Hey I'm back. Today is actually my birthday (August 10th)
I was writing Chapter 29 today and the app crashed, I lost my data (forgot to save damn it).
I think I was writing half of chapter 28 before I read the new chapter of the manga.
If you ask why I wrote that much and haven't uploaded anything, because I wrote them on my phone, at school and document upload is on available on PC.
Anyway, enjoy :p
The carriage arrived at a house at the outskirt of the town. It was covered by big trees and boulders, which made it easier to hide from the others.
Jean and Connie stepped out, bringing Reiss and Historia with them.
"You're here!" - Hanji burst out of the door.
Seth - the rider - jumped to the ground from his horse.
"Hanji. It's been awhile." - Seth said, offering a handshake.
"Yeah. Welcome back." - Hanji shook his hand.
"Hanji-san, you know him?" - Jean asked.
"Seth Kingston. Scouting Legion, Spy division." - Hanji introduced.
"That's why he co-opperated so well!" - Connie gasped, finally found the answer to why Seth did not warn Kaney anything and followed their lead so easily.
At that moment, Levi, Sasha and Armin made it back from their mission as well.
"Yo four-eyed." - Levi raised his hand.
"Levi did you know Seth was our ally?" - Jean asked.
"Sort of." - The short man answered and walked to Hanji "Petra and Eren have arrived yet?"
"They have. They're inside. We're checking up on Eren."
"Good. Let's go inside, we'll prepare for the next plan."
"Reiss, I've heard you got a manor near the palace. It is where Seth supposed to take you to, right?" - Levi began his questioning.
"Suppose so." - Reiss, with his hands and legs tied, gave a half-hearted answer.
"I also heard it had a secret entrance to the palace. So you can sneak in and order the king whenever you need."
"Really?! A secret entrance?" - Historia gasped, not knowing what kind of power her father really had.
"The plan is, we'll burn out that place. Both the palace and citizens will be aware of it. Then we will create a scene to frame the fake Royalty, making them the culprit of the fire, which they did because Reiss is the true Royal, so the fake one wants to kill him."
"Sounds good actually." - Hanji commented "The citizens will start questioning about the truth. We can make up story about the secret entrance. When they lost their trust in the fake Royalty..."
"We'll take over." - Armin finished the sentence.
"That's crazy!" - Reiss shouted "If you take them down, I would be the heir of the throne! It won't be your turn."
"What if...you are killed in the fire?" - Armin glared at the old man "You are dead and the only heir left is Historia."
"Nothing proves she's my daughter. You think the citizens will trust her?"
"We have an expert to take care of that, don't worry." - Levi smirked.
"You all are crazy! Kaney will hunt you down and kill you all!" - Reiss struggled in his ropes, screaming.
"Knock him down. He's noisy." - Levi grunted.
Seth and one other man put fabric in Reiss' mouth and dragged him to another room.
"My squad will go on this mission." - Levi said "I'm sorry for -"
"It's fine. It's not your fault." - Hanji knew what he wanted to talk about, but decided to avoid the matter.
"Thank you, Commander."
"I'm still not used to that, haha."
"How's Erwin?"
"Taking the fall for Rebbs' death. However, Reina have met Rebbs' wife and spread the rumors of Kaney the throat-slasher."
"That girl is so freaking smart. She can forsee like anything."
"She's the key of this plan after all."
"Yeah. I admire how much she have sacrificed."
"It's Reina. She'll do anything for Erwin."
"Okay kids, this mission is important, don't screw up." - Levi said "By the way Eren, this is the real key."
Levi tossed Eren the key he took from the room before.
"They exchanged the keys while you're asleep." - Levi explained.
"I see. So I've been wearing the fake one since I escaped?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Ok then." - Eren switched the keys and gave Levi back the fake one.
"Also, I have to add a new rule to our squad. It is, no matter what is the situation, trust Reina."
"Who is Reina?" - Jean asked.
"You'll find out when the time is right." - Levi said "Just, trust her, 100%, not a single doubt."
"Damn it Kaney why is he NOT here!"
After Kaney and Valeria arrived at the mansion next to the palace but there was no sign of Reiss nor Historia there.
"Where is he?!" - Valeria continued shouting "If anything happened to Reiss, I'll kill you Kaney!"
"Calm down, act like a lady." - Kaney sighed "It's Levi squad. I will capture them."
"You'd better!"
"But it kinda surprises me to see you acting like this."
"Like what?"
"Panic over Reiss' disappearance. To be honest, all this time I thought you were a gold digger."
"He saved me. I owe him my life. I'll do anything for him."
"I should tell you the plan then. And this time I won't lie."
"What plan?"
"I can read Levi's mind. He will attack this mansion soon."
"So what should we do?"
"Take that chance and capture them."
"Sir!" - Suddenly a guard ran towards Kaney, screaming.
"What?" - He asked.
"In the room where the key were lost, we found an envelope. It doesn't contain a letter though."
"Give it to me."
Kaney said and the guard handed him an envelope.
"From Reina, To Levi." - Kaney read what was written on the envelope.
"Reina? Who's Reina?" - Valeria took a peek at it.
"The spy, I guess."
"But who is she? A maid? A cook?"
"Search the entire staffs! Find anyone whose name is Reina!" - Kaney shouted, ordering to the guards around him.
"Reina... We'd better find her before she reported our plans to Levi again."
"Seriously, that red cloak again?"
"It's cool and it's a gift from Reiss."
Valeria was wearing a full-body red cloak, the same one as the other day as she and Kaney were waiting Levi's squad from inside.
"So, about the key..." - Valeria said "They stole back the real one."
"We'll take it back."
"Should they be here soon?" - She asked.
"They may have already been here."
"What do you mean? If they have, why are we standing here waiting?"
"Because -"
Before Kaney finished his sentence, Mikasa appeared with two guards, dragging a woman in maid suite.
"Kaney, this woman's name is Reina." - Mikasa said.
"Oh, the spy." - Valeria gave Kaney a quick glare "Do something."
"I don't know what are you talking about! I'm not a spy! I'm just a working maid!" - The woman struggled hopelessly.
"Actually this makes sense. Maids have keys to the manor's storage. The envelope we found is the special kind made for Reiss. She must have sneaked in the paper storage and written the letter." - Valeria pointed out her prediction.
"I didn't do anything! I swear!" - The woman named Reina cried.
"Mikasa, was she at the staffs gathering the other day? When Levi attacked the manor?" - Kaney asked.
"I don't recall seeing her."
"WHAT? I was there!" - The woman grabbed Mikasa's arm "I was there!"
"Enough. Lock her. We'll torture her later. She's a spy so she must know Scouting Legion's next moves." - Kaney ignored the woman's explanation, seeing them as mere excuses.
"Yes sir." - The two guards dragged the woman away.
"Should Levi's squad be here soon?" - Mikasa questioned Kaney "Strangely, I smell...smoke?"
"I can smell it too." - Valeria said.
"Damn it they are burning this place!" - Kaney shouted "Guards, follow the smell of the smoke!"
"Yes sir." - The army yelled and left.
"They are burning down this place? What's for?!" - Valeria panicked.
"The reason is not important now. We'll kill them!" - Kaney grabbed his fist tightly, boiled in anger.
"Cool your head! We can't fight back if you are like this!"
"Right...cool my head..."
"Kaney we can do this. We'll capture them and get Reiss back." - Valeria gave him a pat on his back, encouraging him.
"Ok. I've calmed down. Let's do this."
The fire got bigger and started to spread through the mansion.
"Where are they..." - Valeria said in the middle of coughing due to the smoke.
While Kaney and Mikasa investigated the left side, she decided to go alone to the right side.
After walking for awhile, she saw a figure in the smoke.
"Hey stop!" - She shouted.
As she made her way closer, it was Eren, standing there with a torch on his hand.
"You're burning this place?" - Valeria asked.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Is it dangerous to do it alone? I could have brought guards along."
"But you didn't."
He then continued pressing the fire of the torch to the surrounding object, ignoring Valeria.
"You know...I talked to Mikasa."
"And?" - He said, but didn't turn back to look at her.
"I'm disappointed in you."
"What?" - He turned to look at her.
"You said you love her, right?"
"Yes, I did."
"Yet...you don't trust her. You didn't open your eyes to see what's really going on."
"What the hell are you implying?"
"Eren... I will stop saying anything after I ask you this question. Do you, in your heart, believe that the Mikasa you're seeing now is the Mikasa you know and love?"
"I..."
"Think about the answer." - She said while abruptly took out something from inside her red cloak and hit Eren's head with it "Think in your sleep."
She picked up his torch and let him lying there unconsciously.
Kaney, at that moment, found the East Area, entirely covered in flame.
"How the hell they burn this place up so fast?" - He shouted.
"Water!" - Mikasa ordered the guards.
"It's no use."
"We still have to try."
"Captain Ackerman! The cable is burned. The horses are running wild!" - A man rushed to Kaney, talking while catching his breath.
"Kaney what should we do now?" - Mikasa asked.
"Follow our plan."
Kaney ran and Mikasa chased after. Soon they reached the library of the mansion.
Kaney hurriedly rushed to one bookshelf and took a few books out, revealing a door knock.
"So that's the lead to the palace."
Kaney and Mikasa turned around and saw Levi standing there.
"Smart choice for hidden door." - Levi continued saying "But we'll destroy it."
After him, Eren, Jean and Connie showed up. Eren was holding his head, obviously was still hurt from Valeria's attack. Both Jean and Connie were holding torches.
"You can't, Levi. I will win this time." - Kaney smirked "In fact, I've already won."
As soon as he finished his sentence, other bookshelves started to fall down, aiming for Levi's squad.
They were all able to dodge the attack and realized Kaney had his guards hiding behind the shelves.
Levi looked back to the library's door and saw there were guards there, too.
"Death trap, Levi." - Kaney said.
"The battle is not over yet. Jean! Connie!"
Jean and Connie both threw the torches to the fallen books on the ground. With paper, the flame quickly got bigger and spread through the room.
But right after that, the guards inside the room raised there blades and attacked the two boys.
Few guards got guns and shot Jean's legs and Connie's knees, making them falling down in the middle of the fire.
"Jean! Connie!" - Eren yelled.
"Now, I'll get Levi. Mikasa, kill Eren. Shot his head." - Kaney ordered.
"Head?" - The black-haired girl asked again to confirm.
"Yes."
"Can I shoot his heart?"
"Why?"
"Because we...used to date. If I shoot his heart, I may be able to totally forget about him. So I can focus fighting for your side in the future."
"...Fine. He'll die in neither way. Straight to his heart, got it?"
"Got it."
"Now...Levi!"
Kaney jumped on the reading table and hooked his new-model-3DMG to the ceiling, flying to Levi, aiming the guns at him.
Levi grabbed a half-burning book and threw at Kaney's face, blocking his sight just in time to jump up and slashed his blades along Kaney's left arm.
Mikasa put the bullets in her shotgun and raised it up, facing Eren.
"I'm sorry, Eren." - She said, setting the bullets into place, as well as aiming the shot to his heart.
"Eren, dodge!" - Jean shouted, struggling to stand up.
"Eren! She's crazy! Dodge!" - Connie followed.
"Do you, in your heart, believe that the Mikasa you're seeing now is the Mikasa you know and love?" - Suddenly, Valeria's previous question popped into Eren's mind.
The Mikasa he was seeing now, was aiming her gun at him, with an emotionless face.
The Mikasa he knew and loved...
Then he realized.
It was just Mikasa. The one and only.
The Mikasa he knew and loved would probably pointed her gun at someone else with the same face, then killed that person relentlessly.
But...she was also the Mikasa he fell in love with.
That moment, Valeria passed through the guards and reached the library's door.
"Mikasa! Shoot!" - The redhead screamed.
"Goodbye, Eren." - Mikasa said, placing her finger on the trigger.
Eren stood still and closed his eyes.
"I trust Mikasa." That was his final thoughts, as well as his answer to Valeria's question.
A bullet was shot out and hit Eren's right chest. He fell down to the floor, eyes closed, barely breathing.
"Eren!" - Jean and Connie both screamed.
"Idiot." - Levi grunted, in the middle of his fight with Kaney.
"One rat died." - Kaney grinned, but took no spare time to rip off the key from Eren's neck "I'll take this back."
The air was tense. Silence. Smoke came out of Mikasa's gun as the shooter herself was shaking.
That was until a voice spread throughout the room.
"EREN! THIS IS REINA'S ORDER!"
ok an OC appears in one chapter. I will update chapter 27 in 15 minutes, I need to do some checking first.
45 minutes later my birthday will end :( in my timezone.
Anyway, thank you for supporting me. You guys are part of achievement that I'm proud of.