Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the ground. The Armored Titan collapsed, and Reiner fell out of its nape. The Beast Titan, Zeke, who had delivered the blow, detached from his Titan form and adjusted his glasses.
"You lost focus, Reiner."
"…"
Zeke walked over, noting Reiner's anxious expression. He knew exactly what was on his mind.
"If we're not fully prepared, Marley won't let us pass."
"But every day we wait, Bertholdt and the others are in danger one more day!" Reiner clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "That Lillian… maybe he already knows how to steal Titan powers. And based on our investigations over the past few years, the real royal family inside the walls might have… Titan spinal fluid!"
"Lillian, huh…"
A flicker of curiosity crossed Zeke's eyes. "You mentioned in your mission report that he could revive and even defeat your supposedly invincible Armored Titan with his human form… Did you know the military is already considering transferring the Armored Titan's power to someone else?"
"What?!" Reiner's face drained of color. "Why?"
"Because they think you've gone insane."
"That's not true! Everything I said is real!"
"I believe you. That's why I spoke for you." Zeke's tone was calm. "For now, they've decided not to transfer the power. You get one more chance. But know this—you've failed this mission completely."
"…Indeed. Five years, and we didn't bring back a single Titan. Instead, we lost three. If that isn't failure, then what is?"
"But that Lillian is… interesting. A supporter of the restoration faction showing up on the island, sneaking inside the walls. At first, I didn't believe the stories of resurrection. But when you think about it… if he were an ordinary person, how could he traverse a Titan-infested plain to reach the walls?"
"Squad Leader… his power is terrifying. Perhaps… only you can handle him."
"Is that so."
At that moment, Marley soldiers arrived in vehicles, shouting at the two of them. "Braun! Yeager! Get back! The operation meeting is starting!"
---
Royal Capital, Southern Suburbs
Lillian stood atop a hill, holding a monocular telescope. He focused on a large warehouse in the distance. Rod, cautious as always, lived here—the true king of the walls choosing such a desolate location.
This was likely after Annie smashed the Military Police headquarters in Stohess. That coward moved here immediately for safety. Kenny and his elite team were probably stationed inside as well.
Lillian observed for a while. From the outside, he couldn't see anyone, but knowing Kenny, there were surely hidden scouts inside. Any approach would be detected.
So Lillian moved forward.
He had nothing to hide. Kenny, or his elite Military Police wielding shotguns, posed no threat to him at this point.
In recent days, Lillian had been developing and mastering his body. Progress was slow but sufficient—he could now easily overpower humans. His body was far more durable, and his regeneration had improved. Ordinary bullets couldn't pierce him.
Of course, this also had to do with the weak firepower of weapons inside the walls. A larger caliber round—dum-dum bullets, wolf teeth rounds, or metal-infused special ammo—could still penetrate him. Lillian even tested his strength with black-gold bamboo blades; they could cut through. So caution was still necessary.
Still, he wasn't a stationary target. To harm him, the enemy would first need to hit him—and with his speed, that was difficult.
Lillian strode toward the warehouse. Since he wasn't hiding, the patrolling soldiers quickly spotted him and alerted Kenny. The latter arrived moments later, visibly shocked.
"Wasn't this kid dead?!"
"Captain, we only see him alone. Should we capture him?"
"No." Kenny's lips curved in a curious smile. "If he's willing to come alone, he must have some confidence. Don't risk yourselves." He leapt from the platform. "I'll see what this kid's up to—haha!"
The soldiers exchanged glances, shaking their heads in resignation.
This captain was truly exasperating. Undeniably powerful, yes, but his personality… he was still that same reckless "Kenny the Ripper" from years ago, now in his fifties, acting like a carefree rogue.
"Should we notify Reiss?"
"No need. That old man's probably still asleep."
"I hope the captain gains that power soon. I'm sick of waiting around here."
"Yeah… but it won't be long now."
The two watched as their captain, Kenny, approached Lillian. Minutes later, they met in a field, both stopping in their tracks.
The soldiers expected a quick confrontation. But instead, the two seemed to be talking. Strange, given Kenny's personality—he hated pointless conversation.
But this wasn't pointless. It was thrilling.
"You were turned into mush by the Colossal Titan, weren't you? Or were all those reporters lying?" Kenny asked. Lillian ignored the remark and went straight to the point.
"Give it up, Kenny. You'll never gain that power."
Kenny froze. "What did you say?"
"Kenny, with your abilities, there's no way you could ever serve someone like Rod Reiss without ulterior motives, right? I know you want the power of the 'Founding Titan.' But I can tell you clearly—you won't get it."
Kenny's face darkened. He hadn't expected Lillian to know this secret.
"Rod has known this for a long time. And precisely because he knew you couldn't obtain it, he kept you close—like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey. You'll never eat it. You're just a tool, being used."
"…How do you know?" Kenny's eyes sharpened as he glared at Lillian. His hand hovered over the shotgun at his hip. "You better explain, or I'll turn you into Swiss cheese."
"Kenny, should I call you stupid… or just plain dumb?" Lillian sneered. "No, let's be honest—you're both. Right now, what you should really want to know is why you can't get that power—not how the secret got out."
"…You little punk, you're so arrogant!"
Kenny released his grip, clenched his fists, and grinned. "Fine, I want to know why. But—" He lunged forward suddenly. "I'll beat the life out of you first, then ask!"
"Ha!"
He threw a punch—and found nothing but air. Looking up, he saw Lillian standing calmly two meters away, expression cold.
"You…"
This kid's speed… is that possible?
"The reason is simple," Lillian continued, not intending to attack. "You don't have royal blood. No matter what you do, no matter how much effort you put in, it's useless. Your bloodline condemns you to being a thug, a killer, a bodyguard… but never a king."
"Royal… blood?"
Kenny's expression shifted. His body froze, ready to strike.
"The power of the 'Founding Titan' that you covet can only be inherited by the royal family. Even if you, like Grisha Yeager, forcibly seize it, you won't be able to wield it—or see the world you wish to see."
What Lillian said was half true.
The false part: That royal blood was required to use the power. In truth, it was possible—but extremely complicated. Kenny would have to become a Pure Titan, consume Eren, create a royal-blooded Titan, and contact it directly to activate the "Coordinate."
Even then, he could only activate the Coordinate. He would never access the memories of previous generations of kings.
Kenny's real goal wasn't to destroy the world with the Coordinate—it was to "see the world through Uri's eyes." And that meant the memories of countless generations of kings. Without royal blood, those memories are forever out of reach.
The same applied to Eren. He could see some memories of his father, Grisha, or older Titans—but never the memories of Uri or Frieda, the Founding Titan predecessors. At most, he might glimpse fragments through contact with someone of royal blood.
So when Lillian said Kenny would never see the world through Uri's eyes, he wasn't lying. What Kenny desired was ultimately an illusion.
"You… you're lying to me, aren't you?" Kenny laughed bitterly, suddenly yanking the shotgun from his Omni-Directional Mobility Gear and pointing it at Lillian. "Hey, hey, hey! People who lie to me never have a good ending!"
"Lie? You can ask Rod about that," Lillian said calmly, eyes locked on the barrel. "But if I were you, after realizing I've been used for so many years, shouldn't your anger be directed at the one who used you—not at the one telling you the truth?"
"…Fine. I'll ask that old bastard myself."
Kenny holstered his gun and took a few steps—but suddenly spun back and fired at Lillian. "But I still can't stand you, you little brat!"
Bang! Bang!
Two shots fired. At this close range, anyone would have turned into a sieve. But Kenny's bullets hit nothing. In the next instant, a tremendous force slammed him to the ground.
Thud!
Lillian, using combat skills learned from Annie, pinned Kenny under his foot. Even someone of Kenny's lineage was no match for Lillian, who possessed partial Titan abilities. An ordinary human would have had their spine crushed; Kenny could barely endure it.
"Feeling a bit more sober now, Kenny?"