "Nyaa? You're early," Black Cat Kuroka said with a smile as she hopped off the bench she had been lying on,

    Her seven tails swayed behind her as she sashayed her way up to Mikasa.

    Mikasa didn't say anything at the sight of the infamous criminal.

    She just pulled two swords from her storage and got ready for a fight.

    "Nyahahaha," Kuroka laughed mischievously and held her hands in the air. "I'm not here to fight. I am here to surrender. Turn myself in. Repent my wandering ways. Become a good kitty."

    "Why should I believe you," Mikasa asked, her voice flat and dead as she stared at the cane held aloft in the Stray Devil's hands, the two wings carved into the handle.

    "Nyaa? Didn't that scary maid say she'd promise me my life if I surrendered?"

    "I am not Grayfia."

    "What if I said... Pretty please?"

    Faster than she had ever moved before, Mikasa pressed the blade of her sword against Kuroka's neck.

    Kuroka grinned wickedly, completely unfazed.

    Mikasa wouldn't kill her.

    They both knew it.

    They both knew what this was about.

    They both knew who this was about.

    "What if, as the vice leader of the Chaos Brigade, I promised to tell you everything about its leader, Eren Yeager?"

    If only nobody had followed Mikasa and heard those words, perhaps things would have gone differently.

    Perhaps Mikasa could have shielded those young devils from the horrors of the world.

    Perhaps they could have gone on living a happy, innocent life and not tinged with betrayal.

    Then again, the world would become just as Eren willed it to be.

    Mikasa closed her eyes in resignation at the voices of surprise, shock, outrage, and indignation coming from the young devils who had followed her.

    Mikasa heard Sona's voice among them.

    She hadn't changed either, it seemed.

    She still wasn't strong enough to keep those she loved safe.

    Even when she had known something like this was coming.

    Despite being surprised by Kuroka's presence and Eren's cane in the nekoshou's hand, Mikasa was unsurprised by her declaration.

    After all, more than anyone else in this world or another, Mikasa Ackerman knew Eren Yeager.

    The boy who left the bench.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • I almost want to say this isn't a surprise.

    Because this has been building for a long time, the buildup was all there for us to see:

    We already knew Eren had a plan in motion, one he was waiting to see finished, and meeting Mikasa again didn't change that.

    Chaos Brigade still seeks to free humanity from the Supernatural species.

    Eren has asked Mikasa if she could do "it" again. And back in the first chapter, Future Eren asked Eren if he could do "it" again as well.

    Eren's relief when he was finally, finally able to tell Mikasa how he felt.

    Mikasa's expression when she heard Eren ask her to do "it" again. To tell his story, all the sins and glories.

    And one last night for Eren and Mikasa to spend together, and with their friends....

    And here it is. The beginning of the end.

    It still hits just as hard, though.

    Farewell, halcyon days.

    Farewell, until it's time for Eren to pass on, oh Bench.

    Guess it's time to see what a Chaos Brigade under Eren's Path can achieve when they fight for human Freedom.

    ...
    ...
    ...
    ...

    .......oh shit.
     
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    Awesome chapter, glad Eren got to experience the freedom of flight, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Kuroka will reveal and how ever one will handle this revelation. See you Friday on the bench, I think.
     
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    Memories of the Past
  • Threadmarks
    • Kuroka slunk quietly through the Dantalion estate.

    She was taking a gamble here, being in the home of one of the prominent Pillar families while the Naberius agents were hunting her, but she needed to get out of the Underworld as soon as possible. The public transit stations would be heavily monitored, and she wasn't strong enough to teleport between realms.

    Yet, Kuroka told herself.

    She wasn't strong enough yet.

    One day, she would be.

    She'd be strong enough to come back here, rescue Shirone, and leave.

    She'd be so strong that they'd be able to live together and wouldn't have to worry about starving or being victims ever again.

    The thought of her sister made Kuroka's heart ache, but she swallowed the tears.

    She could curl up and cry when she was safe. All she could do for now was hope that Shirone would make it. Kuroka had wanted to take her with her, but she hadn't been strong enough to deal with all the Naberius devils and keep Shirone safe at the same time.

    Kuroka would have to content herself with killing her King and destroying the research on Senjutsu, even if it meant she couldn't prove her innocence.

    A small price to pay if it meant protecting Shirone.

    Nobody should have too much interest in Shirone now. By law, her sister could not be held accountable for Kuroka's crime.

    The new Stray Devil tried to ignore the whisper in her mind that most Pillar families ignored the law when it pleased them.

    She failed.

    Still, the failings of the devil government were a boon at this moment. Pillar families were allowed to maintain teleportation circles to the human world that were entirely private. The Dantalion house was no different, despite being on the weaker end of the remaining 32 Pillar families.

    Kuroka knew little about the family, just that their clan trait was relatively weak in a direct fight, and their territory was somewhere in Africa. It was enough to know that they weren't a big house, by noble standards at least, and kept to themselves.

    Which meant less guards and scrutiny as she snuck through the halls, as silent as a cat in the night.

    In and out with nobody the wiser, that was the goal.

    Kuroka was exerting her full effort, whether with her Youjutsu, magic, or Senjutsu, to remain invisible and undetected as she searched the unnecessarily large manor for their teleportation room.

    Eventually, she found something by following the life signs she detected using her Senjutsu.

    Not the teleportation room.

    "-ver one human?" An apathetic voice asked.

    Kuroka snuck closer, hoping to either overhear what they were saying or discover where they would avoid the speakers. One was on the stronger end of High Class, while the other was only Mid at best, so Kuroka could take them if it came to a fight.

    ...Maybe.

    It had been a few days without food or sleep, and Kuroka wasn't at her peak state either.

    "A human that managed to defeat Griselda Quarta," a second voice answered defensively. "I've been keeping track of him for a few years now. He's talented, brutal, smart, and follows orders. He'll make a good Pawn."

    "He is a human boy with no magic, skills, or Sacred Gear," the first man snorted derisively. "You should have captured that woman instead of missing such an opportunity. Or her Holy Sword. Both would make good trophies. Instead, you took a child. If you fill your Peerage with weaklings we will never rise in rank. Kill him and find someone else."

    "I will if he does not meet my expectations, but once Whisper takes control, I'll reincarnate him. I do not wish to end up like Naberius. You can test him then, Father. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised."

    "Very well. It won't be too late to take your Pawn back then. He better be worth all the effort."

    "If nothing else," the younger man said with some humour. "Someone called the 'Child of Evil' is destined to be a devil."

    "You got your love of dramatic irony from your mother."

    "That is not how she tells it. She told me yesterday that you-"

    The two devils turned a corner, and Kuroka stopped listening.

    The Black Cat's mind raced a mile a minute.

    That was probably Lord Dantalion and his heir. Based on their conversation, they had recently returned from the human world with a prospective new devil in tow.

    Now, Kuroka was faced with a dilemma.

    Whoever they captured might know where the teleportation circle was if they weren't unconscious when brought to the Underworld.

    But sneaking around with someone else would be infinitely more difficult than doing it alone.

    There was also no guarantee they would help Kuroka.

    She had seen how the test subjects would do anything if they thought it would save them from being the next one under the knife. They might yell and try to turn her in if it meant going free.

    In the end, Kuroka decided it was worth the look if only to find out who had defeated the legendary Griselda Quarta.

    Curiosity led the Black Cat down halls and peeking into rooms.

    Senjutsu allowed her to feel the life force of everyone in the mansion, but even though Dantalion was small for a Pillar family, that still meant their manor was massive and filled with hundreds of servants. Kuroka had no idea who she was looking for.

    Following the rule of thumb, because most devils were cliche like that, Kuroka searched for a basement dungeon.

    And, after only a half hour, she found a passage barred with a thick door and two guards flanking it.

    It definitely looked like the type of place that led to a dungeon and maybe a teleportation room.

    Invisibly, and with her presence as suppressed as possible, Kuroka wove an illusion over the guards so they didn't notice her paw one of their keys and slip through the door.

    Because devils were creatures of opulence, even this part of the mansion was needlessly vast and sprawling.

    It was only after descending two flights of stairs, passing through four wine cellars, and carefully avoiding a room that smelled so thickly of sex that Kuroka was sure it was a different kind of dungeon that the Stray Devil found the actual prison cells.

    Only one was occupied.

    A young boy, only about nine or ten, hung from the wall by chains wrapped around his arms and legs.

    It was clear the bonds were designed for full-grown men and women, so they painfully hung his arms over his head and pulled his legs down. He was bruised and bloody, though without any severe wounds that Kuroka could see.

    Magic swirled around him. Not his own but that of the younger Dantalion she had seen upstairs. Sounds and sigils flashed intermittently in the air as if whispering words that were just out of reach.

    Kuroka didn't know if this was the Dantalion bloodline ability or a really advanced spell, but it was perhaps the most complete hypnosis spell she had ever witnessed. Leave someone in there long enough, especially a human without a devil's ability to resist magic, and eventually, they'd be reduced to a mindless servant.

    All this Kuroka noted with a glance, prodigal as she was with magic.

    It was for the best because her whole focus was on the boy.

    The boy staring at her.

    Grey eyes stared right at her from under filthy brown hair matted with blood and dirt.

    Kuroka took a step back, fearful that she had been caught.

    Then she realized she must be imagining things. She was still invisible and had her Ki suppressed. Only a supremely talented mage or sage would be able to sense her.

    Then the boy spoke in a voice that was flat and empty of all emotions.

    "Black Cat Kuroka."

    This time, Kuroka did flinch.

    "I want to make a deal with you," the boy continued, still staring at her.

    Kuroka dropped her invisibility, though she kept her presence suppressed just in case anyone in the manor above had a sensing ability.

    "A deal, nyaa," she said, sashaying her way closer to the cell bars. She was disconcerted but wouldn't allow this boy, whoever he was, to see that. She wasn't really dressed to impress, being dirty and not having bathed in days, but he was too young to have that sort of worry. "With you? What sort of deal? And how did you know I was here?"

    If there was a flaw in her stealth, she needed to know about it right away.

    "A deal of mutual benefit. You train me in Senjutsu, follow my orders, and act as my right-hand woman."

    The way the boy spoke, so empty and emotionless, sent shivers down Kuroka's back.

    She didn't let it show, though. She couldn't show weakness.

    Kuroka had learned that the hard way.

    "Ara? You want Onee-sama to be your lap-kitty? I don't wannyaa. I killed the last man to try."

    "In return, I promise to give you the chance to reunite with Shirone."

    Claws pressed into the child's throat, drawing a trickle of blood as feline yellow glared into impassive grey.

    "Who are you," Kuroka hissed angrily.

    She was tired. She was hungry. She was afraid.

    Kuroka was at the end of her rope and one wrong move from this boy could very well send her over the edge.

    "My name is Eren Yeager," the boy said impassively. "I know about the experiments. I know you killed your King to save your sister. I know how to clear your name. I know how to give you a chance to make up with her."

    "How do you know all this," Kuroka demanded, skin tearing further under her claws. "Are you with the Naberius? Have you been spying on me?"

    "I know this because you tell me it," Eren answered. "I know because I can see the future."

    "No Sacred Gear can see the future," Kuroka denied. "Not even the Agares can see the future."

    "It's not magic. It's not a Sacred Gear. Just me. You don't have to believe me now. You will later."

    "I'd be more likely to believe you if you didn't end up in a lordling's dungeon," Kuroka taunted, trying to draw the boy's anger. Maybe he'd let the truth slip. There was no way he could see the future. "What's wrong, boyo? Didn't see this coming, nyaa?"

    "It was the quickest way to meet you after you killed your King," Eren answered easily. "I can escape any time I want."

    Kuroka lept backward as Eren's open wounds crackled with small bursts of electricity.

    A silvery-white material flowed from Eren's back and sharpened into a scythe-like blade.

    Kuroka readied herself to teleport through the bars again, but she needn't have bothered.

    She was not the target.

    In one swift motion, the blade severed the child's arms and legs.

    Eren fell from the wall, landing on the ground with a 'SPLORT' of blood from his severed limbs.

    Kuroka watched it all with horrified disgust.

    What sort of mad child had she found?

    Then she noticed something.

    Steam wafted from the wounds as the white substance lifted the boy from the ground and propped him against the wall so he could look at Kuroka once more.

    His wounds... They were healing.

    Quickly.

    Incredibly quickly. Far faster than any regeneration she had ever heard of outside of gods.

    It would be only a few hours before the boy regained fully functional arms and legs.

    That was insane. Even the best healing in the world could not regenerate limbs. Healing miracles were one reason the God of the Bible gained such a following.

    Eren didn't seem to care about what he had just done to himself.

    Like he was so used to pain that he didn't even feel it.

    "Give me ten years," Eren said in that emotionless voice. "I will give you a chance to reunite with your sister. I can't promise she will take you back. I never meet her, so I can't see her. But I can promise to give you the opportunity. We will work together for ten years. We will make each other stronger than either of us can be alone. I will make sure your hunters never catch you. I will use you, and you will use me."

    "...Neat trick," Kuroka tried to make her voice teasing, but she failed. "It won't be enough to deal with anyone after me. You cut off your limbs because you couldn't cut the chains, right?"

    "That's right," Eren nodded easily. "Without being able to use my Ki, I cannot fight most Ultimate Class beings. I can take them by surprise, but if I don't, I will just be a punching bag without Senjutsu."

    "So you are useless right now," Kuroka said flatly, finally regaining some composure after the disconcerting sight. "You might be useless forever. You are not a Nekoshou. It will take years of constant training before you can even sense your Ki. Years more before you can use it. And decades to gain access to Senjutsu, if you ever can."

    "Within a year, I will be better than you," Eren said plainly. "Within three, we will take over a faction with the True Longinus as its leader. Within five, I will be equal to a Super Devil. In seven, I will be leading a force with gods in it. In ten, I will be the fourth strongest being in this world."

    "Only fourth," Kuroka laughed at the absurd claim. "Why not claim you can beat Great Red while you're at it? Can you do that in fifteen years? Twenty?"

    "In eleven, I will be dead."

    The laughter stopped.

    Kuroka looked at the boy who calmly prophesied his own death with a wary eye.

    "... Say I believe you," Kuroka said skeptically. "Not about the future, but about your talent. That still doesn't help me now, does it? It won't help me escape with you now. Unless you can tell me where the teleportation room to the human world is, you are useless to me now."

    Once she knew that, Kuroka could leave this crazy boy behind and escape. She didn't know if the Dantalion spells had driven him to this madness and that silver substance was a weird Sacred Gear of some sort, but she didn't want to be stuck teaching a mad child Senjutsu.

    It already had a bad name because of her, and she did not want to paint an even greater target on Shirone's back by having an actual mad sage running around.

    "We cannot leave yet," Eren said simply.

    "Why not?"

    "Because if we leave before I show you my power, you will never work with me."

    "Your power, nyaa," Kuroka asked with feigned casualness as she nodded toward the silver substance that kept him propped against the wall. Maybe he couldn't see the future but had a mind-reading ability. That made more sense. "What can it do?"

    "Not this," Eren denied. "This is just a side ability for the moment until you teach me Senjutsu. Until you do, I must go big to compensate for my weakness."

    "'Go big,' nyaa?" Kuroka snorted a laugh. "I guess you're hitting puberty early."

    Eren didn't even flinch at her teasing, and Kuroka internally pouted.

    This boy would be no fun. She could just tell.

    "Place an observation spell on me," Eren said as the silvery substance started to carve into the stone walls.

    "Why?" Kuroka asked waryly.

    "Because I am going to put you in a ball to protect you," Eren said simply as more silver approached Kuroka. It did so slowly so as not to spook her, but she watched it warily. "You won't be able to see anything from inside if you don't cast the spell."

    "I don't need you to protect me," Kuroka said with narrowed eyes.

    "You will need to also reinforce yourself with Senjutsu and magic," Eren continued, ignoring her words as the silver substance started surrounding her in a sphere. "You can sense that I have no magic or similar power. I can't stop you if you try to teleport out. This is just to keep you safe for the demonstration."

    He was right, of course. Kuroka could sense absolutely nothing from the boy except for a stronger-than-average well of Ki. Ki that wasn't moving.

    She had no idea how he was doing this, but it wasn't magic.

    The Stray Devil seriously considered just leaving or trying to knock this boy out, but she decided that once she learned his game plan, it wouldn't be too late to do that later.

    So Kuroka placed the observation spell on Eren, as he had told her to, and the metallic substance encased her in a sphere.

    She also secretly placed a clone, the only one she could conjure at the moment, near the boy so she could kill him if he tried anything.

    If she could kill him.

    That regeneration was greater than anything she had heard of, and she didn't know its limits. She risked revealing herself with any magic that had a good chance of killing him.

    It took a few minutes of Eren digging his way to the surface from the dungeon, minutes he spent reinforcing Kuroka's sphere till it was tens of meters thick and firmly locked in place on the ground.

    The Stray Bishop kept waiting for the betrayal, for the metallic substance to try and attack her, but it never did.

    That worried Kuroka more than she cared to admit.

    Hidden in that dark sphere, those minutes gave the Nekoshou time to think. Time she hadn't had in the days since she had killed her King and fled.

    About the strange boy who claimed to see the future.

    About her own future.

    About her past.

    About Shirone.

    Kuroka wanted to see her sister.

    She wanted it so bad.

    Was Shirone alright? Did she know why Kuroka left, or did she believe the lies the devils were telling her?

    Did Shirone hate her?

    Did she think Kuroka hated her?

    Watching Eren dig upward through her spell in that dark sphere, Kuroka suddenly felt her exhaustion catch up with her.

    She hadn't eaten or slept in days. Always on the move, always running or hiding.

    Maybe that was why she was going along with this madness.

    Maybe she was just using it as an excuse to catch her breath.

    It didn't matter.

    Kuroka was alone now, crazy child or not. She had to care for herself and get stronger for Shirone.

    So they could be together again.

    Eren breached the surface, and silvery metal carried him out of the hole and between two buildings on the sprawling Dantalion estate.

    He looked with blank, grey eyes at the monument of excess wealth and opulence as he spoke to Kuroka through the spell.

    "I will kill everyone here, but this will attract every devil in the area. I've reinforced the teleportation room, so it won't be destroyed, but we must rush to it after I am done. You are faster so you will carry me. Just follow the trail."

    "What are you going to do," Kuroka asked, transmitting her voice the same way.

    "Before I do anything, I want to make sure you understand the deal," Eren said, ignoring her question. "We will use each other for our own purposes. Everything else is your choice. Do you understand?"

    "I use you, and you use me," Kuroka repeated suspiciously as her clone caught movement from a passing guard patrol. "Whatever you are doing, you better hurry up, or you will be caught. I will not save you."

    "One final thing," Eren said, unhurried. "I will never have children."

    "...What?" Kuroka asked blankly, wondering what this nine-year-old boy was talking about.

    "I want you to understand that I will never have children," Eren repeated. "This power will die with me. Do you understand?"

    "Do you... think I want your children," Kuroka asked with incredulity and disgust. "You obviously cannot see the future. I don't go after kids. I want a strong man, thank you. Someone who can give me powerful kittens."

    "What's that?" A voice called out in the night.

    "Do you understand?"

    "THE PRISONER'S ESCAPED!"

    "Yes. Fine," Kuroka snapped impatiently as Eren was discovered. "I understand. Now do whatever you were going to do before you get caught again."

    Though she said it quickly, Kuroka knew she was too late.

    Anyone employed by a Pillar was at least a Mid rank devil. A human child stood no chance, weird power or not.

    And she was right.

    The guard's spear pierced the child's chest straight through the heart.

    Clearly, they had orders to kill any intruders rather than capture them.

    Kuroka, still in the dark sphere of silver, closed her eyes in regret.

    Mad or not, she did not want to see a child die. But she also couldn't go save him without getting caught herself.

    No, she needed to stay alive for Shirone.

    No matter how much she might regret it, that was the world they lived in, and Eren Yeager was just another dead kid.

    Just like all the other ones she had seen.

    Though Kuroka was so tired, she readied herself to teleport away.

    She'd use the mess of Eren's failed escape to head to another territory and hope for better luck leaving the Underworld there.

    With any luck, nobody would ever know she was here.

    Then her spell picked up Eren's words, and she opened her eyes.

    With a spear through the heart and blood flowing freely, Eren looked Kuroka's invisible clone in the eyes.

    "Then we have a deal."

    Yellow lightning crackled along Eren's open wound.

    The world exploded.

    Even through meters of solid material...

    Even underground...

    Even reinforced with Senjutsu, Kuroka still felt the shockwave.

    It threw her to the ground, and her sensitive ears were ringing from the noise.

    Her clone was gone, and...

    So were most living beings in the mansion.

    Hundreds of lives snuffed out in an instant.

    Kuroka scrambled to recast the spell that had failed in the explosion.

    What had just happened?

    It took her a moment to establish her spell and another for Kuroka to realize what she was looking at.

    It was... Hell.

    Like a nuclear weapon had gone off, the cataclysmic blast levelled the entire mansion.

    Stone and metal remained here and there, all that was left of buildings that once stood four or five stories tall.

    And everything was on fire.

    Kuroka could not feel the heat from her protective cocoon, but she saw stone and steel melt and war. Heat and steam billowed out to the sky, and what remained of the nearby forest was already covered in raging flames.

    The screams of the dying filled the night as those unfortunate to live through the initial blast burned alive.

    And in the middle of it all was... it.

    Towering hundreds of meters tall, bigger than even Great Red was supposed to be, the colossal humanoid stood in the wreckage of the Dantalion mansion.

    Its skin steamed, red muscle glowing in the night, and white bone glimmered in the light of the fires.

    Long dark hair hung over a face without skin. A row of teeth, too many to be human, stretched from one side of the head to the other without lips to cover them.

    Green eyes stared down at the destruction it wrought from hundreds of meters up.

    The titanic being took one step.

    Only one.

    The earth was pressed flat with that one step.

    The Underworld rumbled with that first step forward.

    All the screams from the survivors of the explosion, those desperate wails of pain and fear and confusion, died with that single colossal step forward that crushed the Dantalion estate flat.

    Through her Senjustu, Kuroka knew only she and the... monster outside survived.

    Kuroka feared she had gone mad.

    Actually mad.

    That the propaganda about Senjutsu had some truth to it, and her power had driven her to hallucinate.

    Sure, this destruction was nothing compared to what some Ultimate Class devils could do, but for a human child to be able to do this?

    A boy not even ten years old?

    Kuroka realized she was laughing.

    In disbelief at the situation.

    In horror at the charred and crushed bodies.

    At the absurdity of such a being disguising itself as a human child.

    It looked more like the Devil than any devil Kuroka had ever known.

    And it wanted her to train it?

    What would that colossal be like if it was as strong, fast, and durable as a regular sage?

    No, it would be even worse. Its healing was already insane.

    If she taught Eren Yeager Senjutsu, would she create an unkillable giant? One who had no problem killing hundreds in an instant, even when he was just a boy?

    Kuroka's mad laughter cut off as, through her spell, she saw something fall from the sky.

    Suddenly, Kuroka teleported from her protective cocoon and caught Eren in her arms.

    Her devil wings kept them aloft as the giant fell to the ground with an earth-shattering rumble.

    It lay there, crushing what remained of the Dantalion estate under its enormous bulk, as Kuroka held Eren in her arms.

    Absently, Kuroka noticed that it was already starting to dissolve into steam. Whatever had conjured it wore off quickly after Eren left it.

    Eren looked back at her with those emotionless grey eyes.

    Red muscle and sinew dangled from his exposed skin. It looked like it had burned itself into his flesh.

    A row of curved markings now ringed his eyes, and his cheeks were sunken as if they were trying to imitate the teeth of that titanic... thing.

    Kuroka was suddenly struck by an impulse. A wild, reckless idea.

    She could drop this boy, this monster, and let him crash to the ground.

    It might kill him. If not, it should injure him enough that she could finish him off while he healed. She had spells that would totally vaporize his tiny body, and she doubted he could recover from that.

    She might be saving countless lives if she killed Eren Yeager right here and now before he grew any stronger.

    Eren continued to watch her impassively as if he could see her thoughts.

    ... It was just an impulse, though.

    Kuroka wouldn't kill a kid, even if he was a monster in human form.

    That, and whether he could see the future or not, having a giant like that on her side would make her life much easier.

    "I use you, you use me, right?" Kuroka said with a mischievous smile, and Eren nodded. "Then I am glad to work with you, Partnyaa."

    In her tired state, she couldn't resist the pun.

    There was still no way she'd want to have his children, though. He was way too young.

    Although... the idea of massive kittens jumping over mountains did have a certain appeal to her, now that she thought of it.

    Still, that was for the future.

    Kuroka would see if there was any truth to his claims about his skill with Senjutsu and his ability to predict the future later.

    Eren had just exterminated one of the last 32 Pillar houses. That was way worse than killing one noble devil.

    Whether he did it to get to her or not, it didn't matter.

    They were in this together, whatever 'this' was.

    They needed to leave the Underworld. Now.

    The Devil and the Stray's first meeting resulted in a mystery that puzzled the Underworld for years and hundreds of deaths.

    Very few bodies were ever identified.

    It was just the first taste of the destruction this world would feel from the Titan's Path.

    ********

    So begins Part 4.

    I expect many of you are frothing at the mouth and wanting to get back to the cliffhanger of the last chapter, and we'll get there. I have no intention of dragging that out or doing a full recounting of Eren's time before the bench.

    This chapter is meant to not only answer a few questions but also set the tone for Part 4, the final part of On The Bench. A darker, more mature tone. I still fully intend to have DxD-style tones occasionally, but as is obvious from this chapter, it will lead more heavily toward the AOT than before.

    I do not want this to become torture porn or the like, and it won't be gratuitous with its descriptions, but you should expect AOT-level trauma and injuries.

    On that subject, I know there are AOT fans out there who notice a few discrepancies with the healing and Warhammer usage. Keep in mind Eren is the Founder without Ymir's influence. He can shape his titan form however he wants and uses it even when healing from a severe injury, as we see when he is shot by Gabby.

    All that said, I hope you stick with me through this last stretch so we can once more meet on the bench.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • After all the build up it is really satisfying to finally have some dramatic pay off to Eren finally Shifting.

    Seeing his Titan cause so much destruction to the Underworld just by transforming is really satisfying after most of the Titans became easily killed mooks pushed far into the background by the end of the Manga.
     
    Great chapter, I like seeing how Kuroka and Eren first met, and I can see how Kuroka starts to fall in love with Eren, and I could even see an argument that Eren accidently started or at least quickened her fall into loving him and her dream of giant kittens. See you Sunday on the bench.
     
    Judas
  • Threadmarks
    • "I'll see you later."

    Those were the last words Eren Yeager said to Koneko.

    Those were the last words he said to any of them as he walked toward his room in the Gremory vacation home.

    Koneko hadn't answered verbally, just raising a hand and waiving goodbye.

    Eren was a human, not a devil, on top of being unwell. It made perfect sense for him to go to bed first.

    Waking last made less sense.

    Eren was usually at the bench in the park well before the sun rose and school started. As if he wanted to spend as little time away from it as possible.

    Still, he had been up later than usual last night, so sleeping more than normal wasn't wholly unexpected.

    If he was sleeping at all.

    Mikasa was late as well.

    Koneko had noticed the way Rias, Sona, and Akeno would occasionally look toward the room Eren had received.

    The Rook didn't know how she felt about the subject, so she focused more on the brunch Akeno had made than any sort of complicated mess like that.

    When Aunty Mikasa emerged, though, everyone took note.

    The Leviathan's Pawn wasn't moving fast, nor was she slow. Her strides were long and direct, filled with purpose, and she didn't spare a glance at the eating teens.

    Two things stood out, though.

    The first was her clothes.

    It was her combat uniform, tight-fitting and enchanted. Koneko had seen it a few times recently, both during the Kuoh Treaty and when the Pawn had rushed to help them during Loki's ambush. She didn't know why Mikasa would be wearing that this morning.

    The second and more disconcerting was her face.

    It looked like Mikasa Ackerman was marching toward her death.

    Sona tried to call out to her, but Mikasa marched toward the room with the teleportation circle and disappeared.

    "What was that about?" Rias asked, worried about the older woman's strange behaviour.

    "Did the Chaos Brigade attack again," Issei asked, setting down his rice. Even he had noticed the odd mood surrounding the woman.

    "She went to the clubhouse," Sona said, examining the sigil. Mikasa had to use external items and circles to teleport rather than her own power, so it was easy to discover where she went.

    "... Forget something?" Koneko asked.

    "No..." Sona said with furrowed brows. Then her eyes shot open. "Quickly! Someone go check on Eren!"

    "On it," Yuuto said in a rush.

    "What's going on?" Rossweiss asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly as Yuuto rushed past her up the stairs.

    "No time to explain," Sona said, powering up the circle again. "Tsubaki, you are in charge. I want everyone ready to leave in ten minutes!"

    "Hai Kaicho!" Tsubaki saluted, even though she was still in pyjamas.

    "Sona?" Rias asked, but the Student Council President didn't have time to answer her rival as Yuuto rushed back down the stairs.

    "He's not in his room or the bathroom," Yuuto said with panic.

    "Let's go," Sona said as the light of teleportation enveloped those who had approached.

    Koneko, Akeno, Yuuto, Rias, Issei, and Sona appeared in the Occult Research Club, and the Sitri heiress rushed to leave the building.

    "Sona!" Rias called out as she followed her friend.

    "Eren's been different," Sona said quickly as they ran out of the building. "Maybe for a while, but I haven't been around much. The last few days and weeks, though, it's been obvious. Yesterday especially. During our last lesson, he said he was almost out of time. But he shouldn't be. He should still have months left."

    Koneko's heart seized as she realized what Sona was talking about.

    "He's been acting like he's going to..." Sona choked on her words, and Koneko could hear the panic and fear in her voice. "Like he has days, not months."

    "You don't think he would... " Rias asked, her own voice tinged with horror.

    "I don't get it," Issei said.

    "Senpai might not have wanted to die slowly," Yuuto said grimly. "He'd want to go out on his own terms."

    "Everyone was gone for the party," Akeno said hollowly. "He once told me he'd die on the bench. Alone."

    "Senpai wouldn't kill himself!" Issei denied, horrified at the idea. "He wouldn't give up like that."

    "He entrusted his heart to us," Sona said in a voice filled with grief. "He... might have wanted his last day to be a good one."

    Koneko didn't want Eren to die.

    Not Eren, who could be scary but was actually really kind. Not the boy who had already gone through so much.

    She wanted him to be happy. She wanted to keep visiting him for snacks and naps and make him laugh again.

    She didn't want to be left behind again.

    Koneko wanted Eren to live.

    So her mind searched for any way that wouldn't be so, any justification that their worries were unfounded and Eren was okay—that he would be fine.

    And, perhaps unsurprisingly, she found one.

    "...How'd he leave?"

    Koneko's question silenced the others.

    Sona, after a second, realized what the Rook was asking.

    That was right. Eren shouldn't have been able to leave the island without help.

    He had no magic, so he couldn't use the teleportation circle. And they had flown to the private island instead of taking a boat. There should be no way for Eren to leave unless he could swim the miles to shore or someone had taken him.

    "I don't know," Sona said, but there was hope in her voice. "I just... Panicked when I saw Aunty like that. Maybe nothing happened?"

    The desperation in her voice was all too raw.

    "So he could just be somewhere on the island?" Issei asked with relief.

    "Something is wrong," Rias said, but her voice was firm and determined rather than heartbroken. "Aunty wouldn't act like that unless something had happened."

    "But it might not be related to Eren," Akeno suggested.

    "...If she's not at the bench, we can ask her la-"

    Sona's voice cut off as the group of young devils reached the small clearing in the park with the bench and the incomprehensible sight they found.

    Mikasa was there, as they had expected, but Eren was not.

    Koneko's heart seized in fear at the familiar dark-haired woman with a sword at her neck.

    Then, fear was replaced with confusion at Kuroka's words.

    What?

    Eren?

    With Chaos Brigade?

    Their Eren?

    Too-skinny-Eren?

    The Eren who napped with Koneko?

    The Eren who listened to her and spoke to her softly?

    The Eren who she shared food with and who petted her ears just right?

    The Eren who was dying and weak?

    The Eren who, just last night, was laughing in joy as they flew through the sky together?

    No.

    Onee-sama was wrong.

    There was no way Eren, their kind Eren, would be the leader of the terrorist organization that attacked the peace conference.

    There was no way Eren, who was always trying to help them, would be allied with monsters like Loki and Diodora.

    There is no way Eren would say he'd kill Issei-senpai.

    Not their Eren.

    Koneko didn't even hear her friend's own noises of disbelief and dissagreement, so shocked was she by the sight of her older sister and her words.

    Kuroka heard them, though.

    "Shironyaa?" Kuroka said in delight, waiving her hand in greeting towards the young devils' arrival.

    She seemed to care little for the sword Mikasa continued to hold at her throat.

    "Look! See! Onee-sama kept her promise! We're going to be together again."

    The world seemed to swim before Koneko, and she tried to make sense of everything.

    Why was Kuroka here? How had she gained another tail so soon? Where was Eren? Why did she have his cane? What was going on?

    "What is going on here?" Sona asked, stepping forward.

    She wasn't the only one.

    Except for Koneko, everyone had readied themselves for a fight and spread out to give aid to Mikasa if she needed it.

    "Let me deal with this, Sona," Mikasa said, not taking her eyes off the wanted criminal. Not a flicker of emotion shone through her expression. Just cold steel. "I need you to call your sister. Get Serafall here. And all of you need to leave. Now!"

    "Why do you have that cane?" Rias asked, voice quivering with rage. The power of destruction filled the clearing, ready to tear the Stray Devil to shreds. "What have you done to Eren?"

    "Nyaa?" Kuroka looked to the cane in her hand, then at the Gremory heiress. "This is my cane."

    "It is not," Yuuto said, a copy of Purgatorio in his hand. "That is Eren's."

    "It is mine," Kuroka said, frowning for the first time. "I made it."

    "Leave!"

    "No, you didn't," Sona denied, her own power gathering as she ignored Mikasa's order again.

    It was harder this time. There had been a note of desperation in her aunt's voice that hadn't been there before.

    "I did. I gave it to Eren. Now that we broke up, I'm keeping it."

    Of all the things the infamous criminal could have said, perhaps no other words could have stopped the gathering hostility so completely.

    Dead silence.

    "...What?"

    Anyone with ears and a heart could hear the heartbreak and betrayal in Sona's voice.

    "It's all I have to remember the good times, so I am keeping it," Kuroka said petulantly. Then she looked over at Koneko again. "Sorry, Shirone. Onee-sama can't introduce you to your Brother-in-law. He's already run away."

    "If I was with a woman like you, I'd run away too," Akeno said acidly as Holy Lightning crackled around her.

    "Nyaa! I broke up with him! Not the other way around!"

    "Where is Eren," Mikasa asked, pressing her blade tighter.

    If she was angry at the revelation, or claim at least, that Eren had been romantically involved with Kuroka, she did not show it.

    Blood beaded from Kuroka's neck.

    "Who knows," Kuroka shrugged. "We fought. I lost. When I woke up, he was gone."

    "That's impossible," Mikasa said with a scowl.

    "Yeah!" Issei agreed, already clad in his Scale Mail and Boosting. "Senpai's cool, but he's human."

    "Nyahahahaha," Kuroka laughed. "You don't know your Senpai very well then."

    "I know what Eren is capable of," Mikasa denied. "More than you ever could. And I know he can't defeat you."

    It hit Koneko at that moment.

    "... Senjutsu," Koneko whispered in horror. When all eyes looked at her, the Rook spoke up. "He knows how to use his Ki. He knows Senjutsu, right?"

    "Shironyaa is always the smartest on top of being the cutest," Kuroka said with pride. "I taught Eren everything I could. After a year, I could no longer defeat him. Even with seven tails, I still can't beat him."

    Mikasa's eyes narrowed even further.

    "What is Senjustu?" Mikasa asked, not taking her eyes off Kuroka.

    "It's using your Ki or life force. It's like Sairaorg's Touki," Rias said, voice filled with disbelief. "It makes him stronger. Faster. But that's just Touki. Senjutsu is even more difficult to learn and comes with other powers. He can sense others. And hide himself. And other powers. There are very few sages alive, even among the supernatural races, and only a handful of humans have ever become sages. Eren is way too young to have learned something like that!"

    "He's the best," Kuroka said proudly. "The greatest sage I've ever heard of!"

    "Anything else," Mikasa asked grimly.

    "...What?" Rias asked.

    "I am asking what else it can do," Mikasa said. She didn't seem fazed by the declaration that Eren was a sage. Just resolute. "Eren wouldn't be able to lead Chaos Brigade with just that."

    "You can't seriously believe her," Sona demanded, aghast. "She's obviously lying."

    "Answer the question," Mikasa demanded.

    "It... is mainly the physical benefits," Akeno said slowly. "There are a few techniques, usually manipulating plant or animal Ki, but it's not magic. A sage can use the world's Ki to supplement their own, meaning they won't run out. It is usually used in conjunction with other powers, like spells or racial abilities."

    "I use it to power my Youjutsu," Kuroka said 'helpfully' as a clone appeared beside her for an instant before disappearing again. "Eren can't do anything like that, though. It's all physical with him."

    "Still," Akeno bit out as Kuroka waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Anyone with Senjutsu is a high-class threat by default. Nobody is, though. They are all Ultimate class because it is a threat multiplier."

    Despite the explanation, Mikasa's expression did not fluctuate in the least.

    As if Eren's power was still acceptable.

    "You all are missing the important parts~" Kuroka singsonged playfully as she stared into Mikasa's eyes.

    As if she was taunting her.

    Challenging her.

    "What is it?"

    "Senjutsu makes us stronger," Kuroka raised an arm in a flexing motion. "The stronger our body's base stats, the better." Mikasa didn't even blink. "It makes our skin tougher. Harder to hurt." Mikasa's eyes twitched, but she didn't say anything. "And it enhances our regeneration. A sage can heal quickly from just about anything." Mikasa's facade cracked for an instant, and Kuroka giggled. "There's one more though."

    "She's wasting our time," Sona realized. "Delaying us. Where is Eren?"

    "Long gone~ And are you sure you don't want to know," Kuroka asked with a giggle as she looked at Mikasa. "This one knows what's important."

    "That final power," Mikasa asked. "What is it?"

    With a grin that was as once proud as it was malicious, like a cat toying with a mouse, Kuroka answered.

    "Sages can extend their Ki at a distance."

    Mikasa frowned, not understanding.

    "What does that do?" Issei asked.

    "They can use physical attacks at a distance," Akeno said simply, not seeing the big deal. "Touki extends your Ki into armour and weapons, but most physical fighters are limited to close range. Not sages. They can turn the world's Ki into their own depending on their power and skill. Use racial abilities at a distance that usually aren't possible."

    "I could summon my blades around me or in the air instead of just in my hand, for example," Yuuto explained, not taking his eyes off the Stray Devil in their midst.

    "Most don't bother," Akeno continued. "If someone is close enough for that, it takes less effort to just run and punch them. Even the best sage would still fight better with their body directly."

    "Still, that sounds useful," Issei said, looking at his gauntlet-clad fist in thought.

    "Nyahahahahaha."

    All eyes returned to Kuroka, who suddenly started giggling madly.

    It didn't take more than a moment to realize why.

    Mikasa Ackerman, who had just met a woman claiming to be Eren's lover and not even twitched.

    Mikasa, who had borne the news that her childhood friend and love was the leader of a terrorist organization without doubt.

    Mikasa, who heard he was a sage and possibly an Ultimate Class threat, didn't so much as blink.

    That same Mikasa was looking at Kuroka with horror.

    "What have you done?" She asked quietly.

    Kuroka laughed harder.

    "Answer me!" Mikasa snarled, kicking Kuroka in the stomach and sending her stumbling back into a tree. Two swords locked her in place, ready to cut her head off at the slightest chance. "Can he use the Warhammer at a distance?"

    "Warhammer?" Sona asked, confused.

    "Nyahahaha," Kuroka continued to laugh, but she did answer. "I don't know what the Warhammer is, but are you asking if he can use his power without being connected to it? Yes. Yes, he can."

    "What powers?" Sona asked, desperately trying to keep up with this conversation but missing crucial details.

    Her question went unanswered.

    "You..." Mikasa snarled, looking at once furious and terrified. "You have no idea what you have done."

    "I created the strongest sage in history," Kuroka said proudly, completely without shame.

    "You recreated the Devil," Mikasa snapped. "He doesn't need the Walls anymore. He doesn't need anyone. He can recreate the Rumbling by himself."

    "He mentioned something like that, nyaa," Kuroka ceased her laughter to ask with narrowed eyes. "What is the Rumbling?"

    Mikasa's rage seemed to leave her at the question, and pity replaced it.

    "You don't even know what you've done," she repeated, more in realization than in question. "Eren used you. Completely."

    Any anger was gone, leaving only resigned sadness.

    "We used each other," Kuroka shrugged, but it wasn't hard to tell there was some uncertainty in the gesture.

    The Nekoshou was clearly in a less good mood now that it was clear she was missing something that the other woman knew.

    "Why did you fight Eren," Mikasa asked softly.

    "We always planned on destroying our enemies," Kuroka said. "But he disappeared before the plan was complete. I found him here. I confronted him. Turns out his plan would risk Shirone, which went against our deal. I tried to get him to change the plan. He wouldn't. So I tried to stop him. I lost. So here I am. I can't beat him, so I need help."

    "Why are you here?" Koneko hissed. "Why not run away?"

    "Don't be like that, Shironyaa," Kuroka pouted playfully. "I promised we'd be together, so I'm here to keep my promise."

    "You are a Stray Devil," Rias said, stepping in front of her small Rook protectively. "You are caught. You'll tell us everything about Eren, the Chaos Brigade, and then you will be imprisoned for your crimes. You won't hurt anyone again."

    "I am not caught. I am negotiating a surrender, compromise, and cooperation. Not only do I want to be pardoned for all my 'crimes,' I want to live with Shirone. I have a few other requests. I'm sure your bosses will be happy to give them to me. A seven-tailed Yokai can be pretty helpful in a fight, too."

    "You are insane if you think we are going to trust you in the slightest," Sona spat.

    "In exchange," Kuroka grinned like the cat that ate the canary. "I will not only provide proof of my innocence for when I first went Stray, but I will also provide all the information I have on the Chaos Brigade willingly. Not only their leader but their factions. Who, how strong, what sacred gears, and their goals. I was not only the vice leader. I helped create the Brigade. I know who it is secretly working them."

    It terrified Koneko when she realized Onee-sama would get her way.

    A god had just died at a mortal's hands.

    Sure, it had been one of the Brigade's own, but the fact that a god could die at all was terrifying for most factions.

    Chaos Brigade, which had been worrisome because of Ophis' name alone but generally unsuccessful, was now a genuine threat to every faction out there.

    Yet they knew practically nothing about it. Not who belonged to it, which pantheons had traitors, or if there were other Evil Gods like Loki.

    Just the ability for the devils to know who worked with the Old Satan Faction was already invaluable.

    Diodora Asteroth was a mook among mooks, but he had almost killed not only the Red Dragon Emperor but Lucifer's sister because he took them by surprise.

    And then there was Eren.

    Eren, their friend.

    Eren, who Mikasa seemed to suddenly be terrified of.

    Eren, who Kuroka had trained.

    Eren, who had Senjutsu.

    No, the Satans would take the deal.

    But all that was drowned out by something else.

    Innocent?

    Onee-sama... innocent?

    "You said Koneko was at risk," Rias narrowed her eyes. "Why? And why is he after Issei? Eren won't hurt them. I know it."

    Both Sona and Mikasa flinched, but nobody noticed because of Kuroka's words.

    "He's not after Shirone, but she's in danger," Kuroka said, losing her playful demeanour in favour of a more dire tone. "Eren hates devil society. He doesn't just want to kill the New Satans, like the Old Satan faction. He's just using those idiots. He wants to destroy the Underworld. Completely."

    ********

    Eren had spent the day wandering the small island.

    It wasn't hard to hide his presence with Senjutsu. He couldn't go invisible like Kuroka, as he lacked her Youjutsu techniques, but going unnoticed by a group of young devils was not difficult when they didn't know to look for him.

    Even the Gremory servants who arrived after everyone had left and cleaned the mansion had not noticed him, though he spent that time away from the mansion.

    That had been hours ago, though.

    Now, he was the only one on the island.

    Eren was alone.

    Once Eren had felt everyone leave, he had returned to wander the halls of the small mansion.

    He had been in no rush.

    Eren had lost himself in memories as he walked, a small, melancholic smile on his face.

    Memories of a world away.

    Memories of a bench.

    Memories of a group of young devils.

    A year and a half.

    Such a short yet long time.

    Eren had run away, searching for an answer.

    He had his answer now.

    Now, it was time to move forward again.

    Unbidden, he had arrived outside the room he had slept in last night.

    Eren did not enter.

    He wanted his last memory of that place to be of Mikasa sleeping peacefully, a content smile on her face as the morning sun streamed through the window.

    Tears threatened, and Eren turned to leave.

    He did not deserve to weep.

    Not with what he would do to this world.

    Not when he would hurt them all.

    Eren Yeager's feet carried him back to the sea.

    The devil servants had cleaned the beach. Not even footprints remained of the party the night before. The sea wind had blown them away.

    Eren's feet left deep imprints in the wet sand as they carried him into the surf.

    Out there, beyond the blue water, beyond the horizon, was a bench.

    But Eren could not see it.

    It would not be long now.

    As the surf washed away his prints, Eren Yeager watched the sun fall.

    With it went his smile.

    Once more, Eren walked the Path.

    "Boss!"

    "Georg," Eren greeted without turning around, gaze still on the horizon.

    "It's good to see you," Georg said with a smile as he floated over the water on a platform, not wanting to get his robes wet. "Have you been here the whole time? It's nice. A vacation spot right under the devils' noses. You should have invited us."

    Eren didn't answer.

    Georg didn't take it personally. Eren wasn't one to share information that wasn't needed for the plan.

    Whatever he had disappeared to do must have been important, and Georg's knowledge of it would have impeded Eren's desired future, or he would have been told about it.

    That was how the Titan worked, after all.

    Still, Georg couldn't see the future. He just followed instructions.

    "Boss," Georg hesitated. "About Kuroka-"

    "I know," Eren interrupted. "Her use has come to an end. I no longer need her."

    Georg hesitated for a moment but decided to try and push a little.

    Kuroka had been Eren's partner for years, well before they had recruited the Hero Faction.

    Eren might be a cold and emotionless man, but a betrayal like that should still hurt.

    Even if Eren had seen it coming.

    "I know this is part of the plan," Georg said. "But when my role is done, I can-"

    "No," Eren cut off, his voice dead and empty. "We used each other. That is it. I shall never see her again. It doesn't matter what she does. She cannot stop me from moving forward."

    "...If you're sure."

    "I am," Eren said, turning to look at the shorter mage.

    No emotion shone from those cold grey eyes.

    Georg fought a shiver that had nothing to do with the ocean breeze.

    After a year and a half, he had forgotten how off-putting Eren could be.

    "Take me back," Eren ordered.

    Georg knew Eren wasn't one for idle talk, so he obeyed.

    Eren did not hesitate in the slightest to step into the mist of Dimension Lost.

    It only heightened Georg's respect for the man's willpower.

    They didn't have much time left, and Eren looked way worse than before, but he stepped forward without hesitation.

    A true hero.

    They emerged in the headquarters of the Hero Faction, bypassing the wards on both ends easily.

    The mist left them in a vast dining hall filled with dozens of people talking, eating, and laughing merrily.

    It all stopped when their arrival was met with an ear-piercing scream of pain and terror.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

    Following the instructions he had received ahead of time, Georg swept the blonde woman up in another swirl of mist, and she disappeared from the hall.

    Still, her scream had ceased all merriment as everyone looked at the new arrivals.

    Everyone was familiar with Georg, as he was the most active of the executives, but for some, this was the first time they had seen Eren, and they wondered who this man with the strange eye markings was.

    Many had already drawn their weapons, conjured their Sacred Gear, or manifested their magic, believing they were under attack.

    "Boss!" Herc shouted, waiving excitedly at the new arrival.

    "Eren," a young woman skipped to greet him with a smile. "It's good to see you."

    Eren greeted the pair with a simple nod, then looked at Georg. The command went unsaid but understood.

    "I'm going," the magician sighed, disappearing into the mist again.

    Of course he was working while everyone was partying.

    Still, it needed to be done and it was the price he paid for having one of the most useful Sacred Gears in the world.

    "What was that about," Siegfried asked with a nod toward where the woman had disappeared.

    Eren didn't answer.

    "Our newest recruit can see the dead," Cao Cao explained. "She must have seen something frightening with our leader. She didn't even react like that when she saw Hades."

    Despite his easygoing tone, it was clear that the holder of the True Longinus was curious.

    He wasn't the only one.

    "What'd you kill to freak out the vamp?" Herc asked eagerly. "Is that why you left? Tell me about the fight."

    Eren, as ever, didn't explain.

    "It doesn't matter," Eren said simply. "I just needed to send a message and she was the best tool to do it."

    "You are right," Cao Cao nodded toward the room of curious onlookers. "You need to be introduced to the new recruits. We can talk later."

    Cao Cao led Eren toward the head table under the new recruits' curious gaze and the veterans' grins and smiles.

    While the executives of the Hero Faction retook their seats, Cao Cao and Eren stood.

    Eren picked up the golden goblet placed in front of the seat of honour.

    It was an exact match to the one Cao Cao held aloft to the rest of the room.

    "Heroes!"

    They roared.

    "The Titan is back!"

    They cheered.

    "Drink! Eat! Laugh!"

    They laughed.

    "Today, we live as humans!"

    They raised their cups.

    "Tomorrow, we die as heroes!"

    They drank.

    Some sombrely. Some joyfully.

    But they all drank.

    Eren was no exception.

    He drank deep and long.

    He was not stirred by Cao Cao's words. He heard them every second of every day.

    Power flowed into him from the physical manifestation of the Longinus in his hand.

    It strengthened him. Reinforcing him. Preparing him for the end.

    If Eren could, he might have thought back to a meeting on the bench and wondered: Would Michael be more appalled that he and Cao Cao were drinking out of the Sephiroth Grail or would the fact that the Chaos Brigade had both Holy Relics be more horrific to the Seraph?

    If he could, Eren might have wondered what Xenovia's reaction would be to his blatant sacrilege, or he might have felt a twinge of guilt at the idea of Asia's sad eyes.

    But Eren could not have such idle thoughts.

    His memories were still there, but he was connected to the Path once more.

    Everything that had happened and would happen was drowning those memories out.

    His vision swam between this hall and so many other scenes.

    The blood and bodies he crawled over were still warm and fresh. Some were no older than he had been when he first regained his memories.

    Their sightless eyes looked up at him, judging him, demanding to know why he, the Devil, lived while they died.

    They were a small step on his road paved with corpses.

    The warmth of the bodies mixed with the heat of Kuroka's ardour she pressed against him and the inferno of burning buildings and searing flesh.

    He could feel it all.

    Eren could not hear the cheers, jeers, and laughter of those celebrating their life, as fleeting as it was.

    All he heard were screams.

    All of it, past, present, future, and a million 'what if' timelines played out for Eren every moment he lived.

    All but the one he wanted to see.

    Eren could not see the bench.

    In a world of blue light and towering sand dunes, a young boy continued to weep as he built titanic bodies, tens of meters tall, one pail of sand at a time.

    So Eren simply drank as grey eyes stared out impassively at a room full of living corpses.

    ********

    The response for the last chapter was better than I hoped. Which is good. I still have no plans to go through every part of his life before the bench, but there will be the occasional scene that I feel is important to the story.

    I will point out something that other people are confused about, though. In AOT, the 13-year life span of Titan shifters is called Ymir's Curse because people believe it is due to the fact that she died 13 years after getting her power. Some take this to mean that there should be no 13-year limit without Ymir in the Paths. This is never actually confirmed. Like much of AOT, it is left up to interpretation and other hypotheses are presented.

    I won't say which I subscribe to, but I will caution anyone who confidently says 'this is how it is' with regard to AOT. A huge part of the story is about how knowledge can be manipulated through propaganda and the 'truth' is whatever one person wants it to be.

    Again, I won't say anything definitive about this story. I will just say that I hope it all makes sense in the end.

    I will meet you all next week on the bench.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • All this setup to realize Eren can indeed break all the walls. LOL it is Rumbling 2.0 time. Doesn't matter how strong the New Satans are, what matters is their plans to fight an inexhaustible horde of Titans-sized enemies whom Eren can remake at will, regenerate from nothing, and then proceed to imbue even further with power. The closest equivalent would be Annihilation Maker but I can only assume Eren's plans call for much worse to come forward.
     
    ReadingDangerously said:
    "What is Senjustu?" Mikasa asked, not taking her eyes off Kuroka.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    This feels improbable considering how long she's been living as a devil. You are telling me that in all these years she never had to fight someone who knew Senjutsu or heard it from Serafall?
     
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