One Year Ago.
Frieda sat on her bed inside her private room. Although she sat still, her limbs moved constantly, indicating that she was quite restless. While her expression didn't show much, her eyes flickered back and forth, extremely unsettled.
Today was the day of transfer, the day of inheritance.
Frieda looked at the candlelight, wondering if her uncle, Uri Reiss, had felt the same way she did thirteen years ago.
Throughout the preceding period, Frieda had been taught by her father about the importance of the inheritance ceremony. It was a lot of pressure, but Frieda volunteered to do it.
She didn't want to be like her uncle, possessing power but doing nothing. As one of the few who knew the truth about history, Frieda believed things shouldn't be this way.
"Today..."
She whispered to herself.
Just then, a "creak" of the latch opening sounded. The person who entered was her mother, already dressed for the transfer ritual.
"Frieda, get ready."
"Yes, Mother."
She answered respectfully, then began to change. Once dressed, her mother led her to where everyone was gathered in the large drawing-room—all members of the Reiss family. After everyone was assembled, they boarded a private carriage and were driven straight to the chapel.
Descending into the glowing cavern below, Frieda saw that her uncle had been sitting in the very center for an unknown amount of time. His expression was calm and peaceful, showing no signs of facing death.
Everyone remained silent and began preparations. Uri Reiss was placed on a raised platform slightly off-center of the cavern, his hands bound by chains. Frieda Reiss was in the center, looking up at her chained uncle.
"I... I can do this!"
Today, she had silently made this resolution countless times; this was probably the last one.
Rod handed her a syringe containing Titan spinal fluid and, with the others, retreated to a safe area. Seeing the moment arrive, Frieda gently gritted her teeth, plunging the syringe through her skin.
The sensation of the injection... was extremely peculiar...
Her vision, senses, feeling, even thought... everything Frieda used to perceive suddenly "blacked out," as if a connection had been severed. Frieda was thrown into an endless void, stripped of everything.
"No, no, no, no!!!"
She screamed madly, her will instantly shattering. Everything she had experienced, learned, and felt throughout her life vanished like bubbles, corrupting her will. At that moment, specks of light appeared in the pitch-black space. Frieda didn't think much, perhaps didn't need to think; she only wanted and had only one thought: swallow it whole, swallow that light.
"Freedom... freedom... freedom... freedom..."
"Free me from this eternal prison!!!"
In the real world, only silence followed Frieda's injection of the spinal fluid. Immediately, a spine appeared from the void and thrust her high up, flesh enveloping her, and a colossal figure grew. The Titan's arm moved, grabbing Uri Reiss. Without hesitation, it shoved him into its mouth and began to chew and swallow.
Crunch!
The sound of bones being ground echoed throughout the cavern area, blood and shredded flesh splattering, staining the area of worship. Rod watched everything unfolding before his eyes. Outwardly calm, but internally, he was utterly bewildered, accompanied by boundless fear.
He had only witnessed this scene twice in his life: the first was the transfer ritual of his father to his brother. The second was this one.
That colossal thing... was Frieda, Rod's daughter.
And the person being chewed and swallowed... was her uncle, his brother.
Rod could not understand why, after transforming into a Titan, Frieda hadn't hesitated for even a moment to immediately chew her uncle alive. It was as if, when faced with this entity, human morality was merely a worthless rag.
At the same time, in a deep place beyond physical reality, Frieda's consciousness was pulled there.
It was a white space. Completely opposite to that terrifying darkness.
But Frieda was even more terrified, because in this white space, countless human faces protruded.
They screamed, yelling in eternal madness, waiting to be freed.
"What... is this... what kind of monster..."
"This is the Paths, the true Paths."
Just as she was questioning herself, a voice suddenly sounded from behind her. Frieda startled and turned, seeing it emanate from a face covered in white, like all the others, and it resembled Uri Reiss.
"Unc... Uncle?"
"It is I. Time is short."
"Time... what do you mean..."
Frieda's voice trailed off; she was completely stunned. The reason was that right before her, a strange creature appeared wriggling. It looked like a reptile, also like an insect and an arthropod, yet its appearance was different... In short, it was incredibly difficult to describe. She only managed to react when it was right up close, and...
Frieda saw the truth.
The entirety of history was shoved into her head like scrolls of parchment. She learned everything, she learned about misfortune, suffering, cruelty, and she learned... what a devil truly was.
The Eldian people are devils.
"Pay the price... pay the price... pay the price... we must pay the price for the misfortunes we have caused."
"But... why... it shouldn't be..."
"Nothing, just because we are Eldians, we are sinners, we must atone."
"But..."
"I can still hear it..."
Memories flooded back like a torrent, and Frieda woke up with a start.
She was lying on the wooden floor of the carriage, still covered by a blanket.
Frieda sat up, looking around blankly, unable to regain her senses for a long time.
She seemed to have traveled back to the past, very far...
"Frieda? Are you alright?"
Asahi waved his hand in front of her face, but Frieda remained unresponsive. Although she was conscious, her pupils lacked focus, and her perceptive ability had dropped to its lowest point.
"Frieda, if you need anything, just shout. I'll be right back."
Asahi sighed and turned to leave. He was unaware that soon after, she faintly whispered.
"Free... dom..."
…
"What is the total casualty count?"
"Forty-two people were injured. The death toll is yet to be determined. The area where that Titan transformed is completely pulverized."
Kenny grumbled, but his eyes glanced at Asahi standing next to him. Asahi just lowered his gaze, raising a finger to gently rub his eyelid.
"Asahi, you don't need to blame yourself..."
"I know. But... this is indeed my fault."
When he arrived, the scene was utterly chaotic. The Armored Titan was being besieged and killed by dozens of Titans of various sizes, and the Founding Titan was weakened. After witnessing his arrival, another female Titan shifter fled, leaving the Armored Titan behind.
He then neutralized the Armored Titan and simultaneously killed all the Titans that had sprouted from the Founding Titan. It was a relatively difficult battle, but it had concluded.
However, the damage was still countless.
Not only was over half of the domain and farmland devastated, but the battle also inadvertently affected many innocent people. Although Kenny didn't say it, how could he not estimate how many people had perished? All just to capture one enemy alive.