Carla Yeager's eyes shot open. Her face was buried in her wet pillow, stained from her tears. She quivered as she very gently tried to lift herself up from the bed. She was afraid of seeing her bed soaked, covered in blood, evidence of a horrific scene she had witnessed… but her bed was dry, save for her tears.

The vivid images of the nightmare she had just slept through came back in her mind. Horrific cries rang vividly in her ears, the earth's floor blanketed with blood, the sounds of bones cracking like chalk between grinding jaws by a living being… it felt so real. Carla shook her head viciously, trying to remove these thoughts from her head. She slowly massaged her temples, trying to stop the images that were assaulting her.

Carla's eyes shot wide when she felt her stomach flipped.

Carla quickly dashed toward her bucket before emptying the contents of her stomach into it, as the vivid images of what she saw in her dream flashed before her once more. When she was finished, she slowly crawled backwards until her back leaned against the bed. She hugged her knees and stared into deep space, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She hung her head until she hid her face under her hair. Her body began to shake, followed by crying quietly.

A familiar smiling man flashed in her mind as she cried.

"Grisha…"

(ATTACK ON TITAN)

Two Royals II:

Trespasser

A True warrior never lets their guard down when alone. Anything could be lurking in every shifting shadow. Stay cautious, stay sharp.

- Corrax Entry 1:3

(ATTACK ON TITAN)

Rays of the morning sun shone in through the window and woke the slumbering Ilse Langnar curled in bed with a yawn. She sat up, stretching her cramped arms over her head before dropping them back to her sides. Ilse lifted her bed sheets off and rubbed the morning crust out of her eyes, wincing as she squinted against the sunlight. She looked around the room until her eyes landed on a wooden bucket full of water and a rag folded atop it. She looked at it for a moment before outstretching her hands.

Ilse took a handful of water from the bucket and rinsed her face. Though the water wasn't cold, it still helped wash away any residual traces of sleep from the night before. She dried her face with her rag before reaching down to grab the bucket by its handle. She dragged it across the floor toward a nearby table, where she placed it next to a vase filled with yellow flowers.

Ilse started toward her wardrobe and began rummaging through her uniform. She pulled her boots on, then tied the Scouts green cloak around her person and walked toward the mirror. She inspected herself critically in the glass as she brushed the stray hairs out of her face. After a few moments, she straightened her shoulders and turned towards the bedroom door.

After Ilse concluded her breakfast she proceeded toward the main door and descended the stairs. Upon reaching the sidewalk, she briefly surveyed the crowd of passersby. She observed two children engaged in lively conversation on the opposite side of the sidewalk, while a family of three chatted idly nearby. She exhaled deeply before turning to her right and started forward.

Ilse dodged through oceans of people who bustled about their daily lives with barely a glance. Adults in business attire navigate their way through the crowds, and the shouts of shopkeepers mingling with the laughter of their customers ring out across the marketplace. A group of teenage girls walk past her, giggling loudly as they hold hands. Ilse watches as one girl turns to another and says something that makes the other girl laugh even more. But Ilse didn't payed mind to the sight, she focused on the task at hand.

Ilse frowned at the ground. As glad as she was that she survived the expedition into the dangerous lands outside of the walls, she couldn't help but feel a pang of survivor's guilt. Ilse couldn't remember the names of her squad mates, but she held clear memories of every single one that died during their recon mission. Which is evident since she had recurring nightmares featuring them every night.

Ilse shook her head to dispel the images from her mind. She was getting too carried away; there were far better things to focus on than guilt tripping herself over her dead squad mates. Instead of focusing on the negative thoughts floating around her mind, Ilse picked up her pace, hurrying toward her destination. After a few minutes she approached a giant building with two military police guards standing on either side of the entrance.

One guard nodded to her politely while the other simply stared. The pair let her pass when she reached the mahogany doors. Right hand reached the knob, twisted it, and pushed the door open. Said door closed behind her before she proceeded walking down a hallway leading to the designated chamber.

Dozens of wounded and shell-shocked soldiers from Wall Maria littered the floor of the hallway. Most lay unconscious, some moaning or groaning in pain, while others merely gazed forward or at the ceiling. The humid corridor was stewing with the smells of septic wounds, urine, and sweat. Many of the injured men were covered in dirt and blood, their wounds covered with bandages that had long lost their color, and some were quietly weeping or staring vacantly ahead. The entire scene was incredibly disheartening.

Ilse rounded a corner and advanced down another long hallway. More soldiers flanked the passage on either side of her, but unlike the ones she passed by earlier, these men and women were in good condition. Most of them were conversing casually among themselves, occasionally glancing her way but never stopping to talk. She turned and ascended up the stairs, then continued walking down a short hall that led to the chamber.

The door at the end of the hall opened to a rotund filled with tables arranged in a concentric pattern. Windows flanked the walls, allowing ample sunlight to stream into the room and illuminate the polished wooden surfaces. A few mounted candles dotted along the walls, and a large bookshelf stood against one wall filled with ancient books. A giant rectangular carpet covered most of the floor as it laid at the room's center under the table and chairs. Ilse saw a group of soldiers and familiar faces lounging across the room, sitting in chairs; the ones she recognized were Erwin Smith, Hange Zoe, Nanaba, Gelgar, Henning, Lynne, Miche Zacharius, her best friend Nifa, Gustav, Dhalis Zachary, and Commander Pyxis.

Ilse turned to her right and blinked in surprise. Sitting across the table, she met the eyes of a chubby man. He was an overweight man with a round face and a balding head with blond wavy hair on the sides. He had focused gray eyes, a blond mustache curled at the tips, and was seen wearing a noble and expensive attire.

Ilse couldn't believe her eyes. She was gazing at the face of the lord of Wall Sina, a noble man named Lord Wald. Although she didn't expect to see him to be all…chubby.

Ilse shook her head before pressing her fist to her heart in salute. Erwin raised his own hand to reciprocate before waving her closer. Ilse made her way to an empty seat then sat down between Nifa and Lynne.

"Well, now that everyone is here, shall we begin?" Pyxis spoke, breaking the silence.

Dhalis nodded.

"Yes, let's," Dhalis replied, turning his gaze toward Henning. "Go ahead, Henning."

Henning nodded before reaching for the document from the table.

"We received new reports sent from one of the soldiers at Wall Maria," Henning began. "The progress of reconstructing Wall Maria is proceeding smoothly. Slow as it may be, but progress nonetheless. The population has begun rising significantly again. But those who have lost their homes during the attack in Wall Maria, along with many families with young children and elderly parents, remained back at Wall Rose in the homeless centers. The food supply that was almost lost in the invasion has been replenished and rationed enough to provide sufficient amounts for the residents."

Pyxis nodded. "That is excellent news."

"There is more," Henning added.

There was a pause in the conversation as the room fell silent and everyone waited for Henning's next words.

"One of the soldiers at the top of Wall Maria discovered something quite shocking." Henning paused, causing an uneasy silence to fall upon the room again. "The titans…have vanished."

Silence. Everyone in the room was gaping at each other as if in disbelief at what they just heard. Erwin, Pyxis, and Dhaliss' eyes narrowed slightly while Ilse stared at Henning with wide eyes.

"The soldier said that neither he or his squad mates didn't know what happened. One day they were there, walking past the wall or clawing at it as usual, and the next day…they were disappearing one by one," Henning continued. "Their numbers slowly dwindled with each passing day, until the entire field was barren of Titans."

Dhalis leaned forward onto his elbows while clasping his fingers together and resting his chin on them. Erwin folded his arms, and Hange adjusted her thick rimmed glasses.

"And it's not just from near the wall. Some of the areas where the Scouts usually find titan activity also disappeared," Henning informed. "Of course, there are still some small groups of titans they have seen somewhere in the east, but as for the north and west, they're completely empty; devoid of life. And all the soldiers at the wall have come to the conclusion that this was possibly done by one certain individual."

Miche folded his arms and closed his eyes.

"Titan Slayer." Miche said after a moment's thought.

Lynne glanced at Miche upon hearing the name 'Titan Slayer'. When she and her squad mates traveled from Sina to Rose, she heard some of the soldiers from the military police make remarks about a mysterious man clad in armor who had killed countless Titans during the attack at Wall Maria. Apparently he had slain every last surviving Titan on his own. At first, Lynne along with her squadron didn't believe any of what they were hearing. But when she asked the civilians from Wall Maria for more details, they all recounted the same thing and confirmed with sincerity that they were all true.

Every civilian in Wall Rose had heard tell of the Titan Slayer. However, all of them weren't present to witness his actions during Maria's attack. Rumors quickly spread of a metal man who could leap over buildings without the aid of ODM gear, match fifth-teen meter-class Titans in terms of strength, and conjure weapons out of thin air that spat fire and metal unlike anything their cannons were capable of. Lynne wished she was there to have seen it all.

"Nanaba," Hange Zoe spoke up, turning her gaze toward her. "Did you bring the sketch like I've asked?"

Nanaba glanced at Hange upon her name being called.

"Yes, ma'am," Nanaba replied.

Nanaba reached for another document laying on the table. She unfolded said document as she pulled out a piece of paper, handing it over to Hange. Hange took the paper from the scout and looked down at it.

Hange rubbed her chin in thought while inspecting the sketch. Just as the reports described, the image revealed a man that stood at an impressive height of seven feet, adorned in a cloak of darkish charcoal hue, which bore the unmistakable marks which she deduced was bloodstains. Each hand firmly grasped a long double barrel firearm that Hange had never seen before, and she discerned an unfamiliar suit of armor beneath the cloak.

Hange slightly narrowed her eyes. Very few things could grab her interest as much as the mystery concerning the origins of the Titans. She has spent countless hours of exhausting research in order to better understand the enemy, with only minor breakthroughs to show for her effort. Yet now she has a new target for her attention. The individual known as the Titan Slayer, who could stand toe-to-toe against even the largest of Titans with ease was something no lone soldier had done before.

But that wasn't the only thing that grabbed her attention. What really captivated her was not only did he come from outside of the wall, nor his incredible strength against the monstrous behemoths that lurks outside of their walls, but that he originated from a place called Argent D'Nur. The sound, pronunciation and otherworldliness threw her for a loop. Even when Hange silently pronounced it in her head, she frowned a bit when it didn't sound like somewhere familiar.

"Are there any update reports from Levi and his squad? Have they been able to find the Slayer's whereabouts?" Erwin asked, glancing at Henning. Henning shook his head.

"No, sir. I'm afraid not," Henning replied. "The search is still going as we speak, however, no matter how hard they look they couldn't find him."

Lord Wald clicked his tongue.

"I'm sorry, but am I the only sane man here who's concerned?" Wald spoke up, staring at each individual with narrowed eyes.

Pyxis turned his gaze toward Wald.

"And what is it that's concerning you, your majesty?" Pyxis asked, grinning at the man. Everyone else also turned their gaze toward the chubby man.

"The walls have protected us from the titans for hundreds of years, then all of a sudden they somehow found a way to breach through," Wald began. "Then this, Titan Slayer, comes out of nowhere, and if the reports of his feats are true, that makes him quite literally unstoppable. When it comes to soldiers, all that was needed was to give them a weapon and tell them where to point it. So long as they were on your side, they would follow instructions. Even Captain Levi is an obedient soldier who did as ordered. Sure, he would step out of line from time to time, but he would always reel himself back in."

Wald glared down at the table and balled his fist.

"This Slayer though…is no mere soldier. And it's not him being able to fight against the largest of titans that concerns me. Rather it's the question that's in the back of my mind: if someone like this Titan Slayer existed outside of the wall…who's to say he's not the only one? What if there's more of him that lives in…what was it called?"

"Argent D'Nur." Nanaba guessed, folding her arms.

"Yes, yes, that," Wald replied. "What if there's more like him that lives in this Argent D'Nur place? How do we know they won't become an even bigger threat to us then the titans we've dealt with. I say we should—"

"Your majesty," Ilse interrupted. "I—forgive me for interrupting, but don't you think you're judging William too soon?"

Wald raised a brow at Ilse.

"William?" Wald echoed, his countenance washed with bewilderment. "His name is Titan Slayer, is it not?"

"Titan Slayer is a title the people of Maria he saved have given him. His real name is William." Erwin stated.

Miche turned his gaze toward Ilse.

"Hold on a second…you know his name? Does that mean you've spoken to this guy?" Miche asked. Everyone around the table shifted their attention to her.

Ilse rubbed her arm.

"Yes, I have," Ilse replied. "But from what I learned during my time with him, he's not much of a talker. Which is evident since whenever I asked him a certain question he barely replied to some of them."

Wald narrowed his eyes on her.

"And you're certain he was the only one there? Were there any more of him during your time together?" Wald asked, leaning a little close to Ilse. Ilse shook her head.

"No. Just him." Ilse replied.

Erwin closed his eyes. In his mind's eye, it would have taken the Garrison Regiment considerably longer to deal with all the stragglers. But the Titan Slayer managed to slaughter every single Titan with such ease. Based on what he read on the reports, the mysterious armored man completely disregarded everyone he passed, and the soldiers who had initially been present to see him fight were actually giving him a wide berth. There was no way in Hell that the Scout Commander was going to allow such a valuable asset to simply wander off.

"Whether he is alone or not, doesn't change the plan," Erwin said, reopening his eyes. "I'm not sure how exactly he came to our land, but one thing is for sure; his very presence is diminishing the Titan's numbers, and had it not been for his interference, we would have lost Shiganshina to the Titans. Twice Shiganshina was nearly lost by both the Titans and the unknown that we still have no intel about, and countless members of the Garrison Regiment died in the process. Wall Maria may be secured, but who's to say it won't be breached again? We can not allow such a potential valuable asset to simply wander off our radar."

Dhalis stared blankly at Erwin.

"You want to bring him in?" Dhalis asked, looking at Erwin curiously.

Erwin shifted his gaze toward Dhalis.

"Yes," Erwin replied with certainty. "I would like to enlist the aid of the Slayer in protecting the three walls along with its inhabitants. His assistance will be vital to our cause in eradicating the Titans out of existence for good."

Wald's eyes grew large. By hearing this from the commander, his expression transformed from shock to anger. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Are you joking?" Wald did not approve of this. "We have titans whose sheer existence is to eat whatever remnants of humanity is left, and you want to invite another monster inside our walls?"

Ilse glared at Lord Wald. "How could you say that? You don't even know him."

"Know him?" Wald rounded on Ilse, glaring at her in return. "I know enough to acknowledge that freak of nature is too dangerous to step foot inside our walls."

Hange adjusted her goggles.

"With all due respect Lord Wald, that same freak saved more lives than we can count," Hange retorted. "If he's a monster as you say, then why would he go out of his way and save all those people? Had he not intervened, the food shortage in Wall Rose would have increased tenfold due to the refugees from Shiganshina packing it."

Nanaba chimed in. "She has a point, your majesty."

Pyxis nodded in agreement.

"Have you ever heard of the saying: Never judge a book by its cover? I understand your concerns, your majesty. We all do. But some of us here do not share them," Pyxis said, taking a sip of his canteen before continuing. "The possibility of William being a threat to humanity is very low; just as Hange established, many human lives were saved thanks to his deeds, and we are in his debt. It would be a waste of an opportunity if we just let him whisk away."

Wald huffed and folded his arms.

"Even if that's the case, it's not like any one of you knows where he is." Wald said, glaring at the floor.

"Heh, heh, heh, yes, that's true." Pyxis chuckled.

Ilse lowered her gaze to the carpeted floor. The sudden memory of her first encounter with William briefly flashed in her head. Her eyes slightly widened as realization dawned on her.

"I think…I know where he might be." Uttered Ilse.

Everyone shifted their gaze at Ilse.

Erwin Smith's eyes narrowed as he focused on the young scout.

Sunshine basked the old headquarters of the Survey Corp. The members of Levi Squad were scattered around various buildings while waiting for new orders from Captain Levi. Isabel Magnolia was sweeping the floor in a storage room.

Furlan Church was also in the storage room with Isabel. He was tasked with wiping down empty shelves of any remnants of dust, and once he was finished he began cleaning small glass cups. Isabel finished sweeping and then set the sweeper against the wall before putting her hands over her head and leaning against the storage room wall.

"Do you think they are true? You know, the rumors at Shiganshina?" Isabel asked.

Furlan held the cup up to his eyes and studied the round glass. Frowning, he lowered it and continued rubbing the napkin around it. To ensure there weren't any bits of dirt left.

"I honestly don't know," Furlan answered. "I mean it sounds so bizarre when you think about it. It's shocking enough that the Titans somehow found a way to breach the wall, killing every living human in sight. But a mysterious armored man, coming out of seemingly nowhere starts slaughtering Titans without the support of ODM gear and sealing up the hole in the wall. Yeah, that's both an even bigger shock and something hard for me to believe."

"But what if the rumors are true? You know, about this Titan Slayer guy?" Isabel asked, slightly tilting her head. Furlan sighed and then placed the glass cup back on the shelf.

Furlan turned his body around to fully face Isabel.

"Okay, let's say these rumors are hypothetically true," Furlan proposed. "Then it personally raises questions with me. What do I mean by this? Well, as you already know, titans appeared a hundred years ago and began preying on humans. Their overwhelming strength quickly pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. See, we were told as kids that we were the last remnants of humanity, right? Now if this is the case, where did the Titan Slayer come from? The reports said he came from outside of the wall but that leads me to my next question: what the hell was he doing out there?"

"Besides the Titans roaming around the fields, there's nothing out there. You would think someone who was outside of the wall should be dead, right? Without ODM gear and blades to defend yourself, heh, you might as well close the curtains because you're toast. But despite these odds, he came back a second time, by not just eliminating more titans but the unknown enemy that breached Wall Maria. But getting back to the subject, I've established that he came from outside of the wall, yeah?"

Isabel nodded.

"Then that would make the Titan Slayer an outsider," Furlan continued. "But what bugs me about this is that if he's been out there for God knows how long, how did we not notice him?"

Isabel shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe he was hiding." Isabel proposed, glancing at the floor. Furlan stared at her skeptically.

"Heh, okay, hiding from who?" Furlan asked, chuckling a little.

"Hiding from the Titans?"

Furlan shook his head.

"That would've been more realistic if he was inside the walls like everyone else," Furlan said, taking another cup from the shelf to proceed with his daily task. "But even if he was hiding in the shadows under our noses, what prompted him to come out? These are just questions that are just swirling around my head."

"Yeah, I can tell," said Isabel.

There was a moment of silence. The only thing that could be heard was the slight squeaking sound of glass being rubbed. After a few minutes, Furlan spoke up.

"You know, this whole situation reminds me of a story my mother once read to me," Furlan said, glancing up into space with a smile gracing his lips. Isabel blinked blankly at him.

"What was the story called?" Isabel asked, looking at Furlan curiously.

Furlan glanced at Isabel with a smile.

"The Silent Guardian," Furlan answered.

Isabel smiled back at him. "Mind telling me the story?"

"Heh, what are you, five?"

"Come on, I wanna hear it!"

Furlan gazed at her for a second before placing the clean glass cup back on the shelf and turning his body around to fully face her again.

"Once upon a time, there was a woman named Mia: she had a loving husband, seven kids, and a baby as a bonus—which makes eight children," Furlan narrated, folding his arms. "She and her family lived in a beautiful town that was filled with peace and harmony. Children's giggles and laughter filled the air, salesmen in the market shouting for customers, couples holding hands as they walked together. Everyone in the town believed that this peace would last forever."

Furlan's smile slowly fell.

Isabel frowned upon noticing.

"That is…until the raiders came," he continued. "As quickly as they had arrived, the entire town was in complete chaos. Buildings were set ablaze, and men and women were killed by being shot down by arrows or cut down like pigs. Not even the children were shown any mercy. Poor Mia had to watch as these monsters disguised as humans killed every single one of the people she held most dear; along with her children."

"God…" Isabel said breathlessly.

Furlan closed his eyes.

"When the slaughter finally settled, she and her baby were the only two remaining. They were soon surrounded by the raiders. Mia was terrified beyond words, any hope of escaping was diminished. She held her baby close to her as she felt death was upon them." Furlan reopened his eyes and smirked at Isabel. "But then…he came."

Isabel blinked in surprise.

"A tall giant man clothed in black armor from head to toe. Facing down the army of raiders. He stood alone against the terrifying army with no signs of apprehension. Mia was amazed that the armored man wasn't afraid at all, in spite of being outnumbered. And before she could even blink, the dark knight charged forth with his sword and shield in hand. His armor not once being pricked by one of the raider's blades as he cut them down one by one. Mia was terrified at what she was seeing, this is true, but not as much as she was in awe."

"Never in her life had she seen a display of such skill and overwhelming power; power that no one on earth can ever hope to match. The raiders that had been so terrifying a moment ago, now seemed like ants before an unstoppable executioner. Even when some of them managed to land a hit, it did nothing and in the end they were slain too. When the dust finally settled, the earth's floor was littered with corpses of all those he slain. Mia watched in silence as the dark knight walked away…never to be seen again. The next day when she found another village, she began spreading word of a man so unyielding and unbeatable, his name was forever remembered for centuries as a legend. She called him…The Silent Guardian."

Isabel stared in awe at Fluran.

"Woah…" Isabel was amazed.

"Oi."

Isabel jumped out of fright upon recognizing the familiar voice. She and Fluran turned their gaze toward the doorway in time to see Levi entering the room. His countenance blank and cold as ever.

"You two finished?"

Somewhere beyond the infinite emptiness Frieda Reiss could feel a gentle rocking sensation. There was nothing, no sounds, shapes, visions – just darkness and the soft, soothing back-and-forth motion. The sensation mimicked that of a comforting lullaby, reminiscent of a child being cradled by a mother. Despite the tranquility, an unsettling feeling crept over Frieda, hinting at an underlying unease that lingered amidst the peaceful sway.

Frieda gradually became aware that the gentle rocking was growing in intensity. Something wasn't right. On top of this she was quickly becoming aware of a constraining, unpleasant feeling around her hands. Quickly the odd feeling evolved into a deep anxiety and it consumed her. She tried to focus on other calmer things but found no luck. The gentle rocking had grown too intense. Anxiety turned into fear, a fear turning into an fiery panic as she saw three men attacking her and Historia—

Frieda opened her eyes with a start and nearly cried out. She and Historia were both tied up by their hands against a guard rail in what looked to be a lower cabin of a ship. It was a small, dimly-lit room which was seemingly used for storage; there were small crates everywhere around them. As everything came into focus, Frieda fought off her pounding headache and present nausea, looking to her left. There lay Historia. She herself appeared to still be out cold, but breathing, prompting her to sigh in relief.

At least we're together, Frieda thought.

Frieda closed her eyes. It took her a while to fully come around, but eventually she was able to piece together exactly what had happened. The memory came flooding back as soon as it clicked: she was out paying another visit to Historia and while the two were playing she suddenly saw three strange men approaching them. A fight ensued, but the humans had won out: They had been drugged, and they had been kidnapped. Frieda began to breathe rhythmically, focussing on its pattern.

One, two…

Frieda opened her eyes when she was satisfied that she'd calmed down enough. She sat there, numb to the entire situation. The gravity of it all hadn't yet hit, and she knew that all too well. Frieda feared the inevitable breakdown that would occur when it finally did arrive.

Frieda blinked. From her left came a soft whimper. It was enough to attract her attention; she turned her head, and saw Historia letting out a gasp as she did.

"Frieda? W-where are we?" Historia asked, looking around the room they're in.

Historia turned her gaze toward Frieda. Fear etched across Historia's features as the pair looked at one another. The poor girl was scared.

"I…I don't know," answered Frieda.

"Land ahoy!"

Frieda and Historia went rigid when they heard a cry from on deck. It was followed by the sound of numerous footsteps moving to and fro as crewmembers readied for arrival. In their silence they could hear calling and shouting from above and could feel the boat rocking back and forth. After a short moment there was a jolt, and then the boat moved no longer.

The strained cough of its engine stopped. The crew yelled at each other and amidst the chaotic footsteps and hollers a jeep engine came to life, meaning only one thing: they had reached their destination. The main cabin door swung widely open, causing Frieda and Historia wincing as sunlight assaulted them while pouring in. Once their vision returned fully they beheld a man who stepped into the cabin, removing his military hat. Followed by a crew of four – one of whom had a sizable rifle readied, trained in the direction of Frieda and Historia.

The pair looked up at the man in the middle. Though not particularly tall or well-built he carried with him a sense of authority and self-importance. The man approached Frieda before slowly dropping down on one knee, resting his arm on said knee and planting his fist on the floor.

"We're going to take you two somewhere. Try anything, or if you so much as blink the wrong way…you're dead." The man warned the girls.

Frieda and Historia didn't grace the man with a response. Both of them quelled a strong nausea that had suddenly overcome her. Through her buzzing head Frieda glanced over to Historia whose eyes remained wide, frightened. Her face had drained of color and her mouth hung agape.

"Now I'm going to let you two free, and once you've been unshackled I'd like you to follow me." The man motioned to some crew members who loosened the ties. Under the armed guard's imposing gaze, they shakily helped one another to their feet.

"You okay?" Frieda asked, her tone laced with concern.

"I feel sick..." Replied Historia

"We'll take it steady, Historia. Just... stay close to me."

The guard motioned with his rifle; the pair moved slowly across the room and followed the military man above deck.

Doom Slayer stepped out of the cave and stood at the clearing's center. With a deep breath, he found himself staring up at the clear blue sky as puffy clouds hovered overhead. He glanced to the tree tops and saw a bird on an overhanging branch. Its small chirps echoed throughout the valley, and were soon returned by a similar call.

It was quite peaceful.

"Yo, Slayer."

The Hell Walker snapped his head back straight and glared forward. Standing ten feet away from him, the Slayer saw a middle aged man. He walked slowly toward him with a maniacal grin gracing his lips, almost as if he was about to crack a foul joke.

He had shoulder-length brown hair with sideburns, a thin beard along his jawline, and piercing gray eyes bordered by crow's feet. Tall and slim, he sustained an athletic build well into his middle-age and his attire consisted of a simple white shirt with a black vest overtop, black pants, and a dark fedora hat. He sported a fashioned, black trench coat that finished his appearance.

The Doom Slayer turned to his left when he heard rustling from the bushes. Exiting the bushes stood a young blonde haired woman with a fit, thin build. She held a calm, almost sad expression. Her blonde hair was just a little bit past shoulder length which she kept tied back with bangs that were parted down the middle. She wore a pair of tight black pants, a white button-up shirt, and a pair of black shoes along with her gear that caught the Slayer's eye.

More bushes rustling cause the Unchained Predator to glance at his right. A big group of individuals of two genders emerge from the bushes, staring back at the Slayer with calculating and intelligent eyes. The Slayer's eyes landed on one man that was average in height and build. He had short brown hair which he kept slicked back, and a thin beard, and could be seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark pants under his gear.

"Don't worry, this isn't an ambush or anything." The Slayer redirected his gaze toward the mysterious man with the fedora hat. "I've seen you take down those Titans back there. You were havin' a hell of a time weren't you?"

The Doom Slayer didn't grace him with a response.

"I can tell you're a busy man, so I'll cut straight to the case." Said the mysterious fedora man.

The fedora man pulled a cigar and a lighter from his pants pocket. He placed said cigar between his teeth, snapped his lighter open as a small flame danced through the wind. He leaned close to the flame until he lit up the cigar. Then he tucked his lighter back in his shirt pocket.

"We need your help."

To be continued...

A/N: Whew, it feels good to be back! Hello young readers, welcome back to a written series: Perpetual Infernal: Rip & Tear For Humanity. A story I haven't gotten back to since 2023. As I have established from last chapter, we're now in the second arc involving Frieda and Historia who have been kidnapped during the second breach of Shiganshina back at the first arc. Kenny Ackerman and his team have finally found the Doom Slayer and will try their best to convince him to aid them in finding the two royals, Frieda and Historia, and bring them back to Rod Reiss.

Now just so we're all clear, I haven't forgotten about Marley. The third party called the Hinotōchi in this story is just the appetizer; Marley will be the full meal and is still the main antagonist. Marley is also aware of the Hinotōchi and has crossed paths with them once or twice. But I wouldn't say they're friends, they're more like kindred spirits. Next chapter will definitely feature a scene of Marley submarine watching the Hinotōchi army heading toward Paradis, and what their thoughts were as they watched.

But hey, have any of you guys seen the Xbox game showcase for Doom: The Dark Ages? Oh my god, the trailer was sick!! I found myself watching that trailer over, and over, and over again! But as awesome as the soundtrack was in the trailer, I'm saddened that the original guy who made metal tracks for Doom: Eternal is no longer associated with the developers. Such a shame, but I have hope that the new soundtrack in this game will keep it going.

I love how the developers made a weapon that allows you to use skulls as ammo and combined a chainsaw into a shield. And the Doom Slayer's medieval armor was absolutely beautiful! What got me hooked the most was seeing the Doom Slayer piloting the Doom Mech for the first time, and I honestly can't wait to get my hands on it when it launches. With all of that said, I'll be taking my leave. See you all at the next chapter young readers!