Humanity's Strongest Woman

by xDollfie

In every empire, there is an epic era that defies the boundaries of time and immortalized itself in the history books. For mankind, an epic era they will never forget has finally emerged. The war between humanity and Titans has finally come to a head. Love cease to exist in a time like this, but they found it, and promised that it'll be worth it. Every stubborn inch of it [LEVIXOC]

44. Sister

Recommended to play some epic AOT OST while reading! This chapter is dedicated to Aniket, the biggest AOT fanboy :3

Thank you Aniket and blackbutler415 for giving me your opinion!

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Humanity's Strongest Woman by xDollfie

Chapter 40 — Sister

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Three Months Ago, Shiganshina District

Under the blanket of night, while the rest of the Warriors were asleep in their tents, the lone pair on watch duty sat around the fireplace as they discussed their plans.

"What are you saying?" Ivy said, not truly understanding where Zeke was getting at. "I don't understand."

Despite the sharp edge suddenly present in her tone, Zeke calmly blew out a puff of smoke, a burning cigar clamped between his lips. A contemplative veil cloaked his features when he looked at her. His figure was glowing, reflecting the orange campfire beside them.

"She's a Starke and according to Reiner and Bertholdt, she bears an uncanny resemblance to you. You know twins are always prominent in the Starke bloodline—"

"And why should I care? Just because you found out you have a long-lost sibling, I need to have one too?" Ivy said spitefully, hatred coursing through every inch of her. She knew where he was taking this conversation. "All the Starkes are hateful either way. Just like my uncle who shipped me to Marley."

She set her jaw angrily and averted her gaze, hoping that Zeke would end the topic.

He sighed. "Ivy—"

"In any case, I'd like to get my hands on that asshole before he lands up in Marley's hands."

As she said this, Ivy's fingers curled around her pants. She could almost imagine her hands clamped around Jaron Starke's neck. Her uncle had thought he would've amnesty in Marley, but Ivy was determined that it would never happen. Not in her life.

She had sworn to herself.

Jaron and every one of those Starkes would pay for what they did.

"That's not the point. I'm certain that your twin is special." Zeke scrutinized the bloody stains on her fingers and frowned, appearing positive that the blood wasn't hers. "And haven't I warned you? When you go to town with Pieck to gather information, you need to lay low."

Oops.

Ivy hid her hands behind her; the remnants from one of her joyous adventures with the soldier she stole a set of gear from.

Grinning sheepishly, she lightly dismissed him. "But I'm special too, aren't I?"

"I'm being serious, Ivy."

Zeke sighed tiredly, appearing conflicted. He wasn't sure if he should speak or hold his silence. He wrestled with the dilemma for a moment, then heaved a long, deep sigh as if he'd come to a difficult decision.

"From all that Reiner told me, I'm almost certain of it. Your twin, your sister… she's an awakened Starke."

What?

Her eyes expanded, not believing what she was hearing. Ivy's soul ripped apart while her world shattered at the enormity of his last words. Impossible. Why? How could her twin be an awakened Starke?

Why was she an extraordinary being? How?

The realization slashed at all the remaining hope in her. Memories of her past begin to surface in her mind. She was back in that cell again and the cold, cruel eyes of the adults were on her, nothing but disgust and disappointment reveling in their hard gazes.

Perhaps knowing that Ivy would need some time to register the information, Zeke patiently waited for her to speak, the cold air whirling around them.

"Is she…" Ivy swallowed painfully, "…is she on Jaron Starke's side?"

"It's hard to say." Zeke inhaled another puff of smoke and blew it out, breathing in the cold air. "She's a member of the Survey Corps; the military branch that the kids infiltrated and is one of their strongest soldiers. I doubt that she would be on your uncle's side."

"Then… what about her…"

She trailed off, unable to finish her question.

Zeke regarded her with subtle surprise. He could tell what she was asking without her having to say it.

With caution, he said, "Reiner didn't know much as your sister is a reclusive person. Her family was hardly mentioned in the Survey Corps. But he heard she's a disgraced illegitimate child born from Elsie Starke."

Ivy stiffened. Her sister's lineage. The lineage that she shared. The lineage that she always wondered about. An illegitimate child? If Ida really was one and if she really was her twin, then it'll make her one too.

She clenched her fists in restrained fury.

Was this the reason why she was shipped off to Marley? Because her existence was undesired?

Zeke's cool exterior never thawed even under the fury streaming out of her. "I know you don't want to hear this, but Jaron Starke wants to deflect to Marley. Even the Tyburs had accepted his proposition. Obviously, Jaron has something to exchange for Marley to accept him. Information perhaps. We came here with the intention of retrieving Jaron and assisting Reiner and Bertholdt in finding the Founder, but I was thinking…" he paused. "…that we could convince him to our side."

Murder drenched her green eyes. Ivy stood up immediately, shaking at just the thought of working with him. Her extremities went cold, her eyes unblinking. Nothing but hurtful betrayal adorned her expression as she found herself unable to respond right away to his proposition.

"I understand you wouldn't want that," Zeke said coolly, unbothered by her drastic reaction. There was no surprise that exuded from him, it was as if he had expected this reaction from her. "I can understand your hatred. However, if we are going to succeed in our plans… if we're going to stop this cycle and do what is right, we need someone with information about the Eldian Empire like Jaron Starke on our side."

"No," Ivy gritted out. "No… never..."

"It's confirmed that he's an awakened Starke, Ivy. We need him."

Chills chased after chills in her body.

Before she could restrain herself, like a rubber band pulled to its limits, Ivy snapped.

"What's so special about them?!" Ivy retaliated, tears threatening to pour into her eyes. "Awakened, awakened, awakened! That's all I've heard ever since I could've remembered! What makes them so different than I am?! What can they do that I can't?! That bastard Jaron is a fucking Starke as well! I don't see Marley doing whatever they want to him! Why?! Why only me?! Because I am a failure?!"

The pain, the injustice, and the trauma were starting to affect her. And so, Ivy did the same thing that she had always done. The same thing that had always worked for her to suppress her pain. She laughed. In the face of her despair, she laughed happily and as joyfully as she could.

As if everything was fine, as if nothing but happiness coursed within her, as if she found hilarity in the cruelty that plagued her life, Ivy laughed.

Zeke turned his face away, avoiding her eyes. He was already used to her mental breakdowns. When her laughter finally died down, he got off the floor and threw his cigar away.

She smiled sadly when she saw him approaching her.

Extending her arms, she hugged him and buried her face in his chest. For a long time, Zeke stood still, before he sighed and placed a comforting hand behind her head.

Tears slid down her cheeks. Her mind was still fragmented with all that was happening. So unhinged Ivy was that the only thing that could calm her was her source of stability.

"I know," Zeke whispered, his voice sounding like it belonged to an angel to her. He knew just what to say to quell the anger. "I know, Ivy. I've told you before; my parents had done something similar to me as well. I understand how you are feeling right now."

Ivy said nothing. She listened to the one person who mattered the most to her. The only person who could understand her.

Her one and only God in this world.

"It'd be better if you and I were never born in this world." Zeke's words were emotionless, distant even, but Ivy relished in the power it had over her. "This cycle has to stop. I want us to end this before my tenure is up. And for that to happen, we need the powers of Starkes and the Founder. There's no other way."

There was something in the tone of Zeke's voice that rocked her to her very core. Ivy felt her whole body become paralyzed. She knew Zeke had already made his decision.

He exhaled exasperatedly. "When you meet Jaron Starke, promise me that you won't kill him."

Her heart thundered in her chest as though begging her to disregard Zeke's orders. Ivy was conflicted because she knew that her self-control was never one of her virtues, especially when it came to the people that she detested. Even so, she mulled over it for several seconds, then pulled away and nodded.

It was an instinctive decision.

Because other than her hatred for the world, the only thing Ivy had within her was the loyalty she held only for him.

If it was for him, she would plot even with the devil himself.

Approval adorned his gaze when Zeke stared at her. "We were both born into a bloodline we had never asked for. We can never change that. But what we can do, is put a cycle of hatred to an end forever. Whatever makes the awakened Starkes so special, I'm sure that it ties to the fact that they are known to be the walking history books of Eldia. It's obvious the answer we seek lies there."

He tucked a strand of red hair behind her ears. "It's distasteful, but you understand what we have to do, right?"

Ivy took a deep breath to stabilize her nerves. "What if… the answer we seek isn't there? What if even after we learn the truth of the Titan's power, there's no other way?"

"If there is no other way then..." Zeke paused, almost as if he was dreading saying it aloud. Suddenly, he met her gaze, blue eyes cold, and dismissed her question, "Don't worry, I have a backup plan for that."

She could sense reservation in his words. Ivy wondered why he didn't explain what his backup plan was but thought that it wiser not to ask. If Zeke didn't want to say it, she shouldn't pry. She trusted him, as she always had.

"Fine. You have my word, I will not fail you."

Zeke nodded. "Good."

"But I don't think we should trust Jaron Starke."

He furrowed his brows in bewilderment. "Ivy—"

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him, Marley can have that power-hungry bastard if they want," Ivy cut in, her dainty smile not matching her harsh words. "But you should know that someone who's willing to betray his own country... a person like that only serves himself. He'll never work with us. Even if Jaron does, his intentions would never match ours. His entire power rests on the existence of Titans. He wouldn't give a fig for the downtrodden Subjects of Ymir."

She watched his eyes narrow. From the gleam of realization in his blue eyes, Ivy knew that Zeke found her argument reasonable.

"Even so, we have to try either way," Zeke argued. "We have no other choice."

Ivy chuckled faintly. The tears that once blurred her vision were drying up under the amusement she felt. "You say that we need an awakened Starke right?"

Zeke stared at her in confusion.

She shrugged. "Don't worry, I'm not talking about myself. I know I can't awaken."

"What's your point, Ivy?" Zeke demanded impatiently, folding his arms.

"Don't tell me you forget that there's another awakened Starke for us to grab?"

Zeke only stared at her silently, comprehension in his wide eyes.

Ivy's lips curled at his reaction and she laughed. Her smile was chilling, gleeful almost. As if she was a child and had found a new toy to play with.

"Didn't you say that my dear twin sister was an awakened Starke as well? And well… wouldn't she be a better option than Jaron?"

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Blood.

Rage tormented his gray irises, scorching every fiber of his body. He was nothing more than a deadly dancing rapier that wrathfully cut through the wind. Blood, the awakened monster in him cried for blood. His pulse raced frantically as the desperation kicked in. Levi Ackerman had no more time to waste.

This was all his fucking fault…

He had let the Beast Titan get away.

His comrades, Erwin's death… they all sacrificed their lives to give him that one fucking chance.

And he screwed it up.

He fucking screwed it up. That chance will never come again.

As Levi glided through the wind, all he could hear was a constant buzz in his ears. His world tilted on its axis just as he cut down another towering Titan in his way. Like a predator hunting everything in his path, he soared through the sky like a bloodthirsty eagle. Angling his aims, he fired an anchor, embedding the tip in the next Titan. Faster. He had to go faster to catch up with the Cart Titan who took the bearded blonde bastard away.

He couldn't let that chance slip away. Not ever.

Adrenaline surged through his veins. Gritting his teeth, Levi was only a blur when he zipped through the air. A great curtain of steam burst from the nape of the Titan's neck when his blade sliced through it with ease. Blood sprayed all around him, coloring his vision a visceral red haze. He blinked and blinked, and yet all Levi could see was red.

Red that was his hatred, his guilt, and his wrath.

Red that washed over him, the steaming blood of the monstrous man-eating beasts.

Red that was the silent fields where his comrades laid, their bodies mutilated, organs and limbs strewn across the grass, hollow eyes that would never blink again.

Red that was her hair that flowed down her back.

Ida.

Riding the momentum of the wire, Levi soared in the atmosphere with unmatchable expertise, the Wings of Freedom flapping on his cloak. He screamed in rage for everything that had happened, for all the hopes that his comrades had placed on him, for the duty that rested on his shoulders. Screaming a battle cry, his thumping heart that was still alive raged with his comrades – even when he knew they were long gone.

Where was she?

She had to be fucking alive.

Erwin entrusted her to him.

Uneasiness clawed at him. Another battle cry rumbled out of his constricted chest and Levi gripped his gear handles firmer and slashed. Faster, he had to get there faster. Until his limbs were broken, until he could no longer go on... He would be damned if he allowed Erwin and his comrades' sacrifice to go to waste.

Everyone had counted on him. He had to avenge them, to keep his promise to Erwin to take down that Beast Titan, and he had to get to her side quickly.

Before Ida turned into another corpse on the fields like them.

He had to protect her.

"I leave her to you, Levi," Erwin's voice came to haunt him as if to remind him of his vow. "Protect her."

Levi's heart wrench in agony at that voice, his anxiety puncturing itself through every cell in his body. The jagged edges of his broken heart cut deep in him and Levi recoiled from it furiously. Anger filled his slashes, making them even more lethal than ever.

Never.

He would never allow Erwin's sacrifice to go to waste.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

As the world slowly became overrun with the desperation for survival, everything was a blur in Ida's mind.

Please, please, let me be on time!

Ida fired the left hook of her maneuvering gear into a house. The moment the metal barb stuck in the stone, she hit her trigger and reeled herself. When she got close to her first hook, Ida fired from her right hip, penetrating a spot near the tower with her other line.

The howling wind pressed fervently on her face when she zipped across the city at a frightening speed.

Fuck! Where are they?! Please, be safe!

Ida fought back her fear when an image came into her mind: the moment the Colossal Titan transforms and scorches the area around him, disintegrating every scout into smithereens. To prevent that frightening scenario, Ida was ready to do whatever it takes to kill Bertholdt before he had the chance to. Her mind going numb when she imagined the deaths of her squad.

The people she cared about.

Never.

Even if she had to give up her life, she would ensure that they would return home.

The menace in her green eyes sparked and Ida vehemently pushed herself. Faster. She had to go faster.

Her sharp senses detected something above her. She looked up, seeing something—someone—slashing through the blue sky. Her blood hummed when she realized who it was.

As if it was the doom of hell, among the silhouettes of the abandoned houses, her eyes locked onto Berthodlt who had emerged from the houses and was now ascending to the sky with his gears.

No! He's going to transform!

Ida's heart stopped momentarily. All the fibers in her body seemed to have awakened as the contents of her statement streamed over her, leaving her with nothing but petrification.

The cogs in her brain actively summed up the dire situation: she was too far away, and even with her speed, there was no way she could get to Bertholdt in time.

She couldn't stop the transformation.

The hiss of the gears caught her attention. Ida sensed a group of people moving. From her peripheral view, she caught a green cloak of the Survey Corps peeking from the rooftop speeding away.

No! Why are they still going towards Bertholdt?! It's too risky! Did they not see?!

Angling her hips, Ida cursed and changed the direction. Now, her top priority was to get to her comrades and save whoever she could.

But it wasn't even ten seconds when a blinding flash came from the sky, followed by a crackling whip of thunder.

The ball of light that Bertholdt had become was becoming brighter, and bigger, to a point that it looked like a glorious sun beaming down from the heavens. Ida's eyes expanded in shock as she basked in the sheer magnificence of the light. But it wasn't the sun, Ida knew, and it wasn't glorious.

It was disaster, it was chaos, and it was death.

It was a judgment from the heavens that spelled doom to whoever its rays touched.

No, no, no!

Shock electrocuted her.

"Live."

The moment Levi's voice cut through the screams of her frazzled mind; Ida was reminded that she was putting herself in danger if she continued on. Both of them were in danger. Her and the child that was growing within her.

Fear overtook her senses and dissipated her selfless resolve.

For the first time in a long time, she felt herself violently recoil from the grasp of the reaper. Her past self would've recklessly charged in, ready to gamble with whatever small chance, but not today.

Her life wasn't her own any longer. She couldn't risk her child, even if there was a chance to save her comrades.

Her desperation to save everyone took a backseat to their safety.

Ida twisted her body, fired her anchor behind her. She reeled into a narrow alleyway between the houses. Her anchor was still plunged into a stone wall and her body was only halfway in her refuge when she felt it.

The Colossal Titan's explosion.

One second there was a sun that danced in the skies of Shiganshina and the next a rising ball of orange-red flame enveloped the startled air. A split second later, a huge ball of doom belched upward and outwards, leaving a series of smoke-rings to float more slowly after it.

BOOM!

The sheer force of the explosion commanded the once docile wind to throw Ida violently midair. She pressed on her gear handles to stop the reeling and braced herself.

"Shit!" Ida hissed, squeezing her eyes shut. If she hadn't had her grapple firmly embedded onto the stone, she was sure would've flown right to Wall Maria.

A deadly rainfall showered through the sleeping city. The windows shook so violently from the force of the wind. Glass whistled through the air as good as any blade. Around the transformation the old houses exploded, disintegrating into nothing. Wood, stone, and debris of all sizes pelted in the air around her like projectiles.

Ida gritted her teeth and forcibly clung to her gear handle, spinning high above the ground like a proud Survey Corps flag. Her other hand was instinctively shielding her abdomen. Shrapnel flew past her arm, slicing through her cape, uniform, and flesh.

"Ah!" Ida screamed, but she refused to let go.

A ringing hummed in her eardrums as her heartbeat elevated to the extremes. Out of this shock, Ida felt herself repeating that she had to live amid a mass of terrible sensations: the blow of the explosion, the ringing in her ears, the sudden gulf, and the awful whirlpool of horrifying realization that most, if not all of the Survey Corps fighting on Shiganshina were probably taken out from that explosion alone.

For several terrifying heartbeats, Ida couldn't do anything except hang in the sky, catching her breath.

When the wind died down and was no longer pushing her so ferociously, Ida reeled herself in. She must have missed her steps, or maybe it was because her legs were too shaky, but she fell to her knees when she landed back on the ground.

And with menace, guilt, and horror embroiling in her dimmed green eyes, Ida stared at the aftermaths of the explosion.

The aftermaths of her failure.

The mushroom-head of a thin column of incandescent smoke mounted to swallow the sky, engorging the smoke-rings as it rose, twisting and writhing. The dust cleared slowly. Beneath it all, Ida saw the exposed red muscle, the gigantic size, and the bones and sinews of the Titan that she had not seen since the fall of Shiganshina.

Her world slowed to a crawl.

The Colossal Titan.

The name was still echoing in her mind when the giant slowly lifted its head.

The terrifying face of the Titan still haunted her to this day. Humanity's greatest enemy. The monster who'd destroyed Shiganshina.

The Titan who destroyed her home.

All at once, Ida was inundated with an ominous chaotic symphony of memories. Memories of the fall of Shiganshina – the day her life took a turn for the worse – played around her.

Her fear, despair, and guilt drained out of her rapidly.

Fight…

Tears stung her eyes, threatening to spill over but it was held ransom by her wrath. Her fingers trembled, but she forced them to clasped on her gear handles, plugging into blades from the boxes beside her thighs.

Even if I am the last man standing…

The smell of blood that rained down on the city… The screams of the civilians who were being eaten alive... The sounds of bones breaking amongst when the Titans descended for a banquet of humans... The glassy eyes of the Titan that took her mother...

Fight…

Extending her blades to full length, Ida forced herself off the floor and back to her feet.

The horror that her younger self felt that day, the warm tears she cried in the aftermaths, the half-eaten corpses that she trampled on, the blood that soaked at the ends of her dress, the squishing sounds of her neighbor's entrails beneath her boots…

And finally, the comrades she had failed to save.

Again, she couldn't save anyone.

"Ahhhh!" she raged, her despaired battle cry thundering through the city.

Ida fired her grapple into a wall, launching herself into the air once more. Kicking the wind to propel herself, her rage scorched her soul as one word echoed in the depths of her subconscious.

Fight!

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Armin pressed his tight fists by his sides, shaking. His entire world turned gray with red splatters.

"No," he whispered, soaking in the terrible situation.

His feet trembled to stay upright on Eren's Titan even with Mikasa's support. Armin could scarcely believe how everything had taken a drastic turn so quickly. The air at the top of Shiganshina was thick with dust and pockets of steam. His enlarged blue eyes took in the horror of the wreckage and the sheer power of the Colossal Titan along with his friends; terrified of what's to come.

This.

This anarchy happened because of him.

Because he tried to talk to Bertholdt. Because he believed there was another way out. Because he misread their enemy.

He should've known...

Armin's mind was so disorientated that he could barely even process what Jean was saying.

"It'll be a disaster if we let Bertholdt near the wall and the others!" Jean shouted frantically. "If the other houses catch fire, they'll be sandwiched between the fire and the Beast Titan!"

No, no, no...

His stomach gave a horrid lurch. They had to veto the original plan of engaging in a battle of attrition. His mind whirled as he desperately tried to consider their options. Think, he needed to think. From the Colossal Titan's explosion and the distance Hanji's squad were in, it was safe to assume that they were all dead—

Oh. Everyone was dead.

Hanji, Mobilt, and the rest of them…

They were dead.

Because of him.

A white noise emerged in this mind and Armin couldn't even begin to comprehend what was happening.

"Armin!" Jean urged with panic coloring his eyes. "What now?!"

"Armin," Mikasa probed gently from beside him. She shook him gently, and he snapped out of his paralyzed, mind-numbing state. "You okay?"

He sensed everyone's gaze on him. Armin knew that they were desperately hoping that he would guide them. Disorientated, the words tumbled out of his agape mouth shakily, "That means… we have no choice but to defeat Bertholdt right here? And… we have to do it with just the people here?"

The silence from everyone was enough to affirm his conclusion.

But that plan was ludicrous, it was as good as a suicide mission. They were just mere recruits with little experience compared to the veterans. Eren's Titan stood little chance against the Colossal Titan.

However, what other options were there?

Think, he had to think—

Wait no, why were they asking him in the first place? Armin's chest tighten in unease when that paralyzing thought ran through his mind. Didn't they see it? They were in this mess because he had misread Bertholdt in the first place. He couldn't be counted on.

They shouldn't count on him.

Just as he thought of this, the ground of Shiganshina shook when Bertholdt rained yet another carnage of burning houses on the city.

"The fire!" Connie screamed, fear elevating his voice. "Armin! What are your orders?!"

"Hurry it up!" Sasha yelled, snapping him out of his frozen state.

No, they shouldn't ask him. No. Jean. Yes, a rational level headed person like Jean should take over.

Armin opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the familiar sounds of gears and cables reeling came, and along with it, a relieved shout from Jean who realized who it was.

"Ida!"

His anxiety dissipated slightly when Ida saw them and quickly turned to them. Thank the Walls. She'd know what to do with this situation. At least, better than he did. Ida zipped through the houses, kicking her feet off the roofs to move even faster. She landed on the roof right next to Eren's Titan.

Their superior wasted no time. "Report! Where's Hanji and the rest?! Any other survivors?!"

"They were too close to the explosion," Mikasa hastily provided the answer. "They probably didn't make it."

A flash of sadness simmered in her green eyes, but it was quickly replaced by something else. Rage it seemed. Gritting her teeth in restrained grief, Ida set her infuriated gaze on the Colossal Titan. Armin noticed her fingers flexed. "The Armoured Titan?"

Sasha gave a trembling reply, "Probably dead, Reiner was near the explosion too!"

"Shit," Ida cursed when another set of burning houses rained down from the air. "It looks like he doesn't know where we are, but the bastard is going to smoke us out with those burning houses! We need to act quickly! Armin, what are your plans?!"

What?

Ida's sudden attention caused him to freeze. Why was she asking him? She was their superior and a seasoned veteran at that. Wasn't it natural that she would take charge?

"Armin!" Ida shouted urgently, balancing herself on the roof as the ground shook. "Quickly!"

Panic descended on him. "Huh?"

"Your plan!" Ida bellowed with impatience. "Erwin saw the explosion and he didn't send any men here yet, this means the rest are having a hard time with the Beast Titan too! We have to stop Colossal Titan from getting there!"

Armin tried to formulate a plan, but nothing but chaos reigned in his mind. "I–I–"

"You what?!" Ida cut in with a snarl, anger coating her words. "Erwin and Hanji trusted you, and I need you to crack your brains right now to come up with a plan—"

"Guys! There's another barrel!"

Connie's panicked warning caused the atmosphere to take a visible shift. Everyone froze, staring uncomprehendingly at the single barrel that hovered over the city.

Another Titan Shifter, Armin realized. He shuddered at that grave thought.

Even though he had anticipated it and braced himself, the transformation was nonetheless frightening. A bolt of yellow lightning illuminated a sky above, lifting everyone's wide eyes skywards. The fear of what's to come brought even the slowest of pulses back into a rapid and strong rhythm.

Unable to tear their eyes away, the group could only watch, the bright light shadowing the looks of terror on their faces.

BOOM!

The loud detonation sounded off without warning when a singular bolt of yellow lightning zapped the barrel, heeding the call of the wielder. Armin held his breath. The Colossal, Armoured, and Beast Titan were all accounted for.

This was a new Titan Shifter.

Armin instinctively blocked the bright flash of light with his arm. Within just a second, flesh, sinews, bones, and skin formed in thin air, taking shape; out from the large cloud of steam came another Titan descending from the sky.

"Isn't that…?" came Mikasa's horrified murmuring.

Armin's blue eyes widened significantly when he saw the Titan.

Red hair.

The Titan had long red hair across the skeletal face.

"The Red-Haired Titan…" he muttered, his own words sending a shiver down his spine.

Though the Titan looked different from the one that the Survey Corps fought at three months back, this was undoubtedly the Titan that once belonged to Ida's mother. The one that the Survey Corps had lost to their enemies.

There was a loud denotation when the Titan landed on the city. Seconds later, another series of bombardments from the falling houses the Colossal Titan pelted down on their city.

Horror instilled deep within him as an excruciating ache when Armin realized their dire situation just got worse.

"Get together!" Mikasa shouted loudly. "We have to move further back! The houses will reach us soon!"

Armin and the others convened closer on top of Eren's Titan. Ida, on the other hand, was rooted to the roof. He took a quick glance at her, realizing that she was in shock. The appearance of her mother's Titan had to be the only thing with the ability to instill such terror into someone like her.

Her green eyes held anger, resentment, and guilt. She never took her gaze off the Red-Haired Titan, as if she was burning the image of her prey in her mind.

Jean noticed that Ida didn't move from her spot. He followed her gaze to where she was looking.

"That's…" Jean trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"My mother's Titan," Ida confirmed breathlessly. Armin didn't miss the subtle clench of her jaw as she said this. Suddenly, she faced them with a cool-headed calm, "Listen. We need to stop both Titan from reaching the Wall where Erwin and the rest are."

Before Armin could even conjure up a suitable reply, Sasha shrieked out an observation, "H — Hey guys... it looks like the Red-Haired Titan is going to scale the Wall!"

Armin gasped and looked at the Wall. Oh shit, she really was climbing the Wall. The tip of her fingernails, right down to her forearms were crystallized, and the front part of her legs had sharp protruding hardened bits up to their knees. It seemed to serve both as a defensive and offensive ability.

He shuddered. Armin could only imagine what would happen to a human who was unlucky enough to meet with a kick with her leg.

"The armor on her legs doesn't look like it's made from the same crystallization on her arms," Mikasa observed.

Armin privately agreed with her. While the crystalized hands on her arms resembled those of Annie's or Eren's, her leg armor resembled those of Reiner's.

Does this mean that her leg armor was a permanent fixture of her Titan like the Armoured Titan's armor?

Ida seemed to have noticed this observation as well. "That Titan would be trouble, but thankfully only the front part of her legs has that armor. The ligaments of her leg are still exposed. It's possible to bring her down."

"But why is she climbing up the Wall?" came Connie's question.

"Could it be that she is trying to get to a position where she could discern our location?!" Jean shared. He faced his comrades with urgency. "That's bad news! If she gets to the top, from that height, she'll know where Eren is!"

"Or worse, the bitch could pellet us with rocks, or give a signal to the Colossal Titan on where we are. When that happens, we're fucked if we are still sitting here like pigs waiting to be slaughtered." Ida hissed, suddenly making eye contact with him. "Armin? Your plan?"

"I – I don't know!" Armin admitted, pressured under her demanding gaze. "I made a mistake earlier because I misjudged Bertholdt and that's why we are in this mess!"

Ida's eyes widened and narrowed back. She released an irritable hiss, looking like she had something scathing to say, but she refrained seconds later. Breaking away from his gaze, she pointed her blade at the Titan, the infernos of hell raging in her eyes.

"First we need to take her out. She's more agile. If she runs on top of the Wall, she'll reach Erwin and the rest of the legion quickly. The Colossal Titan will take a while to get there with his size." Ida surveyed their Thunder Spears on their arms. "Where are the rest of the Thunder Spears?"

"Hanji's squad was carrying the spares," said Mikasa.

Sasha gulped. "These are all the weapons we have…"

Ida's lip pressed into a grim line. She nodded. "Understood, I'll take down the Red-haired Titan myself."

Connie stared at her. "What?"

"What about us then?" Mikasa asked. "What will you have us do?"

"The rest of you, take down that Colossal Titan." Behind the cooled exterior concealing Ida portrayed, Armin felt her rage radiating through it. She looked back to him, "Armin, I'm not good at forming strategies like you. I'm a soldier, not a leader. I don't give a fuck what's eating you up, but everyone here depends on you to come up with a solution for that Colossal Titan. If we fail here, all is lost. Do you understand?"

"I…"

She grabbed his shoulders. "Do you understand?"

They held eye contact. Armin could see it all in her green eyes. Her unwavering trust in him. He nodded hesitantly. "I... understand."

His subdued tone encouraged Ida to go further. "Armin, I trust you. Believe in yourself. Your friends need you. Regrets and grievances can come later."

Armin downcasted his eyes, guilt prevailing over him.

Ida turned to the rest of their squad. "Use whatever means necessary. Be mindful of your weapons and gas usage. After handling the Red-Haired Titan, I'll join all of you. Clear?"

They responded in unison. "Yes!"

Ida gave them a stiff nod. "And do not die on me."

Armin exchanged uneasy glances with his friends. It seemed that they all shared their reservations. Ida had told them not to die on her, but she was the one going after a Titan Shifter by herself.

"I will return," Ida caught onto their unsaid worry. "Don't worry. I can't leave you brats yet."

Armin surmised the dire situation in his head before privately conceding to her plan. There was no other way. While it was suicide to go after a Titan Shifter herself, Ida wasn't any ordinary soldier. This was their best chance. If they were going to have any chance of success, it was best that they sent one of Survey Corp's best assets to take down the primary concern of the Red-Haired Titan.

It was only when Ida made a sharp turn of her heel did Armin realize something fundamentally wrong.

"Wait!" Armin stopped her. "You don't have any Thunder Spears!"

Jean made a movement to remove his Thunder Spears from his gears. "You can take mine—"

"I don't need them," Ida said frostily, her brandished twin blades gleaming in her hands. "I'll settle with hacking that bitch down."

Armin shook his head and waged his disapproval on her reckless plan. "The Red-Haired Titan crystalized her arms, she might be capable of hardening other parts of her body just like Annie—"

"I know that," Ida said. "But you guys also need to take down the Colossal Titan, and we have no idea where the Armored Titan is. I won't take your weapons, use them for yourself. Survive."

Uncertainty rained on Armin's expression. He knew what she was doing. Granted, Ida would have a better chance of utilizing the Thunder Spears with her capabilities, she wanted to ensure that they had a better chance of survival. She wouldn't take their most lethal weapons. Not if it meant that she'll effectively lessen their chances of survival.

But still, it was foolish.

Going straight to a Titan capable of hardening without Thunder Spears was good as having one foot in the grave.

Armin wanted to argue but stopped himself. Ida had said nothing else, but the confidence that exuded from her powerful aura told him that she believed that she'd be able to handle the Red-Haired Titan with just blades. Seeing this, he held his tongue and swallowed down his worries.

If she had trust in him, he should have the same for her.

All of Armin's thoughts and worries were washed away when another series of houses fell from the sky with a swipe of the Colossal Titan's hand. The horrifying sound was getting nearer. The Colossal Titan was traveling towards them.

Silence erupted and spread like a virus through the squad as each of them took a moment to compose themselves for the battle that they'll fight soon.

"Dedicate your hearts," Ida finally broke the silence, her green eyes scanning each of their expressions. "I trust all of you. We are the only ones who can stop them now."

Before anyone could get in a reply, Ida crushed the triggers on her gear handles. A grapple from her hips fired and she kicked herself into the air.

A moment later, she was gone, leaving Armin to come to terms with the burden and trust she had placed on him.

His fingers curled into tight balls. He looked at his friends who were staring at him with trepidation, obviously waiting for his orders.

No, now was not the right time to doubt himself. Ida was right. Regrets and grievances can come later.

They had to succeed.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Ivy's gleeful grin grew wider each time her long crystalized fingers embed into the wall. Like sharp grappling hooks, her fingernails pierced and crumbled the stone. Strong shoulders lifted the weight of her Titan with ease.

Even from where she was, Ivy could hear the destruction that the Colossal Titan was spreading throughout the city.

Ahh… the delightful sounds are exhilarating...

Good. Bertholdt seemed to be doing his job well. Now, it was her turn to shine. Her turn to make Zeke proud.

She breathed in elation, never feeling more liberated to finally be released onto the battlefield.

This. This was what she was born for.

Destruction. It was the one thing in her miserable life that pleased her. The one thing Ivy was profoundly good at. Be it the destruction of humans, of homes, of hopes and dreams, there was nothing else that she enjoyed most. It gave her immense joy and mitigated the unbearable unease and hollowness inside her. Reveling in someone's else misery was the only thing that quenched her sadistic inclinations.

Feeling fully functional now that her needs had been quenched, Ivy continued onward.

Her crystalized fingernails ripped another piece of the stone walls.

Walls, Ivy smirked, everywhere I go, there were always walls.

She hated Wall Maria ever since she had seen it. They reminded her of the barbed fences that had kept her confined or the walls of the cell that she stared at for years.

Finally reaching the top, Ivy brought her Titan body upright and whirled around. She soaked in the sight of Shiganshina City. Her red hair blew messily in the howling wind that would bring the impending storms.

The whole world was spread out below her, a tapestry of brown, red, and green. Ivy could see everything so clearly that for a moment she forgot to be excited. Her thoughts wandered as though summoned by the sight of the city. Memories of her past leaked into her unguarded mind.

"You are never to leave the building."

"Do not ever cross the fence."

"You will be confined here until Marley finds another use for you."

Inside the safe cocoon on her Titan's nape, Ivy smiled faintly, wondering why the Survey Corps that her sister joined desired to go beyond the walls.

What were they expecting?

A life of total freedom? A life without barricades?

Life here and beyond the walls, what difference was there for people like them?

Her Titan's sunken green eyes scanned through the houses with precision until it landed on top of the Founding Titan.

Eren Yeager…

Zeke's little brother. He was the key to everything. Soon, the two estranged brothers would meet, and with the power of the Founder and an awakened Starke, maybe they could finally free every Subject of Ymir from their tragic fates.

How ironic really. Both were siblings of theirs. Funny how life comes full circle sometimes.

"This cycle has to stop."

Zeke's words from three months back when they just arrived at Paradis circled in her mind.

But was Zeke right? Will it really all end then? Total freedom? Free from the chains of their wretched dynasty? The entire concept seemed so far away from the current cruel world they inhabited that Ivy couldn't help but doubt it.

Ivy quickly shook the thoughts away. No. What was she even thinking about? There was no one else that she trusted more than Zeke.

Suddenly, tension engulfed her senses with a prickling sensation. Her eyes narrowed as she strained her ears. Gears, she deduced. She could recognize the sound after trying it out herself and being near Reiner and Bertholdt when they used it.

Finally...

Ivy sighed, luxuriating in the silent peaceful moments before the fateful meeting that was to come. She didn't need to look down the wall, her trained senses told her everything.

Something – someone was coming.

Someone was coming to kill her.

And Ivy had a good idea who it was.

It was the reason why she had spent all the effort climbing Wall Maria in the first place. She wanted to be visible. She wanted her to notice her. She wanted her to come to her.

The alluring bait had been set. All she needed to do was wait.

The sounds of gears pushing its wielder were growing louder. Her sadistic heart beat rapidly in excitement at the prospect of her plan working.

Soon...

Suddenly, everything played in slow motion.

Out from the wall, a red blur bolted upwards with frightening velocity, and the person appeared, hovering mid-air with blades in front of her, in a pose that was ready to strike her down.

Ivy's breathing hitched. Her world came to a startling halt when the live image of the twin, the awakened Starke she had heard so much about, finally came to life before her.

The acceleration of her heartbeat ran rampant at the sight of Ida—her other half.

After so long, she finally got to meet her twin. Finally got to meet the one who single-handedly owned everything that she had wanted in her life. The one who was partly responsible for the current wretchedness that befell her life.

Her green eyes, shining with determination, vengeance and strength, complemented and glowed against her porcelain skin. Her red hair, exactly the same shade as hers, was tied to a loose braid and gathered to the sides of her shoulder.

There was an air of wonder to her. Even if it was just a second that she was still, Ida still radiated power, knowledge, and beauty. They were the same person, identical twins, yet outwardly, Ivy knew that because of all the power Ida emanated, she was much more beautiful than her. There was such confidence, such strength in her darkened expression, that Ida overpowered her in many ways.

Ida couldn't have encompassed more beauty or power.

An extraordinary being…

A cold and malicious smile slid across her lips. Her fingers flexed with an itch.

Finally... You're finally here!

Ecstatic, her Titan roared the first cry of their battle. Ivy swiftly tried to grab her.

Sister!

But Ivy was too excited and too unprepared for what happened next.

Within a split second, Ida was gone from her sight. A grapple hook had attached itself to her Titan's body. A sharp propel of her gas from her gears later, Ida rocketed herself towards her arm, passing through her fingers with a twist of her body. Her boots thumped across her crystalized forearm as she sprinted.

Ivy's eyes tried to follow her to anticipate her next move, but it was too late.

SLASH!

The next thing Ivy knew, the tendons that were holding up her arm was severed. Blood gushed out of her steaming wound. Her right arm dropped to her side.

Fun.

Ivy moved her head instinctually, attempting to spot her sister to predict where her next attack would go. Bad choice. All she could hear was the gas mechanism, the reeling of wires. When Ivy turned her head back, sharp blades slid past her Titan's eyes, blinding her.

Fun.

Her Titan roared. Ivy moved her hand to cover her blinded eyes, stumbling on top of the wall.

Fun.

Though blind, she knew where the next attack would land. Ivy could sense her. Even if Ida was quick as a ricocheting bullet, her sister would want to end this battle quickly.

Behind her.

Fun.

Ivy prepared to defend herself from her sister's attack. She has sworn to herself and Zeke that she would win this battle. She wouldn't fall. Not until she saw Zeke's dreams to fruition.

Her nape.

The defeated sounds of blades breaking upon hitting her crystalized nape hummed in Ivy's ears. Ecstasy consumed her. Ivy twisted her head, facing her hovering sister in the air, and smiled wickedly.

Her eyes had already healed, and so did her arm.

The look of shock on her sister's face made her heart pumped faster in delight.

Not wasting another second, a mighty roar erupted from her Titan. As Ivy laughed hysterically in her safe cocoon of Titan flesh, her Titan reached out to her to grab her twin again.

Let's play, sister!

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Impossible.

But it wasn't impossible. It was right there in front of her. Those beady green eyes that glowed against the Titan's skeletal face was no longer emitting steam. It had regenerated, far quicker than Ida had ever anticipated.

Her world slowed as she tried to wrap her head around her opponent's formidable regeneration speed. It was unlike any Titan she had ever battled. It was strong. A far cry from Elsie's emaciated Titan form that she transformed into at the Starke Estate.

Shit. She had severely underestimated it. Those two Titans might look similar, but they weren't the same.

Damn it, she should've known. This Titan was capable of crystallization. Worse, its regeneration speed was insanely fast. Faster than Eren's even. If it crystalized its nape forever, Ida knew there was no way she was ever going to cut her out. Blades were useless against a Titan's crystallization.

It was at the Titan's roar and the approach of the giant's hand that snapped her out of her stunned reverie.

Fuck!

Shooting her grapple into the thigh of the Titan, Ida bolted downwards using the pull of her steel wires, narrowing escaping the Titan's grip on her small frame.

Calm down. First, blades.

Releasing the grapple when she nearly reached the ground, Ida ran and used the gained momentum to swing herself to the back of the Titan. Shooting another grapple with deadly precision, it pierced to the shoulder of the Titan. As she ascended, Ida released her broken blades and it dropped to the ground.

With a single squeeze to her triggers, she took to the air like a soaring eagle.

Second, get her off the wall and back to the ground where I'll be at an advantage.

Somersaulting mid-air, Ida swiftly extracted another set of fresh blades. It glittered in the sun. Her heart thundered in her ears with adrenaline, pulsating hot blood through veins with each strong beat. The hiss of her gears crackled behind her when she descended upon the Titan once again, eyes fixated on her prey.

Avoid the crystallization, find an opportunity to strike!

Vengeance quaked in her veins. Ida positioned her blades for a succession of slashes.

The Titan roared, attempting to grab the steel wire that was still connected to her by the embedded grapple. She probably intended to pull her in. But Ida had already foreseen this. Her trained senses heightened, and her heart thundered against her ribs with bloodlust as she waited for the perfect timing.

When it came, she retracted her grapple before the towering beast could even grasp it.

Now!

A sharp hiss of her gears followed her deadly trail.

SLASH!

The Titan roared as Ida encircled the large frame using her blades like a deadly vortex. Slashing, severing, and cutting tendons, flesh, and sinews. Blood spurted out from every laceration she made, coating her face, cape, and blades. Thick steam choked the air around her, blocking her sight. Ida deduced that due to the rapid regeneration speed, more steam would naturally be produced as well. But it was good news for her. If she couldn't see, this means the bitch couldn't too.

She didn't need her sight, all she needed was her senses. She just had to be quick enough as Levi had once said when he trained her.

The Red-Haired Titan stumbled from the vicious attack, aimlessly trying to grab her amidst the smoke. As she did this, Ida realized she was getting closer to the edge of the wall to where Shiganshina was.

Perfect.

Now the legs!

Ida's green eyes pinned on her target. The back of her foot. Two cuts. Two massive lethal cuts would send her tumbling down the wall in a fight for gravity.

Hanji's lecture on a Titan shifter's power flowed through her active mind as Ida cut through the steam, her twin blades brandishing and positioned for the winning strike.

"It takes a toll on a Titan's body to regenerate itself."

"The more parts they are regenerating the slower it'd be."

With all the slashes that she had put in the Titan, Ida hoped that it wouldn't be able to regenerate before it loses its footing to gravity. She wasn't certain the same concept applied to this Titan, but there was no other way, she had to give it a shot.

Speed. Agility. Precision.

That was all she needed.

SLASH!

Roaring a thunderous cry that caused her blood to freeze, the Red-Haired Titan howled and stumbled when Ida severed the tendons holding her massive Titan frame upward. Ida wasted no more time. With a press of her triggers, the mechanism behind her overworked, and she was ascending to the sky again.

As Ida had anticipated, the Titan's gaze followed her when she escaped the steam of smoke. The Titan was staggering, struggling to hold onto the center of her gravity. Ida hovered over her head, a few meters away.

She gritted her teeth.

Fuck! Why isn't she falling?!

In just a milli-second, a huge bout of insight suddenly slammed into her: Eren could prioritize which parts of his body he wanted to regenerate. Right now, the Red-Haired Titan was probably healing the severed tendons of her foot to regain her footing.

Not a chance!

It was a dangerous gamble, but Ida decided the odds were on her side. A swift second after she made her decision, she had shot her grapple to the face of the Titan. The grapple hooked onto the flesh of her cheek. She reeled herself in, angling her sword.

Using the rapid momentum of the tension of her gears pulling her, Ida used her body weight to slam into the Titan's face, her blades aimed and poised viciously for the Titan's eyes.

STAB!

Blood gushed out and coated her frame when her blades stabbed both the Titan's eyes. Clenching her teeth just as the Titan roared at the sudden loss of sight again, Ida sensed that she would try to grab her as retaliation.

Shit! I have to get away from here!

She hissed and released her blades from her handles, leaving them embedded in the Titan's eyes. Her boots pressed on the Titan's face and she bent her knees, applying on her legs in preparation for her brief escape.

Now, fall!

Just as the Titan's hand clawed for her face blindly for her, Ida kicked the Titan's face with all the strength she could muster and somersaulted mid-air backward. Her green cape grazed through the Titan's fingers.

The Titan stumbled from the sudden pressure. In between her severed tendons at the back of her foot that had barely regenerated, and the push that Ida gave her, she wasn't able to hold the center of gravity of her heavy Titan's body.

Hands outstretched; the Red-Haired Titan fell off the wall.

Yes!

Kicking the air, Ida maneuvered her body, twisting her hips. Another press of her trigger caused the gas to hiss and crackle. She followed The Titan off the wall, her heart rapidly slamming in her chest at her victory.

She had hoped that the impact of the fall would knock her unconscious, but to her dismay, the loud crackle of stone crumbling jumped in the tense atmosphere. It wasn't from the Colossal Titan; the sound was nearer. Much, much nearer.

What?!

Twisting her left hip, Ida fried her cables and it pierced into the stone. Both her feet landed on the wall, stopping her descend. For several heartbeats, Ida suspended herself perpendicularly on the wall, eyes wide with shock as she took in the scene.

Long claw-like marks now marked the wall. While falling, the Red-Haired Titan had plunged her crystallized fingers into the wall, actively slowing and ultimately, stopping her fall.

The tension was choking as opponents stared at each other, sizing each other up.

Shit, I need to get her down!

Her heart skipped a beat when the Red-Haired Titan suddenly smiled eerily at her. It was a chilling smile that Ida related to a child who had found something entertaining and amusing.

"What the hell," Ida hissed, exercising her jaw.

The beady green eyes of the Titan mocked her. Though no words were exchanged, Ida knew it was beckoning her to come, challenging her to attack her. Gritting her teeth, unadulterated rage flared within Ida as her cape bearing the insignia of Wings of Freedom flapped in the wind.

Inserting fresh blades into her handles again, Ida clicked the mechanisms to secure them, never taking her dissecting eyes off her opponent.

Fine, you want to play? Let's play.

She pulled out her blades to full length from the boxes on her thighs.

When I'm fucking done with you, they'll be none of you left!

Ida wasted no more time. Her gears whistled at command with a firm press to her triggers. She launched herself at the Red-Haired Titan, intent on slicing off the muscles of her shoulders. Simultaneously, the Red-Haired Titan released her grip on the wall, allowing herself to fall as she utilized friction of the wall to slow her descend down.

BWOOSH!

A big cloud of dust burst outwards when the Titan landed. As Ida had wanted, the Red-Haired Titan was back on the ground, in a more vulnerable position than ever.

She chased after the Titan, descending from the sky.

Ida armed her swords by feel, shooting a grapple to a house nearby, and began her attack. Her glare gleamed with deadly bloodlust, fixated on nothing but the enemy she had to tear down.

Now that she was at an advantage with houses and having many areas to attach her grapple, Ida pushed herself further.

SLASH!

Her attack continued. Ida could feel her fatigue catching up with her with every slash she had embedded on the Titan's body. Even though her series of attacks was powerful, it was futile. She was fast, but perhaps not fast enough. No matter how many slashes she put into its body, the next set of wounds would've already regenerated. The Titan's nape, forearms, hands were crystalized, rendering blades useless against the mighty defense. On top of that, Ida had to watch out with the deadly sharp armor of its leg.

Shit.

Her fingers flexed against the cool metal of her handgrips. Ida forced herself to stay calm.

Every Titan Shifter has a weakness. There must be a way.

As she thought this, the Red-Haired Titan suddenly made its counterattack, giving up on grabbing her mid-air. She must have realized it was as good as trying to grab an ant with slippery fingers. Crystalized fingers dug into the roof of a house. The Titan crumbled it with a clench of her fist and threw the rubbles in her direction, the projectiles roaring through the wind.

BWOOSH!

"Damn it!" Ida cursed, the fear of the incoming attack prickling her nerves.

She shot a grapple to a nearby tower and maneuvered to safety quickly.

Shit, that damned bitch! She's throwing projectiles now?! I have to sever her arms!

Determined that was the best move, she fired a cable at the Titan's shoulder. However, Ida failed to foresee that it was exactly what her opponent wanted. Before she could even process what had happened, the Titan closed the gap between them, swinging her hand towards her.

Fuck!

It was too late to avoid the large hands when Ida tried to retract her attack. While she was pulling her body backward, she realized that she wouldn't be able to move safely away in time. She crossed her arms on her body, bracing herself as the Titan's crystalized fingers grazed her.

Thankfully, her quick reflexes had prevented her from getting caught, but it was the strong wind from the large movement of the Titan's hand swinging towards her that knocked her away.

"Ah!" Ida was sent flying in the air, across the roofs of the city.

The baby!

Panic of the highest form inundated her. Ida knew that if she was to crash at the speed she was flying in, there was no saying that nothing will happen to the child within her. Additionally, the blow might even knock her unconscious. It was game over then.

I have to stop the crash! Ida realized in a blind panic.

She fired her grapple blindly, intent on stopping the crash. To her luck, there were a lot of buildings around her, and her grapple miraculously attached to something.

When Ida felt the tension of the cable, she pressed the trigger and she reeled herself to wherever it was that her grapple landed on.

"Argh!" Ida moaned in agony.

Her body rolled across the roof titles to cushion the impact of her unstable landing. Thank fuck she had managed to stabilize herself mid-air.

"Mother fucker," she cursed, pushing her body off the roof with her elbows. Her heartbeat thumped rapidly in her ears.

Damn it, she had just barely escaped the clutches of death. She touched her abdomen, fearful.

Is the baby—

Ida had barely composed herself when she sensed the familiar thundering Titan's footsteps. Her eyes moved rapidly, every single danger signal in her body blaring at full blast.

"Shit!"

BWOOSH!

Ida propelled herself away with her gears just on time. It was an act of instinct. Fear alive and well in her body, she looked back briefly. There was a crumbled hole in the area she was in a second ago. The Red-Haired Titan punched a hole right through the roof, destroying the house.

The prey had turned into a predator now.

Ida took off back into the air, flying low in between the houses where she had an advantage. The Red-Haired Titan chased after her, following up with a succession of attacks. Ida remained alert when she heard houses collapsing behind her. This was bad. She could barely retract her grapple when the house it was attaching to crumbled.

That damn cunt!

The Red-Haired Titan continued to chase after her, kicking through the houses and destroying them with her deadly armored spiked legs. Then, she followed her attack by another smash of her fist. Every attack was shortly trailed after Ida. Because of the immense size of the Titan, Ida could barely keep up with it, each successive escape becoming narrower and more dangerous.

Damn it! Don't tell me the lunatic is trying to destroy all the buildings around us!

She looked back briefly when she heard the thundering footsteps stop. The Red-Haired Titan had plunged her leg into a house.

A lump formed in her throat when Ida realized what she was doing — she was going to kick the fucking rubbles of the house at her.

I need to get out of the way!

Set on surviving, Ida twisted her hips and angled herself for a window on the second floor of an abandoned house. She crossed her arms in front of her and crashed through the glass panels. Bits of glass cut her arm, causing her to grit her teeth in pain, but she ignored it.

Her fears were realized when loud booms of rubbles crashing behind her followed.

Ida's entire body trembled with feverish dangerous adrenaline.

Taking quick heavy pants, the cogs of her brain churned for her next decisive strategy. She couldn't stay here. The Red-Haired Titan had seen her enter this house. With the way the Titan was chasing after her, it was dead set on killing her.

Loud thundering footsteps confirmed her fears.

She shot her grapple to the ceiling of the room and swung herself out the other window, foot first into the glass panels for her brief escape.

BWOOSH!

"Shit!" she cursed. Ida didn't need to look behind. Her senses had told her the Red-Haired Titan had smashed through the house she was in seconds ago.

This can't go on. I need to control the battle to my advantage again.

Her fingers flexed on her handles. Ida was certain she could predict the Titan's next move. She had been actively reading her opponent's battle style since the fight had started.

Right now, Ida was sure that the Titan was grabbing a fistful of rubble from the house she destroyed to fling it at her as lethal projectiles.

But Ida couldn't let her do that.

She would have to counterattack before it happened. She had to be in control of the battle and her emotions once again, just as Levi had once taught her. A calm rational head was needed, not one induced with numbing fear. It didn't matter how fast, how powerful you are, what mattered most was to control the battle to her advantage.

And Ida was trained from the very best himself.

Her usual method of relying solely on sheer power and speed to instantly take her enemy down with a sneak attack wasn't going to work. This Titan was different. That method might've worked then, but there was no way she could cut her out with her crystalized nape with just blades. A prolonged battle was disadvantageous, especially when Ida had to consider her gas usage and the number of blades she had left.

Two sets of blades left. I can't lose another.

If I do, it might just be the end of me.

And my child.

Stopping herself from escaping, Ida made a sharp turn back and fired her hooks. They cemented themselves firmly on the houses. Vindictive green eyes pinned on her target.

She was right, the Titan was grabbing a handful of rubble, probably intending on throwing it at her.

I won't let you!

She had to unleash her counter-attack before it happened. She had to take control of the battle once again and turn the predator back to prey.

She had to succeed. She had to live for her child. She had to return to Levi.

Ida was determined to do her damndest to return to him.

Cutting through the air, Ida was only a red blur when she launched herself at the Titan's shoulder with great velocity. Her blades angled, lethal and sharp, ready to cut through flesh.

CLANG!

Her eyes expanded in shock when the blades she had anticipated to slash through the Titan's shoulder shattered before her very eyes.

Crystallization, she realized quickly with horror.

The fucking lunatic had foreseen her attack, uncrystallized her hands, and crystalized part of her shoulder instead.

She could move her crystallization to other areas?! At this speed?!

Just as she had been reading her enemy's movements and battle style, Ida realized that her opponent was doing the very same. Ida had foolishly misread her opponent as a person who only relied on brute force and wild, unpredictable movements.

The Red-Haired Titan stood still and grinned. Its skeleton face structure made its hollow green eyes ever more haunting. There was no doubt in Ida's mind that her opponent was enjoying every bit of her failure. She probably found it amusing to see her so flustered.

One set of blades left.

At that jarring thought, fear weighed down her, once again holding her prisoner and taking over control. In that frozen heartbeat, Ida thought about the life inside her.

The life that she was determined to protect at all cost.

No… Ida chanted wildly in her swirling mind. I have to live…

The baby.

Ida didn't have time, nor the mental capacity, to question why her opponent didn't follow up with another attack when she had the opportunity to. All she knew at that frantic moment was that she had to get the fuck out of there and re-strategize.

Gears hissing behind her, Ida fled the battlefield.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Huff, huff, huff…

Light layers of cold sweat coated her forehead. Ida pressed her back to the wall, heaving slow steady pants. Having found refuge in an abandoned house, she attempted to take this opportunity to stabilize herself, but her mind only spun relentlessly, the aftershocks of fear pulsating her veins.

"You're okay…" she whispered in a daze, her right hand that was still holding her handgrips laid steadily on top of her abdomen. "You're okay…"

Calm down. You have to calm down. You can't afford to fail here. Not when you have gone this far. Don't let it control you.

Her own words brought back an assuring sense of equilibrium to her mind. Inhaling deeply, Ida banged the back of her head to the wall she was leaning on and thought of her next strategy.

"Damn it, if only I had a Thunder Spear," she hissed tiredly. She pressed the large gash on the arm with her left hand, eliciting a pained moan. "Tsk. How annoying."

Just one.

All she needed was just one shitty Thunder Spear to break into the crystalized nape. Then, the battle would have been decisive. Ida was confident she could end it in just one blow.

However, a part of her was glad that she didn't take the offer of Jean to pass her his set of Thunder Spears. On her way to the house she was hiding in, Ida caught sight of her squad engaged in a battle with the Armored Titan.

Turns out, the bastard Reiner wasn't dead from the Colossal Titan's explosion.

Fuck, my squad is out there fighting, yet I am here hiding like a coward…

Pathetic.

Shame buried her deep underneath its layers as hatred spurred her relentless thoughts. For fuck sake, she was an awakened Starke, able to channel the power of the Titans. Why the hell was she hiding?

She was their superior. She shouldn't be hiding. This was her duty, her responsibility, and her burden.

Ida sighed regretfully.

Certainly, just one Thunder Spear would've made her life easier, but it would also greatly increase her squad's success of winning against the Armored Titan – increased their chances of surviving.

Hanji, Mobilt, and the rest had already fallen; how could she risk her squad's chances of survival too? It was bullshit, maybe even pure arrogance on her part, but the consequences of her past actions that had led her old squad to their early graves had embedded deep within her. Levi would've chided her for this recklessness, but Ida was willing to play the righteous self-sacrificial fool anyway.

Ida chuckled bitterly at her miserable state, but never more content with her decision.

"Ah, Hanji, what would you have me do...? You told me not to come here… but I didn't listen anyway…"

Her heaviness in her chest increased when Ida realized that she would never get the answer.

Before she could wallow in her regrets and grief, the loud booms of the battlefield startled her.

Cautiously, Ida peeked out the window beside her. She had a good view of the city on the third floor. It didn't take her long to spot the Red-Haired Titan. The lunatic piloting it was smashing down every single house in her way, roaring to the world's end.

She grimaced. Looks like the bitch is pissed that I escaped.

Ida took a moment to be glad that she didn't run to her squad when she saw them with the Armored Titan since the Red-Haired Titan looked to be fixated on finding her instead.

Strange...

Why was the Red-Haired Titan so focused on her? Wasn't it better if she assisted Reiner? But whatever the reason was, if she was the bitch's target, Ida would never lure her to her squad.

Sighing, Ida pressed her back to the wall. She peered at her fingers that were loosely wrapped around her hand grips. Trembling. Her fingers were still trembling.

She smiled wryly to herself.

Fear?

Ridiculous. Ever since her first expedition, she had never felt fear of death when she went beyond the walls. She didn't fear death because she was ready to die for the greater good of humanity. But now, she couldn't stop the shuddering of her fingers and lips.

Why?

Damn it, of course, she knew why.

Because if she were to fall here right now, then the child growing within her would die too.

It was the main reason why she was intentionally holding back. Why she couldn't bear to push her body to her limits. Why she fled the battlefield. Because she was worried. She was worried that she would hurt the child in her womb from strenuous movements.

Ida clenched her fingers around her handgrips.

And most importantly, she was afraid to die.

Because for once in her life after Wall Maria had fallen, she wanted to live because she was happy.

Her fears came back at full throttle when she heard sounds of the Red-Haired Titan smashing through houses in a tantrum. Ida shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut.

So close, she was so close to dying.

She would've laughed at herself if not for the dire situation she was in. Three days ago, she was adamant about getting rid of the child. But now, on the battlefield which she had recklessly plunged herself in knowing her condition, Ida couldn't be more certain that she couldn't bring herself to do that.

So it's true, Ida thought dejectedly. You really don't know what you truly desire and want until you are on the brink of death.

Tsk. Foolish girl.

The loud boom of Thunder Spears echoed along with the backdrop of houses being reduced to rubble by the Red-Haired Titan. Ida held her breath at the thundering noises.

Fuck, this was all her fault.

Levi's admonishing voice flowed into her unguarded mind, summoned by her hatred for herself, "Don't try to face every move your opponent makes, especially since you're so simple-minded."

She really should've listened. It was her misjudgment and arrogance that she broke the last set of the blades. When will she ever learn?

But Levi wouldn't be here to save her now. He wouldn't be able to pull her out of this situation, to calm her down, to advise her, as he always had in the past. Judging by how Levi had yet to appear on Shiganshina, he was probably in a battle with the Beast Titan. She was all alone.

No, calm down. There must be a way.

This is your duty. You promised your squad that you would handle the bitch.

She forced herself to look out the window again.

Damn bitch, her regenerative and crystalizing speed is a fucking pain to deal with.

Ida gritted her teeth. This had to be one of the worst Titans to battle with just blades alone. She studied the Red-Haired Titan for any form of physical weakness, analyzing her striking red hair that fell in long locks across her menacing face.

Do Titans take the appearance of their previous wielder? Ida shrugged off the useless thought.

Her dissecting gaze migrated down the Titan's body. A frown marred her features when Ida realized something disturbingly paramount. The Titan had grown considerably skinner. Not to mention, the crystallization that once shielded the tips of her fingers all the way to her forearm had… shrunk?

Now, the crystallization had only appeared on the Titan's hands. Almost as if she was wearing crystal-like gloves that resembled Eren's crystallization.

Her eyes expanded as a bout of realization hit her.

It has bad stamina.

Of course, why the fuck didn't she think of this earlier?

For every strength, there was a trade-off. A weakness. The Red-Haired Titan excelled in regeneration and rapid crystallization, making it a formidable opponent in combat, but it was bad at prolonged battles. The more wounds they take on, the more they exert the power, the lesser the area they would be able to crystalize.

If that was the case, then did this apply to their regenerative prowess too? Would its insane regenerative speed deteriorate over time as the wielder exerted itself?

It was a dangerous gamble. Ida couldn't be certain. But if she managed to create more wounds on the Titan, if she wore her down and forced her regenerative powers to overdrive, then perhaps her regeneration prowess would slow and deteriorate. Maybe her opponent wouldn't be able to crystalize the large area of her nape, or better yet she would lose her crystallization powers completely.

Then, she could win even without Thunder Spears.

A hovering dark scenario entered her train of thoughts as tense lines outlined her face.

One last set of blades and barely half a tank of gas left. Would she be able to successfully deplete the Titan's stamina with the weapons she had left? What if she made another misjudgment and lost her last set of blades? What if she ran out of gas before she could wear the Titan down?

All she had was assumptions of the Titan's weakness and how its powers worked, Ida wasn't certain it'd work.

To gamble or not to gamble?

Ida swallowed uneasily when faced with that dilemma.

Fuck. Who was she fucking kidding, when had anything been predictable in a fight with Titans? In a fight to the death with those monstrous beasts, everything was a damn gamble.

A vicious, merciless, cruel gamble with her life at stake.

But it wasn't just her life now, was it?

It wasn't just her life she had to lay down as a wager.

Quivering hands returning to her abdomen, Ida found herself scanning the dusty room she was in. A pair of skeletons from the fall of Wall Maria at the corner of the room. They were hugging each other. It looked to be mother and child. A rusty dagger caked with dried blood rested beside them.

Suicide, Ida imagined the tragic scenario in her head. A mother's last mercy, a quick death rather than one at the hand of Titans.

Saved by a mother's love and damned by a mother's love at the same time.

Her lips quivered in heightened fear. Tears started to prickle her eyes at the thought of dying and condemning the child growing within her to the afterlife even before it was born.

A scout without gas or blades was a wingless bird without claws in a battle with Titans.

If she failed, she would die.

Suddenly, the gravity of everything slammed into her, twisting her stomach into agonizing knots. Ida wasn't prepared for the building blocks of agitation that formed inside of her.

Her knees buckled. Ida only managed to remain standing by grabbing the window still for support. Her entire body was numb. Her blood hot with trembles. Unable to help it, her mind cycled through its frames with flashing images. Ida desperately wanted to grasp the situation, but she was helpless in every sense of the world.

A startling selfish thought passed through her head.

If I stay here… if I stay hidden… if I wait for the battle to be over, then my baby can survive...

It was a thought that Ida could've never imagined herself to have. A selfish thought that no honorable, duty-bound scout fighting for humanity should have. Within the confines of the room she was hiding in, her shame weighed down on her.

She knew. God damn it, Ida knew what she was jumping into when she left the walls. And yet, she did it anyway. She risked her child's life anyway. Granted, she was sure that she had greater chances of surviving than any other normal scout, it was still a risk.

Foolish. Arrogant. Selfless.

Who was she lying to?

She never cared about humanity more than the people she loved.

She wasn't Levi Ackerman, the almighty Humanity's Strongest. She was strong, yes. But she didn't have his speed, his strength, nor his capability to strategize and remain rational and level-headed.

And most importantly, she was never as selfless as he was.

She was nothing like him. Her title was nothing but a sham on her.

He was always the stronger one — the one who checked and bagged emotions at the door. When shit hit the fan and gathered dust, Levi was always composed and prepared. He thought best and excelled during the chaotic moments. Meanwhile, she was the impulsive and emotional one, the one who was arrogant and fought through every scenario with just her strength alone, silently hoping for idealistic scenarios that would never happen.

When will she ever learn? How much more regret must she bear till she realized that her decisions had consequences?

She couldn't have everything in this cruel world. The shitty life she had wouldn't allow it. Always. She always had to choose.

And if she didn't choose now, then Ida would risk losing everything.

Her selfish thoughts dispelled as her mouth took over, "If I don't fight… we can't win... If I don't fight… then humanity will meet its end… If I don't fight… then people will… die..."

In the dark corner deep within the depths of her subconscious, a pair of hands, solid and passionate, fought for her through the chaos. It separated her selfishness from her with leading intentions.

And then it was like the tragic silent reunion with her squad all over again. Their hollow eyes, hazel, blue, brown, dissecting and penetrating onto her. Ida could hear their muffled screams as they fell in battle. Her heart grieved for them and the grave rigor in her eyes deepened.

Hanji is dead.

Mobilt too.

Who's next?

She squeezed her eyes close. So tight, that red bloomed across her vision. Hot tears streamed down her face; tears that were remnants of her guilt and shame.

Her strength escaped her. Ida slid down the wall, crushed under her fears.

Humanity is counting on me… My squad, Erwin, Levi… How long will I quiver here…? How many people will die because of my selfishness?

I came here knowing my duty, I took the gamble. I was willing to bear the risk… because increasing their chances of surviving was more important to me than anything.

No, because a peaceful world was more important than anything...

She was back in the city she once called home. A city she watched burned, destroyed, and terrorized under the reign of Titans. And yet, nothing had changed.

She was still a coward. She was still helpless. She was still running.

"Fight," a voice that was her own whispered to her. "If you don't fight, you lose everything."

"For the people you want to protect. For the world you want for your child. Fight. If you don't, there's no future to begin with. You have to fight!"

Ida took in a shuddering breath. She listened and proceeded to mentally lock it all away — to store all her rampant emotions somewhere deep within her.

"Stand up," Levi's deadpan voice rang through her head.

And she imagined him beside her, holding his bloodstain hand out, supporting her in every battle they fought together. Just like he did in the silent reunion with their previous squad. She smiled and took his hand without hesitation.

Warm. His hand that was slicked with blood was warm.

Then, it was over before it started, the warmth disappeared and his ghostly form broke into a cloud and disappeared into the gloom.

"No, live." Her womb cried with its undeserving mother. "Live for me."

A magical fist contacted her stomach. Even immersed in her misery, eyes suddenly shut to hide her pain, another set of hot tears cascaded on her face. Ida held back a choke filled sob.

She ignored the tantalizing voice.

Ida Starke was used to chaotic transitions. Injustice, cruelty, and misery pervaded her life, and she knew nothing else but to fight against it, as she had always done all her life.

And so again and again, she shall fight.

Buried and engulfed — the horrendous thoughts, once piercing and unrelenting, slowly became wrathful and malicious. Her senses returned to her, and Ida could comprehend it all. Sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch returned in a loud buzzing manner.

Sensations started pumping hot blood into her veins — sensations of fire, of vengeance, and of the power that dwelled within her; the relentless power that drove her to constantly rebel against this cruel world.

One gamble. One chance. One fight to the death.

Hand on her stomach, Ida got back to her feet.

"I'm sorry," she apologized to the child inside for its undeserving mother, because this time, she would fight with everything she got.

This was her duty. Selflessly and selfishly, Ida had to prepare to sacrifice everything.

She opened her eyes. The light hit her retinas as her stark green pupils expanded. Strikes of yellow tinge flashed in her eyes as they narrowed back down. Her tears stopped, and her lips quivered no more.

The Red-Haired Titan...

"It's either me or you," Ida whispered, inhaling a deep breath as she stood up straighter. "One of us will die today."

Dedicate your heart.

She clutched her hand grips as her blood exhilarated in a hot rage.

Fight!

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

"Please! I don't want to! I want to go back to my room! I'm scared!"

The words were a long way off, echoing and fragmented, as though heard in a dream just before waking up.

But there was no waking from this though. So much Ivy had tried over the years. As Ivy tore through the houses with her Titan, face twisted by the edges of insanity, the darkness loomed from every corner in the cocoon of the sinews she was in, grim and final.

And Ivy remembered.

She remembered the towering adults in white cloaks, behind the bars that kept them safe as she clung onto the cool metal bars from the other side and begged them not to do this. Disappointment embroidered their aging faces.

One of them, the leader, parted his lips.

"If you don't get through this, how will you be an extraordinary being?"

Ivy ripped down another house, spurred on by the fear from her younger self coming in from all directions. The sort of fear that once, may have been urgent and searing, but now grown up and hardened, seemed almost frivolous.

"I will pick you in a few days. Don't disappoint us again."

Blood there was, in the large room that seemed to spread out endlessly. The pungent smell of blood and decay. Half-eaten corpses and bones were scattered everywhere, slick in saliva. The growl. Ivy would never forget the low growl. It caused her younger self to cower at the corner, frightened eyes pinned on the large Titan tied to the wall with metal chains.

The first Titan Ivy saw looked like the devil itself.

Purgatory this was. Hellish purgatory.

And for three whole days, Ivy chanted and rocked herself, unable to sleep.

She chanted that she would be extraordinary.

That everything would end once she was extraordinary.

Extraordinary…

Zeke-san...

The name, so simple yet comforting, gave her the numb stability she desperately needed. Ivy brought her Titan to a still and scanned the city for any signs of her sister that she had let slip from her sight.

Oh no, Zeke-san would definitely get mad at me.

Sparked by the thought of disappointing the one person she never wanted to disappoint, Ivy vented her anger by kicking down another abandoned house. The bricks crumbled like a pile of stacked up cards against the mighty kick.

BWOOSH!

Ida wasn't at this house either.

Where did her sister go? She couldn't possibly run that far, there was no way Ida would've left the city. Ivy scowled. That slippery rat. Even if her stubborn, ignorant sister was battered and barely hanging onto life, Ivy was determined to succeed in capturing her.

She had sworn to Zeke. She had sworn to herself she would never disappoint him.

Loud footsteps pounded on the city floor, reflecting the immense size of her fifteen meter Titan.

Ah, no matter! Ivy suddenly thought energetically with joyous triumph. I can just rip apart every single house in this city! Ida will have no choice but to show herself!

Grinning, Ivy violently tore down another row of houses. The deafening booms reverberated through the abandoned city that had come to life with various vicious battles.

When she was satisfied, Ivy observed her surroundings. The Colossal Titan was approaching Wall Maria at a slow steady pace, the Founding Titan unconscious on top of the Wall, and the Armored Titan was engaged in a battle with some surviving Survey Corps scouts.

She frowned when a roaring battle cry from Reiner thundered into her. Ivy knew from the loud explosions that he would fall soon. It looked like the Survey Corps had some destructive weapons that could counter his hardened armor.

Ivy debated on helping Reiner, but she decided against it. As far as she was concerned, Zeke instructed her to capture Ida against everything else. Saving Reiner just simply wasn't her priority.

Yeah, Reiner could rot to death for all she cared, she was having too much fun.

But truth to be told, Ivy knew she wasn't in a good position either.

Ivy was smashing another building when Zeke's words from the past streamed into her subconsciousness:

"Based on your fights with Reiner, your Titan is powerful, but it lacks endurance. That means, the more you prolong the battle and injure yourself, and the more you use up your regenerative prowess, the faster you will lose it. Deplete your stamina and your regeneration will slow, and it will affect how large an area you can crystalize too. And not long after, you will not be able to crystalize anymore. Do you understand me? You have an advantage early on; your Titan is made to kill quickly. I know you enjoy fighting but heed my warning and do not 'play' with the enemy, Ivy."

Safely cocooned in the sinews and muscles of her Titan's nape, Ivy pouted. She should've known better really. But she couldn't help it, she couldn't restrain herself.

This was too much fun for her to pass up.

A once in a lifetime opportunity to witness what an actual extraordinary being was.

Ivy grabbed onto a handful of rubble, her green Titan eyes staring at her large hands encasing it. Tough crystals covered her hands like gloves.

Zeke was right. She could only crystalize a small area now. Just her hands and her nape. Her fatigue was catching up on her.

Hmm… if I drag this out then I probably wouldn't hold. My regeneration speed had probably already been reduced significantly...

Zeke-san is really going to get mad at me for playing for so long…

She gritted her teeth. No. She couldn't disappoint Zeke. Before her body wears down and her permanent crystalization on her nape comes off, Ivy had to put an end to this battle.

Admittedly, Ivy knew Ida was a formidable opponent. Every bit as fearsome as Reiner and Bertholdt had warned. She should've been more cautious and decisive in ending the fight, but she had been too busy relishing in her current enjoyment.

A lustful grin spread on her face when Ivy replayed the shock and horror on her sister's face.

Ahhhh, how entertaining…

The sight of broken bodies, the smell of blood, and the taste of her opponent's unbridled fear. The splendor of her current situation was only elevated with the additional enjoyment she received from this current battle with the person she desired to know the most.

She had sent an extraordinary being into hiding. Ida, who was rumored to possess such battle prowess, was cowering somewhere like a frightened cat. She giggled, delighted to know that she was stronger than her sister.

Nothing could compare to a Titan's power, she rejoiced gleefully, and Ivy has it all!

Briefly, Ivy wondered how strong the Ackermans were. Didn't Bertholdt say that Captain Levi was stronger than her sister? Maybe it'll be fun to play with him too.

She snickered to herself. But the Ackerman would never be able to beat Zeke. Maybe, they weren't as fearsome as she had thought.

Stalking between the destroyed houses, her dissecting eyes scoured the city. So drunk Ivy was in her euphoria that she couldn't help herself from grinning.

Come out, come out, wherever you are...

Don't you want to know your beloved twin?

Come out and show me what it takes to be an extraordinary being!

Suddenly, something caught her attention in her peripheral view. Her muscles tightened in anticipation. Green. The Green Cloaks of the Survey Corps! The realization that her sister had finally appeared slammed into her.

There you are!

Playtime is now officially over!

Inside her cocoon, Ivy burst out laughing as her Titan roared. Simultaneously, the rubble in her hand crushed and she launched the pellets in the direction of a clock tower: the place where she saw glimpses of the green cloak hiding behind it.

BWOOSH!

Wooo! Bullseye!

Ivy flexed her fingers and stood up straighter, triumphant of the hit.

Now all that was left was to collect her sister. Hopefully, Ida didn't die from that attack. A little bloodied and hurt would be good.

Hmmm, an awakened Starke won't die so easily right? Did I go overboard?

If all goes wrong, Ivy reasoned she could just inject her with a Titan serum and forcibly grab Reiner. That was a good idea. Zeke would definitely protest, but Ivy didn't care, she'll do it and face the consequences later.

When the smoke from the destruction of the clock tower died down, Ivy's wide smile dropped.

In the wind, billowing freely in the air… was a green Survey Corps cape?

What? Where is she?

The Wings of Freedom flapped insultingly at her, causing her anger to coil within her like a vengeful snake.

Suddenly, the sounds of gears maneuvering its wielder entered her eardrums, peeling her from her reverie. A shudder stole her breath.

It was close. Really close.

Crap! A distraction?!

In that tense second, Ivy sensed a presence. A sinister and unforgiving presence. In hindsight, she should've grabbed more rubbles to defend herself, but her body reacted instinctively to the bloodlust looming behind her — charging towards her in blinding speed.

A grapple attached to her Titan's body.

Her Titan's hand outstretched the moment her body twirled around. It was a wrong move. Before she could even catch sight of her opponent, the red bolt twisted in the air. Like a deadly dancing blade, it spiraled down through her crystalized fingers, slashing through the area of her wrist all the way to her forearm.

SLASH!

What?

Her eyes widened when her entire arm was severed. Unable to comprehend what happened, Ivy's Titan cried. She stumbled backward. Her right stump that once held her entire arms billowed steam.

Another successive attack followed.

SLASH!

Slash lines on her Titan's body suddenly appeared, spurting blood and hot steam. Unable to defend herself, Ivy could hardly understand what was happening. All she knew was that her sister was attacking her, and she could scarcely even see her.

Ida was fast. Much faster. Worse, instead of her usual systematic battle style of strategic and decisive hacking and slashing, Ida was nothing more than a spinning blade now, ripping into anywhere on her Titan's body without any thought.

Her battle style had changed and she couldn't keep up with it.

Don't tell me…

Her Titan roared.

You found out about my weakness, didn't you?

SLASH!

Her Titan stumbled.

Is this you when you're serious?

SLASH!

Her other Titan's arm dropped to her side, the muscle holding it up severed.

Fun.

SLASH!

Her Titan grinned.

How fun, sister!

Urged by an influx of excitement, Ivy let out a yelp of glee. She spun around, jaws wide open. The hollow pit of her agape mouth and the strong teeth etched towards the capeless Ida who was mid-air. Jaws closed with a loud snap, but Ida already descended to the ground with inhuman reflexes.

Crap! I missed her!

A strange mixture of thrill and desperation clawed up her throat.

Regenerating her severed arm and the cuts on her body was taking a toll on her body. Soon, she wouldn't be able to crystalize her hands. Her regeneration was already slowing.

Before Ivy could even follow up with another attack, Ida made her next move. A grapple attached to her face. The next thing Ivy knew, Ida was charging towards her Titan's eyes, blades tightly gripped in her hands and angled for the lethal slash.

Her world played in slow motion as Ivy's eyes expanded at the ethereal sight.

Her sister, covered in steaming Titan's blood. A plastered angel of justice. Her sister with her delicate looks and the way she soared in the sky was the epitome of an angel, but it was the malevolent spark in her cruel eyes that made her look like the Devil.

Beautiful, Ivy thought distractedly.

Absolutely beautiful and tragically divine.

Her eyebrows, furrowed in determination. Her teeth, clenched together to portray her rage. Her deadly green eyes, so vibrant and full of bloodlust.

Ida, her wonderful sister, was staring at her as if she was staring into her soul.

Ahhhh…

Ivy did not have time to defend herself, not that she could have anyway.

SLASH!

Blood gushed out her Titan's eyes. Her vision was gone. Blankness.

Bitter and overwhelming pain followed. But Ivy wouldn't give up yet. She followed up by viciously biting the air around her. But she only felt a swoosh of air run past her face. It missed her.

SLASH!

Damn it! My legs!

Feeling her Titan falling, Ivy focused all her energy to prioritize her regeneration on her Achilles tendon to keep her Titan propped up and on the crystallization on her nape.

SLASH!

Her excited heart drummed in her chest. It was racing in anticipation for the show to come.

Annoying… now you're just being annoying, sister!

Anger blared within her. Long had Ivy forgotten she had to keep her sister alive. Now, all Ivy cared about was to experience the thrill of the battle of her lifetime.

A battle with the one person that represented everything she desired in life.

Her senses prickled. Even after her vision was taken from her, Ivy could still feel her sister spiraling around her like a deadly vortex.

There!

Ivy slammed her Titan body in the direction where her sister was in, intending to smash her. Her Titan crashed into an abandoned house, crumbling it. No sound of agony followed. Suddenly, she felt the familiar bloodlust looming around her.

Again, she had missed her.

SLASH!

Another blow to her Achilles tendon.

The attack was concise, deadly, and lethal.

Her crystallization on her hands wore off completely.

Terror mixed with excitement radiated from Ivy as bloodlust waltzed in the air. Ivy mindlessly kicked the area around her when she felt Ida buzzing through the lower parts. She should've known it was a futile move. It was. Her sister was too fast for her large Titan body to counterattack.

SLASH!

Too many. Too many wounds for her stamina to keep up with. Her power was draining out of her like a leaking lap. Helpless against the monster tearing into her, all Ivy could do was attempt to fight it off.

SLASH!

Her eyelids felt heavy. Ivy struggled to retain consciousness.

Ahhh… Zeke-san will be angry at me…

Within the confines of her nape that would soon be breached, Ivy cracked a bitter smile when she sensed her sister bolting towards her. She instinctively knew this attack would be the catalyst that would finally trigger her defeat and their impending meeting.

SLASH!

Two large gashes appeared on her Achilles tendon again. Steam and blood gushed out from the wounds. Her Titan body staggered face-forward.

How fun…

CRACK!

The cracking of her crystallization on her nape jumped in the air and evaporated in the wind, leaving nothing behind but the loud thud of her Titan's lifeless body falling onto the pavement.

Defeated, Ivy shut her eyes and smiled. A single diamond tear trailed down her cheek.

Sister…

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Roaring a strangled scream, a blood-drenched Ida descended on top of the fallen Titan's back. Her heartbeats thumped in her ears, syncing rhythmically with her scream

A gust of unadulterated rage coursed through her. Finally. She finally got this damned Titan where she wanted it to. This victory was hers. The temperature of her blood was searing.

With steaming worn-down blades, Ida slashed through the nape, each slice growing with power every time she did so.

Get out! Fucking bitch! Get out!

A volcanic eruption exploded in her, bringing forth images of all the blood, comrades, and tears she sacrificed. Years of constant training, years of watching everyone die around her, and years living with a deteriorating soul washed over Ida. It acted as the catalyst for the unfathomable rage that engulfed her very being.

This was the person who ate her mother.

The person who stole the Titan's power from her.

An enemy of humanity. A Titan Shifter who tried to kill her.

Her. Her comrades. And her child.

Blood and flesh splattered all around her. "Come out!"

Suddenly, a huge vent of steam escaped the nape of the Titan. Her eyes moved to the target, realizing what was happening. Ida had seen it countless times with Eren: the wielder was escaping the Titan.

There! I've fucking got you!

With her keen senses as her guide and her hatred as her motivator, Ida sensed her target through the gush of white steam that shielded the wielder.

Her blade whistled in the air. Ida stabbed her opponent, plunging the blade deep into the abdomen.

"Urk!" she heard someone cry.

Not enough! Ida exerted more strength. Her blade slid through her victim like butter, pinning the wielder to its deteriorating Titan form and subduing her.

Coagulated blood spluttered out from her victim, right onto Ida's face.

Then, the world froze around her. Her rage disappeared in an instant and her rapid heartbeat came to a startling stop.

A bewildered gasp escaped her lips when Ida saw red locks of hair. The steam cleared, revealing a person with the face of someone who looked deathly familiar to her. It was her. With the same features, the same emerald green eyes, the same shade of red hair...

But it wasn't her.

This person wasn't Ida Starke.

Then who was she?

Besieged with horror, Ida mindlessly slackened her grip on her blade. She stumbled backward, her face paling as she continued to stare at the woman. The wielder was smiling. She was smiling triumphantly. Her smile was so chilling and sinister that it made Ida's heart skip a beat.

What?

Ida was so incredibly stunned that she couldn't even discern her emotions. And so, she continued to stare at her unblinkingly, tormenting herself with questions.

This isn't possible… Ida chanted mindlessly in her head. Impossible...

This person… she looked so much like her.

As a myriad of wild thoughts swarmed in her mind, Jaron and Elsie appeared at the forefront. Twins were always prominent in her bloodline. It was a curse that followed them through the generations.

Her heart skipped another beat.

No… Impossible…

Unable to come to terms with this revelation, her entire body shook. Ida was shaking with so much shock that she could hardly even breathe. It felt like her world was collapsing all around her. Her mind grappled with the realization this was her twin.

Her sister that… was the unknown enemy that ate their mother…

Out of a sudden, the wielder moved. Even though Ida's blade was fully penetrated through her abdomen, her twin pushed herself up. Ida could hear her flesh tearing as her body moved upwards the sleek blood-red blade. Not once did her twin make a sound of pain as she struggled to prop herself up.

She stood up shakily on her knees, the blade still impaled in her body. Her steaming hand outstretched to reach her. "Ah…"

Suddenly, tears embellished her twin's emerald eyes. Ida shuddered at how similar her eyes looked to hers. She couldn't bring herself to move but she kept her hands on her hand grips, never taking the pressure off. Her mind was blank, paralyzed from what she was witnessing.

"No.." Ida whispered, disorientated, "...no…"

A strange wave of emotions crossed and mixed on her twin's expression. Relief, excitement, and even… endearment?

"Ivy…" Her twin's bloodied lips parted slowly, eliciting a shaky voice. "My name is… Ivy…"

As she introduced herself, Ida stared into Ivy's eyes like it was a lake. A lake of knowledge meant for her to drown in.

"W – Who…" Ida asked long seconds later. She swallowed roughly, unable to bring herself to finish her question.

"Ahhh… you are really extraordinary, just… as I hoped…" Spikes of pain attacked her chest, causing Ivy to gasp painfully for air. More sobs elicited from her lips and she struggled to speak, "M — My other half… you're so beautiful..."

Another set of hot tears streamed out of Ivy's glassy eyes. She stumbled forward, forcibly pushing her body across the sharp blade. Her steaming hand inched closer to Ida's face.

Disorientated from all that was happening, Ida's eyes expanded. She froze, soaking in the radiance of her twin's twisted smile.

"Sister…"

Sister?

And then, Ivy's steaming bloodied hand brushed her cheek and she laid her forehead on hers.

Unfathomable pain ripped through Ida when this occurred.

It felt like a pulse of electricity had surged through her veins, shooting straight to her brain. The pain lastest only for a fraction of the section. Then, it was gone. It was the familiar sensation, one that Ida had grown accustomed to whenever the Will of Odina occurred.

But it wasn't all the same as well, something felt different…

Her lips parted and Ida tried to scream, but nothing came out of her mouth.

Her vision blurred. Ida felt herself being sucked into a dark abyss. Her world melted away. She was immersed briefly in a chasm of black before colors once again began to fold around her.

.

.

And the next thing Ida knew, she was standing somewhere else.

The devastated city of Shiganshina, her twin sister, her bloodied blades that she was holding, everything disappeared. She was no longer on the battlefield. Ida shook her head, taking a few seconds to orient herself with her new surroundings.

She had to be dreaming. This had to be a dream.

What the actual fuck happened?

Her body trembled. Ida moved her frightened eyes to survey her surroundings.

Impossible…

Everything was so sharp. Too sharp to be a dream. The color of the sky was an ominous black, as was the full yellow moon, and the smell of crisp evening breeze, tainted by the rusty odor of blood...

Ida whirled around, hoping her surroundings would pique her memory. She was in a foreign village that was bustling with life. The houses were made from wood and clay, their designs different from the houses that she was familiar with within the Walls.

Where am I?

Ida came to a startling realization that she wasn't at the Walls when she saw the outfits that adorned the residents.

The women were wearing loose white robes. The men were dressed in thick leather and fur, held together by metal. They wore strange hats on their heads that resembled horns and wielded a long stick with a sharp pointy end that resembled a grapple.

A spear, Ida thought with wide eyes. Weapons.

Her hands instinctively went to cover her abdomen to protect the child inside of her. Ida was still wearing her Survey Corps uniform and she stood out like a sore thumb among the place.

No, no, no...

Ida was struggling to process everything. What the hell was happening?

She had to get back to Shiganshina. It wasn't safe here.

Before she could react, Ida froze in place when she saw a group of men approaching her, engrossed in a conversation with themselves. She braced herself. Her eyes moved like a hawk for something near her; a weapon that she could use to defend herself. Ida bolted to grab a clay brick near her.

Her hand went through the brick.

What?

Panic descended upon her. Ida tried to pick up the brick again.

A loud gasp of shock escaped her chest. She didn't have a physical body. She couldn't interact with anything.

What the fuck?

Confused by this revelation, Ida worriedly took a fleeting glance at the approaching men. If she didn't have a physical body here, then was it possible that they couldn't see her? She held her breath and tested this theory out. Fortunately, her hypothesis was right when the men passed through her, completely ignoring her.

Ida blew out a breath of relief and rubbed her abdomen. Maybe this really was a dream. Now that she had secured her safety, Ida started to properly observe her surroundings.

Then something occurred to Ida.

The Will of Odina.

The words resounded in her mind, offering an explanation for all this mayhem she was suddenly plunged into.

Was this the Will of Odina happening?

But had never been transported into memory before. However, how else could she explain it? Was it possible that the Will of Odina could transmit her to somewhere else? Ida wouldn't have believed this travesty if she wasn't here to witness it with her own eyes.

Swallowing tightly, the horror in her chest bloomed. Her heart was racing beyond all levels of acceleration. Suddenly, her heart stopped pounding when Ida caught something from her peripheral view.

Red.

Scarlet red hair.

The red hair of the Starkes.

Her extremities went cold as Ida took the person in. Deep down, deep within her, she knew for a fact that the woman was her ancestor. When this realization was met, Ida understood everything.

This wasn't a dream.

This was her memory that was playing.

Because the Will of Odina was showing her something.

Ida clenched her hands together, making a decision to follow the woman and observe her. This was an opportunity she couldn't afford to pass up.

Her ancestor had the standard traits of a Starke. But Ida thought she was one of the most beautiful women she had seen in her life. Her pale skin glowed almost ethereally, and she wore a short robe around her slender body. She had straight scarlet hair that flowed like a river of blood down her back, right down to her waist. Her delicate face was framed by bangs. She looked young. Late teens perhaps. Wooden bracelets adorned both her ankles and her wrists, making a soothing sound as she walked with her handmaiden beside her.

Suddenly, her ancestor stopped when she saw a commotion happening in the middle of the village.

Curiosity beguiling her, Ida migrated her attention to what she was seeing.

"How dare you look at me like that, you filthy slave!"

A tall burly man slapped the disheveled woman who was wearing tattered clothes. She crashed to the ground. Her hands were bound together, a long thick rope connecting her to another group of slaves who only trembled at the beating.

"Slaves," Ida repeated in horror.

She scowled in distaste at the heartless scene, her strong dislike stemming from the cruelty she witnessed in the Underground City. The woman receiving the beating did not even make a single quip of noise, but her face contorted in anguish.

No hesitation marked the nerves in the man's body as he carried on with his beating. His boot slammed down on the woman's stomach. Throughout the abuse, the woman stared up at him with anguish in her eyes. She struggled underneath, desperately trying to push his foot off so she could breathe.

Ida held her breath, wondering if anyone was going to intercede. Then, from the row of frightened slaves who were watching the beating, a child ran towards the man and hugged his waist, trying to hold him back.

"Get off me!" The child's interference only caused the man to viciously elbow her.

"Stop!" Her ancestor suddenly bellowed, causing Ida to jolt in surprise. The tone of her voice was commanding.

Ida whirled around to see a disapproving frown embedded in her beautiful face.

Wait a moment… this voice…

This voice… it's the one I heard when I arrived in Shiganshina!

The man shot a menacing glower at their direction, appearing to wonder who had the audacity to tell him to stop. From the man's violent tendencies, Ida had thought he would retaliate at her, but the man's only eyes widened.

To her utmost bewilderment, Ida watched the man bow stiffly to her ancestor.

She must be someone of high rank, Ida ruminated. But it wasn't that surprising seeing as her family was nobility as well.

"Tysha," her ancestor called for the handmaiden. "Bring that child to me."

"Mistress, those are the new slaves from the recently conquered village," Tysha protested. "You shouldn't bother about—"

"Tysha," she growled with finality. "Do not make me repeat myself."

Helpless over her mistress' direct order, Tysha begrudgingly went over to where the slaves were. After exchanging a few words with the man, she took the young blond child to her mistress. Ida gazed at the child in curiosity. Her nose was bleeding, but the child's blue eyes shone through her grim appearance.

Her ancestor bent down and wiped her nose with the ends of her robe. Ida didn't miss how Tysha shot a dirty look of disapproval when she did this.

"That must have hurt," her ancestor smiled sweetly, clasping the child's trembling hands. "Don't be afraid. Where are the rest of your family?"

The blonde-haired child said nothing and neither did she move at all. Her ancestor smiled wryly at her silent response. From her tender expression, she probably assumed that she was an orphan. "Then how about this, why don't I be your sister?"

Tysha gasped. "Mistress, for a mere filthy slave to call someone like you—"

"She can call me whatever she wants," she snapped. She rose to her full height and glared at her handmaiden. "Have her cleaned, dressed, and brought to my chambers."

"Forgive me," Tysha bowed her head, shooting another dirty glare at the child. "But… she's not fit for serving and not to mention—"

"Is my dearest husband so petty that he wouldn't even allow his newlywed wife to take a mere slave from the spoils of his pillaging?" her ancestor said. "I desire her, was my orders not clear enough?"

The commanding nature of her tone was enough for Tysha to back down, albeit reluctantly. "Yes…"

Satisfied, her ancestor looked back at the child. She crouched back down in front of her and adjusted her headband that she was wearing.

"Are you afraid?" she asked. "Don't be, I won't hurt you. I saw how you helped others despite the pitiful situation you were in. You have a kind heart and you've nothing to fear from me. You may talk."

The blonde-haired child parted her mouth, but no words escaped her.

With a resigned exhalation, Tysha begrudgingly stepped in to provide an explanation. "It's the tradition in the Eldian tribe that… captured slaves from conquered tribes have their... tongues removed. It's the reason why I say she isn't fit for serving."

What?! Ida clasped her mouth in shock at the cruelty.

It seemed that she wasn't the only one to have such a drastic reaction, because horror rained over her ancestors' features. With exaggerated slowness, she returned her gaze back to the child, swift and emanating with resigned sympathy.

"How cruel." Her ancestor said, pain throbbing in her melodic voice. "For even children to be subjected to this torment..."

Her gaze grew gentler when the child fixated her bright blue eyes on her. "Your eyes are beautiful… clear and bright. We have a saying in my tribe that these kinds of eyes would always see the truth of the world. Your eyes, though blue, reminded me of my own sister who passed away too early."

She smiled gently. "You don't have a name, do you?"

The blonde hair child only blinked. Her ancestor pursed her lips. She must've realized she even if she had one, she couldn't possibly tell her with her tongue removed.

Her wooden bangles made a sound when she caressed the sides of the child's face. Her finger hooked underneath the child's chin, and she lifted her head up to face her. "You are a survivor, and all survivors all have names… I will give you a new name from my tribe, will that be okay with you?"

The pair just stared at each other for a moment. The child nodded. It was beyond Ida, but she felt the unease brew in her stomach suddenly. Ida swallowed uneasily. She didn't know why, but her gut was telling her that this would be a fundamental moment of her life.

Something… just felt off…

As if it was the calm before the storm...

"Your name shall be Ymir from now on…"

Ida furrowed her brows in bewilderment. She examined it in her mind, suddenly feeling a familiarity with the name. It gradually occurred to her why it sounded familiar.

Subjects of Ymir.

Jaron Starke had referred to the people in the walls as Subjects of Ymir. The weight of the name increased in mass in Ida's mind. The fine hairs of her back stood up in fear when the puzzle pieces started to align.

Oh my god…

Ymir, the first Titan.

Ida mindlessly backpedaled in horror. Her bulging green eyes pinned on her ancestor. Anxiety punctured itself through every nerve as her heart wrenched.

Don't tell me…

As though to confirm her suspicion, once her anxiety reached her precipe, her ancestor spoke again.

"My name is Odina Starke—oh!" She paused, a sheepish smile gracing her face. "How foolish of me, I shouldn't be using my maiden name…."

Ida covered her gaping mouth. She trembled where she stood, dismay prevailing over her.

This person. She knew who this person was. She would've been a fool to not know by now.

This person is…

Odina chuckled softly when she made an amendment. "I'm Odina Fritz, princess of the Idunn tribe and the official wife of King Fritz, the ruler of the Eldia tribe."

The ancestor of the Starkes. The Devil on earth. The creator of Titans.

The one who started it all...

Odina!

Ida could only stare at the fateful meeting between the two legendary figures, nothing but shock reverberating through her body.

Odina rose to her full height, towering over the young Ymir who was staring at her with wide eyes. She extended her hand out to her, the same kind smile layering her striking face.

The wooden bangles on her pale wrist made a soft gentle sound.

"But you, my dear Ymir…" Odina's gaze grew gentler as Ymir cautiously took her hand, "...you can call me… sister…"

---

I'm pleased that Odina has finally made an appearance, though eagle-eyed readers would know she did technically 'appear' before :P She'd play a big role. So, did any of you catch onto her identity earlier? What are your theories? I'd love to hear them! Someone DID kind of guess one small part of the plot, props to the person :3 And no, Ida is NOT of royal blood.

Funfact: Idunn is a Norse goddess of immortality, Ida's name is a variation of it.

Chapter 41 is scheduled to be posted next month. However, I'll probably take a break in February from normal posting. Special (4) would replace the monthly chapter then. Sorry, but I'm really exhausted and have been dying for a break. Special (4) consists of deleted scenes, so I already have them ready and small edits are only needed. I hope you guys don't mind, sorry! As usual, a longer A/N and updates on my profile!

Some of you requested I post the link to the googledocs on my profile for the one-shot lemon because you don't have a profile; I will do it probably next month after some more fine-tuning!

Till the next update, thanks for the support! I don't deserve you guys. Stay safe and happy holidays!