Chapter 44

Historia stiffened as her father held her shoulders. He gripped her so hard and looked at her with an emotion something akin to determination. She looked at him with her guard up. A long time ago, she had sought for his acknowledgment, for his love. However, this father of hers had disappointed her for countless of times already. The most remarkable thing he had done for her was to spare her life from getting killed by them, but it went with a price: to lose her identity.

"Father, I…" she started.

"I'll explain to you everything, but where is Eren Jaeger?" he asked.

Historia smiled bitterly deep inside her heart. She must have truly desperate for love back then to want it from this kind of father. "He's with the soldiers," she said ambiguously.

"Have him brought here… You should see with your eyes to believe me…" Rod said.

"… I understand," Historia said. "Then, please wait here, father. Will Eren only suffice or do you need Captain Ackerman as well?"

"If you can, just Eren," he replied. "What you will know is Reiss family's secret. Kenny doesn't need to come if you can get Eren Jaeger here by yourself."

"Then, father," she freed herself from her father's grip. "Please excuse me…" she then went to 'retrieve' Eren from the 'Military Police'.

Historia and Eren looked in awe as they followed Rod down in the chapel's secret passage. It was the scenery that they haven't seen before. The walls were sparkling as though the sun had shone upon them.

As they walked down the stairs, Eren had a weird feeling that it wasn't the first time he had been here. But he knew that wasn't possible. In his life, he only remembered being in Shiganshina, Trost, and where the Scouts HQ was.

They reached to the very end of the secret chamber. Before the three of them was an altar kind of structure. It was made of the same stone as of the walls of the chamber and was built higher than the ground. Some chains were attached from either sidewall that sandwiched the said altar.

The feeling from before grew stronger. Eren couldn't help but frown as he stared at the altar.

"What's wrong?" Rod asked as he noticed Eren's expression. "This is the first time you have been here." He said, guessing what the teen was thinking about. "Historia, help me tie Eren up there." He gestured to the altar.

Historia tightened her hold to the binds of Eren. "Yes, father."

Eren cooperated with Historia. Such behavior was off and suspicious but Rod's mind was thinking about other things that he never noticed this.

Eren was tied up, on his knees while his arms were held up in a V-shape by the chains. "What are you planning to do?" he asked Rod, who stayed behind him along with Historia.

"I want to try something," Rod said.

"Father, aren't you going to explain everything to us?" Historia asked.

"I am about to. It's better to explain this way," Rod replied. He reached out a hand. He gestured his daughter to do the same. "Historia, touch Eren where his skin shows."

This was an odd request no matter how you think about it. Regardless, Historia followed her father's instructions. Together with her father, she touched a spot, showing Eren's skin.

Both of the teenagers widened their eyes as memories flooded their minds. To say that this explanation is overwhelming was not a lie. It was more than the explanation they had expected. Memories were vivid as if they were watching it unfold again in their eyes. Uri's, Rod's brother, memories that Rod wanted to them to see, a bit of Frieda's, Rod's eldest daughter, memories, that tragic night of the Reiss' and that night that changed Eren, they all flashed in their minds.

Eren shook as he remembered his father. To think that his kind and calm father had that side of him– He glanced at his back to see Historia's reaction to the memories she had seen. The said girl was looking at him as well, causing their eyes to meet.

"I never thought you knew Frieda, Historia," Rod said, glancing at his daughter who was all stiff to what she had seen. "She must have been worried about you so she visited you from time to time secretly."

He then turned to Eren. "What your father had done was a great sin," he said. "Inside of you is a power that only the royalty can freely use. He took it away and even was pretentious enough to kill people of our blood–"

Rod's expression distorted a bit before it turned grim. "Historia, it is only right for us to take back what is originally ours. It is only this way we can help humanity…"

Historia couldn't say anything. Her mind was in a mess as she replayed her memories of Frieda Reiss, her older step-sister, again and again. She had a step-sister who loved and cared for her but she forgot about her. She had never felt so conflicted in her life.

She let her father grab her hand and take her down the altar. When they reached below, her father went and rummaged through a black bag that she didn't notice before. In no time he held a case which he opened and revealed an injection and some sort of serum.

"Father, that's…" she knew what it was. Eren's father took the same kind of thing and turned Eren into a titan.

"Historia, this is your duty," Rod said. "Only you can continue our blood's legacy…"

"I–" Historia's eyes stared at the injection her father held.

"That's bullshit!" an angry bellow resounded.

A familiar back was suddenly in Historia's sight. This made her tremble a bit as she remembered her promise to this person. "Y-Ymir, I–"

"Hush," Ymir said as she twisted and put a finger on Historia's mouth. She turned to another side. "OI, YOU ALL DONE WATCHING, RIGHT?"

"W-who?" Rod stammered as he backed away from the tall teen. "That uniform…" His eyes strayed on the patch of her uniform. "Survey Scouts!"

"Ah… I never thought you'd be so idiotic to believe your daughter would come back and face you so willingly after leaving her for like many years," Law sighed.

He, Luffy, and Levi went down from the glowing pillars they hid from. They have already been following the three since they have done down and maintained a distance where Rod couldn't notice them, which wasn't too hard.

Only these four have come along with Eren and Historia to this mission. The previous assignments have already made other elite soldiers of the Scouts aware of the degree of Law and Luffy's capabilities. Unless tasked, they didn't bother to ask for themselves to partake missions that had the three in it. Ymir herself was an exception because she refused to be separated from Historia for some time. (Mikasa wanted to join as well since it was about Eren however Law rejected her voluntary help. Their group was clearly an overkill against a single old man. This rejection had her glaring holes at Law like how she does with Levi or Luffy.)

"How? Where is Kenny and his squad?!" Rod exclaimed.

"Detained," Law replied.

"We beat them!" Luffy chirped in at the same time.

"Ymir, grab the bag," Levi said.

The three of them were slowly heading to their direction.

Rod became extremely alarmed at his situation. This kind of thing– he didn't expect this to happen. I've let my guard down! All because Historia came back so obediently that he had let go of his anxiety from before. He can only gnash his teeth as he realized the trap he had carelessly fallen.

"Old man, you don't have anywhere to run anymore," Law said. He felt he had been saying the same kind of thing in different words over and over again as he faced all their opponents. "I'd advise you to give up early. There's no point prolonging this farce."

Rod was still holding on the case tightly. He glanced over his daughter's direction. She was hidden behind Ymir's tall figure. He scowled. What was the point of leaving this spare alive? His act of mercy back then was only a spur of the moment. He had no other use for this daughter back then but such an obedient daughter might come handy soon. And he wasn't wrong. That tragedy happened, only Rod and this illegitimate daughter were left alive from the distinguished Reiss Family.

Now that it had come to this point… he thought. He eyed on the case in his grip. He didn't want to become a titan himself.

Anyone who had brains knew what Rod Reiss was planning to do, especially after seeing him eyeing the case with great reluctance.

Without anyone saying a thing, what they needed to do was already clear. Ymir, who was very close to Rod, had half-handed, half-tossed the black bag she had snagged to Historia, before rushing to the round man in haste, grabbing the case. It was quite fortunate that the group had shown themselves before Rod could take out and ready the injection. He had no time to inject it to neither anyone nor himself.

He wasn't really a match for anyone in the room. After all, except for him, everyone was a trained soldier. If you take out his so-called royalty's bloodline that could control the entire human race and titans inside the walls, he was merely an old man who was used to sitting back in the shadows and ordering people as he pleased.

He could barely let the case dodge the lass's grab, Ymir immediately sent a follow-up move which was to at least take the case off the man's arms, which was successful. Rod gasped as he watched the case fall heavily on the floor, listening to the crack sound it made. There was no doubt that the container inside had broken.

He dived down to its direction however, the other three Scout soldiers weren't so idle as Ymir and Rod did their short exchange. Levi kicked the case out of the man's reach– clearly, they held no importance to what was inside the case despite knowing what it was.

Luffy had long rushed up to where Eren was and freed him. Using haki to coat a bit of the blade, he cut up the chains so easily. Unfortunately, Eren was still dazed of what has been revealed to him. He didn't notice Luffy's undisguised use of unknown powers. Luffy might have only used a bit but it was still noticeable since the blade and haki have contrasting colors, especially in this glowing place they were currently at.

"Eren?" Luffy nudged Eren awake. "Oi~"

Eren snapped out from his reverie. "Luffy?" he turned to the younger boy before he stared at the direction where he saw Historia and Rod last. In those moments he had been out of it, everything had already been resolved.

So quick! Eren couldn't help but exclaim inside his heart.

He looked at Historia, who was being fretted by Ymir, with a complicated expression. They both needed to talk about what they saw together anyhow.

Woah, what's with the influx of reviews? Thank you for taking time to review~ I'll take this chance to say, if I made illogical writings, pardon me. I type before my brain can think, unfortunately~ I can only say I'll try not to do it again in my next stories. *cough*should-I-continue-my-old-hiatuses-after-this-fanfic?!*cough*

Random theatre that sorta happened this week:

Author: *tweets* The only thing can kill me is slow net.

Friend: *tweets back* Your readers still exist.

Author: *realizes the lowkey implication of "Your readers can kill you as well"* /QQ)/ Please don't kill me–

P.S. I am low-key disappointed how this turned out. Q_Q)