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036 The Titan of Fate
🕑 Added 2025-12-24 23:53:04 +0000 UTC"Oh? Interesting, kid. You know this little girl?"
A strange smile hung on Kenny's face.
Yago's expression turned serious. He walked straight to Annie's side, reached out, and pulled her behind him. His black eyes stared at the Kenny before him as he spoke cautiously,
"Sir, is there some kind of misunderstanding here?" Yago tried to reason with him.
"Hahahahahaha—"
Kenny burst into wild laughter.
"You kids are really naïve—naïve and adorable!!"
Before his words even finished, Kenny kicked out with his foot.
Yago's gaze hardened. He hurriedly shoved the small basket into Annie's hands.
"Get farther away! Now!"
Annie was a little dazed, but she still obediently walked away. Suddenly, she remembered the first time they met. Back then, when she was facing the threats of several half-grown kids, that skinny boy had also suddenly rushed out to shield her, shouting for Annie to stay back—only to be pinned to the ground and beaten. In the end, it was Annie herself who beat those little brats until they ran crying, while that boy stared at her with his mouth hanging wide open.
From that day on, the boy often found roundabout excuses to come play with her, bribing her with all kinds of desserts, wanting to learn her fighting techniques...
And now, Annie lifted her head and saw Yago throw a punch at Kenny's leg. But Kenny was even faster—the leg he kicked out twisted at a bizarre angle, slipping past Yago's punch and striking Yago's unguarded left arm.
The confusion in Annie's eyes firmed into resolve. The spike on the ring on her right index finger glimmered faintly. If something really happened to Yago, she wouldn't care about anything else anymore. To hell with the mission!
Yago let out a muffled grunt after being kicked, but his right fist still landed on Kenny. Kenny hadn't expected the kid to still have the strength to counterattack and was knocked back a step by the punch.
"Not bad strength~"
Kenny's smile didn't fade, but the killing intent in his eyes grew stronger. Without giving Yago time to catch his breath, Kenny attacked again, viciously targeting Yago's already injured left arm.
Yago frowned. Although his left arm had been injured, he possessed Titan-like recovery. It had already returned to normal, though it still hurt a little. His frown wasn't because of Kenny's ferocity—Yago, with Titan power, wasn't actually that afraid. But with Annie present, he didn't dare to easily expose that power.
Unbeknownst to him, Annie was just as worried. Concerned about Yago's identity, she also didn't dare to reveal her own in front of him. The current Yago seemed to have lost the memories of the past—this Yago was a soldier on this island. Annie didn't dare reveal herself recklessly, afraid that the two of them would never be able to return to how things were before.
Pa!
Yago's hands collided with Kenny's fist, and the two began a subtle contest of strength. Yago was much shorter than Kenny, giving Kenny a slightly condescending vantage point. He stared into Yago's pitch-black eyes and jet-black hair, seeming to think of something. Then Kenny suddenly disengaged, leaping backward and widening the distance between them.
"Kid, are you an Ackerman too?"
Kenny suddenly asked.
Yago was puzzled. "Ackerman?"
Wasn't Mikasa's surname Ackerman?
Seeing Yago remain silent, Kenny was almost certain of his identity. This kid definitely had Ackerman blood. Black hair and black eyes were the hallmark of the Ackerman clan—and more importantly,
Aside from the Ackermans, no child this age could possibly possess such terrifying combat power. Once an Ackerman finds someone worth protecting, or experiences immense stimulation, they unleash incomparably powerful strength. This power was so great that even calling it a short Titan wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Kenny glanced at Annie behind Yago. Annie was staring at Yago with concern. So this girl was the one this kid was protecting?
Kenny's killing intent wavered slightly. He was also an Ackerman, and to be honest, unless it was necessary, he didn't want to lay hands on the already rare members of his own clan.
However, Kenny's gaze darkened as he looked at the slightly panting Yago. This clansman's strength exceeded his expectations. At such a young age, he already had such power—if he wasn't dealt with now, and held a grudge in the future, he would become a major threat.
Kenny's hand moved toward his waist, where his dual guns were hidden. Yago and Annie both tensed almost simultaneously. The spike on Annie's ring was about to pierce into her thumb, and Yago's fingernails quietly began to grow. At the final moment, neither of them would care anymore. To protect her/him, so what if this power was exposed?
Just as the tension reached its peak, several bursts of high-pressure gas erupted. Yago, Annie, and Kenny all looked up at the same time. Several figures wearing cloaks with the Wings of Freedom appeared. Yago's eyes widened, and after recognizing who it was, he showed a hint of surprise.
"Uncle Scott!"
The newcomer was indeed Scott. Seeing Yago from midair, Scott finally let out a sigh of relief. If Yago had really gone missing, he wouldn't have been able to explain it to Ms. Lucia.
After maneuvering with the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment and landing along with two Survey Corps soldiers—
Scott grabbed Yago by the collar and shook him while scolding,
"You little brat, you really can run. I thought you'd been kidnapped."
After wobbling free, Yago finally remembered Kenny's presence.
He turned to look—but the spot where Kenny had been was now empty. He looked at Annie. Annie shook her head, indicating she hadn't noticed either. A trace of worry crept into Yago's heart.
"Uncle Scott, I get it. I'll definitely be more careful next time…"
"Next time?"
Scott was speechless. Next time, he really shouldn't bring this troublesome kid along. But Scott also noticed Annie standing demurely beside Yago, and his expression immediately turned a bit strange. Good job, kid. Your uncle here is still single, you know. Tsk tsk tsk.
"And she is?"
"Oh, her name's Annie. She's my friend," Yago introduced.
Annie also bowed politely in greeting.
Scott wore a playful, knowing expression.
"I understand. Yago, young men need to be careful—don't rush things."
Yago: "?????"
Annie blushed slightly. Yago was even more speechless.
Wait, why are you blushing, Annie? Do I really look that outrageous? No matter how perverted I am, I wouldn't have ideas about a fourteen-year-old girl, right?
...
In the end, the two of them left together with Scott. Behind a window, Kenny watched their figures disappear at the end of the alley.
"Survey Corps, huh. Heh heh."
...
On the carriage ride back, Yago looked at Annie, as if wanting to say something. Finally, he spoke.
"Annie, you… do you have some secret you've been hiding from me?"
Annie glanced at him. "Yes."
Seeing Yago about to speak, she added, "But I can't tell you right now."
Yago looked disappointed. Annie felt a bit pained seeing that, and silently thought to herself,
"Yago, I'm sorry. I really can't tell you all of this right now. When the time is right, I'll tell you everything. I hope you can still forgive me then."
...
The carriage heading home left long shadows under the setting sun. A hopeful boy and a girl burdened with worries—the gears of fate kept turning without pause. But sometimes, fate likes to play jokes too, doesn't it?
...
That night, Eren stared at the messy lump of cookie-and-cake mixture in the basket with confusion.
"This… why does it look so weird? Yago, can this really be eaten?"
Yago coughed guiltily. "Of course it can! This is a dessert from inside Wall Sheena—very precious! Eren, you really hurt my feelings!"
At that moment, Carla walked over and also scolded Eren,
"Eren! You can't be like that. This is a gift Yago specially brought for you all."
Yago felt even more guilty. The truth was, the basket had been dropped by accident on the carriage and scattered everywhere. With no other choice, Yago had spent the last of his savings to buy another basket. As for who he gave it to—
Who else but that cold little girl? When Yago handed the desserts to Annie, she smiled happily—a rare sight. Yago's heart was struck hard, and he had to admit that in that moment, he truly felt a sense of guilt.
As for the scattered desserts from the fallen basket, they couldn't be wasted. So Yago thought of Eren and the others back home. Well, they were just a bit messy—it didn't affect the taste.
It had to be said, there was a reason dessert shops charged so much. The cookies and cake were indeed delicious. Still, Yago and Eren didn't eat much. It seemed boys didn't like sweets as much as girls. But unexpectedly, Armin ate the most out of the four. Yago couldn't help but take a closer look at Armin's delicate face.
If they hadn't bathed together before, Yago would've really suspected Armin was a girl disguised as a boy. And then there was Mikasa. Yago looked at her—Ackerman. What kind of special people were they? It seemed there were still many things Yago didn't understand.
