I had a slight delay and was busy the past day. This update took a lot of action to do. I know I would have preferred it a few days earlier, but there was a lot writing too much to close up during the weekend, and it helped taking these past two days to fill out what was necessary.
The manga/anime world is shaken by the loss of another legend, and not just any, but Akira Toriyama (1955-2024), who brought a staple in what started as Dragon Ball.
I'm so glad to finally get this done as it finally closes the battle that has been a challenge to get through before I could finally move the story forward, and someplace I would be glad to get past, thus helping me in my schedule. I'm grateful for the ongoing support for this crossover and I guarantee it will keep getting exciting in the future.
A day late, but Happy St. Patrick's Day!
#66
Reunion
(The Slonim Operation: Part 2)
Leila slowly opened her eyes, and before long she regained consciousness.
She later realized her Alexander was lying to the side.
…
What?
…
She rubbed her head, worried for any concussion or bleeding from a cut.
She pulled at the controls and typed several keys on the monitor, and the Alexander came to life again. It took several seconds till she had the machine turn and stood up from the ground.
…
The girl glanced around through her monitor. At the broken windows in the houses around her. At the abandoned cars… that were tossed and one of them… crushed?
She then turned to the crater in the middle of the street… where…
…
She gasped.
…
The crater where… Monsieur Kruger's… Eren's Alexander was… when…
…
…
The lightning.
And the shockwave that was strong to blow her Knightmare back…
…
What had happened right after that?
And where was everyone else?
Order of St. Michael G1 Base
Slonim, Belarus
a.t.b. 2018
"What on earth just happened?!"
"That was a Titan transformation!"
"That's absurd!" Koslow yelled. "That can't be one of ours! The Cart Titan is already on the field, and the Beast Titan is right here in front of us!" He gestured to Zeke, who was silently taking in the news. "Braun and Galliard are miles away at the Warsaw front with the Commander!"
"Begging your pardon, Koslow, sir," the Cart Titan's voice responded on the comm. "I can make out what just happened in the city from this distance. There's no mistake about it. That surge of lightning was that of when a Titan Shifter transforms…"
There came a great gasp amongst most of the inhabitants in the room.
"The enemy has a Titan Shifter."
"Pardon…" Jean spoke up. "Miss Finger. Are you telling us that the enemy, being Europia, have ambushed Ashra Force with a Titan Warrior of their own?"
"The Republic…" Falco uttered, registering with shock. "They have a Warrior of their own?"
"That's impossible!" Gabi retorted with denial. "There's no way. It's stupid!"
"She's right…" The candidates looked to Udo, and the dark expression he had. "How could… why would the Republic… have a Titan… an Eldian…?"
"Pieck!" Koslow demanded, now irritated. "Tell us what is happening? Can you see what that… this Titan Shifter is doing from your location?!"
"I will have to get closer, but I can see the chaos happening from this point." The Cart Titan's voice explained. "I can see several tops of buildings crumbling, and smoke clouds coming up. It seems the enemy is ravaging through the city in some sort of rampage."
…
"But would mean…" Jean said, with a look of grimace. "Don't tell me Ashley is mixed up with whatever the hell is going on."
"Jean…"
"Lord Shaing?" The red-haired knight turned to the grandmaster.
"Prepare Vercingetorix," Shaing rose from his throne. "I wish see this destructive new anomaly myself."
"Lord Shaing," the Grandmaster turned to look down upon the man calling to him. "I request that you allow me to accompany you."
"You dare make demands to the Grandmaster without permission?!" A Britannian officer came in front of Zeke. "Know your place, Eldian!"
"Enough!" Shaing raised his arm. "Let him speak."
"But my lord…"
"I said!" Shaing's face twisted for a brief moment to give his officer a stern glare, causing the latter to back away, and allow the Warrior to step forward.
"I beg your pardon, Lord Shaing, but I hear me out. I know how unexpected this new variable is… but I have a very good idea on who we are dealing with here?"
"Mr. Zeke?" Colt said.
"Zeke, what are you babbling about?" Koslow exclaimed with annoyance.
"Hmm? Who?" Shaing raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Yeager… are you saying you know who this… rogue Titan Shifter may be?"
"Regarding what was said… I've narrowed down to at least one suspect, even though it may sound out of logic and reason… but I've learned it would foolish not to considerate. If it is who I think it maybe… and to ensure subduing this variable… you will need the assistance of the Beast Titan."
"Alert! Alert! This is Joannes Fabius of Ashra Force! I'm calling for reinforcements! The operation has been compromised here! We are being attacked…
"I REPEAT! WE ARE BEING ATTACKED BY A…"
"TITAN!"
CRUSH!
The Armored Titan jogged through the battleground. His long steps crushing flat the next array of Panzer-Hummels firing towards him. He took one moment to bend down and slam his armor-plated arm to cause a quake that rocked the ground and scattered the last of the squadron.
He quickly ducked from another round, when he glanced at the nearest land battleship straight ahead of him. The battleship had been taking the charge to lead the enemy forces towards their territory.
Well, the Armored Titan was here.
It ducked its head down, before positioning his legs to break for a charge across the ground.
"It's going for the landship!"
"Take it down from behind!"
"Juggernaut's coming behind it!"
Scurrying in a curve across the dirt ground and coming to the right of the Armored Titan, a squadron composed of one of the prototypes that brought about the development that was the Alexander Knightmare Frame came into the fold.
The Juggernaut was a light Knightmare tank that was composed of a cockpit, outfitted with a long-cylinder cannon launcher. Its mobility comprised of six insect-like legs that allowed it to crawl fast across the battlefield like insects would. The insect-like mobility system would be one of the things that would be contributed to the Alexander Project.
Juggernauts were one of the first early bird Knightmare Frames built by the Republic, before the coming of the more advanced and even less vulnerable Panzer Hummel.
The first Juggernaut crawled before stopping to lift up its cannon.
"I'll take the first shot!"
"Do it! Bite that devil in the—AH!"
The squadron of Juggernauts didn't have time to yell when a large set of jaws chomped the first of them.
They could only look for a second… at the sight of the comrade's Juggernaut… crumpled and folded… between a pair of bone-white jaws that grinded the KMF like the way a bulldog would crush a biscuit with its teeth.
Big jaws… surrounded by a flowing main of blonde hair that rivaled that of any lion.
"TITAN! WE HAVE ANOTHER TITAN IN FRONT! IT'S THE…!"
The Jaw Titan lunged, bellowing out an inhuman roar before chomping down upon the next Juggernaut with its jaws. It didn't stop before jumping to avoid the exploding shell from the cannon of the other Juggernaut meters away.
The four-meter titan crouched before jumping back like a frog, before it lunged to extend his clawed hand. The claws on his hands were sharper than that of an eagle's talons.
SWIPE!
The claws shredded through the Juggernaut like tissue paper.
The Jaw jumped again to avoid fire, before pouncing zigzaggedly before lunging his jaws open unto the next KMF.
He lifted it up and squeezed his jaws tight.
Squirting out came both sakuradite fuel… and human blood.
But not before the cries of terror.
The rest of the squadron fell into the panic… and the Jaw exploited it… as he pounced upon the those who retreated with his jaws and his claws.
The next Juggernaut being skewered with more blood spilling out. The final Juggernaut getting caught like a bone in the jaws of a dog. The Jaw Titan shook back and forth before spitting it out and thrashing it again and again with his claws.
It stopped, before turning to the other Titan on the field with him.
His very least favorite comrade.
"Get your ass moving, Reiner!" Galliard growled from inside the Jaw.
The Armored Titan was just now in front of the landship. The Republic vessel was unloading every one of its turrets upon him, to barely any avail at all.
The blonde Titan roared before pulling his right fist back…
The commanders at the deck of the landship look in complete shock with their jaws open…
Right as the giant armored fist burst through the window of the control room.
The armored limb shattered their main monitor before it smashed through the deck where the landship's commanders were.
The enlarged fist having just completely squashed two EU commanders into a mess, while the others watched…
There was barely any time to register the complete horror… when the Titan's arm shifted… and crushed through them.
The Armored Titan pulled his fist back… before throwing it again into the heart of the landship. The armored limb tearing through walls of metal before punctured through the engines…
Deep down… the first spark was lit…
And thus, an inferno erupted from the inside, and it burst out like a fire mountain from the scrap that was the leading landship. The mass of fire and fuel erupted in the face of the Armored Titan was undeterred by it. Instead, it reared its head back to unleash another roar that echoed miles across the battlefield.
"There!" Theo Magath confirmed from his Gloucester' zoomed lens at what the Armored Titan had done. "The leading landship has been destroyed. The first objective has been accomplished!"
"Right!" The Britannian general in charge of the garrison on their side responded. "All Sutherlands and ground troops… get ready to advance and break the enemy's line!"
"Delay that order, General!" Magath ordered, looking at Braun in his Titan Form with Galliard joining him. "Have your men advance… with the Armored Titan at the front."
"Commander?"
"The Armored Titan is capable of that," Magath said confidently. "Let Braun shield the advancing garrison as he takes the brunt of the enemy's fire. Then they'll break through the next line of the enemy's offense…" He narrowed his eyes. "Enough to send those Republic dogs back to where they crawled from."
"I don't understand! How are Titans here?!"
"In Warsaw of all of places?!"
"I can't believe this shitting on us! One of Britannia's Titans are here!"
"Look again, there are two of them!"
"They're butchering our men out there!"
"We lost the first landship! This is a disaster they're going to plow through out line and Brits are going to swarm all of us!"
"ENOUGH!" Gene slammed his fist down, raising his voice loud enough to get the attention of his fellow generals on the monitor.
"If we stay on this line, then…"
"If the Warsaw garrison retreats now…" Smilas said. "Then all the land we had gained and the blood many of our brethren have spilled for it will be all for naught!" He gritted his teeth. "We will be failing many more men who are depending on this operation."
"Do have more wax clogged in your ears, Smilas?!" One general exclaimed. "The Titans are here! They're going to smash before we chickenshit to them!"
"Then we must deal with them immediately!"
"Oh, good grief!"
"This is not the time for your rare optimism and ideals, Smilas!"
"Which of Britannia's Titans are we dealing with?" Smilas questioned.
…
"We can see the one who took down the landship… and is now covering the Britannian garrison coming our way… no mistake… it's the Armored Titan."
...
"The Armored Titan…" Smilas took it in, as he cupped his chin. The most infamous of the lot.
"And the other that is hopping like an annoying frog… has to be… the Cart Titan?"
"The other Titan not as important as the Armored…" Smilas spoke up. "That Titan has served as a vanguard and shield to Britannia's armies whenever it appeared on the battlefield."
"Are you telling us you have a strategy to take it out, Smilas?"
"More like a miracle we need to wipe one of those devils off the face of Mother Earth!"
"Killing it and its wielder may not be within our reach, however…" Smilas stood up. "Show me a link on the Armored Titan."
The screen buzzed before the link was put to show Gene a broadcast of what one of the remaining landships at the front was seeing.
The General narrowed his eyes on the foggy show of the battlefield being shown to him… then his eyes widened as he took in the sight of a giant being. A giant covered in many areas of his body… in armor.
He could see through the broadcast the giant armored being crossing his arms and taking the brunt of multiple streams of gunfire sprinkling at him. Behind the giant's feet, came smaller figures and tanks…
"Gentlemen!"
"Sir!"
"We don't have to kill it… just make it stops walking towards us…" Smilas narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Focus all on its legs."
"But they're covered in armor as well! We don't…"
"While the strongest armors can be impressive… there is only so much they can take." Smilas quoted. "Pull out any of the new weaponry that has been made for the armory saved for Warsaw."
"We have the LH shells… but they are still…"
"Do it!" Smilas ordered. "Our Republic will not be set back by these relics from the past! History has shown us that Titans are not all invincible. Britannia had shown the world that… and now… it's our turn."
The general closed his eyes with that, his brow shifting with concern.
"Leila..."
Information Available for Public Disclosure:
Britannia: A Military Dictatorship
Following the fall of the Eldian Empire, Britannia was revived as the world's next formidable power. Utilizing seven of the Nine Titans as "Warriors," Britannia uses them to conquer enemy nations and later give rise to the development of the Knightmare Frames.
Castle Weisswolf
Germany, Europia United
"What the hell is happening out there?!" Claus exclaimed, both hands now on the desk monitor.
"I don't understand!" Anna looked at her monitor. "A moment ago, Kruger's Alexander went offline! And now it's back again?!"
"The signal is erratic!" Sophie looked from her monitor.
"Where is that brain raid coming from?!" Joe Wise exclaimed.
"A brain raid?!" Oscar stepped up. "From where?!"
"We're not sure… but it seems the erratic brainwaves going on and off again from Kruger's neurotransmitters…" Kate pointed to her screen. "Are affecting the rest of the squadron's BRS!"
"Is Kruger's Alexander still operational?" Claus asked, now sweating.
"We're not sure…" Joe pulled out the pop from his mouth. "It's like... it went completely off for a few moments during that… surge… and somehow… some part of the neurotransmitters are still spreading signals from… well…"
"It could be by some chance parts of the machine are still intact…" Sophie explained. "And add to Kruger's erratic brainwaves… or whatever it is transmitting…" Her face turned completely grim. "It's affecting all of them!"
Slonim, Belarus
The red Gloucester skidded recklessly with its landspinners nearly scraping across the cobblestone of the street as it swerved to another corner. It dared not to look back.
"Still on my damn tail?" Ashley glared back, with sweat already pouring down his side. "You BIG-FLAPPING BASTARD!"
…
His response came with the cornerstone building splitting apart.
The Gloucester quickly pulled back as the debris came crumbling down before the sight of Ashley's chaser came into view.
The Titan knelt its head before lifting it up to gaze at Ashley's Gloucester. A pair of green eyes glared at him, before it opened its rigid malformed jaw to bellow out an excruciating roar that echoed throughout the street.
Ashley grunted before turning his Gloucester to the building behind him. A pair of slash harkens shot out to connect to the roof, bring the KMF up, a second before the Titan slammed his fist on his previous spot. The red Gloucester scrambled on the roof when the Titan swung his arm across the tiles.
"COME ON!" Ashley skidded across the titled roof, before pulling out his rifle to unleash streaks of rounds that zoomed over and sprayed over the Titan's front. The bullets pelting bloody marks over the exposed skin of the shaggy-haired Titan… yet it paid little mind to it.
The Titan roared as it heaved itself unto the top of the roof and started crawling…
"YOU'RE MAD!"
The Titan roared in response and lunged with both to drag through the roof. His lower body all but ripped through the upper floors of the block. All it cared about was getting to the red one that was zooming across the tiles.
It rose up to lift its arms, ready to bring them down and…
BOOM!
Ashley gasped… just when a sudden object hit the centerpiece of the Titan's chest… and its body toppled to the other side of the block.
…
"What the hell…?"
"Master Ashley!"
The redhead in the red Gloucester gasped as he turned to see a familiar Gloucester heading his way.
"Joannes?!"
He was alright, and he wasn't alone.
The Attack Titan growled as it rolled over, a smoking black hole taking place where his heart should be. It struggled to rise when…
Another round of gunfire sprinkled from his left.
The Attack Titan turned to see another Gloucester unloading its rifle while zooming across the roofs of the block next to him.
Then another set of rounds came at him from his left. Another caped Gloucester.
BOOM!
A larger shelf hit his shoulder, causing it to falter back. The Titan glared to see the source…
A purple four-legged tank, coming in with a squadron of Sutherlands surrounding it.
Reinforcements.
The cannon on the tank turned, ready to…
The Attack Titan barely dodged when another fired shell grazed his arm.
He barely blinked to see the Gloucesters throwing small cylinders in the air. The cylinders spined and spined before they unfurled to spit out…
An uneasy screech came, causing the Attack Titan to cross his arms when…
Shrapnel.
Shrapnel descended from both sides like burning rain. Streams of burning sharp metal coming from both cylinders spitting and cutting into the exposed muscle of the Attack Titan. The shrapnel embedding, tearing, and cutting bloody gashes all over the skin.
The Attack Titan could feel the shrapnel tearing through the muscle of its crossed arms. Pulling apart so much flesh before the bones were exposed.
BOOM!
The Titan was distracted when another shell tore through his ribs. Causing him to fall back on the ruined cobblestone street.
It barely noticed the hovering VTOL ships coming near.
"We made contact with Ashra Force. We have a rogue Titan in our sights! We are taking action against it! We request aid from the Lord Shaing's to neutralize the enemy!"
The Titan below… bellowed out a screeching roar that echoed all around. Even the pilots in the VTOL's cringed at he sound.
"I repeat! We need—ARGH!"
BOOM!
No one could detect when the first VTOL ship was struck by a bullet that tore the hull and shredded through the pilots inside, and the craft later exploded.
Another foreign shot was made, going over to one of the Ashra Gloucesters standing on the roof. They would look in the direction of the shot… that had come from the sniper rifle of a white Knightmare. And its visor turned blood red.
Inside… Yukiya Naruse was shaking, while maintain the composure to pull the shot. His eyes started to glow in a dark color.
The Attack Titan roared again.
Ryo Sayama roared as he had his Alexander crawled speedily across the roof before jumping… and lunging towards another Gloucester, with his battle axe denting against the sword.
Ryo lifted the axe back up and lunged against the Gloucester's sword. He didn't give the enemy KMF a chance as he managed to surprise it by pushing with some great force that crashed both KMF's into another building.
"RAAAHHHH!"
Ayano Kosaka raged with her teeth grinding and her spit falling out as she made her Alexander run on two legs across the cobblestone street with greater speed than before. It didn't care for when her enemy pelted her with bullets while trying to back up.
The enraged girl dashed her KMF to front of the enemy Gloucester, and pulled out her white sword to cut through the rifle. The blade tore in half the KMF rifle before it twisted to scratch against the chest of the Gloucester.
The Gloucester staggard back, almost desperately, as rabid Alexander lifted the sword to clang against its now equipped sword. The Alexander's blade scratched against the Britannian sword, before pulling back to slash again.
And again. And again. And again.
All with some mighty force Ayano had lacked before.
"RAAAHHHHH!"
The Attack Titan roared another one that echoed across the block, before he plunged his arm through the inside of a stone chapel, bringing the tower crumbling down.
Another blur of smokescreen erupted from the collapse.
"Dammit! I can't see him!" Simon Merricourt cursed, bringing his Gloucester away from the incoming smokescreen.
"What the hell are you guys doing?!" Ashley's Gloucester rolled up on another roof of one of the abandoned stores.
"We can't take this monstrosity down, Master Ashley!" Franz said from his Gloucester standing by. "You're not in this alone in this!"
"That thing is already wounded!" Simon exclaimed. "We'll get it before it can…"
"SIMON!"
Simon looked and gasped, before barely ducking his Gloucester down…
…from the incoming piece of the chapel tower being thrown overhead, before it rolled across the street and its rubble hitting several of the Sutherland's covering the tank.
"THE HELL WAS THAT!" Simon exclaimed. "Did he just…"
Simon didn't get to finish his sentence, nor get to hear his comrades' cries…
For when a crystallized fist emerged from the dissipating smoke… and crushed his Gloucester to the ground flat.
…
"SIIIIMOOONNN!"
Warsaw Front
"Hurry! Hurry!"
"We're on it! Give us a break!"
Two Panzer Units were up to push the mechanized long-ranged cannon towards a specific direction around the ongoing chaos that was their dwindling line.
Another Panzer Unit clamped a red-sheathed shell and carefully pulled into the wide-open slot behind the cannon. Once set, the slot closed itself, before the cannon's cylinder turned and shifted in a straight line towards the battlefield…
Or rather the incoming giant coming closer towards them.
"ALL SET!"
"AIM FOR THE LEGS!"
"The kneecaps! AIM FOR THE KNEECAPS!"
"Right!" Three pilots were needed to get on the top of the mechanized cannon, and another aim on the target.
"Time to give this son of the devil's spawn a taste of Little Hansel…"
…
…
The lever was pulled.
The trigger pushed.
The shot was released… and it sped through the battlefield with a screeching sound that was ready to break the sound barrier…
Till it made contact…
Screaming.
The Attack Titan screeched as it dashed, extending his open palm and sliding it against the building right of him. Its fingers dug and ripped out windows and apartments that sprinkled unto the street. The large arm swiped to throw debris like boulders towards the Sutherlands.
It was enough… for when the Britannian Knightmares returned fire, the Attack Titan roared… before jumping in the air and landing flat onto them.
There was a great crunching as two were crushed flat under the wait of flesh. The Titan lifted its head before extending to make a bite towards the nearest Sutherland, and then came the screaming.
The tank was rolling back, desperately brining its cannon to aim at the head in front of it. The Titan lunged to the side when the shell fired. The massive being rose and grabbed at the nozzle of the tank.
The Titan growled now bringing both hands to lift the tank up the way a stonemason would lift up a stone.
It heard the sound of screaming, and it looked to see several soldiers already jumping out of the tank unto the street.
It felt gunfire from behind, and it turned to glare at the next Gloucester.
It glared… before pulling the tank like a mace, and swung it towards the Gloucester… when both made contact… there came a great inferno next to block of buildings.
The Titan turned its rabid attention towards fleeing soldiers…
…
They didn't get far when the Attack Titan grab the first one.
The soldier in the hand cried and flailed with his hands helplessly in the giant's grasp… before pressure was applied…
And the soldier exploded like a grape.
The remaining soldiers looked back in complete, and that was proven when the Titan crawled towards with his hand raised. It made an open palm, before it fell down and squashed another soldier, leaving a splatter of red behind…
CLICH!
The Titan roared, when something lodged into his cheek.
It turned his attention away from the few remaining soldiers, and glared at the red Gloucester.
The same red Gloucester…
Meanwhile, sitting atop of a tall hotel overlooking a small children's park with a pink elephant slide… four individuals overlooked the chaos happening.
"That… That… That thing…" Jean stuttered with staring eyes while she stood on top of her silver-plated KMF, known as Gracchus.
"It's true then… the enemy is a Titan Shifter…" Shin observed, while standing atop of Vercingetorix.
"Like you…" Shin gestured to Cart Titan perching next to his Vercingetorix, while Zeke Yeager sat on the back of the Titan.
The blonde man adjusted his glasses as he took in the sight from afar.
"Lord Shaing…" Zeke turned to the grandmaster. "I apologize for how confusing this may be… but there be a time to explain this after. Right now, what really matters is that we must detain this rogue titan and bring him in alive."
"That sounds easier said than done," Zeke caught the look Jean made. "That thing… is making mincemeat of our own men. There's a pretty good chance that Ashley…"
"Jean…" The woman paused when the grandmaster interjected. "If Mr. Yeager knows more about this… enemy… then we would be wise to comply. It's in our interest to neutralize this Titan before it gets out of hand."
"And what about the other enemy Knightmare Frames about? They might as well pose a problem if they were interfere." Jean added.
"I scouted at least four white enemy Knightmare Frames," The Cart Titan answered. "One of them is a marksmen type. Two others fight with close-combat weapons. And there is one nearby, but also…" She turned her large head. "I saw flanked by some of the remaining drones."
"Really?" Zeke scratched his ear. "Now that's an interesting thing there, Pieck."
"We've heard the Republic had been at late busy in perfecting their use drones…" Lord Shaing remarked. "Guess that report was not farfetched."
"Very well, then…" Zeke pulled out a pair of goggles. "We'll take care of the other enemy Alexanders before we go after the rogue Titan. Make sure to only disable their Knightmare Frames and keep them alive. We may have use for what knowledge they have regarding this situation."
"Beg your pardon, Mister Yeager," Jean gave a stern glare. "Lord Shaing is still in charge here, and it's only he who gives orders."
"And I am in full agreement with Mister Yeager's plan," Shaing adjusted himself as he sat down and closed his cockpit, activating his Knightmare. "You'd be wise to do the same, Jean."
"Uh…" Jean paused. "Lord Shaing…"
"All right, then," Zeke said, putting his glasses in his pocket, before going over to the edge.
"Mister Yeager, what are you doing?!" Jean exclaimed, looking at the man right at the edge of the four-story building they were perched on top of… and he was standing like he would at the sidewalk.
"What we Warriors do best," Zeke answered, before pulling out a knife.
Then he jumped…
And then he cut open his palm with the knife.
That was when electricity suddenly sparked around the man as he fell through the air towards the park…
And before he landed… a great mass of muscle and bone materialized around him…
Before the shaggy brown hair grew all over…
Jean Rowe stared in shock, while Lord Shin… stared, completely mesmerized.
"Calling all members of Wyvern Squadron! Where are your locations! I repeat! Is there anyone there?!"
Leila was getting to the end of her rope. She was now lost to where she was now.
She could hear rumbles and sounds echoing from the town. Yet, every turn she took she felt nowhere near the commotion.
Leila was about to move… till she felt the ground shake beneath her Alexander.
…
…
Leila was still, before turning to feel the rumbling grow even more.
The movement was coming right ahead of her.
She paused… when a great shadow came over the street in front of her. A great spacious shape… whose height rivaled many of the buildings around her… came into view.
It was… abnormal.
…
She paused… her purple eyes widening as a great mass of brown fur covered the spacious body. The fur covered from the head to the wide spacious back, and even to the impossibly long arms, all saved for the hands, feet, stomach, and… face…
…
…
Leila blinked more than twice to figure it was not something she had seen several times on old film. As something that depicted the impossible size of a zoo animal walking on feet that were shaped like rough hands across the street.
It was out of context of everything she would have expected of this mission. Out of context of she believed…
…
Her mind drew a blank… and the young commander realized… and remembered what kind of species… could be tall… or abnormal as that…
…
…
It was too late… when the abnormal giant stopped… and glanced in the direction of her Alexander.
…
…
Leila could only gasp in fright.
…
…
Then the giant moved towards her.
…
The girl yelped and hurried to transform her Knightmare back to its insect mode. The machine made ready to scurry her down the street, when…
SLAM!
She cried when a furry hand slammed in front of her Knightmare. Had she waited too long for it to close the distance between them?!
Then she felt the Alexander… being lifted…
"W-What?!" She cried out, going to her control to regain control… if any other control there was that she had left…
The roof of her cockpit was then torn apart.
She cried out in confusion.
Then the Alexander was turned upside down.
Leila nearly screamed when she felt herself fall out of her seat… and started falling towards the stone floor of the street when…
…she landed.
She landed flat without hurt against something… not stone… but soft… and cushioned.
Leila opened her eyes, and placed her palms on the surface on what she landed on, but it was neither stone floor, dirt ground, or cushioned mattress… it was something else.
She lifted her head to regain her bearings and her surroundings, and noticed how the floor she landed on looked like that of a palm. An open palm. With open fingers and wrist of shaggy fur…
…
Her eyes widened.
Before…
…
"Hello there…"
…
She quickly turned her head, and glanced up at the voice that addressed her.
…
All blood from her face drained… as her gaze met with a pair of golden eyes.
Golden eyes… set on an abnormal face. A face that looked both animal… and human mixed together. Together with cheekbones, lips, and nose. All features surrounded by a head of shaggy brown fur and pointed ears like that of one of St. Nicholas' elves.
And it was smiling.
The face was smiling… right down at her.
Its smile was like that it regarded something with care or something with how a toddler would discover something with curiosity.
Leila felt the smile disarm her. And the golden eyes beaming down on her.
"My apologies, young lady… but you are not hurt, are you?"
It spoke.
…
It spoke.
…
Leila paled again.
She should have felt the urge to scream.
But instead… she felt the shock coming in. She felt even when she took in what it said to her.
…
The giant ape… started to look… concerned?
"Uhh…?" It lifted a finger of his free hand near his head and started scratching his ear. "Can you… not understand me?"
…
"Huh…?" Leila uttered.
The Ape gestured with its free hand towards himself.
"Is it because… you speak a different language and are unable to understand mine?" The Ape asked, almost respectfully. "I am fluent a bit in German, but my French is a bit lacking…"
…
…
"You…" Leila uttered, feeling the impossibility of expecting it… to reply. "You can… talk?"
…
…
It shifted its head, and lightly smiled. "Ah, I see… I reckon… this is the first time… you encountered a Titan that can speak? Unless… this is the first time you encountered a Titan like I am… face to face?"
…
…
Leila stared wide-eyed at the great ape. It… no… it sounded so much like a man speaking. His appearance was abnormal… but his voice proved otherwise.
"I am glad we can communicate," It smiled. "I beg your pardon… if I had seemed to harm you any way… I don't mean to kill any enemies today. I would like some questions answered."
…
"Uh… questions?"
…
It… he nodded his furry head. "I was wondering first… I came by this along the way…" He used his free hand to lift up the remains of a Knightmare Frame…
An Alexander Drone.
Leila's eyes widened.
"I can tell this is a drone…" The Ape continued. "Sufficient they are in building numbers… I wonder how it was able to program… at this far into Britannian territory. They do require a powerful network device to make sure they are sufficient."
…
…
"Hmm…" The Ape scratched his chin. "I wonder…" He extended his hands towards her.
Leila gasped, and crouched with her hands covering, fearing the worst…
Only he didn't touch… instead…
…
She looked to see the Ape pulling up her Type-02, observing it like the way a child would observe the details of a collectible toy model.
"Uh… uh-huh…" He turned it around. "I see… well perhaps if we can look over…"
Leila crouched when she heard something else.
A great shriek echoing in the air. The same one she had heard from before, yet she couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.
The Ape took notice of it.
"Ah… I see… well…"
"Huh? What…?!" Leila exclaimed. "What are you…?"
The Ape simply brought down the open palm Leila was sitting, gesturing her to the floor. The girl glanced up at her captor, who nodded with a light smile.
She quickly hopped off the skin of the open palm… and finally landed back on the cobblestone street. She regained her foot before glancing up at the great Ape.
"Excuse me, young lady…" He said. "It may be dangerous if I brought you with me when I meet someone… but I hope you will stay here for your safety… and after I have apprehended the rest of your compatriots… I'll be sure to return for you?"
Leila gasped, before the great being turned and walked back to the street where he came from.
…
…
What had just happened?
"GET AWAY! GET AWAAAYYY!"
The Attack Titan roared in response as it climbed the building the red Gloucester had climbed up using his slash harkens. The Titan kept in pursuit, even jumping to the next roof of the building where the Gloucester had jumped on next. It lifted an arm to slam on the roof, causing the Gloucester to compromise his jump.
The Gloucester cluttered to the ground, and it lacked the time to rise up when the Attack Titan jumped to the ground with a slam, and hovered over the Knightmare…
…
Inside… Ashley Asura panted and breathed hard… glancing up… at what would be the last thing he would behold on this earth…
The thing… that killed his men… his comrades…
…
"You… You… You Titans…" He shook… his teeth grinding together. "You're… You're not monsters… you… YOU REALLY ARE DEMONS ALIVE!"
The Titan roared, once again raising his hand… ready to bring it down…
…
Ashley could no longer move his KMF… and knew this was it.
The redhead closed his eyes… accepting his…
…
"MASTER ASHLEY!"
Ashley's eyes opened immediately.
"WHAT?!" He turned too late… when a Gloucester… pushed him aside….
…
"J… Joannes…?"
…
SLAM!
The abnormal hand slammed upon the new Gloucester, crumpling it to the ground.
…
…
"N… N… N-No…" Ashley realized who it was… "Joannes… wh… why'd you…"
…
…
"K… Ke…"
There was a static chatter from his comm… the one belonging to…
"Sor… Mas… Get… Ou…"
…
Joannes… was speaking… he was speaking… to Ashley…
And he was barely breathing… and…
Dying…
…
"No…" Ashley uttered.
…
His trance was broken… when the Titan roared.
And the monster… slammed his fist again upon the broken Knightmare.
…
"WHAT?!" Ashley yelled, horrified. "NO! What are you doing?! STOP!" He growled as he impatiently ripped apart his seatbelt and pushed out of his cockpit, now desperate.
"JUST STOP!"
The Titan roared as he kept slamming his fist upon the wreckage… and what was left of Joannes…
"NO!" Ashley finally opened his cockpit and push out his in the open air. "STOP IT! JUST STOOOOOPPPP!"
…
"NOOO! GO BACK! WE HAVE TO GO BACK! WE CAN STILL SAVE HER!"
He and the scarfed girl were taken further away from their home by the soldier. The soldier who was running tail like a coward…
And she… was left under the rubble.
…
The smiling animal was coming closer.
"NO! NO, PLEASE!"
…
The smiling one ignored his cries as it dug through the rubble with its hand… before it pulled her out…
…
She was now struggling in the grip of the smiling one. She beat her fists on the enlarged fingers encircling her waist. She was crying out desperately.
She was dangling in front of the grinning animal's mouth.
"NO, PLEASE! STOP IIIIITTTTTTTTT!"
…
The Smiling Titan kept smiling ignorant of his cries… and kept it… when it opened it… and bit down on her dangling form…
…
The boy… stared… even… as a rain of blood petals… filled the open air…
Her blood…
…
Weisswolf Castle
"It's down!" Joe exclaimed. "The brain raid's down!"
"All brain waves have returned to stability!" Sophie confirmed.
"Ugh!" Claus sighed as he collapsed with relief upon his monitor. "Thank goodness!"
The spark from Yukiya's eyes disappeared… and the mad look on his face… was replaced by confusion… and terror.
"What the…?"
Ryo gasped as he broke out of his stupor.
"What the hell was that?!"
"That…" Ayano stuttered, pausing her Alexander. "That was…"
She recollected the image she had seen… the most gruesome she had seen yet… and…
She covered her mouth when she felt the bile rising up her throat.
"That… That kid…" Yukiya stuttered. "Was that… Eren…? AHHH!"
Instantly, he felt his Alexander taking gunshots all over, and it toppled over. Yukiya was forced to climb out.
"SHIT!" Ayano yelled when she realized she had left her Alexander vulnerable, and her dueling enemy swiped his sword across the torso, causing the frame to topple over, and she quickly had no choice but to climb out.
"What the…?!" Ryo felt something clamp over his Alexander and was shaken a bit, before being tossed and rolled across the ground.
"Dammit!" Ryo knew this was it, and the man quickly opened up his cockpit to climb out, not before brining his rifle and took aim at the Britannian Knightmare…
He froze…
Because it wasn't a Knightmare.
…
He froze, wide-eyed and staring straight at something else… that stared back at him.
Eren blinked and opened his eyes in a horrid alarm… inside the nape of the Titan.
His Titan.
He panted inside the walls of flesh that surrounded him, even as strings of flesh connected with his neck and tear ducts.
He felt his mind had drawn a blank…
…
It happened again.
He let it happen again…
He realized that when he noticed he was no longer in the cockpit of his Alexander…
He looked about through the eyes of his Titan… making sense of the buildings. The cobblestone street.
He then looked to see the red Gloucester from before, damaged… and right at his feet… the splattered remains of metal… and a pool of blood… and…
…
…
Uh…
…
Wait…
…
This…
…
His eyes wavered…
…
"This looks like… what I had… seen… this is…"
…
…
…
His ears then perched… as they heard something…
…
It was the sound… of hooves.
Hooves.
The running feet of a horse.
…
The hooves were galloping fast.
And heavier.
And they were getting closer.
…
SLASH!
The Attack Titan cried out when some sharp and great slashed through its knee all the way to its Achilles Tendon, causing it to kneel.
It glanced up to see the figure responsible.
…
Gold…
…
Eren had expected a horse… yet… it was gold he was seeing.
Gold armor.
The figure's lower half… was shaped… and moved with the body of a horse… while its upper half was shaped in the figure of a heavy armored knight with a red galea helmet.
The whole figure… was made of shining gold amor… and it wielded a weapon Eren had never seen before. A spear outfitted with gears like the inside of a clock, but they were blades. Blades that rolled all together to create something sharper and faster than any Knightmare blade he had witnessed before.
The gold centaur kept galloping before it crouched to lift the crippled red Gloucester in its arms and started dash away down the street.
The Attack Titan roared, and by instinct lifted up to give chase, but was compromised by the cut at its leg, even when steam was blowing out.
Then… it heard a rumble in the ground…
…
Not dissimilar to his own.
Inside… Eren's eyes widened, and he looked from the eyes of the Titan… and they widened… to see something coming down the street towards him.
The head of the great Ape giant lifted to meet the gaze of the Attack Titan.
Crimson eyes met with that of emerald eyes.
Then… the mouth of the Beast curled back… and formed a smile of sharp teeth.
"I found you… Eren."
Even without her Alexander, it didn't stop Leila from making her way through the torn-up street… in the direction the Beast had gone.
She stopped for a breather.
"How… I was afraid it would come to this…"
She thought, before she continued. She couldn't help but look at how the buildings were in far worse wear than when they entered the city for the first time. Windows were broken. Roofs were crumpled. And there were craters along the way…
Craters that were formed in the shape of… feet?
Was this the work of… that Beast?
Leila would continue before she got to what actually the town square… and froze in place… at what she was seeing.
"That's quite enough, Eren," The Beast raised his hand. "There's been enough damage. And wouldn't want anyone else to be caught in the rubble."
The Attack Titan made a sound from his jaw, almost ready to move.
…
They didn't notice the young woman hiding near the building the right.
"Wait… that's…" She looked in realization at the Attack Titan.
All the while, they didn't notice that three familiar faces crept into the scene.
Ryo scurried towards the square with a rifle when…
"Shit!" He cursed before quickly drawing back to the shadow of the building. He poked his face… before the eyes on it bulged to see the two titans almost hunching across from one another.
"What the hell?"
…
On the other side, Yukiya and Ayano had stumbled upon the scene, and both looked with eyes of shock and dread at what they were seeing before they hid near the gate.
…
The Attack Titan somewhat kneeled with its injured leg spilling out steam. It lowered its neck, leaving the back of it exposed. Before it…
"What the hell?!" Ryo exclaimed when the skin bulged out before it tore open.
Ayano's face turned green, while Yukiya kept his gaze.
Leila gasped when she saw the young man, his pilot suit still intact, and so was he…
There was Eren.
The young man that was known as Eren Kruger… had emerged from the neck… of an Eldian Titan.
And marks of strange lines appeared below his eyes.
The Beast smiled, before he lowered his head as well, and from the hairy back of his neck… it tore open as well… before a figure rose out of it; white steam blowing out around him.
Leila glanced back in shock, while Eren from his stance… looked up… unsurprised.
"Okay…" Yukiya said, still wide-eyed.
"Who… the… hell… is… that?" Ayano stated.
The steam started to dissipate, and everyone present can make out the features of the man stand up from the giant's ape's nape: that being a man with blonde hair and beard. He wore a white uniform, and strapped over his left arm was a crimson red armband with a white star at the center…
The stranger lifted the goggles from his eyes and went to replace them with a pair of simple glasses from his pocket. After he adjusted them, he turned his full attention towards Eren, who stared back at him.
…
"Zeke…" Eren acknowledged with a stare.
…
"Zeke?" Leila glanced back up to the human form of the ape Titan.
Did… Eren…?
…
…
They know one another?
…
The bespectacled blonde-man known as Zeke, regarded Eren and… made a small smile.
"It's been a while, hasn't it… little brother."
…
…
…
There was barely anything that prepared Leila for that, which caused her to gasp.
…
"H… H… Brother?!"
…
…
"You gotta be kidding me?!" Ayano exclaimed, while Yukiya stared, now transfixed.
"What the hell?!" Ryo almost sputtered out, the man now clenching his rifle. The guy dared to peak and looked back and forth between his comrade and the ape man.
"That man…" Leila looked stare-eyed at the blonde man. "…that is his brother?"
Eren looked unsurprised as he regarded the man sitting atop the Beast Titan opposite of his own.
There was a small silence between them for a moment, before Zeke spoke again.
"What's wrong? Too shy, Eren. It's been… how long…" He scratched his ear. "Three years since we last met? I was hoping when we meet again… we would finally have a proper brotherly conversation."
…
"Uh…?" Leila stuttered. "What…?"
…
She was not making sense of this. She now started to remember… when Eren's Alexander was shot in the back… and had collapsed. She had feared the worst during that moment. She was on the verge of feeling as though she had failed him. She felt so since he had moved his KMF to protect her from the red Gloucester.
Then everything changed… when his Alexander was engulfed in lightning.
Lightning couldn't have appeared due to no trace of cloud or storm. It had erupted from the Alexander. From Kruger's cockpit. And the phenomenon materialized something that tore the metal body of the Knightmare Frame… and replaced it with something else.
Something… that Leila thought was possible. Something… she didn't expect from Eren.
He… He was…
…
And now… standing opposite of him… was the Beast that had caught her earlier. Who had conversed with her… and who had… spared her.
The blonde man rising from the nape of the giant Ape Beast was talking to Eren…
Calling him… brother.
…
…
The blonde man… was on the side of Britannia. The enemy.
And he was speaking… as Eren Kruger's brother.
…
…
How could this be?
…
…
Eren was still standing from the nape of the shaggy-haired Titan… staring back at the blonde man… wordlessly.
…
…
"Hmm…"
The blonde man… who had been called Zeke… chuckled a bit.
"You know… you've grown since the last time I saw you…" He noted. "Now… you do look a bit more like our father now."
…
"Uh…" Leila gasped. "Their… Their father?"
…
…
Eren remained unchanged.
…
"Believe me, Eren." Zeke continued. "I waited patiently for the day we would see each other again, and I thought that would be a little longer… but running into you today… was beyond unexpected… as it was joyful. And to think… I find you… fighting on the E.U.'s side to boot." He gestured to the pilot suit Eren was still wearing. "Hate Britannia all you want, Eren… but believe me… the Republic is no better… considering what they do to our kind."
…
Eren lowered his head a bit.
…
"Which makes me wonder… why not try a different path…" Zeke extended his hand. "Eren… nothing will make me happier… if joined my side here and now."
…
"?!" Leila gasped.
"Join you?" Eren finally spoke. "Right now?"
"Yes. I would be able to protect you… if I had you by side," Zeke said. "And then... we can put an end to two thousand years of suffering… together…"
…
…
…
"Run!"
Eren gasped as he looked behind him to see…
"Get out of here!" Ryo yelled as he dashed from his hiding spot and aimed his rifle up. "Run while you still can…!"
The bullets blasted upward… and they managed to graze Zeke's right arm and right above his shoulder.
"Ryo, no!" Yukiya yelled.
"THAT IDIOT!" Ayano exclaimed.
"STOP!" Eren yelled.
"Just run while you can! Get out of there!" Ryo yelled. "EREN!"
…
…
…
There came a silence. An awkward silence.
"Geez…" Zeke said as he pulled off his glasses, inspecting them. "Watch where you shoot… you nearly shot my glasses…"
…
…
"Huh?" Ryo stood dumbstruck.
The guy was only concerned about… his stupid glasses? Did he not care about the flesh wounds he got around his arm and shoulder?
Leila held her breath…
"Ugh…" Zeke sighed. "What a terrible way to interrupt this long-awaited reunion between us brothers." He adjusted his glasses back. "Then again… it could be worse."
RATTLE!
"And I may have spoken too soon…"
Yukiya, Ayano, and Leila gasped at the sight of the new Titan, hopping from roof to roof with hands and feet.
"That's the weirdo that chomped off my Knightmare!" Ryo exclaimed, pointing his rifle at the new arrival.
Eren, however, looked with recognition… at the Cart Titan.
"War Chief!" The Cart Titan perched on a building across from Zeke.
"Another talking one?!" Ayano exclaimed.
"Yeesh… that is one looker for the books…" Yukiya noted on the Cart Titan's… peculiar appearance.
"We have to retreat."
"What?!" Zeke was taken aback.
"The First Garrison at the front line has been compromised…" The Cart Titan explained. "And reinforcements are retreating in fear. Command wants us to retreat for now."
…
"Dammit…" Zeke sighed with frustration. "How the hell…? Reiner and Porco can't put their shit together… for once?"
…
He glanced back at Eren, his face forming a bit of dejection.
"Just when we finally reunite… we need to leave again… so soon…" He glanced at the Cart Titan. "Alright then… let's get going, Pieck."
The Cart Titan hopped down before perching below the Beast Titan.
"Eren!" Zeke called out to Eren, still watching from his Titan's nape. "It seems we must part ways again… but it won't be the last. I made a promise to you… on that day in Shiganshina, and I intend to keep it. I'll come back for you… and save you from all this madness."
With that, Zeke jumped off from the hairy shoulder of his Beast Titan and onto the back of the Cart Titan. Once he was settled in, the Cart Titan didn't waste time hopping away from the town square.
The Cart Titan was hopping on all fours the nearest entrance before…
Leila fell back on the floor when the Cart Titan stopped in front of her. The woman went pale at the sight of the elongated face staring down at her… and back towards the blonde passenger riding on the back.
It was him. Leila realized. The Beast who had briefly held her captive in the palm of his hand. Yet, even then, when he had stared down at her and smiled at her… he bore… no sense of malice or ill-desire. It was the same with how the blonde human form was doing now.
"Excuse me, young lady," Zeke smiled at her. "Catch you next time." He gave a friendly wave, and with that… he and the Cart Titan took off, leaving Leila alone.
…
Leila rose, collecting herself, looking in the direction the Titans had taken off… almost in… confusion.
She gasped as she turned back to the one she had been worried about the most. She turned and glanced to see, the shaggy-hair Titan still kneeling in the middle of the town square, now leaking out steam… and looking thinner.
Eren rose up entirely from the nape, now walking towards the shoulder of the giant…
Before he fell and slid down the Titan's arm.
"EREN!" Leila cried out as she dashed towards him.
"HEY! HEY!" She turned to see Ryo, Ayano, and Yukiya running towards his fallen form on the ground. Never mind that she felt relieved to see them looking alright and unharmed, despite their brief betrayal not too long ago, all of them appeared to be focused on Eren.
"Eren, are you okay?" Ryo was the first to lift his head.
His eyes had closed and looked like he was without consciousness.
"Eren…" Leila pulled Eren from Ryo and laid his head in her hands and lap. "Monsieur Kruger… are… are you alright. Are you…?"
…
"Err…."
…
"He's not dead," Yukiya said. "The guy's taking a nap…"
Ayano, however, glanced at the now useless Attack Titan, now decaying with each passing steam. The girl narrowed her eyes when she noticed a piece of machinery was revealed underneath the muscle and bone of the Attack Titan.
It looked so much like… material from the Type-02 Alexander.
Ayano's pink pupils widened.
How the hell did that get in there.
She turned and noticed the same kind of decay was happening with the abandoned vessel of the Beast Titan. The fur of the Beast was shedding off and exposing the muscle underneath.
The girl cringed at these developments… till she glanced to what else was around the town square. She glanced at the rubble scattered, and the pieces of Knightmare machinery scattered about, and the pool of blood and flesh scattered…
…
Ayano instantly felt the bile she choked on earlier rising again.
…
"Did… Did Eren do all of this?"
There.
I'm so glad I could finally get here and put a close to the Slonim Battle. These past chapters have been a challenge I have been looking to complete to finally get into the next arc I've been waiting to get into.
The Juggernauts are a mecha frame in nod to the ones of the same name and most similar as seen in the manga/anime "86 Eighty-Six." And how in this AU their frame and ability to move like insects is what contributed to the Alexander's Insect Mobility mode.
This chapter delved into both sides of the big battle at hand, both Europia and Britannia are dealt with the wrath of what Titans are capable of.
Now in this time of the known world, weapons are being manufactured at great pace in hopes of conquering the strength of the Titans. As powerful as they are, they are not all invincible, and even their strongest armor can be worn down.
And some may be having questions… if Eren was going all berserk in here. This triggered into one of his rage moments, no different than his second transformation in Trost. He transformed when he was critically injured in the previous update and allowed his rage to make him transform. It was only when he… killed Joannes in front of Ashley… did it brought up… his most tragic memory… that it was enough to snap him out of it.
And also, while not completely explained, it triggered the BRS (Brain Raid System) that affected Yukiya, Ayano, and Ryo to briefly go berserk… in a way similar to how a Titan attacks. Eren had transformed from the inside of his Alexander, while it may have been still connected to the BRS…
…that could tend to get things in a mess. And in a way, different than how the trio was affected by a shared Geass command.
In the end, Zeke became the highlight. The Beast Titan has returned!
You may have noticed how the reunion between the two Titan half-brothers… brings into mind a very similar brotherly reunion that happened in the canon OVA.
Things are about to derail down the line.
St. Petersburg Train Station
St. Petersburg, Russia, Euro Britannia
The train steamed out one last whistle as the steam and smoke bellowed throughout the guarded station.
It was nighttime, and it seemed the arrival came later than expected.
As royal guards stood by Lord Augustus looked to see unmistakable white uniform of the homeland's finest, under the vibrant dark blue cloak, belonging to that of a young adult man exiting out of the train.
"Welcome to St. Petersburg," the older man extended his gloved hand to the knight. "I am Michael Augustus, servant to His Highness, Grand Duke Velaines. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Kururugi."
The young Japanese youth of brown hair and dark emerald eyes, lightly smiled at the courtesy. "Likewise," The young knight took the hand and shook graciously. "Thank you for receiving us, sir."
"You must be tired after your long journey," Augustus said. "We made preparations and set up your suite in the Guest of State."
"Thank you," Sir Kururugi nodded. "By the way?"
"Yes?"
"Has Commander Theo Magath arrived with his Eldian Warrior Unit yet?"
"Indeed. In fact, they were called to assist our forces on the front lines today against the advancing Republic's army." His face grimaced. "Unfortunately, they had to retreat."
"I see," Kururugi frowned a bit. "That's sounds very unfortunate."
"I have to say…" Augustus remarked. "Having a Knight of the Round as his personal escort. And arriving in none other than the Royal Family's Private Train… this man must be of great importance to His Majesty."
Augustus then noticed Kururugi's frown deepening a bit and would have thought he had seen a flash of bitterness under it.
"Yes…" the young knight answered. "He is, indeed."
"What is this?!"
Augustus was caught by the new sudden voice, that sounded completely appalled.
"Is this all the welcome I get?!"
Black boots of the finest wear step down the stairs of the train and onto the stone floor of the station.
"Hmph…" The figure scoffed. "I'll forgive it… this time at least."
Augustus straighten himself, now glaring at the young man giving that unmistakable look and tone of arrogance.
The figure in black made his way in front of Augustus, with Sir Kururugi backing away respectfully, his frown not leaving his face.
Augustus was starting to understand why.
"The next time I visit your city…" The young man began. "I want the streets filled with people cheering my name and celebrating my victory!"
The young man… being of a build even more slender than Kururugi, dressed completely in black, his inner vest showing the golden crest of Britannia proudly. A black cloak was draped over his shoulders. He looked to be of the same age as Sir Kururugi, with a youthful face styled with pale skin, raven black hair, and one violet amethyst eye staring back at Augustus.
His left eye… was covered by a black masked eyepatch, with a diamond gem hanging below it.
"Yes…" the man in black smiled with a set of perfect white teeth. "From now on… all of Euro Britannia's operations will be conducted by yours truly…
"Military Advisor, Lord Julius Kingsley!"
To Be Continued…