Prologue : Keep Going Forward…
Six Years… Six Months… and Six Days after the Battle of Heaven and Earth… Four Thousand Years since…..
Six-year-old Ymir Fritz and Five-year-old Marco Arlert glared daggers at the group of Yeagerists that had them trapped in a warehouse on the Paradis Island port.
"Figured these brats would be in tears by now," one grunted, nodding toward the twin glares.
"Don't break," Marco whispered, squeezing his best friend's hand. "Remember what Aunt Mika always says…"
"Let fear fuel your strength," Ymir replied, and the two blond children nodded to one another. And they had plenty of fear within them. Had they not had each other, they would have broke in to tears and cries some time ago.
"Well, what do you expect," another replied, "both come from Scout and Titan blood."
"What was that?" one shouted raising his lantern and rifle.
"Relax, Surma," another said, "It's just wind blowing the chains… The boat to get us off the island will be here soon."
"Right, and with the princess and the Arlert brat kidnapped by 'Marley' we will finally have the push needed to bypass the Queen and Arlert's treaties and finish Marley once and for all!" Surma nodded.
Green glowing eyes opened above them in the shadows as chains along the walls began to slowly move toward them.
"Using children…" a demonic voice growled above the men. "Pathetic …"
Before anyone could respond the chains shot out and the children screamed as blood splattered along the walls and floor.
"WHAT IS THAT?!" Surma screamed as Yeagerist bodies fell in pieces, as chain as well as a dark red cloak moved through the moon lit warehouse.
Surma grabbed Ymir and put a knife to her throat. "SHOW YOURSELF!"
"You don't want that…" the voice growled as the chains fell to the blood-soaked floor and dragged toward the shadows. Ymir and Surma held their breath as the glowing eyes opened in the darkness. "Let the girl go. And you might live long enough to see the sun rise." The two could see light reflecting off the red cloak, which seemed to move almost like a living creature, almost even snake like.
"What are you?" Surma whimpered.
"Your worst nightmare…" the voice growled as chains shot from the shadows, barely missing Ymir. She dropped to the floor and Marco grabbed her and pulled her away. The two children watched in horror as the chains lifted the screaming Surma off the ground. "Yeagerist…" the voice growled. "You insult the name…"
"Kids…" the voice softened. "leave us. Keep moving forward. Never stop moving forward."
Surma blinked in surprise. "That voice… it can't be…" he whimpered as Marco pulled the older girl and they ran toward the door, not looking back to the last Yeagerist held up by the chains. As they walked out the door, they heard Surma scream for a moment before the sound of liquid splashing echoed in the silent night air.
Once outside and safe the two children and gripped each other as the tears finally flowed.
They could sense eyes on them and glanced up to see a dark figure with glowing green eyes, its body hidden in a long flowing cloak that came up with to a large collar that forked into two points on either side of its head.
"Marco! Ymir!" The two children turned to see Marco's father Armin and other Survey Scouts swooping down with 3DM gear.
"Are you ok?" Marco's mother Annie rushed past him and embraced the two. "Marco Eren Arlert, do you see why we told you and told you and told you…"
"Never go out alone," Ymir replied in her embrace, "It was my fault… I just …"
"It's ok now," Armin wrapped his arms around them all, "Are you ok? What happened to the ones that grabbed you?"
"Oh my God…" Jean Kirstein gasped as he looked inside the warehouse and looked way holding his mouth to keep from vomiting.
"The sad man… he saved us…" Marco said, glancing up where their savior was, but only saw the empty rooftop.
"The sad man?" Annie asked.
"Yeah… he sounded… really mean to the bad guys…" Ymir added, "But when he spoke to us… he sounded … really sad."
"What did he say?" Armin asked, getting to his knees beside them.
"To leave…" Marco said, glancing between his parents. "And… to keep moving forward."
Armin's eyes widened and he looked at his equally surprised wife.
A short distance from them another man stepped outside the shadows, "How many centuries has it been? Four? And the time has come again. A new warrior has come from the shadows. He battled on the front line in the war of the humans and the titans…" He said, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. "and now, he takes the front line of the war between heaven and hell… Which side will he choose I wonder…"
Persecution of the Masses
Sacred blessings count for nothing
Oh God, give us your protection
Let no blame lie at the innocents who have prayed
If your high praise is all we have
Let us not be without you
-Persecution of the Masses by Shiro Sagisu
Curse of the HellSpawn