Wall Rose.
Annie had successfully shaken off the Survey Corps. Once she started running at full speed, no horse could catch her. And the reason she was fleeing the Survey Corps now was simple: the situation had escalated to a point where there was no more room for slacking off.
First, there was Reiner. Once he returned to Marley, it wouldn't be long before the Beast Titan, Zeke, was dispatched—and, of course, his "mount," Pieck, the Cart Titan. After losing three of their four Titans, Marley surely couldn't accept such a defeat.
There was no need to worry about Reiner exposing Annie's defection, though. Just like Lillian would stop her if he tried to attack, Reiner wouldn't completely abandon a comrade simply because she betrayed him. That's why he insisted on "taking her back."
From Reiner's perspective, Annie had simply been deceived by Lillian's clever words. As long as Lillian was defeated and she was brought back, she could once again fight alongside them. Unfortunately, that first condition had not been met—he hadn't beaten Lillian.
---
Now, the four of them were sitting in a corner of a small tavern. The place was crowded and chaotic, and with everyone dressed in civilian clothes, they didn't have to worry about being recognized. Lillian, of course, was under the watchful eyes of the three, who clearly were expecting some explanation.
"Actually, you all know my body is… unusual."
At this moment, the three could be trusted, so Lillian didn't resist revealing part of the truth. After all, telling them this wouldn't really affect him.
"Unusual enough to die and come back to life?" Ymir asked, her limbs fully restored but her body still weak.
Lillian nodded.
"No way…" Krista stared at him in disbelief. "How is that even possible, Lillian? It can't be…"
"When I first found out, I felt the same way," Lillian said. "But the world has things like Titans. So a few other impossible things aren't that surprising."
"…."
Annie asked, "So… you're immortal?"
"Impossible," Lillian shook his head. "I can only revive under certain conditions, and the number of times is probably limited."
He didn't reveal the specifics—some things were better left hidden.
---
The four lapsed into silence, all struggling to accept the truth. Indeed, as Lillian said, Titans themselves were already incredible—immortal without eating or drinking, consuming only humans and nothing else. Their source of energy was beyond imagination.
"So that's why your strength increases…"
"Exactly. After 'dying,' my physical abilities improve."
"…."
"That's amazing." Krista was the first to fully accept it. Joy made her overlook the miraculous, almost divine nature of this power. She smiled at Lillian. "Then you won't die."
"Mm… maybe."
"Reviving… really is a thing." Ymir accepted it too, her usual teasing returning. "So that means shorty can do whatever he wants, right? Nobody can touch you anyway."
"Sharp-tongued woman, do you have a memory problem? I said revival is conditional and limited."
"Huh? That's still fine! Even being able to revive once is amazing."
"What do you plan to do now?" Annie asked. She hadn't seen Lillian die firsthand, so this "revival" didn't shock her as much. What she was thinking about was what to do next.
---
Even though she had clearly sided with the people inside the Walls and was nearly estranged from her former comrades, Annie was still unsure about how to achieve her goal of "liberating the Eldians." Naturally, she turned to Lillian—the one who had guided her down this path.
"One step at a time."
Lillian's mind was still clear. Taking control of the government, capturing the royal-blood Titan, managing relationships with the Survey Corps—all of these had priorities. But for now, the most urgent was returning to Stohess District.
That district was his home base, his familiar territory. Of course, with so many Survey Corps members having witnessed his "death," it was inevitable that the government had already been informed. If he appeared publicly, he'd be summoned immediately—a very inconvenient situation.
So for now, he planned to operate in secret. Annie would do the same. Her Titan powers were already exposed, and appearing openly would make her a target for the Survey Corps.
As for Ymir and Krista…
"You two cannot return to the Survey Corps."
"Huh? Why?" Krista asked, confused. Ymir, however, seemed to understand and said nothing.
"You snuck into the Giant Tree Forest before, right?" Lillian asked. Krista nodded shyly. Ymir, holding her, felt deeply moved. "Idiot… seriously!"
"I…"
Lillian recalled that when Krista had fled into the forest alone, he had been riding Annie at the time and had noticed that Eren hadn't come along. That meant Eren had not intervened, and without him, even if Reiner arrived, he could not have done any real damage. In other words, Erwin's mission wasn't about capturing Reiner or rescuing Ymir—it was to retrieve Krista.
With that in mind, Lillian knew Krista could never safely return to the Survey Corps. She had to stay by his side. Otherwise, she would likely be constantly monitored, even if her freedom wasn't restricted.
Krista's question, however, was answered quietly by Ymir. She looked at Krista and said softly:
"Maybe… it's because of your identity."
"Identity…"
Krista went silent, as though recalling something she didn't want to. Then she looked at Lillian suddenly. "Lillian… you already know?"
He nodded.
"When I was in the Military Police… I accidentally saw some documents."
"…."
Krista hesitated a moment, biting her lip. Perhaps the brush with life and death, the relief of being found, had strengthened her resolve. She finally spoke the name she had always avoided.
"My real name is Historia Reiss."
The royal blood of the Historia line flowed through her veins. Lillian looked at her, realizing that this blood itself was, in a way, a curse.
After speaking the name aloud, she seemed to gain immense courage. "I… I've decided I won't use the name 'Krista' anymore. I want to live… for myself, and to fight for my own life!"
"Just as I thought, my Kri-Historia!" Ymir quickly corrected herself, and Lillian smiled. "Then, Historia… I look forward to working with you."
"Mm!"
---
Stohess District.
In a small office at the Military Police headquarters, Marlo leaned back in his chair, holding a bottle of liquor, downing it directly. Some spilled onto him and the floor, filling the room with a sharp, pungent stench.
Creak—
The door opened. The person who entered frowned immediately at the scene. "Marlo! What are you doing?!"
Marlo slowly lifted his eyelids. "Oh, Hitch. Do you need something?"
"Hey! Today's patrol day!" Hitch walked over, snatched the bottle from him, and mocked him. "What's this? Playing melancholic? Save it. Sadness only works on handsome guys—otherwise, it's just pathetic."
"…Hitch, you don't understand," Marlo shook his head. "Patrols… don't matter anymore."
"Huh?"
"You haven't heard? A new squad commander is coming soon—another bloated, spoiled noble jerk. What do you think we can do? Whatever we do is pointless. Haha."
"…."
Hitch stared at him, then said, "I misjudged you."
"What?"
"I remember… before Lillian became deputy commander—no, even before he became swuad leader—you were always shouting about changing the corrupt Military Police. And now? Lillian's gone, and you just give up? Or did you never actually want to change anything, and are just using excuses to impress him?"
"What did you say?!" Marlo suddenly jumped up. Most of his drunkenness vanished. His eyes, bloodshot, glared at her. "I warn you, Hitch! Don't insult my ideals!"
"Haha. Ideals? Ideals without action are just empty dreams. Marlo, I'm not insulting your ideals," Hitch shook the bottle in her hand, "You're the one insulting yourself."
Marlo froze.
"If Lillian saw you like this, he'd be disappointed. But since he won't, I'm off to patrol. Do what you want."
Hitch left the room. Marlo stood there for a long moment before smashing the bottle on the floor. Shards flew everywhere with a sharp crash. He rubbed his face vigorously, picked up his uniform, and strode out.
Hitch was right.
Walking the streets, Marlo thought: I know I'm not as capable as Lillian—he executes plans flawlessly—but I can't just give up. No. I will work as hard as him, too. I will change things! I must change this…
"Marlo."
A voice suddenly came from a narrow alley. Marlo halted, mechanically turning back.
At the end of the alley stood someone, smiling at him.
"You… you…"
Marlo took a few steps forward, astonished and suspicious, unable to even form a full sentence.
But the person spoke a line that shook him to his core.
"Marlo." Lillian's gaze was deep, his voice in Marlo's ear like a whisper from a god, yet laced with the temptation of a demon. "Do you want… to gain power?"