The Past (Part Two)

Standing in this Crystal world before them, this time, without Eren needing to shout, Yago knew where they were. It was the location of the Reiss Family's underground altar, where the Founding Titan Power had been passed down through generations of the Reiss Family for centuries, until one day...

"Frieda! What are you doing? Kill this damned intruder!" Rod Reiss roared at his eldest daughter with a ferocious expression. Behind him, several children of the Reiss Family hid, all with terrified expressions.

Before Rod, Frieda Reiss. Frieda's face was serene, and possessing the Founding Titan Power, she had a pair of eyes as bright as stars, with a wise purple light shimmering in her pupils.

Unfortunately, despite possessing the Founding Titan Power, her beautiful pupils were shrouded in a barely perceptible gray mist due to the Vow Renouncing War of her predecessors.

At this point, some might wonder why Carl Fritz, who made the Vow Renouncing War, was merely one of the Founding Titan Power holders in the long river of time, and why none of the subsequent inheritors of the Founding Titan Power rebelled against or broke this Vow Renouncing War. In terms of status, both Carl Fritz and his successors were simply the hosts of the Founding Titan Power.

This is actually quite easy to understand. There is only one condition for using the Founding Titan Power: possessing the bloodline of the Royal Family, Fritz Bloodline. The Vow Renouncing War made by the First King within the Walls, Carl Fritz, was aimed at all the descendants of the Fritz Bloodline. The moment they inherit the Founding Titan Power, the will of the First King will instantly brainwash these later inheritors of the Founding Titan Power.

This will from the past is difficult to defy. For example, Rod's Younger Brother, Uri Reiss, the previous inheritor of the Founding Titan Power, wanted to use the Founding Titan Power to save the people within the Walls when he was young. Unfortunately, his will was twisted the moment he inherited the Founding Titan Power.

From this, we also know that the Royal Family within the Walls may not have been aware of the Vow Renouncing War Carl Fritz's doing, to prevent a future generation from having a resolute individual who would defy his will after Vow Renouncing War. Therefore, he simply downplayed the existence of the Vow Renouncing War, allowing future generations to be brainwashed by Vow Renouncing War. This is probably why Rod and his Younger Brother didn't understand their father's inaction. Their father couldn't explain the existence of the Vow Renouncing War to them and could only vaguely say that the First King wished for peace among mankind.

Yago had seen Frieda in Big Eren's Memories, but seeing her in person this time made it even clearer. To be honest, Frieda's face did resemble Eren's somewhat. If the two stood together, Eren looked more like Frieda's Younger Brother than Historia.

Looking at the man in front of Frieda, Eren almost got excited again, because the man was none other than Eren's father, Grisha. On the other side, Jaeger, Zeke was seeing his father again, was also a little stunned. The Grisha in front of him was more haggard and more destitute than the father in his memory.

Grisha, disheveled, and Frieda faced off, while Rod shouted from behind, urging Frieda to kill Grisha.

Grisha kept his head down, then raised it and surprisingly revealed a relieved smile. At the same time, Yago frowned. The moment they appeared in this Crystal Cave, he had a sense of familiarity, as if something familiar had flashed by.

At this moment, Grisha spoke, "I will seize the Founding Titan Power, for the future, for the salvation of the Eldia People, for my children..."

Eren was somewhat shocked. Something was wrong. When he met Historia in the Crystal Cave, the memories he saw of his father didn't say anything like that. Instead, he directly took out a scalpel and stabbed his hand, transforming into Attack Titan to forcefully kill Frieda. How could things be so calm now?

Frieda's purple eyes stared intently at Grisha, unblinking. One could tell if she felt a pang of embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I will not give you the Founding Titan Power. Human peace cannot be allowed to be disrupted."

Although she said that, Frieda herself showed no intention of making a move. Then, Grisha did something that shocked everyone: he actually walked directly towards Frieda.

At the same time, Eren felt a sharp pain in his head, as if something was being peeled off. The memories he had seen in the Crystal Cave peeled away like wallpaper, revealing the true memories behind it.

Grisha walked up to Frieda and placed his broad hand on Frieda head. This action shocked not only Rod but also Yago and the others who were watching.

Similarly, Frieda, who possessed the Founding Titan Power, also froze in place, but perhaps no one noticed that the gray mist that had been covering Fritan's purple eyes vanished for a moment the instant Grisha made contact with Frieda.

A few seconds later, Grisha released his grip, stepped back, and as he did so, pulled a sharp scalpel from his pocket, repeating his earlier words, "I will seize the Founding Titan Power, for the future, for the salvation of the Eldia People, for my children."

This time, Frieda didn't argue; she just stared blankly as Grisha plunged the scalpel into her own palm.

Until her father, Rod, yelled, "Frieda!! Do it now!!"

Frieda seemed to wake from a dream, instinctively bringing her hand to her mouth and biting her hand.

Boom!! Two Golden Thunder exploded simultaneously in the Crystal Cave. Amidst the billowing steam and the terrifying roar of the Titan, the two enormous Titan burst forth from the steam and collided.

The Pointed-Ear Titan with black hair covering its chest roared as it pinned another petite Female Titan to the ground. The Female Titan possessed a pair of eyes that also shimmered with purple light; this was the Founding Titan.

The outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion. The massive Attack Titan effortlessly tore apart the Founding Titan, which Frieda had transformed into, and bit the Founding Titan's neck and head into its mouth, its green eyes filled with savage killing intent.

Having torn apart the Founding Titan, the Attack Titan turned its attention to the remaining bloodline of the Reiss Family.

Rod was pale with fear. He let out a roar and fled, leaving his children and family standing there stunned.

The next moment, the Attack Titan pounced directly on the children.

The screams and cries had barely escaped the children's mouths when silence fell, leaving only splattered blood, cracking bones, and a sickening crunching sound.

The cowardly Rod huddled in a corner, his backside sticking out, his hands covering his head, trembling with fear and too terrified to even look up.

No one noticed that as the Attack Titan raised its killing hand to the children, the children stopped breathing first. The Founding Titan's purple eyes, which the Attack Titan was biting, flashed with a final glint before being torn to pieces by the Attack Titan's bite.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Yago could sense that Frieda's Titan, before dying, cast its last glance over their location. Yago wasn't the only one who felt this; Eren and Zeke also noticed it.

(Muzi, I'll update as usual if I can keep up; if I can't, I'll make up for it the next day. Don't worry, everyone.)