On The Bench (AOT/DxD)

[DracoArgentum]

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?

Click to shrink...

Its not impossible that Mikasa hasnt heard about it yet, considering that only a small group of people actually use Senjutsu in any actual capacity.

That being said I do agree that I would have expected her to have heard of it at this point, if only because she was obviously already there when Kuroka became a known Stray Devil.

 

[D.KnightOfShadows]

Mikasa: okay, Eren found another cause to martyr himself for and got a powerup to go out swinging. Managable.

Kuroka: senjutsu increases regeneration!

Mikasa: ...that will be a slog, but still doabl-(record scratch)

Mikasa: wait, what was that last part?!?!

Kuroka: he can use all of his powers at a distance without connection, why?

Mikasa: ohshit.

------------------

Bravo. A nice use of everyone's POV to really tell the different sides of Eren there are, or that everyone thinks they know.

And here's the glimpse of the endgame:

The man who delivers all of his promises, but only exactly.

The beginning of the end.

The Devil.

The man who kills the world while the child inside him weeps.

Welcome back, Eren Yaeger.

(Holy shit, Serefall might actually die. Mikasa might need to warn her about Eren targeting her)

 

[hypetraining]

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?

Click to shrink...

Except for special tasks Mikasa has been living in seclusion I think

 

[ScriptGenius12]

Will he turn into a stegosaurus again?

 

[kz3838]

Thank you for the great chapter, love how you wrote the realization of just what Eren can do with Senjutsu. Stay safe out there and keep up the good work!

 

[ScriptGenius12]

Personally I'm really hoping Eren succeeds. Not stopped right before he can do it, not stopped 80% of the way through, full on 100% destruction, because the aftermath of a total Eren victory would be the most interesting thing to read about.

I'm reminded of the way things were when Eren first unleashed the Rumbling at the end of chapter 123 and the sheer hype the fandom was going through.


Pleasedontsuckpleasedontsuckpleasedontsuck

 

[Kalstorm22]

Fantastic chapter, I really loved Mikasa's reaction to what it means for Eren to be a Sage and how strong that would make him. Also, I'm curious about how much Kuroka was lying, as I doubt, they broke-up at least in her mind and I don't believe they actually fought then as I also don't believe Kuroka disagrees with the plan but I do believe that she doesn't know what the Rumbling is, so I guess I'm curious if Kuroka was telling the truth about Eren's plan or possibly omitting parts of it. I also suspect that Kuroka doesn't know that Eren says that they will not see each other again or is that how she will betray him as part of her plan to save him? Anyways see you next week on the bench.

 

[ScriptGenius12]

I'm guessing Eren saw Isayama's spiteful "Fuck you!" epilogue sides and decided that he didn't go far enough last time.

 

[ReadingDangerously]

Aunty hadn't been surprised.

That thought kept turning over and over in Sona's head as she and Rias' Peerage waited for news.

"She's lying," Issei denied, pacing back and forth in agitation. "Senpai isn't like Diod... Senpai wouldn't work with Chaos Brigade. She has to be lying. I won't believe her, no matter how magnificent her Oppai!"

"Ise," Asia said worriedly, placing a hand on his arm to try and calm him down.

Mikasa Ackerman wasn't the most expressive of women, but those she cared about deeply learned her tells over time. Those expressions that did slip through conveyed a world of meaning.

And, hearing that the boy she loved was being accused of leading an inter-pantheon terrorist organization bent on sowing chaos, Mikasa had not been surprised.

Like a song on repeat, Sona turned the memory over and over in her mind.

She was trying to make sense of this mess.

Trying to grasp onto anything, anything at all, which would let her understand what was happening.

Trying to find anything that would be a valid argument against Kuroka's claim that Eren was secretly in control of the Chaos Brigade.

That he hadn't been the one to help found it.

That the boy she had seen, talked to almost daily and come to care about wasn't secretly the leader of monsters. Monsters like Loki, like the Old Satan Faction, like Diodora Astaroth.

Sona was trying to find any way to prove that this last year and a half had not just been a lie. That Eren hadn't been using them, stealing information from the sisters of the Satans to further his own goals.

Only... Mikasa had not been surprised.

"Senpai..." Kiba stared at the ground with a dark look on his face. "Senapi's always had a dark side. He told us about it before. We just... never saw it."

"That doesn't mean he's a bad guy!" Issei denied strongly. "He's just... He might have done bad stuff before, but he regrets it. He's better now. The Senpai I know isn't a bad person."

Mikasa's only concern was with his revealed capabilities.

Like she had already thrown away every moment of care and love they had shared and Eren was now an enemy that needed to be fought.

Like Eren had always been her enemy.

She had accepted Kuroka's accusation as fact right away.

Like it made perfect sense for the weak, sickly human who talked with them, counselled them, cared about them, and laughed with them was secretly... Something else.

Someone else.

Had they ever known Eren Yeager?

Truly known him?

Understood him?

"Ise," Xenovia joined Asia in trying to reassure their lover. It was the gentlest anyone there had ever seen her. "You only knew a part of him."

Issei looked at her, hurt.

Xenovia pressed on.

"Eren Yeager did not become the 'Child of Evil' by kind deeds. He's killed hundreds. Maybe thousands."

"But," Issei floundered, trying to connect the boy who helped him with the Child of Evil Xenovia talked about. "But he was a soldier, right? A mercenary? He only killed bad guys, right?"

"I do not know of any indiscriminate slaughters, and most of his victims were probably enemy soldiers," Xenovia allowed, and Issei looked hopeful. "But not all."

The more Sona thought about it, the more she tried to find proof against Kuroka's claims, the more she found the opposite.

From the first day, it had been clear Eren had been hiding things.

Initially, it had seemed he had been a blind and scared youth, traumatized by his experience as a child soldier and looking to pass his last days in peace. She had thought he was hiding the fact that he had been a mercenary, unaware that they had been able to investigate him.

But that was only the first of what seemed like innumerable layers of secrets and mysteries. Whenever they peeled back one layer, believed they had understood Eren, thought they knew his depths, they discovered a deeper abyss.

Then, with the revelation that he knew about magic and wasn't blind, he kept secrets of his original world—secrets he and Mikasa had shared between themselves that they were so hesitant to discuss.

Another layer, another mystery.

Had Eren asked Mikasa to tell Sona about their world because he didn't feel it was right for him to explain, or had that been another lie, a way to put off a conversation until he betrayed them? It wouldn't matter what they learned then, would it?

Had it all been a distraction so they wouldn't ask about his time in this world?

"There are no good guys," Akeno said softly as she ran her hand through Koneko's hair as the Rook hugged Rias tightly.

The nekoshou had been clinging to their King ever since they had teleported to this waiting room while the Satans talked with Kuroka and Mikasa. Kuroka hadn't been opposed to them following, but Aunty had tried to push back.

To no avail, of course. They refused to be sidelined for something like this.

"Eren fought for warlords, in civil wars, or as an insurgent. Even if he only killed enemies, others would be presganged to join either his side or the other. Women. Children." Xenovia did not look like she took any pleasure in her words, though she said them with certainty. "Even without accidents, Eren fought for despots and other military strongmen. And there were accidents. If not from him, then from others on his side. People he helped went on to do terrible things, even if he didn't do them himself."

For an instant, Sona grasped onto the fact that she and Rias had their familiars watching Eren most of the time.

Surely, they would have caught suspicious activity at least once over the year and a half?

Then Sona realized that if Eren was as accomplished with Senjutsu as Kuroka claimed, it would have been pathetically easy for him to not only sense their familiars watching but also slip by and deceive them to keep in contact with his subordinates in the Brigade.

After all, he had managed to slip off the heavily warded Gremory vacation island without issue. None of the Gremory servants found traces of him having been there when they went to clean it.

"That church he destroyed? I don't know if the men he locked in there were slavers or not," Xenovia said grimly. "All I know is that a nine-year-old boy locked seven men in a church. He listened to them scream and beg for their lives as he placed explosives. Then, while my guardian bled out, he blew it up and left her to die. She told me he didn't even blink. Whether they were bad men or not, nobody who kills people that easily, that cruelly, without feeling anything is a good man."

Issei looked away, unable to meet his lover's eyes.

'Be careful with Eren Yeager. You have no idea who he is. What he's capable of.'

Suddenly, Sona felt so foolish. So very dumb. Immature. Childish.

She, a teenage girl, had let her feelings blind her to the holes in Eren's story.

How had a human child managed to defeat Griselda Quarta? One of the church's top exorcists would certainly not have been taken down easily, even if taken by surprise.

How had Eren known so much about the supernatural world when he said he tried to avoid it?

How had Eren, only seventeen years old at the time, had enough Ki to rival an Ultimate Class devil in power?

Not once had she tried to poke holes in his story, content to let him keep his secrets.

Sona hadn't challenged him at all, not once.

Because she had loved him.

'He'll break your heart.'

"But-but, he's better now, right?" Issei asked, looking around the room hopefully. Desperately. "He did those things to survive, but he doesn't have to anymore, right? He regrets it and is better now, right?"

"Eren..." Akeno trailed off before shaking her head. "Even if he did regret his actions, he'd still do them if he thought they were necessary. He'd still move forward. That's the type of man he is."

Mikasa hadn't been surprised.

Because, to her, it was expected.

Self-loathing filled Sona.

Why had she not heeded her aunt's warning? Or at least been better prepared for something like this?

Clearly, her Mikasa had concerns about Eren, even from the first day of meeting him again. Sona doubted she knew precisely what was going on with Eren, but she still was preparing herself. Mikasa had tried warning them in her own way, lacking as she no doubt had been in the detail department.

Mikasa had never had anything but their best intentions at heart, and they ignored her.

"Love. Always love. But never let love be chains."

Mikasa's feelings for Eren were real, and Sona was still certain of that, but her aunt had not let them blind her.

Why had Sona allowed hers to do the same?

Sona knew why.

Jealousy and pride.

And all they got Sona was this tearing, ripping, gut-wrenching pain in her heart.

"Why," Issei asked, looking around the room at the sad, pained, angry faces. Tears of frustration and pain started to bead his eyes, and he rubbed them furiously. "Why is everyone accepting this? Why do you think Senpai can do this? He is our friend. We need to believe in him!"

"It is because he is our friend that we know Eren," Rias said hollowly, arms tightening around Koneko. "I... I think if Eren had a reason, a strong reason, one he believed in and was willing to fight for, then he could do anything. No matter how much he'd regret it, he'd still keep advancing. Even if it meant becoming a monster."

"But why," Issei pleaded with his King. "What reason could Senpai have?"

"...I don't know."

"Um," a hesitant voice asked in the silence after Rias' despairing whisper.

All eyes, even Sona's, looked at Rossweiss. The newly reincarnated Pawn shifted uncomfortably at the attention.

"I... I don't know this Eren Yeager," the Valkyrie said, still new to the group and more than a few years older than those present. She was still trying to fit in. "But I think we need to know how he did it before we can ask why."

"What do you mean," Sona asked, seizing on any subject change.

Anything to distract her from the ache in her chest.

"Well, if that woman is right," Rossweiss nodded toward the room where Kuroka was still talking to the Satans. "He is the leader of the Chaos Brigade. He helped build it. According to every report I've read on the Brigade, they oppose the Peace Treaty and have formed with the Ouroboros as a figurehead. Apart from that, it's just a bunch of factions agreeing to stay out of each other's way for their goals."

"That is the common consensus, yes," Sona nodded quickly, glad to have the distraction from her spiralling thoughts. "We know a few factions by name. The Old Satans are the ones we've dealt with for the most part, as they target devils, but we also know of a faction of magicians from the attack on the school, Nilrem, and the Hero Faction. They claim to be the leading faction, but we can't say for certain. We don't know if there is still a Norse faction without Loki, but we can assume any number of other factions from other pantheons that are dissatisfied with the Peace Treaty."

"That is what I am talking about," Rossweiss said, gaining more confidence. "How is a human the leader of all that? If it is this Eren, then how did he do it? Loki said he wouldn't act on the plan of a dead man, which meant that while he thought the leader was alive, he was following their plan. How do you get so many factions, many with competing interests, to follow your plan? Not even the God of the Bible could do that, but a human could?"

"He has that sage stuff, right," Issei guessed. "If the nekomimi is right, then Senpai's super strong. Did he just beat them up?"

Despite his reluctance to believe Eren was their enemy, Issei looked almost excited at the idea that Eren was secretly a badass.

"All Senjutsu does is enhance what is already there," the Pawn disagreed. Rossweiss was a prodigy in magic, Sona remembered. She probably knew more about the subject than all of them except Kuroka. "Usually only existing Ki abilities. And even then, it's usually just physical abilities. Sages are rare, but even the most powerful could never fight gods except for a few who combined it with other abilities. Taoist spells or Youjutsu techniques. And even then, none of it reached the level of a properly trained Longinus user, let alone a god. So how did a human sage manage that if he has no magic or Sacred Gear?"

Rossweiss looked around the room. Realizing everyone was watching her as she lost herself in one of her favourite topics, the Valkyrie shrank back in on herself slightly.

"I just thought that if we knew how he did it, maybe we can figure out why."

"My aunt knows," Sona said softly.

"That 'Warhammer' thing?" Rias asked, and Sona nodded. "I don't understand. They said their world didn't have magic. Or any supernatural races. Even if... Eren was lying," Rias swallowed the words like her throat was stuck. "Aunty wouldn't go along with it."

"It could be a title," Akeno suggested. "We've never really seen Eren fight. If he's anything like Aunty, he could be very strong as a human... if he was healthy, I guess. Can any of you imagine Lady Mikasa as a Sage?"

Sona suppressed a shiver at the thought.

Her aunt lacked any magic or demonic power of her own, but thanks to sheer skill and speed, she could fight well above her weight class. With the right weapon, she could even kill Ultimate Class devils.

If she had Touki, let alone Senjutsu, Mikasa Ackerman would be an Ultimate Class devil easily.

If Eren could fight as well as she did and was as talented with Senjutsu as Kuroka claimed, he would definitely be an Ultimate Class threat.

"Eren 'Warhammer' Yeager," Yuuto tasted the words on his lips with a sardonic smile. "It isn't bad."

"It isn't a title," Mikasa said plainly as the sealed doors opened.

Everyone rose to their feet to look at the group that emerged. It was unsurprising that they could hear what the young devils had been speaking about from inside.

Sona noted that her aunt's was a mask of neutrality that didn't let anything pass.

Serafall, on the other hand, looked between Sona and Mikasa worriedly, biting her lower lip and twirling her hands awkwardly.

The other Satans, Sirzechs Lucifer and Adjuka Beelzebub, looked grim but resolute.

Falbium Asmodeus was nowhere to be seen.

Kuroka was all smiles, in contrast to everyone else's mood.

"So," Issei asked eagerly, not caring about propriety in the slightest and more concerned about his missing Senpai. "What's happening? Where's Senpai?"

"We don't know. Agents are going to the headquarters Kuroka told us about, but they are probably already abandoned. For now," Sirzechs said with a tight smile. "Eren Yeager will be listed as wanted, with orders to be captured alive, if possible."

"Why!"

"Issei!" Rias barked as the Red Dragon Emperor stepped toward the Satan's aggressively.

Issei bit his teeth but backed down.

"If it makes you feel better," Sirzech said, giving the boy a pained smile. "I don't think we can capture him."

What sort of power did Eren have that not even the Satans, with all the resources of the Underworld at their command, didn't think they could capture him?

"You really believe he is the leader of the Chaos Brigade," Sona asked, her eyes looking from her distressed sister to her placid aunt.

"He is," Mikasa answered simply.

"Mi-chan," Serafall looked at her Pawn sorrowfully.

"Eren will do what he thinks he needs to," Mikasa said.

Her voice was empty of all emotions.

Not cold. Just empty.

"He always has."

"What about her," Rias asked, looking at Kuroka with narrowed eyes. "What's going to happen to her?"

"That will depend on whether the information she provides is accurate," Sirzech explained.

"Onee-sama is a good kitty nyaow!"

"We shall see," Beelzebub said. "Falbium is already verifying your words."

Sona blinked in shock.

Something had gotten the infamously lazy Satan Asmodeus to do work? And instead of just sending subordinates to do it for him, he went himself?

What in the Underworld had Kuroka said in that room?

"For now," Sirzechs said with a sympathetic smile at Rias. "May we speak with Koneko?"

"What for," Rias asked warily, standing between the young Rook and the Satans.

"It is nothing bad," Sirzechs explained gently, not showing if his sister's caution had hurt him. "Before we can decide what to do with Kuroka, we need to know if she is guilty, and Kuroka said Koneko has the proof she is innocent."

"And you believe her?" Rias demanded angrily, stepping forward in a mirror of Issei's earlier action. "I am not going to let her hurt Koneko again!"

"...Buchou," Koneko held her King by the back of her shirt.

Rias looked back at the Rook, and Koneko gave her a small shake of her head. Rias still watched Kuroka like a hawk as she stepped aside. Not far enough to be out of Koneko's reach, though.

"I need to know," Koneko asked with narrowed eyes at her sister. "Did Eren go mad because of Senjutsu?"

Kuroka blinked in surprise, then her gaze softened, and she crouched down until she was at eye level with the smaller girl.

"No Shirone. Senjutsu cannot make someone mad unless they have a really weak mind. Both me and Eren are sane."

In a rare moment of anger, Sona wanted to shake the cat girl by the neck and demand to know what part of 'destroying the Underworld' was sane.

She didn't though. She understood why Koneko asked that question.

It would be so easy if Eren simply went mad due to his Senjutsu.

If exposure to the malicious Ki of the world had driven him mad, then he hadn't betrayed them.

Hadn't betrayed her.

But Sona could not bring herself to believe such a convenient fantasy.

Because Mikasa had not been surprised.

Kokeno stared into her older sister's eyes, looking for any lie.

Then she looked at Sirzechs Lucifer.

"...What do I need to do?"

"We just need to see your hairpin for a moment," Sirzechs said.

Koneko's brow furrowed as she raised her hand to the cat-shaped hairpin that kept her silver hair from her eyes.

"Why do you want it," Rias asked defensively. "It's all she has of her mother."

"We're not going to destroy it," Sirzechs reassured. "You'll get it back."

Koneko hesitantly took the clip out of her hair and handed it over.

Lucifer took it gently, not saying anything about the girl's trembling hands, and passed it to Beelzebub.

A magic circle lit up below the clip and enveloped it.

Beelzebub's eyes narrowed in thought.

"It's a device used to record information. Like a human hard drive, only it doesn't just contain documents and footage, but also spell formula."

"Can you tell what is in it?"

"It will take me days to go through all of it," Beelzebub told his friend. "But I can give a general summary right now. It is a copy of illegal research conducted by the Nebiros clan on how to create Artificial Super Devils."

Sona's eyes widened.

The Nebiros clan was a clan of Extra Devils famous as the last surviving of the Six Houses of Lucifer. All the others had either died in the Great War or joined the opposing side of the Civil War.

The sole exception was the last surviving member of the Lucifuge family, who married Sirzechs Gremory.

They were also a branch family of the Naberius house.

More recently, however, the Naberius clan was more well known for being the noble house involved in the Nekomata Incident, where a promising bishop was said to have gone mad with her power, killing her master and devolving into one of the most dangerous Stray Devils ever to exist, Black Cat Kuroka.

"While this is not a record from her master," Beelzebub continued, nodding toward Kuroka, whose eyes remained locked on Koneko. "It does mention the branch house he was a part of being included in the research and has extensive notes on experiments on nekomata. Their mother, Fujimai, in particular, was a major subject. Senjutsu was a significant study target, and the experiments were... not gentle. It corroborates her story."

"This is going to be a disaster," Sirzechs sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "Get everything you can out of that and make sure you don't destroy it. I'll deal with the Naberius."

"What does this mean?" Rias asked her brother.

"According to the law, any King who violates the law loses the right to their Evil Pieces. And those Pieces are within their rights to defend themselves from said King," Sirzechs explained. "It was one of the first laws we put in to protect reincarnated devils. If the Nebiros Clan were indeed conducting experiments on nekomata, which it looks like they were, and the Naberius continued those experiments later, then she was within her rights to kill her King. Which means she is, legally, innocent and no longer a Stray Devil."

"The Naberius clan can lose their Pillar status over this," Sona said with narrowed eyes, realizing the larger implications of this revelation.

"If we can prove it and it's not scapegoated onto one member. They will either become an extra devil clan or lose clan status altogether, depending on how pervasive the experiments were among the family. Or it will push them to join the Chaos Brigade."

There was a whole mess of political intrigue there, one Sona was unwilling and unable to deal with at the moment.

For the first time in her life, Sona decided to be like her sister and leave that work to Sirzechs and not think about it.

"But," Rias protested, pointing toward Kuroka. "Even if she's not a Stray, she is, or was, part of Chaos Brigade. She's still a criminal."

"We've struck a deal with her," Serafall said, not taking her eyes off her Pawn. "Now that her innocence in her original crime has been proven, or at least has reasonable doubt, we can pardon her in exchange for information. Information we need."

All three Satans looked grim at the reminder, but Kuroka simply continued to smile gently at Koneko, who was staring at the elder nekomata in shock.

"For now, as part of that deal, she will remain under observation by Mi-chan- Er, Mikasa," Sirzechs stumbled but continued affably. "Also part of that deal was that she was allowed to live with, or near, her sister, so she will be staying in Kuoh. Between Mikasa, Azazel, and both your Peerages, she won't have much freedom."

"And it keeps her out of the Underworld," Sona said, with a note of accusation. "She can't spy on things from Kuoh."

The Satans gave her a wane smile but nodded in affirmation.

Sona had two other realizations that she didn't vocalize to the group.

First, by keeping Kuroka near Koneko, they were indirectly using the Rook as a hostage for good behaviour.

Second, Eren had already shown an interest in Kuoh and them in particular. With Kuroka there, they kept all his known associates in one place, which might lure him out.

Sona was certain that Kuoh was about to have dozens of Ultimate Class devils hidden nearby, just in case.

A year ago, the thought would have made her angry.

Now, she just didn't care about the blow to her pride.

Sona was just tired.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, Shirone," Kuroka said softly, looking into her sister's eyes. "But I'm going to be there now. Even if you don't forgive me, I promise I will prove you can count on me. I will spend every day for the rest of my life proving myself if that's what it takes."

Sona couldn't even begin to understand what the young Rook felt at that moment. Rias clearly wasn't happy.

But Sona?

Sona wasn't happy either, but she could see the silver lining. With Kuroka at hand, she could get more answers.

Both Kuroka and Mikasa owed them that.

********

What to say about this one?

First, I don't plan to dwell too long on the aftereffects of Eren's betrayal, but I don't want to brush it over, either. Too often in anime, characters fall into tropes after a member betrays them. Either they go the Naruto route: 'He's my friend no matter what!' (Which I consider idiotic) or the Sasuke route: 'They betrayed me. I am going to kill them all. And their pets.' (Also moronic.)

I do want to show how a bit on how our DxD cast handles something like this, each in their own way. Despite all their growth, they are still young and haven't faced betrayal like this before, especially with someone they are so close to. As I said, I don't plan to delay the story too much, but I do want to present the conflicting mess of emotions they are feeling. I will try to portray them as best as I can.

Ironically, Eren is one of the best portrayals of this internal conflict. His relationship with Reiner is a great example. Being the rage gremlin he was (and the fact that the Armored Titan helped kill his mom and destroy his home), Eren tries to kill Reiner despite their years as comrades together.

But as he grows up, as he gains a more nuanced view of the world, he recognizes Reiner as a man just like him—a child soldier thrust into a war that has spanned thousands of years. While they still fight, it is not a coincidence that Reiner lives until the very end, when Eren could very well have created a plan that killed him.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts. Even as we approach the end of the fic, I don't plan to sacrifice the characters' growth for it. Everyone still has a bit more to go before this story is done. I will meet you in a few days on the bench.

 

[ScriptGenius12]

I wonder how long it will take for Rumbling 2.0 to happen. Days? Weeks? Months?

pleasedontturnintotheFumblingagain

 

[GAMB42]

Honestly Kuroka being completely right was the best part of everything. LOL it really shows how the main cast lacks experience more than anything.

 

[kz3838]

Thank you for the great chapter, stay safe out there and keep up the good work!

 

[ScriptGenius12]

What I read:

What I expected:

What I got:

 

[Chynya]

I wonder how long it will take for Rumbling 2.0 to happen. Days? Weeks? Months?

pleasedontturnintotheFumblingagain

Click to shrink...

LETS HIT THE QUOTA THIS TIME! 100% HERE WE GO!

 

[Kalstorm22]

Great chapter, I liked how Sona was clearly trying to be logical on how Eren could be innocent but was wise enough to see that her emotions were clouding her judgment and had been for some time, because as she said 'Mikasa had not been surprised' which Sona knew was the nail in the coffin of Eren being the leader of the Chaos Brigade, even if it took her a while to admit it to herself. See you on Sunday on the bench.

 

[Vongrak]

So, as someone who hasn't watched more than the first few episodes of AoT I have no idea what this Warhammer thing is? Can someone enlighten me? Why would being able to use it at range matter?

 

[ScriptGenius12]

So, as someone who hasn't watched more than the first few episodes of AoT I have no idea what this Warhammer thing is? Can someone enlighten me? Why would being able to use it at range matter?

Click to shrink...

Geokinesis

 

[ReadingDangerously]

"You know what we want. Speak!" Rias commanded imperiously.

"Don't wanyaa," Kuroka said as she stretched lazily in her chair, her tails holding Eren's cane out of the way as she lounged. "It's too early in the morning for this. Ask me again later."

"It's six pm," Sona deadpanned.

"Exactly."

"I think she has nothing to say," Akeno 'whispered' to Rias. "I think she's a mook. I think Eren learned Senjutsu from her, and she just hung around him because she was a stray cat with nowhere else to go."

Kuroka gave the Queen a side eye as she lounged but didn't rise to the bait.

Rias decided to try another tactic.

She put away the lamp she hung over Kuroka's head, turned the light back on, and threw away the fake badge on her chest.

Honestly, she thought the costume would lighten the mood a bit, but nobody was feeling it. Even Ravel Phenex's arrival and the School Festival's advent couldn't bring everyone out of their funk since Eren's disappearance, and Rias was at her wits' end.

"Kuroka," the Gremory heiress said seriously. The former Stray Devil gave the redhead a curious look, sipping from her saucer of sake as her tails swished. "You are under our jurisdiction now." The black cat raised an amused brow. "I am not saying we can beat you in a fight, though you might be surprised. I am saying that irrespective of your 'innocence,' you are our responsibility. And so is Eren."

"Eren is way beyond your pay grade, girl," Kuroka snorted indelicately.

"We don't know that," Sona said, staring down at the cat with crossed arms. "Because, except for Senjutsu, nobody has told us anything about what he can do."

"Just that alone should tell you everything you need to knyaaow," Kuroka shook her head as she took another sip. "No. You all need to stay away from Eren. I don't want Shirone anywhere near him when he decides to make his move. Just let the adults deal with it while you remain safe in Kuoh. No matter what the Satans think, he won't be coming back here."

"...Nee-san," Koneko's soft voice carried from the other side of the Occult Research Club room. "Eren won't hurt us."

"Eren won't want to hurt you," Kuroka corrected with a sad shake of her head. "But Eren does many things he doesn't want to do for his plan."

"Like work with the Old Satan Faction."

"Exactly," Kuroka nodded at Sona's point. "Eren would be thrilled if he could crush those bastards to death, and he has for a few he didn't need, but they have their uses. It's just that their uses in the plan usually lead to their untimely demise and failure."

"Coincidentally, I'm sure," Sona said with a tried rub of her eyes.

"So he's just using them," Rias clarified, hope swelling in her chest.

She could believe that Eren was secretly part of the Chaos Brigade. She could even suspend her disbelief and believe he was secretly super powerful despite looking like he was a stiff breeze away from death.

What she could not, would not believe was that Eren would kill Issei.

She refused to believe that everything over the last year and a half had been a lie.

But Rias needed to understand Eren. His goals. His powers. Everything that he had kept hidden while speaking with them.

Only then could she understand Eren.

Only then could she bring him home.

Two people had the answers she needed.

Kuroka and Mikasa.

Getting answers from Mikasa was like pulling teeth, so they decided to interrogate the Black Cat while Levitathan's Pawn pulled Yuuto away.

Unfortunately, it seemed that when Kuroka was not leading a global terrorist organization, she was a lazy mess.

Already, she had stolen some of Azazel's booze and one of Gasper's game consoles and seemed perfectly happy to have foisted the entire Chaos Brigade mess on the Satans to deal with. She was treating this all like a vacation.

It also seemed that she was perfectly happy keeping them in the dark about Eren to prevent them from trying to chase him down.

Which... Rias couldn't say she didn't want to do.

She wanted to find Eren, demand answers from the boy, beat him up for worrying her, and have Asia heal him so Akeno could have a turn.

More than anything else, Rias wanted to understand why.

Eren said he didn't hate devils, yet he wanted to completely destroy the Underworld where hundreds of millions of innocent devils lived?

Devils who never even touched an Evil Piece, let alone used them in ways he so hated?

Why had he done all this?

Why the lies?

"Why does he need them," Rias' pressed. "Why did he build the Chaos Brigade when he probably hates everyone involved? He could have worked with us, not against us."

"He doesn't hate everyone," Kuroka denied. "He and Vali are pretty good palls. Cao Cao, too. Georg practically worships him. Hells, half-the Hero Faction have huge crushes on Eren." Kuroka giggled as she sipped her sake. "Not that it did Jeanne or Georg any good. I got there first."

There was the familiar sting of jealousy.

Rias didn't know how close Kuroka actually had been to Eren. All they had to go off of was the Stray's words... Former Stray. There was no proof besides Kuroka's words and Mikasa's acceptance of them that Eren had been romantically involved at all.

Everyone, including herself and Sona, had held their breath on the subject. Not only didn't they have any right to Eren's affection, but it wasn't the most critical worry at the moment.

Mikasa had not even addressed the issue, just going about her day, keeping an eye on Kuroka and not rising to any of the prodding.

It didn't stop the jealousy, though.

It was also much easier to hate Kuroka than Mikasa.

...Even if Kuroka had reasons for killing her King, that didn't change the fact she had hurt Koneko.

Rias only needed one look at the younger girl, sitting as far away from her sister as she could and curled up on herself, to feel the rage gain fervour.

But rage wouldn't help her now.

"If you truly want to keep Koneko safe," Rias said, letting out a breath of frustration. "We need to know what we are facing. That magician girl said Eren planned to kill Issei, and we won't let that happen. So tell us."

It seemed like her words made a little sense to the Bishop, who sipped at her sake quietly.

Whether Kuroka would have eventually agreed or not would go unknown when Mikasa returned with Yuuto.

Surprisingly, Issei and Asia were accompanying them, as were Rossweiss and Xenovia, so Rias guessed they had finished showing Ravel around town. Where the Phenex girl had gone off to, she didn't know, though.

Rias immediately noted that Issei had that vacant look on his face, the one he got when speaking to either Ddraig or the former holders of the Boosted Gear.

Rias shot her Peerage a quick look of question. Issei didn't notice, still lost in his thoughts, but Asia gave her King a worried look as she patted her boyfriend on the back. Xenovia just shrugged.

"Ravel is doing something for Issei," Rossweiss explained. "Something about his show and children? I don't know the details."

That was enough for Rias, and she looked at her Knight.

Yuuto gave his King a smile that didn't meet his eyes as he nodded toward Mikasa. More specifically, toward the storage device she carried that held her weapons.

Rias didn't ask right away as tension mounted between the older women.

As soon as she saw Mikasa, Kuroka's eyes narrowed, and the fur on her tails flared slightly.

Rias felt a vindictive sort of pleasure at the sight.

It seemed like they weren't the only ones who felt jealous.

"Let's go," Mikasa ordered the Nekoshou.

"Go, nyaa?"

"You are the only one who knows Senjutsu, and I need to practice fighting a sage."

"Don't feel like it," Kuroka said lazily as she sank further into her seat.

"Too bad."

"I'm not gonna help you fight him."

"Don't you want to protect your sister?"

"Eren won't target her." Koneko flinched at her sister's words, and Rias' felt that protective rage once more. "She's safe, so long as she stays out of the way."

"You don't seem to care that he will destroy the Underworld?"

"Should I, nyaa? Nobody can stop Eren, so I won't try as long as Shirone is safe. I only told the Satans for the deal, but they won't be able to stop him. Best let him get on with it while I keep Shironyaa far away."

"I will stop him."

"How?"

Mikasa didn't answer, but she continued to stare at the cat, making it perfectly clear that she would not back down.

"Aunty," Sona said in the tense silence that had grown between the two women. Mikasa looked at the younger girl, and her eyes softened. "Talk to us. Please."

Mikasa seemed to waver, and Kuroka suddenly sat up. The quick movement drew Mikasa's attention back to her.

"I have a good idea, nyaa," the Nekoshou said with a predatory smile. "I'm on a roll with deals. Information for information."

"You withheld information?" Mikasa asked with narrowed eyes.

"Not from the Satans," Kuroka shook her head, then nodded toward the watching group. "But they don't know anything, and I'm not gonna tell 'em anything for free. I tell them about Eren, and I spend some of my precocious free time playing with you."

"All you have is free time," Akeno bit out sarcastically.

Kuroka ignored her.

"In return, nyaa~" she singsonged. "You tell me about Eren. About your world."

Mikasa continued to watch the smug cat with an impassive gaze. Then her eyes flicked for an instant towards Sona, and she gave a short nod.

"Great," Kuroka said. "Go ahead. Ask something."

Rias knew she should ask about Eren's abilities, his plans, and anything else that could help them find him and fight him.

The question that slipped out was about none of that.

"What is your relationship with Eren?"

"Hmm," Kuroka leaned back in her chair again, legs dangling off the edge as she held her hand in her chin. Rias was sure she was messing with them. "I've been a lot of things to Eren. Right-hand woman, teacher, errand girl, and taxi service when Georg isn't available. The best way to put it would be partners to lovers. We used each other and then fell in love along the way."

"Or he used you, and you fell for it," Akeno sneered. "Why else would he ditch you for over a year?"

Kuroka narrowed her eyes but, again, didn't rise to the bait.

Rias... wasn't sure what response she should have to that answer. It was consistent with what Kuroka had said before, but at the same time...

Her emotions were such a mess.

Was she supposed to hate Eren now? Fight him?

She should, right? He had lied to them, manipulated them, and was a threat to not only her world but her family and Issei. Supposedly, he had declared he'd kill her cute little Rook, the junior he had guided.

Was that a lie? A threat? A promise?

Jealousy, anger, fear, longing, confusion, and so many other emotions swirled around in her heart.

Despite asking, Rias realized that Kuroka's answer had not settled anything.

"My turn," Kuroka said, looking at Mikasa. "You mentioned something in the meeting that I want to know about. 'Yeagerists.' You said Eren had done something like this before in your world."

Mikasa looked once more at Sona before she answered.

Rias wondered what was going on behind that blank face. What must Mikasa be going through if Rias' feelings were a mess?

"We were soldiers in the military," Mikasa said simply. "Yeagerist was the name given to a faction of our population that formed around Eren. They were militaristic, imperialistic, xenophobic, and expressionistic. They led a coup, killing the leaders of the military who disagreed with them and supplanting almost the entirety of Eldia."

"Eren hates those types of people," Sona said with her arms crossed.

"In general, he does," Mikasa agreed. "But situations will make even an angel shake hands with a devil. Men into monsters. Victims into aggressors. In our world, we were hated for being born. Almost every nation in the world wanted to exterminate the Island Devils. And they had hurt us. All of us. We were scared. We were angry. Most of us thought it was us or them."

"...Us?" Koneko asked. "You too?"

"All of us agreed we needed to do something. The Yeagerists were just the most extreme. They were calling for our extermination, so let's exterminate them first. Only then can we be safe." Mikasa shook her head sadly. "I wasn't a Yeagerist, but that didn't really matter. There were no good guys. Not even us."

"And Eren went along with this?" Akeno asked doubtfully.

"In a way," Mikasa nodded. "Eren was a symbol for the Yeagerists. When he died, he was half deified by them. Very few of them realized he had been using them, and I am sure he is using Chaos Brigade. He will use anyone and anything if it means achieving his goals."

"That is why you weren't surprised," Sona said, her gaze shooting between Mikasa and Kuroka. "Eren has done this before."

"Yes."

That was all Mikasa said as she looked back at Kuroka. It was her turn to answer a question.

Sona was the one who asked this time before anyone else could get ahead of her.

"When, where, and how did you become partners with Eren?" She asked with narrowed eyes. "Did Eren seek you out specifically, or did you just meet by accident? How'd he convince you to work with him?"

"That's too many questions, nyaa," Kuroka pouted.

"No," Sona denied firmly. "They should all be covered by how you met him. I do not believe it was a coincidence that Eren, who you said is the greatest sage to ever live, ran into you, who could train him in Senjutsu."

Because of her angle facing the door, Rias noticed how Mikasa suddenly leaned forward.

The first hint of genuine emotions flitted half a second across her eyes, but it was too subtle and complex for the Gremory to say what it was with any certainty. Fear? Despair?

Anyway, it was clear the Pawn was just as interested as everyone else in Kuroka's answer.

"It was a coincidence," Kuroka shrugged. "I had just killed my ex-King and was on the run. I was trying to sneak out of the Underworld using the Dantalion interdimensional teleportation circle when I found Eren chained up in the dungeon. The family's heir had been following his career as a mercenary and wanted to reincarnate him. They were trying to brainwash him first because he was... uncooperative."

"That sounds like Senpai," Yuuto said with a crooked smile.

"Dantalion?" Rias frowned at the name, trying to place it. "Weren't they-"

"The Pillar family that died ten years ago," Sona said, adjusting her glasses once more. "They were exterminated, the only Pillar family to go extinct since the Civil War. Nobody knows what happened, though. Their estate was completely destroyed. You did that? If you could, why didn't you fight the Naberius agents?"

"It was mostly Eren," Kuroka shrugged casually. "After I freed him, he helped me escape. The guards found us before we could get far, and he transformed. That initial blast did most of the damage, and we just dealt with the stragglers to prevent anyone from following. We've been partners ever since."

"Transformed," Issei asked, emerging from his conversation with the inhabitants of the Boosted Gear. "Like my Scale Mail?"

"Nope, nope, nope. It's my turn nyaaow," Kuroka shook her head, sitting up again to face Mikasa. Then she leaned forward, her smile all predator. "Tell me about titans."

"'Titans?'" Sona asked with a furrowed brow. "The group of Greek deities before the current pantheon?"

"That is just how Language translates it," Mikasa said plainly. "Technically, it translates to 'Giant Human' or 'Huge Man.'"

"You had giants in your world?" Issei asked, emerging from his funk to finally participate in the conversation.

Mikasa looked around the room again at the expectant and pleading eyes. Then, almost minutely, she seemed to sag slightly. Then she straightened and spoke with the plain candour of a soldier.

"No," Mikasa denied. "Only humans. Titans were humans that had been transformed. They ranged in height from two to twenty-five meters tall on average. Their features varied wildly. Some looked more like cartoons or caricatures of humans, but they were always vaguely shaped like men and naked."

"...Gross," Koneko said with a scrunched nose.

"They had no genitals or orifices but those on their head," Mikasa denied, speaking in the simple, clipped tone of someone delivering a military report. "They did not need to eat or drink to survive, absorbing power from sunlight. One I know of hid underground for almost a century without moving."

"Ah, that's what you meant when you said no magic," Sona nodded in realization. "It is a physiological transformation that follows rules of biology and physics, even if they are slightly different than ours."

"Yes."

"Eren is one of these titans?" Akeno asked, interested. "How big was he?"

Kuroka, with a mischievous smile and a waggle of her eyebrows, conjured an illusion in the middle of the room.

Everyone jumped, some preparing for a fight, as suddenly the entire room was filled with teeth the size of their arms on a massive face that only partially fit inside the club room.

"Nyahahahahaha," Kuroka giggled at their reaction as the illusion shrunk. "Consider this a freebee. This is what I meant when I said he transformed."

It didn't take too long for Rias to finally get a good look at her first 'titan.'

It was about Issei's height, though it was clearly shrunk to fit inside the room.

It was a man or at least a crude rendition of one. Two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head. The limbs were proportioned properly, and Rias couldn't help but notice how muscular the figure was, its tanned skin positively rippling with muscles, like a martial artist who spent their entire life training and fighting.

Right away, Rias could understand what Mikasa meant about the lack of genitals, as it looked closer to a doll below the waist than a regular man...

So Rias was a curious teenager, sue her. It wasn't like guys had a monopoly on porn... or hentai in her case.

It was the face where the lack of humanity truly shined, though.

Mated dark hair hung to the shoulders and half-covered long, pointed ears. The nose was typical if a touch too sharp and angular, but the eyes were sunk in too deep to be really human.

And its mouth was... unnerving. It had no lips to cover the teeth, a sharp row of them that would have been scary enough even without the fact that someone had decided to add what seemed like dozens of extras to each end of the mouth. The result looked like something that had lost its cheek and whose mouth split the face in half, top to bottom, from one ear to the other.

Its eyes were emerald green, and they burned with a raging inner fire, like all it wanted was to see the world burn.

Then, a tiny silhouette appeared on the thing's shoulder. A miniature version of Kuroka stood beside its head and barely reached its ear.

"That's Eren?" Issei asked with wide eyes. "He's huge!"

"The Attack Titan," Mikasa nodded. Did Rias imagine things, or was the initial dark emotion she had noticed earlier was gone in favour of... relief, maybe? "He's fifteen meters tall. The form of the titan varied from person to person, as does the size. You can imagine how deadly it is to regular humans without magic. Just brushing against one is enough to kill most humans, and if you are hit or stepped on, there is no saving you."

"Fascinating," Rossweiss said, peering closely at the illusion. "Apart from the size and strength, the immortality, and lack of need of sustenance, did titans have any powers? They would have to if Eren fought high-class devils, right?

"Regeneration," Mikasa answered plainly. "Cut off the limbs, carve out the heart, stab their brains, burn them, freeze them, blow them up, it doesn't matter. They will regenerate. The speed varied between titans and sunlight exposure. I have seen one cut in half, with its brain leaking out of the missing front half of its body and bleeding out, and it still managed to drag itself for days. Eren shoved explosives down its throat, blowing it up, and it still would have regrown if Historia hadn't found its weak spot."

Every word the former soldier spoke, in that dry, bored tone, made Rias feel queasy. How could someone get so used to such a gruesome sight that they could talk of it and sound bored?

Issei was looking nauseous as he held Asia tightly to his chest.

"So they do have a weak spot," Kuroka asked curiously. "I've seen Eren regenerate from losing limbs, most of his body, and half his head. You never mentioned anything about a weak spot in the meeting."

"Because it doesn't matter for Eren anymore," Mikasa said with an annoyed look. "All titans have a weakness, the spine at the base of their skull. Destroy that, and they die. But you allowed him to create a body at a distance, right? This means that he and his weak point can be anywhere. He doesn't need to be in his titan."

In his titan? Ah, it clicked for Rias.

It wasn't a transformation. It was a mech.

A meat mech, but still. Humans were the pilots, their bodies hidden in the spine of the titans. Like an Eva, only smaller and less mechanical.

Eren could turn into a mech, but he had never shown her? Newfound rage burned in Rias' weeb soul.

"Titans were the primary form of military strength in your world, weren't they," Sona said, still looking over the illusion in the center of the room. "You said your world was a century behind us in technology. The size and strength of titans alone would make them unkillable by regular humans without modern weapons."

"We managed. Only after years of study, and even then, we had heavy casualties most of the time. No other nation was as good at killing titans as us, and we still lost half a dozen soldiers for ever one we killed," Mikasa said gravely. "And you are right about military strength. Whoever controlled the titans controlled the world. But you are missing one thing. Only Eldians could become titans. A bloodline from the first titan, Ymir the Founder."

"Ymir," Rosswiess asked, looking up. "The Jotnar?"

"It is just a coincidence that she had the same name," Mikasa shook her head. "I checked when I learned of it."

"That's why they thought of you as devils," Rias said softly, staring at the miniature titan. "You weren't human to them."

Those green eyes glared at the world like they couldn't wait to rush forward and tear everything down.

Attack Titan, indeed.

"The Eldian empire spanned two thousand years because they were the ones who controlled the titans," Mikasa said softly. "Details have been lost, but the one thing everyone could agree on was that Eldia used titans to rule the world. They... encouraged the spreading of Eldian blood in order to gain more titans. They were a cruel country, on both their enemies and their own population. But by the time I was born, the empire had collapsed."

"So," Asia said hopefully. "They were stopped?"

"Nobody could stop them while they controlled the titans. It was a civil war that ended Eldia," Mikasa shook her head. "The king went into exile with a big portion of the Eldian people, hoping to pay for the sins of his ancestors. It didn't change anything except the name of the country and who was in charge."

"... And the titans?" Koneko asked, staring into the raging green eyes of the illusion.

"Eldians still made up a large percentage of the global population due to forced breeding over centuries. We were outcasts. Devils in human skin. But they still needed Eldians for the titans. Marley, the largest country formed after Eldia's collapse, had gained control of titans and used it for their imperial ambitions. If not them, someone else would have. They hated and feared Eldians, but they'd use us."

"People are the same everywhere," Yuuto said softly. Like everyone else, he was staring at the illusion of the titan in their midst. "Just weights on the scale."

"Why didn't you fight them," Issei asked innocently. "You guys could turn into titans, too, right?"

"Not everyone could, I am guessing," Sona said.

"No," Mikasa denied. "Everyone with the blood of Ymir could become a titan. I am one of only a few I know about who, and everyone else is also an Ackerman. My family is the product of genetic experiments by the old Eldian Empire. My friend thought it was an attempt to make human titans. Either way, a few bloodlines like mine couldn't become titans, but every other Eldian could."

"That's why Lady Leviathan said your genetics were more interesting than Eren's," Akeno realized, biting her lip. "But that doesn't explain why you didn't fight back."

"Because becoming a titan is a terrible fate," Mikasa said gravely. "You cannot turn back."

"What," Kuroka asked, content to mostly listen to Mikasa until now. "That's not true. I've seen Eren transform hundreds of times."

Mikasa just shook her head.

"When someone transforms, they became what we call Pure Titans. They lost all sense of self, acting wholly on instinct, like children or animals. That is how they were used in battle. Like rabid wolves, they were thrown at an enemy and let loose to run wild. A Pure Titan will stay like that until something kills them, possibly for centuries. Both Eldia and Marley forced that transformation on people for their wars. Becoming a titan is a fate worse than death."

The younger, more inexperienced in the room paled at Mikasa's words.

"But what about Eren," Kuroka pressed.

"There were nine exceptions," Mikasa explained with a nod toward the projection. "The Attack Titan was one of them. Anyone who held one of the Nine kept their intelligence and could transform at will, though the number of times per day varied by type. While shifters aren't transformed, they keep the healing and enhanced abilities to a lesser degree. The Nine were the core of the countries' military forces. A handful of the Nine working together could destroy a country in a day."

"The Warhammer," Yuuto said, looking at his one-time crush. "That was another one, right?"

"Yes," Mikasa nodded, then she looked at Kuroka. "You've seen him use it. It's that silver or white bone material. Show them."

A ring of white metal seemed to flow from the illusionary titan, surrounding it in a wave of jagged spikes that erupted in a wave.

"It looks like mercury," Rosswiess said offhand as she scribbled something on one of her notepads.

"I don't know exactly what it is made of," Mikasa admitted. "It is harder than bone and most metals. But it made the Warhammer Titan the third strongest, though most considered it the second, after the Founder. It could create weapons and armour while all the other titans only used their bodies. It could even form the titan away from the host, meaning even cutting its spine wouldn't kill the shifter."

Mikasa's emotions shone through as she shot a glare at Kuroka.

"Its weakness was that all the material had to remain attached to its body, or it would dissolve. A weakness Eren doesn't have anymore. I have no idea how far he can use the Warhammer from his body, but just the fact it doesn't need to be attached makes it incredibly deadly. He can create as many titan bodies as he wants without exposing himself to danger."

The nekoshou didn't look repentant in the slightest. In fact, she looked smug.

Rather than responding to the cat, Rias pointed out a discrepancy.

"You said there were nine special titans, right? Eren inherited two? Or are there nine types, and someone can show up with multiple different ones if they're talented. Like our clan traits?"

"Nine total. At any given point, there are only ever nine, never more. It gets iffy with the Founder, but that is the rule. Eren is the first since Ymir to hold more than one. He held three. The three most dangerous. The Warhammer, the Founder, and the Attack Titan. Thankfully, we only need to worry about the Warhammer."

"Why," Xenovia asked with her arms crossed. "You said the Founder was stronger."

"The Founder's main ability is to control all who share Ymir's bloodline," Mikasa explained simply. "I am the only Eldian here, and Ackermans cannot be controlled due to the genetic manipulation. There are no other titans in this world for him to control, and nobody can become a titan. Besides, only those who possess the royal bloodline or those touching someone with that bloodline can use it. Neither Eren nor I have that bloodline, so the Founder is useless to him."

"What about the Attack Titan," Sona asked with a nod toward the representation of Eren in the center of the room. "What is its power? By process of elimination, it is either the first or second most dangerous titan."

"It doesn't matter," Mikasa shook her head. "By itself, it is only a slightly stronger and smarter titan. Only when its power worked with the Founder's did it become a problem. Without it, and in this world, it is essentially powerless compared to the Warhammer."

"What if it did work," Kuroka asked curiously, staring at her illusion. "What if he did have those other powers? How strong would he be then?"

Mikasa looked at the former Stray as if judging the reason for her interest.

Eventually, she answered though.

"If Eren could use the Warhammer Titan, the Founding Titan, and the Attack Titan, then he'd be the strongest being in this world."

"Really, nyaa" Kuroka asked doubtfully. "I've met Ophis. Eren is super strong but not 'Ouroboros Dragon' strong, and nothing compared to Great Red."

"Not in direct power," Mikasa shook her head. "But it wouldn't matter. The world would become as Eren willed to. Actually, just the Attack and Founding Titan powers would be enough. He wouldn't even need the Warhammer. It is just a tool he needed last time."

That answer didn't disenchant Kuroka in the slightest.

If anything, that made the cat girl all the more smug as she beamed over at her sister.

"Do you understand how awesome Onee-sama is now, Shironyaa? She snagged a super cool brother-in-law for you."

"Who dumped you," Akeno pointed out again.

"Doesn't matter," Kuroka shook her head. "Lovers fight."

"You sound like you want him to win," Rias accused.

"Eren won't lose. The Underworld's only hope is that he changes his mind, but I am not counting on it. I am just here to keep Shirone safe," Kuroka shrugged. "He'll finish his business and come around. Besides, can you imagine our kittens?"

"Eren will never have children."

Mikasa said it with such certainty that it took everyone by surprise. And anger.

"Maybe not with you," Kuroka said acidly. "But I am not giving up."

"Give up."

There was no anger in Mikasa's voice, just grim certainty.

Which seemed to anger Kuroka even more.

Gone was the playful facade of joviality as she practically teleported right in front of Mikasa, her seven tails swaying angrily.

Mikasa watched impassively, not flinching as the former vice leader of the Chaos Brigade hissed at her.

"I'm sick of this," Kuroka spat. "I had high hopes for you, you know? I know how much he cares about you. I was the one who pushed him toward you."

"Am I supposed to thank you?" Mikasa asked in that same bland tone.

"You're supposed to feel something!" Kuroka snapped. "You are supposed to care about him! You are supposed to love him! You are supposed to support him!"

"I am not chained by love."

"Kuroka," Sona tried to interject, but she was ignored.

"So you just throw him away as soon as you can? The first person to claim he's an enemy, and suddenly you are ready to kill him?"

"Nee-san," Koneko tried to help, but even she was ignored.

"I know Eren," Mikasa simply said. "I am not blinded to who he is. What he is. He makes his choices, and I will make mine. He would hate it if I didn't."

Rias and Issei hurried to place themselves between the two women and the rest of the room. Rias summoned her Rain of Destruction, and Issei started Boosting.

"You know nothing," Kuroka spat, hackles raised.

"I know your request for Evil Pieces won't work," Mikasa said. "Even if you get them, Eren will never become a devil. Eren is going to die. Accept it."

"I refuse to accept a future like that! The only future I want is one where I can live a long, happy life with Eren, Shirone, and a litter of titan kittens! That is the only future I will accept!"

For a long second, Mikasa didn't say anything.

Then, in a quiet voice, she asked.

"You... told Eren this? You said you wanted titan children?"

"Aunty-"

Sona's urgent voice was cut off by Kuroka's answer.

"Of course," Kuroka said proudly. "This world is full of monsters worse than humans. Unlike you, I don't hate titans. I don't hate Eren for who or what he is."

"Titans eat people."

"... what?" Kuroka asked.

Rias could understand the hesitation and confusion. Mikasa's words were so quietly and simply delivered that Rias thought she had misheard.

Mikasa's voice was unhurried, but there was a note of acid there that hadn't been present so far.

"They eat people. Humans. They will never attack animals. They only hunt humans. To eat them. They weren't weapons. They were predators. And we were the prey. The cattle to the wolves."

"But you said they were people!" Issei protested.

Mikasa didn't even look at him. Her eyes were dead and haunted as they stared into Kuroka's.

"So?"

"That doesn't make sense," Sona denied, shaking her head frantically as she stepped away from her aunt. "You said they don't need to eat to live."

"They don't," Mikasa agreed. "Pure Titans hunt and eat humans on instinct, not for sport, hunger, or any other reason. They eat, eat, and eat, and when their stomachs are full, they throw up the half-digested corpses in a ball to eat more. If someone's lucky, they are killed right away. Titans only want to eat living humans. They don't care about the dead. So you are still screaming as your head is bitten off, you are swallowed whole, or torn limb from limb by titans fighting over who can eat you first. The luckier ones die in one bite to large titans. If you are unlucky, you get caught by a small one, and it eats you one bite at a time. The only solace is we know who they are when we find them. Others aren't that lucky. Comrades bit in half. Sometimes, limbs are all we find. Maybe we have to dig through the corpse balls if we want to know if someone died. We never found out what happened to most of-"

"Stop it!" Xenovia shouted.

Rias realized the Knight was holding a trembling Asia as the room looked at Mikasa in horror.

Mikasa just watched Kuroka with blank eyes.

"...Why?" Rias asked, and she was ashamed of the crack in her voice. "Why do they... do that?"

"Instinct," Mikasa repeated simply, still with that eerie haunted look. "It is the only way they can regain their humanity."

"What do you mean?" Kuroka demanded. She was the most horrified of anyone here. She had actually seen Eren as a titan. "What do you mean by that!?"

"The only way for a Pure Titan to turn back into a human is if they become one of the nine Titan Shifters. The only way to gain that power is to take it from the old shifter by eating them."

"...Who?"

"...Eren gained the Warhammer by consuming one of our enemies," Mikasa hesitated before answering Sona's horrified question, seeming to come back into herself for the moment. "He invaded Marley and attacked in the middle of a festival to get her. She tried to fight back with other Shifters, but he got her in the end."

"And the other two!?" Kuroka demanded.

Mikasa didn't answer.

Rias realized she had never intended to go this far with her explanation. She had intended to tell them the basics about titans and leave it at that. She never wanted to tell them about the... forced cannibalism.

About what Eren had gone through.

Rias's second realization was that Sona had immediately noticed something was off, something Rias was just now picking up on.

Mikasa was absolutely furious.

For all that her aunt pretended to be stoic and strong, she must be in pieces internally.

Reunited with the boy she loved, only to have to find out he was going to die? He already has a lover and is an enemy she has to fight?

Whether it was the situation or Eren, Mikasa was barely holding on. She had been trying to be strong for them.

But Kuroka's words had pushed her over the edge.

Those two realizations prompted a third.

Even raging mad, there was still something she was holding back. Something even more horrific that Mikasa didn't want them to know.

"Aunty," Rias prompted. "Please tell us. We need to understand. Eren... What happened to him? Who did he... eat to gain those powers?"

Mikasa looked around the room, almost like a cornered animal searching for an escape... No. Not like an animal.

Like a soldier looking at fresh recruits and deciding if they were ready for the horrors of war.

Eventually, her eyes settled on Sona, and they stayed there.

Mikasa's rage seemed to leave her, and she just looked... sad.

Heartbroken.

"... The Founding Titan was consumed by the last Attack Titan before Eren. He's the one that turned Eren into a Pure Titan. He did it so Eren could eat him and gain both their powers. He entrusted everything to Eren."

"Who?" Sona asked.

"Grisha Yeager," Mikasa said, closing her eyes so she didn't have to look at the horror on the young devil's face. "Our father."

"...no."

"He did it a day after we watched our mother get eaten by a titan."

"...you're lying to hurt me. You have to be!"

Mikasa turned around, walking toward the door of the club room. However, she didn't ignore Kuroka's horrified whisper as she paused with her hand on the doorknob.

"Eren hates titans. More than anyone else to ever be born, Eren hates titans. He dedicated his life to exterminating every single one of them. He would hate nothing more than unleashing titans on this world after he died. Especially his children."

"He never told me!"

Even Issei could hear the heartbreak in Kuroka's voice.

"Every time you told him you wanted titan children," Mikasa continued, still not looking back. "You were telling him that you wanted his kids to eat him, then get eaten in turn by their children. Just like he had to eat his father. A never-ending cycle of hell."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Kuroka snapped. "How was I supposed to know when he didn't tell me?"

"No. You didn't know," Mikasa said sadly, still not looking back. "And you still know nothing."

Then Mikasa left her plans for training long forgotten, leaving the younger devils to reconcile the new information with their memories of the boy on the bench.

They might have come from the Underworld, but their world was not a hell in which they had been forced to eat their own father.

As Rias tried to console Asia, she couldn't help but notice that though Mikasa Ackerman's back was straight and she moved with purpose, she looked incredibly lonely.

********

I seriously debated splitting this chapter into two, but I decided against it for pacing reasons. I don't want to spend too much time on exposition, and what I do show needs to either help the story or the characters along.

I think that, as AOT went on, people started to lose a grasp of how horrific Titans were, on principle. The trauma of being forced to eat someone, the horror of seeing your comrades torn apart in front of you, the fear of being prey. I know why it happened. They ceased being figures of horror and became weapons of war, which is good storytelling as it mirrored how the cast thought of them as well.

But I don't think it does anyone any favours to forget that Eren, in the midst of the Rumbling, was forced to watch and experience every instance of a titan eating a person, every forced transformation, and every horror inflicted all for the power of the Titans. He lived through both sides of the death of all his comrades, friends and family, some of which he knew he inflicted himself.

I don't think any sort of condemnation of Eren's desire to wipe out all Titans can be talked about without acknowledging that he has very good reasons to want them gone. Attack on Titan fanfiction tends to gloss over this subject, but I think it is core not only to Eren's character and the reasons he acts the way he does but also to everyone else in the world of Attack on Titan. Everyone from that world, since the time of Ymir, has been living in the shadow of the titans.

They are not a power source. They are a source of trauma by their very nature. Nobody should ever want to be a titan, shifter or not. But societies kept pushing their young soldiers to chase that horror in the pursuit of power.

There were no good guys in Attack on Titan. Only victims and aggressors. Who was which depended on what side you were on and what day of the week it was.

I'll meet you all next week, with our cast grappling with what they learned and what they still need to learn. I'll be waiting on the bench.

 

[kz3838]

Thank you for the great chapter, stay safe out there and keep up the good work!

 

[Orphus]

Mikasa doesn't know Eren still has precog, does she? It's the impression I got anyway.

 

[GAMB42]

Mikasa doesn't know Eren still has precog, does she? It's the impression I got anyway.

Click to shrink...

More like she does not want to acknowledge it to be true. Because then there is no free will to anybody in this world either.

 

[NowaifuNolaifu]

Gotta love seeing McShonen smash nose-first into a Seinen wall.

And we know that DxD canonically runs on classic Shonen tropes, so the sort of high definition deranged horseshit a 17+ series can get to is unheard of.

 

[Kalstorm22]

Fantastic chapter, I really like how well conveyed the horror of the Titans is, and how dangerous they are. Also, I feel quite bad for Kuroka as seemed so mad at for Mikasa for what she viewed as a betrayal, yet Kuroka just learned how horrible her plan to betray Eren's wishes is and how her words have almost certainly been hurting Eren, Kuroka is and will continue to be absolutely devested for some time I imagine. Thanks for the chapter and see you Friday on the bench.

 

[Damian45]

You know, I can understand Eren not wanting to bring his kids into this world to avoid them becoming Titans. Especially since when he dies the Attack Titan and others will transfer to the next viable host.

But it gets murky when Devil and Akerman Genetics come into play. I mean, if Mikasa and Eren had kids, would they even be able to qualify for being Titans? Considering how the Akermans were the results of very thorough bioengineering that removed the possibility to become Titans that survived all the way until Eren's generation, would Titans even come back from Eren's bloodline through Mikasa?

It still leaves the possibility of Titans coming back if anyone clones his genetics and makes more like Siegfried and Fried Sellzen from the Holy Sword Project, but thats been a possibility ever since someone got their hands on his blood. (I refuse to believe he managed to avoid that happening considering the bloody conflicts he got into and the company he kept for years in the Chaos Brigade. Someone would have taken a blood sample for any number of reasons, ranging from doctor checkups to sneaky mad scientist types. And even if they didn't get it from him directly, there's no way he avoided bleeding in the battles he fought. Samples would be taken from the aftermath.)

A shame for Kuroka though. I suspect the first three kids they had would have died in thirteen years from being Titan Shifters, and the ones that aren't would have only thirteen years after that. But if they didn't because of how different a Nekomata-turned-Devil is to a human, then the possibility is there.

Buuut, that leave the big gaping plot hole of there being no way to trigger the Titan transformation in any of Eren's children who isn't already a shifter. So, they wouldn't eat each other, they would just become shifters after one of them dies. So at least they would have that going for them.

Until one of those mad scientist types figures out how to do it. But it's something.

 

[hypetraining]

I thought if a shifter died without passing on one of the 9, a random Eldian baby would inherit the titan. There was no eating involved. Or does Mikasa not know this?

Also its kinda implied that the only reason the og Ymirs powers were even passed on at all was because the King made her daughters...yknow. Does that mean the Founder and all titan powers would have died with her if he just let her be? Eren is in a similar position now.

 

[ScriptGenius12]

pleasedontbezerorequiempleasedontbezerorequiempleaswdontbezerorequiem

What really infuriates me is that Marley bitches and moans about wanting to destroy all Eldians and Titans, yet without Titans Marley wouldn't have an Empire in the first place.

Hypothetically if they actually succeeded in killing all Eldians and Titans, are we really supposed to believe that the outside world would join hands and be friends forever with peace everywhere for all time? Marley would stop expanding their empire, and no one would want revenge for Marley's past conquests or to reclaim their old territories? Marley wouldn't care or realize that they'd be defenseless and unable to expand after stupidly killing off their main source of soldiers?

 

[ReadingDangerously]

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click tap.

Koneko bit her lip as she looked at her older sister from behind the tree.

Kuroka was on the bench, sake cup in one hand, while she stared up at the autumn moon.

In her other hand, she held Eren's cane by the handle, absently unsheathing the blade by the smallest amount, only to resheathe it right after.

Koneko knew she should be in bed. They had the championship match against Sairaorg Bael tomorrow, and she wanted to be in the best shape possible.

...Even if victory in a Rating Game tournament seemed so... small right now.

It was hard to get fired up about a fake battle when you learned your friend had fought through hell and was now out to destroy all you knew.

But Koneko Toujou was not in bed.

No, she was out in the middle of the night, looking at the familiar bench in a familiar park.

Kuroka had clearly not taken Mikasa's words well. She had been much quieter since learning about the nature of Eren's powers, less teasing and more introspective. She had also been looking a bit ragged, lacking her usual elegant seductiveness.

Koneko, getting out of bed a bit late for a midnight snack, had noticed that her sister's door had been open.

Seeing that empty room, a sense of panic and fear had overtaken Koneko.

It hadn't been logical, but she had been seized by a sense of crisis.

Had her sister left?

Again?

Like Eren?

Was Koneko going to be alone?

So Koneko had searched the entirety of the sprawling Hyoudou Residence they all lived in.

Kuroka wasn't in the kitchen. Or any of the living rooms. Or the entertainment rooms.

She wasn't on the roof, on the grounds, or in any of the bathrooms.

Koneko had been at her wit's end with worry.

So she had gone to Mikasa's room, only to find her missing.

That both reassured and doubled Koneko's terror.

Consciously, she was aware that if Mikasa was also missing, it likely meant Kuroka was with her.

Unconsciously, it meant that someone else had left her.

For the first time in almost a decade, Koneko wished she knew Senjutsu. Then, she could find her sister and trainer.

...Then Koneko might have been able to sense Eren, to stop him, before it was too late.

Koneko hadn't even thought of waking anyone else up, acting almost wholly on instinct to find her missing sister.

Not once did Koneko think of trusting Mikasa to bring Kuroka back if the latter had run. Nor did she even entertain the idea of just returning to bed and that the pair might have gone somewhere to train or something equally innocuous.

No, in her panic, Koneko did not even consider those possibilities.

All she knew was that she could not handle losing anyone else.

So, she set out looking for her sister and her minder.

To be fair to Koneko, she guessed where they were on the first go.

If they weren't at the Hyoudou residence, there was only one other place in Kuoh they'd go this late at night.

After a quick teleport to the Clubhouse and a run through the park, she found her sister sitting on the bench drinking.

It was the mood and the atmosphere that surrounded Kuroka that made Koneko hide more than anything else.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click tap.

Reassured, realizing her panic actions had been illogical in the first place, Koneko started to calm her racing heart.

"Joining me, nyaa?" Kuroka suddenly said, and Koneko flinched, thinking she had been discovered.

But Kuroka wasn't looking at her sister.

Instead, her gaze remained fixed on the sky, no longer focusing on the moon.

Mikasa Ackerman descended silently on devil wings to stand in front of the bench and its occupant.

"I wanted to see what you were doing," the Pawn said simply, not elaborating further.

"I didn't meet anyone yesterday or the day before that, and I won't meet anyone tomorrow or the day after," Kuroka snorted with a roll of her eyes and a swig of her drink. "I really did leave the Brigade. I have no intention of spying and reporting on anyone."

"And Eren?"

Kuroka didn't answer.

There was a long minute of awkward silence between the two women, and Koneko was seriously debating returning to bed.

Then Kuroka spoke again.

"He told me we'd never see each other again," the Black Cat eventually said. "...I don't think he was lying."

"Eren can lie. He can manipulate. But he only does it if he needs something from you. Otherwise, he's too emotional and hot-headed to bother."

"See," Kuroka said, gesturing at Mikasa with her saucer. "That. You say that so easily. It took years for me to learn that Eren wasn't some emotionless monster. You've only been with him a few months, yet you can confidently say something like that. I hate that."

"...I knew him most of his life."

"No," Kuroka said, setting her saucer to the side and facing Mikasa directly. "You didn't. He died at nineteen in your world, right? He has nineteen years here. I spent nine of them with him. So why can you read him like a book while I struggled to learn even a little about who he really is."

"Eren... he's been through a lot," Mikasa eventually said. "Our world was a cruel one."

"I am not talking about what he went through," Kuroka pressed with narrowed eyes. "I am talking about you. He never even said your name. I only know about Armin because he let something slip, but he never mentioned you."

"I am honestly surprised he talked about Armin at all." Mikasa wasn't being unkind, nor was she sugarcoating her words. "I didn't think he would. The three of us were... close."

It was clear Mikasa was uncomfortable with the situation to Koneko, torn between her duty to supervise Kuroka and a desire to not talk about her past.

Still, Kuroka was like a cat with yarn and would not let up.

"It is different with you, though," Kuroka accused, pointing a finger at the older woman accusingly. "Talking about you, it hurt him. And not just in the missing you sort of way."

"What are you getting at, cat?" Mikasa asked with narrowed eyes.

"What is the Rumbling?"

Koneko almost missed it when Mikasa's hand instinctively went to summon her weapons.

She didn't, though. Instead, the Pawn simply clenched her fists and answered.

"Guess."

"I do have a guess," Kuroka said. "It was an attack, right? Eren led those Yeagerists you talked about either to attack the non-Yeagerist Eldians or those other countries like Marley to start a war. I'm guessing other Titans were involved too. Eren had that Founder you mentioned and the Attack Titan you are scared of."

Mikasa didn't say anything, but even Koneko could see how her hand spasmed on instinct once more.

"I'm right, aren't I," Kuroka pressed triumphantly. "Then let me make one last guess. You did not side with Eren. You fought him, just like you are going to fight him again."

"What are you getting at, cat?" Mikasa repeated.

There was no hiding the anger in her voice.

"How did Eren die?"

Silence.

Absolute silence.

All the anger seemed to leave Mikasa in that dreadful silence.

All of... everything left her, and only a shell remained.

Koneko's fur stood on end at the absolute emptiness in Mikasa's voice.

"I am not going to tell you anything."

"You had no problem speaking a few days ago," Kuroka growled, clearly not pleased by the reply she was getting. "What's wrong? Not so talkative when you are the one getting hurt?"

"I never intended to hurt you," Mikasa spoke in that empty voice. "I just spoke the truth. Once again, you don't know what you are talking about."

"What are you getting at, dog?" Kuroka spat in mockery of Mikasa's earlier question.

"I don't hate you. I pity you."

It was Kuroka's turn to flinch, but she reacted the same way she had her entire life when hurt.

Kuroka lashed out like a wounded animal rather than let herself be vulnerable.

"Don't pull that crap with me. You're just mad that your man found someone else. Someone who actually cares. A real woman."

In a mocking gesture, Kuroka placed an arm beneath her chest and hefted them suggestively.

"No, Kuroka."

Koneko realized it was the first time she had heard Mikasa say her sister's name.

Mikasa said it without that soul-chilling emptiness but instead with pity, which made it all the more poignant.

"I hate that I am not the only one he loves. I hate that you got to spend more time with him. I hate that Eren needed you, that you were good for him. I hate that you could have made him happy. But I do not hate you."

"Why not?" Kuroka demanded, her fur entirely on end and her tails waving frantically. "I helped found an organization hell-bent on spreading chaos and destruction! I didn't do it for any noble reason. I did it because I want my sister and Eren. The rest of the world can burn for all I care. I stole your man! I turned him into the greatest threat this world has seen in thousands of years! I've been flaunting our relationship in your face! And you don't hate me? Are you just as emotionally dead as you look!?"

"I hate this burning jealousy. I hate that you can express your emotions better than me," Mikasa admitted quietly. "I don't hate you because I stopped basing my happiness on Eren long ago."

"...What?"

"I am grateful for the time we had here. I am... grateful that you told him to talk to me."

The last bit sounded like it was coming out through clenched teeth.

"When Eren dies, I will mourn him, no matter what he does. If there are other worlds out, I hope we meet there. We will meet again, and one day, we will be happy together, if it takes two thousand or twenty thousand years. But my happiness does not depend on him."

"Are you listening to yourself? You want to be with him, but you'll be happy without him?"

"Tell me Kuroka. If you died, do you want Eren to remain single for the rest of his life? To be alone and miserable."

"No! And don't change the subject. We are talking about you."

"I wouldn't either, no matter how jealous I am at the thought. And Eren is just as jealous as me. Just as pathetic as I am. We have long lives ahead of us. All of us. And Eren would want us to be happy."

"...You're speaking like he's already dead."

"Unlike you all, I have gone through this all before. I have buried Eren once already." There was a note of listlessness in Mikasa's voice. A weariness that made her sound just as exhausted as Kuroka had been these last few days. "He asked me if I could do it again, and I told him I could. I will. Because loving Eren is to be hurt. But love's beauty is worth its cruelty."

Mikasa's wings unfurled again, and she looked ready to take off.

"That's why I don't hate you, Kuroka. Because you are the only one who understands that. Now talk to your sister. You've put it off long enough."

Koneko froze as Mikasa took to the air once more.

She didn't get far.

"Wait!" Kuroka called, and Mikasa looked down at the cat girl blankly. Not the void of emotion, but simply not conveying emotion. "...You said he had two other powers. The Attack Titan and the Founder. You said he'd be the strongest being in the world. Were you telling the truth?"

"I was."

"If... If he could get those powers back," Kuroka hesitated, looking almost scared by her words. "If he had all that power, could we save him? Could he find a way to heal himself?"

Mikasa grew distant, no longer staring down at Kuroka but out into the night.

Maybe she was thinking about what could have been.

"...Maybe. But I am glad he doesn't have the Founder. Nobody deserves that hell. Not even Eren."

Mikasa shook her head as if shaking herself out of the funk Kuroka's words brought.

"No. If Eren could use the Founder, he'd need to die. It would be the only way for him to be free."

Then Mikasa was gone, retaking to her position to watch Kuroka from the sky.

...Or she went home, Koneko didn't know.

Either way, it was clear the Pawn didn't want to talk anymore.

Koneko, feeling like she had seen something she shouldn't have, decided it was time to go back to bed.

"Shironyaaaaaa~"

Koneko froze, instinct holding her place at the singsong purr in her sister's voice.

"Did you come looking for Onee-sama," Kuroka asked, having retaken her seat on the bench and looking directly at her younger sister's hiding place in the tree. "Did you have a nightmare? Want to sleep with Onee-sama tonight?"

With deliberate movements, Koneko stepped out from behind the tree.

Kuroka didn't move besides picking up her sake saucer again, but her eyes never left Koneko's.

"...Nee-san," Koneko greeted quietly, suddenly very aware of how vulnerable she was out here alone at night with the black cat.

Kuroka was a seven-tailed nekomata, tied for the strongest their race had ever produced.

Even with Mikasa nearby, it would be effortless for the former Stray to rush at the Rook, grab her, and teleport away before she could be stopped.

Almost as if she could sense Koneko's sudden wariness, Kuroka's playful smile softened to something sadder.

"Onee-sama really is going to stay with Shirone," she said gently. "I promise I won't hurt you again."

"...What about Eren?"

"What about him?" Kuroka asked curiously.

"What if he comes back?"

"He won't," Kuroka said with absolute confidence. "At least not yet. Not till he's done. He's too set on his plan to stop now. I am just here to make sure Shirone is safe while he does it, nyaa."

"... Even if the rest of the world burns?"

Kuroka didn't answer, sipping her sake and gazing at the moon.

"... You knew I was there," Koneko accused.

"I did," Kuroka nodded. "So did she. That's why she came down tonight. Instead of ignoring me again, she wanted you to know she was here. She's just like Eren. They both want to talk, to explain themselves, but are terrible at it. You need to push them sometimes."

"It was a ruse?"

"Nyaa, isn't Onee-sama smart~" Kuroka stuck her tongue out playfully.

Koneko just watched her, hatting how she knew that Kuroka was lying.

Maybe not completely. Maybe there was some truth to the former Straystray's use of Koneko's presence to bait Mikasa out, but those emotions, that rage, had not been a ruse.

The listlessness over the last few days was not a ruse, nor was the white-knuckled grip on Eren's cane faked.

Mikasa's words still haunted them all. Koneko knew Asia had nightmares, and Yuuto had confessed to having one himself, involving getting eaten by a giant.

Even Koneko thought back to all those naps she shared with Eren, all those long afternoons of companionable silence, and wondered what horrors he had been reliving while she remained blissfully ignorant.

How much worse was it for Kuroka, who had seen a Titan in person? Who had known Eren had that power without ever knowing what he had to do to get it?

And Koneko could see that haunted look in her sister.

Even after all these years, Koneko hated how easy it was to read her older sister.

"Onee-sama... never pretended to be a good woman," Kuroka eventually said after a long moment of staring from her younger sister. "When it was just us, I did bad things so we could survive. I did worse with the Naberius. Onee-sama's never been a good kitty, Shironyaa~"

Though she singsonged the last sentence in her usual playful tone, Kuroka finished off her sake with a long drag and a self-deprecating smile.

She then pulled a jug out of... somewhere and poured herself more.

"But that's all gonna change, nyaa," Kuroka giggled.

It came out forced.

"Onee-sama has a clean start now. One she can share with Shirone."

Kuroka raised the sake again. Her following sentence was spoken so quietly into the drink that Koneko was unsure if she was supposed to hear it.

"All she had to do was sell out the man she loves."

"...Nee-san."

"Ah, don't worry about Onee-sama," Kuroka hurried to shake her head and gave Koneko a smile that was supposed to be reassuring. It wasn't. "She's going to get those kittens from Brother-in-law, even if they're not titans. Then Onee-sama, Brother-in-law, and Shirone can all live together... I guess Eren can keep the dog since she makes him happy. But besides that, it will be perfect. Shirone will see, nyaa."

"Nee-san," Koneko said, gathering her courage. "What about Issei?" Kuroka winced, looking away. "Does Eren really plan to kill him?"

Koneko hadn't really liked Issei when they first met. He was a pervert, after all. One obsessed with big breasts while Koneko was still young and hadn't hit her growth spurt yet.

But...

Issei grew on her. She still had no idea what Asia, Irina, Xenovia, and Ravel saw in him regarding romantic partners, but Koneko couldn't deny that he was a friend.

She spent hours with him, training to fight like a Rook and helping on jobs. He was a reliable comrade, stupidly honest, and had a strong work ethic.

More than that, under his perversion and naivety, Issei was simply a very kind boy.

In a world filled with those who chased power for power's sake, fame, or politics, seeing a Red Dragon Emperor, famed for their city-destroying rampages, singing with devil children on a television set was one of the most heartwarming sights Koneko could imagine.

Issei... was precisely who he seemed to be. Not two-dimensional but not super complicated either. No traumatic backstory, secret agenda, or long-term game plan. Issei was a simple, perverted, honest, and driven boy.

Issei was just Issei, and he didn't deserve to die.

"Eren... has a plan," Kuroka tried to say gently. "I don't know the details. But... the Red Dragon Emperor... for the plan to work... Issei needs to die."

Koneko didn't have to think about her response. It just came out.

"Then Eren won't be happy."

Koneko hadn't spent nearly as long with Eren as her sister or Mikasa. Nor had she spoken with him as much as Sona, Rias, or Akeno had, and she didn't call him Senpai like Yuuto and Issei, but Koneko did know Eren in her own way.

If Eren had to kill Issei to achieve his goals, then even if he lived, reunited with Kuroka, and was free in the end, Eren would never be happy with that kind of life.

Because Eren, too, in his own hurt way, was kind.

Eren might be able to make hard choices and might be able to build a world he wanted even if it meant his friends dying, but Eren wouldn't be able to live happily in a world built on friends he killed directly.

Kuroka bit her lips and looked away again.

"...And I wouldn't be either," Koneko finally said as she finished her approach and sat on the bench with her sister, though they were on opposite sides.

"I... I just want us to be together and safe," Kuroka admitted, squeezing Eren's cane tightly. "Is that too much to ask?"

"You left." Kuroka flinched as if Koneko had punched her. "You might have had good reasons, but you left me."

"I know."

"Safety... It's not happiness," Koneko said, looking at her small hands. "I never cared about safety. Maybe I was too young and didn't understand danger, but I never cared that we weren't safe."

"Shirone..."

"Because I had my Onee-sama with me."

Koneko leaned away from Kuroka, who tried to reach out to touch her. The older sister froze while the younger one furiously rubbed the tears from her eyes.

When she could, Koneko looked at Kuroka again.

"Even after Rias took me in, even after I was safe, I wasn't happy. Because my Onee-sama had left me behind."

"If I could have taken you with me, I would have," Kuroka pleaded. "Without Eren, I might not have even survived to leave the Underworld."

"I don't know if you did the right thing or not," Koneko said, shaking her head, but her eyes were sad. "All I know was that it took years for me to be happy again—with my new family."

It hurt Koneko how heartbroken her older sister looked, but she needed to get these words out.

Needed to face her fear.

Needed to wipe the slate clean so they both could move forward.

"I understand why you did it, but I don't forgive you for leaving me, Nee-san," Koneko stared into feline eyes as she drew her line in the sand. "Even knowing you were doing it because you thought you were saving me, I don't forgive you for hurting me."

"Shirone..." This time, it was Kuroka's eyes that started to water.

Koneko pushed on. She needed to get this out because she wasn't sure she could say it all if she stopped now.

"I found other people who make me happy. Rias, Akeno, Gasper, Yuuto, Eren, the pervert, Asia, Xenovia, the Gremory Family, and others. That's what Aunty was talking about. That's why she can fight Eren. Because her happiness is not dependent on only him, and mine isn't dependent on only you anymore, Nee-san."

Despite saying she couldn't forgive her sister and meaning it, Koneko took no pleasure in the pain her words were causing.

She was sure that if she was anyone else, Kuroka would have lashed out in response with her own hurtful words or coy veneer.

But she wasn't anyone else.

She was Shirone... Or she had been.

Right now, she was Koneko Toujo, the name Rias had given her. The name she had found happiness under.

"You aren't part of my new family," Koneko declared firmly. Then, she continued in a much softer, much more vulnerable voice. "But I want my Onee-sama to be part of it."

There it was.

The raw, unvarnished truth.

Despite the pain, the nightmares, the abandonment, and the loss Koneko had felt over the years, there would always be a part of her that yearned for her older sister once more. The part that had stayed up late at night, waiting for her sister to come home.

That part had only grown once she learned of the true reason Kuroka had left her.

Koneko couldn't forgive Kuroka, but she could also not resist trying to get her sister back one last time.

It would be up to Kuroka to prove she wouldn't hurt Koneko again.

Kuroka's naked hope, her sheer relief, and the older cat girl's wide smile filled Koneko with uncomfortable warmth.

She still hadn't forgiven her sister, just offered her a fresh start.

"I promise, Shirone. I will do whatever it takes for you to be able to call me Onee-sama again."

"Then teach me Senjutsu."

"Of course, nyaa," Kuroka agreed readily, smiling and without hesitation. "Once you return from your rating game, Onee-sama will teach you everything she can. Like Onee-sama said, it's not hard to control yourself if you know what you are doing. Now that Onee-sama is here to help, Shirone has nothing to fear!"

Koneko didn't know how she felt about the quick agreement.

Even with the assurances that Senjutsu wasn't a source of madness and that she would turn into a monster from learning it, it had still taken Koneko days to gather the courage to request to learn it.

It had been the source of her fear for most of her life, and only her desire to not be left behind, both literally and figuratively in the power sense, by her friends had pushed her to make this step forward.

To have Kuroka, who was so insistent on keeping her safe, agree so quickly... Even though Koneko had been the one to ask, it made her feel very foolish.

Then again, fear was never logical.

"And your trick to gaining more tails."

That stopped Kuroka in her tracks, and she gave her sister an awkward smile.

"Maybe when Shirone is older."

"Why?" Koneko frowned. "Is it a secret technique? Did you do something horrible? Or does it consume your lifespan like the pervert's Juggernaut Drive?"

Besides Senjutsu, that was the greatest way to increase Koneko's strength. Yokai gained tails as they aged, and each tail was accompanied by a burst in power. Sometimes, it was the reverse, and they gained the tails because they were powerful enough to develop them, but even that took years.

As a nekoshou, she had a leg up over other Yokai, but Kuroka's trick, whatever it was, was Koneko's best chance to catch up with her friends.

"No, no," Kuroka waived off hurriedly, looking more embarrassed than Koneko had ever seen her, which further stoked Koneko's curiosity. "It's nothing bad. It's just... a form of Bouchujutsu is all. One that only works with Eren, specifically."

Oh.

OH!

Koneko felt her face flush a deep crimson.

Her... with... Eren?

"Onee-sama isn't saying you can't," Kuroka hurried to say. "Just not yet. Shirone is a bit too young and... small. Eren... Well, Titan is one way to call him."

As if that was the point Koneko was stumbling on!?

"Once you're older and a bit bigger, Onee-sama will help convince Brother-in-law... and the dog too, I guess. So just be patient, and Shirone will have seven tails in no time, maybe more. There's never been a nekomata with more than seven, so Onee-sama will test it first. Onee-sama is aiming for nine to rub it in the Kitsune's face. If it works, Shirone can too."

Nine tails? Nine... times with... Eren?

Koneko, it seemed, had forgotten the downside of having an older sibling.

The embarrassment they could bring.

Kuroka was even worse at this, given her lack of shame or sense of conventional morals.

Satans, Koneko was sure her older sister hadn't worn underwear in years.

It was all too much for Koneko, and she decided that she had been up late enough and that it was time to go back to bed.

Without so much as a goodnight, a red-faced Koneko stood from the bench and left.

With an amused yet longing smile, Kuroka watched her leave.

Kuroka ran her hand lovingly over the two wings carved into the cane's handle as she thought about the two encounters of the night.

Maybe both Shirone and the dog were right. Perhaps she was basing her happiness too much on Eren and Shirone.

But Kuroka didn't think she was wrong either.

In Kuroka's heart, there was a dream.

The dream that had barely changed since she was a child, and her mother had died, leaving two young girls alone in a cruel world.

In the dream, the two sisters lived happily together.

Safe.

No fear of starvation or violence, they had a home all to themselves and a few kittens of their own. In the Underworld, maybe in the human world, it didn't matter.

What mattered was that their family was together and safe.

The only change to that dream had been the addition of the man with them.

No, Kuroka didn't think that dream was wrong.

If wanting a home and family was wrong, Kuroka didn't want to be right.

But... Shirone was right about one thing.

Eren wouldn't be happy if he had to kill his friend.

Eren had said he was smiling in the end, so Kuroka had always believed he had been able to find some solace or closure and that things weren't as terrible as he believed them to be.

But now, hearing the dog's words about his power and having overheard his talk with the Gremory, Kuroka had another idea.

What if Eren was smiling despite the terrible things he had to do... because he was going to die?

Kuroka had learned just how little she knew of Eren over these last few months, and this last week in particular, and she was beset by the greatest sense of uncertainty she had felt in a decade.

She still had complete confidence in Eren's victory, but her role in it...

Eren had always stressed that he didn't control their futures, that they still made their own choices, and he had just already lived the results.

So... what would Kuroka choose?

Kuroka, for the first time, didn't know.

All she knew was that she missed her lover.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click tap.

So Kuroka sat, fiddling with Eren's... with her cane as she drank deep into the night.

The night was long enough to pass from dreams of the future to memories of the past.

Of two little girls trying to survive in a world built by and for the powerful.

Of a boy and a girl plotting to overturn that world.

Of moments of passion and emotion here on the bench.

********

I was halfway finished writing the next chapter when I realized something. Kuroka hasn't had time to be a character outside her relationship with Eren. While that relationship is a big part of this story, I wanted to flesh out how she and Mikasa interact a bit more and her relationship with her sister, which is also a big part of her character.

It also allowed me to lighten the mood a bit. Part 4 is the story's most serious and AOT-like part, but I don't want the DxD parts to be lost in the drudgery. So, hopefully, you all can forgive a bit of a delay in the story progression for a bit of character progression.

I'll meet you all on Sunday at our usual place on the bench.

 

[Kalstorm22]

Great chapter! It's interesting to see how Kuroka and Mikasa interact with each other, as it seems like both of them would prefer to be able to hate the other, but Mikasa can't hate Kuroka for the reasons she stated, and Kuroka can't seem to bring herself to hate Mikasa, Kuroka is definitely both Jealous and Envious of Mikasa specifically her relationship with Eren but doesn't seem to be able to hate her. The conversation with Kuroka and Koneko was very fulfilling and was very fun and lighthearted at the end, good for both Koneko and Kuroka for getting on the path of reconciling with each other, and also good for Eren in being a Titan in multiple ways apparently. See you Sunday on the bench.

 

[zharshoul]

Maybe , due to the precognition whatever that Eren has, he already "killed" Issei by setting Raynare on him at some point to some degree.

You never really know anymore once time travel and adjacent powers become involved.

 

[kz3838]

Thank you for the great chapter, stay safe out there and keep up the good work!