AUTHOR'S POV:
"Kenny!" Levi shouted and threw his blade at Kenny who simply dodged it with his gun.
Levi pulled his cloak infront of him and ducked, dodging Kenny's shot.
He started running on the rooftop, dodging another shot.
He jumped off and used his ODM gear to escape.
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"Gunshots?" Keiji said, looking at the direction.
He panicked, noticing 2 men in ODM gear following the wagon.
"What's going on?" Eren asked.
"Stay inside!" Keiji said and increased the speed of the wagon.
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One man shot a hook to the wagon's cover and removed it.
The trio gasped. Eren turned around to find a gun. He picked it up.
Before he could do anything, the man shot a tranquilizer dart to Historia, making her unconscious.
"Historia!" Eren said, walking closer to her
Another tranquilizer dart hit Eren's neck, making him unconsious too. He fell on top of Historia.
"Eren!" Keiji yelled.
A woman from Kenny's squad shot Keiji on his face, making him fall to the ground, rolling.
She took control of the wagon. She turned around, hearing ODM gear sound.
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Levi was chasing her with his ODM gear.
Suddenly, three members of Kenny's squad appeared infront of him.
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Levi kept dodging their attacks, swinging.
'Shit! They must have been three steps ahead of us this whole time!' Levi thought.
He noticed the shadow of Kenny and gasped.
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Kenny shot two times with a smirk.
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Levi dodged the shots and turned to an alleyway.
'Kenny! Why the hell would you join up with the Military Police!?'
3 men kept following him, but he dodged their every attack.
He got a wound right above his left eye, trying to dodge a bullet.
Then he crashed inside a bar, right beside the bartender, taking everyone by surprise.
The bartender started shaking, hands closer to his chest.
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"Hey! That's Levi from the Survey Corps!" One customer said.
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Levi sat up on the counter, blood rolling down his face.
"W-welcome sir!" The bartender said, shaking, closed eyes.
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Kenny landed in front of the bar.
"Well now." Kenny said to himself.
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'Shit. At this rate I'm going to lose Eren, Historia, and my entire team.' Levi wiped the blood from his left eye.
"I could have sworn I caught the scent of a filthy drifting from this bar." Kenny said, standing outside, taking Levi by surprise. "Come out and play! Little rat." He slowly stepped up the stairs. "There you are!" He jumped inside the bar. "Time for the Military Reline to exterminate some vermin!" He tapped his legs on the floor. "Bang! Bang!"
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Levi was hiding behin the counter.
The bartender flinched and the customers were staring at Kenny with wide eyes.
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"The hell? Where did he go?" Kenny said, looking up.
"Right here, Kenny." Levi replied. "It's been a while. Never thought you would still be alive." He slightly looked up. "So, instead of executing the Military Police, you decided to join them?"
"Adults do plenty of things a kid like you can't understand." Kenny replied. "Oops! My bad. You are so short, I keep forgetting you have gotten older." His upper face was covered by his hat. "I've been looking forward to seeing you in action. I never thought you'd put all those tricks I taught you to such good use. But didn't I ever tell you what happens to a cornered rat?"
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Kenny's squad members surrounded the bar.
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"It doesn't matter which way you try to run. You'll be shot down from on high no matter what" Kenny grabbed a chair. "Hey Levi..." He threw the chair right above Levi. "I have a little feeling that I understand exactly why you joined the Survey Corps." Levi looking down intently. "It was all we could do to stay alive in that garbage heap. Just surviving each day took everything we had. And don't you remember how much it hurt when we learned how big the world really was? But it wasn't all that hard to save ourselves." He picked up another chair and pointed his gun. "We just had to find something we wanted to do. It's that simple. The cold, hard truth is that the only thing you really need to lead a fulfilling life is a hobby!"
"A hobby?" Levi asked. "So, blowing my teammates' head off is a hobby to you, is it?"
"Yup." Kenny replied and Levi turned a bottle around in the self, getting a clear view of Kenny. "I don't care who or what I have to mow down to achieve my greater goal. And don't pretend you're any different. You've done your share of killing." He prepared to throw the chair.
"Yeah." Levi replied and shot Kenny with a gun which Kenny dodged with the chair and fell backward, outside of the bar.
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His squad members quickly got on guard. Caven pointed a gun towards Kenny.
"Wait!" Her teammate said, stopping her. "It's the captain!"
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"Thanks for your help." Levi said and tossed the gun to the bartender.
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Levi threw a chair at a window, breaking it's glass.
Duran quickly shot at the chair, thinking it's Levi.
He gasped when the smoke cleared, revealing the chair.
"A chair?" Duran said.
Suddenly, Levi came out from the window and shot his hook right on Duran's forehead and dragged his body to another rooftop.
The Kenny squad started shooting at Levi, but he used Duran's body as a shield and ran towards them.
He dropped the body and shot a hook to another rooftop and killed the two man in one go.
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In the distance, Sasha landed on a rooftop, scared.
"I hear gun shots!" She informed.
"Huh?" Connie said, turning to her.
"Over there!" Sasha said, pointing to her right.
Connie put his hands over his ears to listen better.
he others were on the same rooftop.
"I heard a lot of shots!" Sasha said.
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"What do you think happened?" Faye asked, standing beside Mikasa.
"Most likely." Mikasa said, looking down, grabbing everyone's attention. "What the Captain wanted me to tell you all is that stating now, there will be times when we have no choice but to fight humans."
"That means..." Faye trailed off.
Mikasa took off, using her ODM gear towards Levi.
"Hey!" Connie called out.
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In the distance, Nile noticed Mikasa, using the ODM gear.
A wagon was parked beside him.
"Was that the first interrior squad?" Nile asked.
"Commander!" An MP called out, grabbing Nile's attention. "There is some paperwork we need you to review."
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Kenny was still laying on the ground, his hat covering his face.
"Captain!" Caven said, walking towards him. "Did you finally kick it?"
"Quit playing around." Kenny replied, removing his hat from his face. "How would I answer that if I was dead? Off, that stings..."
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Inside the bar, the bartender's daughter was comforting him while others were talking to eachother, scared.
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"He got me good." Kenny said. "It slipped my mind that a bar would have a gun to use in emergencies." He sat up. "I guess his mind grew up, even if his body didn't."
"That's good to hear." Caven replied.
"What? Like hell it is!" Kenny said, sitting straight. "Wonder when I'm gonna start getting closer to my dream."
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Mikasa and others were flying with the ODM gear.
Connie noticed unconscious Eren and Historia in a wagon, led by Kenny's squad member.
"Look! It's Eren and Mikasa." Connie said.
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The wagon turned left to an intersection, followed by Levi.
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"Captain!" Sasha said.
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Kenny's squad member came from behind and shot which Levi easily dodged and shot a hook right to his chest. He brought him closer and killed him with his sword.
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Mikasa and the others were looking at him intently.
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Levi stopped at a building, noticing Mikasa and the others.
"Catch that wagon!" Levi commanded.
"Yes sir!" Mikasa replied.
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The Levi squad started following the wagon.
"Listen up! They are used to fighting other people!" Levi said. "They already got there of ours." The others gasped. "You can't afford to hesitate if you want to get those two back! Of you get the chance, you kill! Got it?"
"Understood." Mikasa replied.
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Levi jumped on a clothed roof top of a stall and used the momentum to jump. He shot a hook at the man who standing on the wagon and threw him and flew away.
"Armin! Faye!" He called out, looking behind him. "Secure the wagon! We will cover you."
"Yes sir!" Armin replied, hesitantly.
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Both of them landed on the wagon, gaining the attention of Kenny's squad member. She looked behind and pointed a gun towards them.
Mikasa came from her left and kicked her, making her fall. Faye quickly pointed a gun towards her head.
"Don't move!" Faye ordered, confidently.
The soilder wiped her blood and tried to get up.
When she was about to hit Faye's gun to toss it away, Faye shot her on her head in a panic.
Faye dropped the gun and fell to her knees with wide eyes, hands shaking.
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Levi kept chasing the wagon. He noticed three of the Kenny's squad members behind Faye.
"Armin! Faye!" Levi called out.
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Before they could shoot, Mikasa and Sasha grabbed Armin and Faye and landed on a rooftop.
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The three Kenny's squad members took control of the wagon.
A man kept shooting at Mikasa but she dodged.
She landed on the road and saw two more squad members going after the wagon.
Gritting her teeth, she was about to go after them but, Levi stopped her.
"Stop! We need to fall back!" Levi ordered, blocking her.
Mikasa tried to break free but she couldn't. Then she gasped.
"Ereeennn!" She shouted with despair.
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At the Royal Capital, the noblemen, priests and some higher ups were discussing about Eren and Historia.
"Not only have we failed to draw information out of Erwin." Aurille said. "But we have yet to even locate Eren Jaeger and Historia. At this rate, we will have gained nothing from freezing the Survey Corps."
"Indeed." A higher up said. "Can we at least learn something of what Pastor Mick told them?"
"I am afraid not." Aurille replied. "If we probe too hard, we'll end up teaching them things they didn't know yet."
"Instead of concerning ourselves with what they know, focus on what they tried to learn. That will do enough." A higher up said, arms crossed. "We should use the Humanity Charter to take care of them. Just as we have been doing thus far.
Someone opened the door, grabbing their attention.
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Aurille was standing, holding a paper and a soilder was standing before him.
"There's word from Lord Reiss." Aurille said and gasped. He turned towards the fake king. "Eren and Historia have been captured. He's already moved against Erwin and Survey Corps. There is no need for us to take action."
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Outside Erwin's office, 2 MPs were carrying two crates.
Erwin was looking at them through the window.
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"You can have some of your personal effects brought in later." Nile said, standing in the doorway.
"No, it's fine." Erwin replied, turning to him. "I was hoping to speak with you."
"I'm in no mood to reminisce about the past." Nile replied.
"How cold of you, Nile." Erwin said, sitting on a chair. "Remember when we trained to join the Survey Corps together?" He picked up a matchbox. "This tiny world is about to change. Will that change bring hope or despair. Can the future of humanity be entrusted to the government or not? Who gets to choose?" Erwin lit up a match stick. "Who decides? Who will you trust?"
"Erwin just what are you planning to do?" Nile asked, watching intently.
"The same thing I always do. Gamble." Erwin replied, liting a candle."
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Faye was standing infront of a cannel, looking down. Mikasa was standing beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Mikasa..." Faye said with teary eyes. "For some moments back then... I thought if Eren could... Take someone's life, I would be able to too." She looked at Mikasa. "But, I didn't realise that it would be this hard to cope..."
Mikasa couldn't say anything.
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The Levi squad were in a warehouse, sitting around a campfire. All of them were holding field rations.
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Sasha was outside to look out.
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Faye was just looking at the fire without any expression.
"What's wrong?" Levi asked. "Did this filthy room killed your appetite?"
"No..." Faye said. "That's not it... I just... Can't accept the fact that... I took someone's life..."
"Faye, your hands are permanently stained with blood now." Levi said. "You'll never be able to go back to the way you were."
"Why would you say that?" Mikasa asked angrily.
"Embrace the new you." Levi said. "Afterall, if you'd kept your hands clean, humanity might have lost a titan shifter."
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Behind them, Dimo and his son was sitting on the floor, hands tied and mouth covered.
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"I'll tell you why you pulled the trigger. You and Armin's life was in danger." Levi said. "Faye, it's only because you bloodied your hands, that nobody on our team ended up dead. Thank you."
Faye just nodded and started eating.
"It still feels wrong... To kill another human..." Faye said. "But, that's just how it is. Even if it feels wrong... It was the right thing to do at that time..."
"I never said anything about who was right or wrong." Levi said. "I don't pretend to know what's right. Who's to say you made the wrong choice?"
Faye again nodded, looking down.
"Now then." Levi said, standing up. "It's about time we hear what he has to say."
He walked towards Dimo and removed the cloth from his mouth.
"I don't know a thing All I days transport wagons-" Dimo said.
"We have met once before." Mikasa said, interrupting him. "In the city, people were calling him boss."
"Yeah, I remember." Levi said. "Dimo Reeves, right?"
"We were only doing what the Military Police ordered us to do." Dimo said, looking away. "But we failed completely. Now they'll dismantle the Reeves Company for scrap. They won't stop at me and my idiot son. They will make sure all my employees die in so-called accidents."
"And you don't plan on fighting back?" Levi asked.
"Huh?" Dimo said, looking at him.
"Trost should be in disarray by now, but it's holding together." Levi said. "That's because the Reeves Company employs enough people to keep the economy up. How many people do you think would survive the winter if your company went belly up?"
"Are you suggesting I team up with you?" Dimo asked.
"We just need to know where Eren and Historia are." Levi said. "You supply the Military Police, so together I'm sure we can figure it out."
"But, can you can stop my city and employees from dying of starvation?" Dimo asked.
"I can't guarantee that." Levi replied, kneeling on one leg infront of him. "However, you can trust that we'll move towards that end."
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Hange and Moblit saw the last MP leaving in a wagon from the window.
"I am glad that everyone is finally gone." Hange said.
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"Erwin!" Hange said after abruptly opening his office door. "Bad news!" Erwin turned to her. "The situation got worst! Two things happened. First, Eren and Historia were abducted, three members of my squad were killed too." Moblit closed the door. "I'm planning to meet up with Levi to see if we can hunt down their location." She walked towards him and took out a paper.
"And the other?" Erwin asked.
"Eren remembered something Ymir and Bertolt spoke about." She put her hand on her forehead and closed her eyes. "But, if this is accurate... I think my head is gonna explode!"
Erwin poured some water in a cup.
"Calm down!" Moblit said, putting his hand on her shoulder.
"What's the problem?" Erwin asked, holding out the cup.
Hange took the cup from his hand and drank the water in one go.
"If we don't rescue him fast Eren will be eaten!" Hange said.
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A wagon was carried out by Dimo in a forest.
Ralf and Sannes were sitting inside.
"Hey!" Sannes called out. "Is Levi's group actually out here?"
"They are." Dimo replied, turning around. "After I promised to cooperate with him, he just let me go real easy."
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The wagon came to a stop.
"Are we there?" Sannes asked, looking outside.
Faye pointed a gun at him, making him gasp. Levi and the others were behind her.
When he was about to turn around, Faye hit him on his face with the back of her gun.
He fell on the floor of the wagon.
"Reeves you damn-" Ralf said, panicking, turning to Dimo.
He was interrupted when Mikasa knocked him out by hitting him with the back of a gun.
"Sorry about this, sirs." Dimo said.
He looked at Levi who just nodded.
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The wagon was stopped infront of an abandoned house.
Levi's squad took Sannes and Ralf inside the house.
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Dimo and Flegel were sitting at the end of the wagon.
"Hey..." Flegel said, looking at the abandoned house. "Are you sure were are safe now, Dad?"
"We can't be sure of that." Dimo replied.
"What?" Flegel said, turning to Dimo. "What!? Then why are we doing this?"
Dimo slapped Flegel, who winched.
"Merchants can't afford to have weak instincts." Dimo said. "You can not focus only on immediate profit. You've got to understand how to plan for long-term gains as well! And when you see your chance, bite onto it and never let go. Got it? Remember that."
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In a room, Sannes was tied up to a chair, being tortured by Levi, who was wearing an apron, covered in blood.
Sannes was bruised all over his face, some nails missing. A stool was beside him.
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"Sorry, I am late." Hange said after abruptly opening the door, Moblit following behind. "I hope you are not done yet."
"Yeah, I am pretty new to this." Levi replied.
"Sannes!" Hange yelled. "I am not an expert at torturing humans like you are!" Moblit closed the door behind him. Hange walked towards Sannes, hands on her hips. "So, have patience while I learn!" She picked up a cutting plier.
"Wait, what do you even want?" Sannes asked in a frightened tone. "Why are you torturing me if you don't even have questions?"
"Oh, that's right." Levi said. "We do have some questions for you. Where are Eren and Historia?" Sannes was looking at him with one eye. "Why are you after Historia? Who are the Reiss family?"
"Too slow!" Hange shouted. "We're gonna need answers faster than that!"
She pulled one nail of Sannes, making him scream in agony.
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Mikasa and the others were in another room. Mikasa was leaning against the wall while the rest of them were sitting at the table.
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"I feel like he's screaming even louder than when the captain was doing it." Sasha said.
"I know this is to help get those two back, but it makes me sick." Connie said.
"All of us are criminals now." Armin said, looking down, grabbing everyone's attention except for Faye and Mikasa. "We started killing our enemies not because they eat us if we fail, but because their views differ from our own. No, maybe it's just because they're part-"
"It's not that." Faye said, interrupting him, looking down. "We started killing them because they kidnapped the only hope of humanity for their selfish reasons." She looked at Armin dead in the eyes. "Armin, didn't you once told me that we have to abandon our humanity to bring changes?" Armin gasped, seeing Faye being angry for the first time. "That's what we are doing. Even if we are considered as criminals now, we are doing this for humanity."
The others couldn't say anything.
"Sorry..." Armin said, looking down. "You are right. I just got overwhelmed by today's events..."
.
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"Sorry, I guess I'm a novice at tearing off fingernails." Hange said. "How many times did you do it to get as good as you are?"
"I lost count a long time ago." Sannes replied. "Do you have any idea why there has yet to be a war within the confines of these walls? It's because we in the First Interior Squad dirtied our hands to protect the peace. That teacher who was too smart for his own good, the airheaded couple determined to fly, even that whore from some ranch in the sticks!" He raised his voice. "Humanity has only survived because we erase people like them! You should be thanking us. I've never seen anyone get more pleasure out of torture than you guys!" Hange and Levi kept looking at him with blank expression. "You are monsters! But, I am not even afraid." He lowered his voice. "I... I believe in the king. I believe in the King and the peace he brought to the walls. I believe that the things we've done were justified." He looked down. "But... I had no idea it hurts this much. Go on and torture me to death already. It would be the most fitting end to the bloodstained life I lived."
"Time for a break." Levi said and the trio walked away.
"This is tricky." Hange said. "I am starting to feel sorry for him.
Moblit closed the door slightly.
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"Not so rough! This hurts!" Ralf's voice grabbed Sannes' attention.
"Ralf?" He said.
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Outside the room on the stairs, Hange was holding a paper infront of Ralf and Levi was pointing a gun to his chest, making him read from the paper.
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"You are just pathetic." Levi said. "It only took one nail to make you talk. Sannes doesn't have any nail left. You are nothing like him."
"So what?" Ralf said. "That was his decision. He would never shut up about peace and the King. Nobody else could stand him."
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Sannes was looking at him with wide eye.
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"Do us a favor and kill him already." Ralf said.
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Sannes gasped.
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"We're not about to let him die before he verifies what you told us." Levi said.
"You already got what you wanted out of me. Give me a break." Ralf said, reading the words being pointed by Hange. "Hey, are you gonna give me a proper bed in my cell?"
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Sannes looked ahead with no expression. Then he slowly closed his eyes.
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Hange slowly opened the door, waking Sannes up. Levi was standing beside her.
"Ready, Sannes?" Hange asked. "It's time for round two. This is hard on me, too, but I'm gonna try my best to-"
"Reiss is the true Royal family." Sannes spoke up, interrupting Hange.
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Erwin was standing infront of the window, staring outside.
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In the distance, Dimo was standing before a wagon, covered with a hoodie, smoking.
'So much for trying not to stand out.' Dimo thought. 'When is Flegel going to shape up.'
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In a distance, Flegel was urinating behind a buliding.
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The clouds covered the moon, turning everything dark.
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Suddenly, Kenny appeared behind Dimo. He covered his mouth with his palm and put a knife against his neck.
"Merchants shouldn't betray their clients' trust." Kenny said and sliced his throat.
Dimo fell to the ground, motionless.
"Shouldn't we have tried to get Levi's location out of him? Caven asked.
"We don't need it." Kenny replied, cleaning his knife. "Levi will come to us."
"How do you know?" Caven asked.
"Because I raised him." Kenny replied, looking away. "Levi Ackerman is just that kind of guy."
Both of them walked away.
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Behind the building, Flegel was crying, hands covering his mouth.
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"The true successor to the throne is Historia?" Armin asked.
Everyone were standing with wide eyes.
"In other words, both Eren and Historia are likely wherever Rod Reiss is." Hange said and looked at Moblit.
Moblit nodded and placed a paper on the wall, straightening it with his palm.
In that paper, there was a drawing of Rod Reiss with some writings around it.
"This is him." Levi said.
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Rod was sitting infront of Historia, who was staring at him with curiosity. In a distance, Eren was laying, half-concious, hands tied and mouth covered.
"Historia." Rod said and hugged her. "I am sorry for everything."
Historia's eyes widened.
'What is... Going on... Here...'
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