"Historia, Eren Yeager is merely a vessel. The power of the Founder can only display its true strength in the hands of our royal bloodline! That is the power to command all Titans—the power that belongs to a god!"
Rod Reiss spoke with fanatic fervor, but Historia before him seemed dazed and asked in return,
"Command all Titans? Then why—why didn't the Reiss family go and wipe out all the Titans? Why didn't you save humanity?"
Rod's expression calmed, as if recalling something. He then spoke slowly,
"Why? Uri and I thought about that when we were young. We asked our father as well. Sadly, we never knew the answer. Uri and I even made a promise—no matter which of us inherited the power, we would save humanity."
"But it wasn't until Uri became a Titan and ate our father, and even after Frieda ate Uri, that I finally understood. All of this is the will of the First King."
Rod raised the syringe and looked at the pale purple liquid inside.
"The First King wished for humanity to live under the rule of Titans. That is true peace. And only the Reiss family can wield the power to maintain that peace. Any other usurper—even if they seize this power—cannot use it!"
"What did you say!?" A furious roar drew everyone's attention.
Slash! Kenny, clutching his stomach, rushed to Rod's side, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded angrily,
"Rod! What do you mean? Are you saying that even if I become a Titan and eat Eren, I still won't obtain Uri's power?"
Rod didn't resist despite being grabbed. He replied calmly,
"That's right. Only the Reiss family can use this power. Kenny, you should even thank my strange brother for bringing back such a loyal guard for our family."
Bang! "Ahhh!!"
Rod screamed, clutching his left wrist. Looking again at his left hand, there was only a mangled lump of flesh left.
"Insult Uri again and I'll blow your head apart next time!" Kenny said coldly.
"Father!" Historia cried out and hurried to support Rod.
Rod was drenched in sweat from the pain, yet still endured it as he said,
"Kenny, I'm sorry for using you. Now, you're free. Choose the path you want—your own goal."
Kenny froze when he heard that. A goal? What was his goal again? All along, his goal had been to see the world as Uri saw it. But now—
After a moment of silence, Kenny suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha, ridiculous. Rod, you don't know shit."
As he spoke, Kenny looked at Historia.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk—poor little girl. Can't you tell your father here is just a cowardly rat? Too scared to inherit the power himself, so he dumps it on his brother and daughter. When it comes down to it, he's just a selfish bastard."
Rod turned to Historia and explained, "No, it's not like that, Historia. I can't become a Titan. If I do, I won't be able to control it!"
Kenny activated the Anti-Personnel Vertical Maneuvering Equipment and flew to Eren's bound side, muttering to himself,
"In that case, I won't interfere anymore. Let fate decide."
With that, Kenny fired a shot that shattered the chains on Eren's hands, freeing him. Then he swiftly cut a wound across Eren's forehead, and blood immediately began to pour out.
"Come on, Historia. You become a Titan, Eren becomes a Titan. Whoever eats the other first wins!"
Kenny said with apparent excitement, but if you looked closely at his eyes, there wasn't the slightest trace of excitement at all.
Rod trembled as he raised the syringe with his still-intact right hand, looking at Historia with hope.
"Historia, quickly—fulfill your mission!"
Historia took the syringe and looked up toward Eren on the platform above.
Kenny immediately darted aside, so as not to be caught up in the clash of Titans.
Unexpectedly, Eren—now freed—didn't move at all. He just sat there dejectedly on the ground, blood still dripping from the wound on his forehead.
"Eren, why aren't you transforming? If you don't transform, I'll eat you. You'll die!" Historia shouted at Eren.
"Eat me. This power was stolen by my father—it never belonged to me. Historia, eat me. Inherit the power and protect humanity's future." Eren had never been this despondent. His father's actions had dealt him a devastating blow.
Eren thought that if it weren't for his father, perhaps the Reiss family wouldn't have allowed the Titans to invade, and none of this would have happened. Perhaps so many comrades he had lived and fought alongside wouldn't have died in the Battle to Retake Trost District.
Eren gave up struggling. Now, all choices lay in Historia's hands. What would she choose?
...
Memories flooded her mind. Historia recalled scene after scene from the past—the care everyone showed her in the Cadet Corps, Ymir's heartfelt words, and that brutal Battle to Retake Trost District, where countless comrades had died.
Humanity living under Titan rule is peace?? Rod's words plunged Historia into deep thought.
In Trost District, she had seen with her own eyes Titans ravaging humans—heard the wails when people were seized, the screams as they were bitten apart, the crying, the pleading, the curses… What kind of peace was that?!
Historia's gaze suddenly hardened. The syringe slipped from her hand, rolling across the floor until it came to rest before Rod.
Rod stared in disbelief. Kenny was stunned as well. Neither of them chose to transform—what was going on?
"Historia! You—!!"
Her father's furious shout didn't affect Historia at all. In her mind echoed only Ymir's words:
"Historia, from now on—live for yourself!"
This was her choice!