Chapter 99: The Nine Titans (Part 3)

"Slowly raise your hands, unless you want a misunderstanding that could end poorly," said a middle-aged man with a sparse beard and wearing a round hat. This man was none other than Kenny Ackerman, the infamous Jack the Ripper.

"It seems Erwin's actions have caught the attention of the royal family," Daniel mused, raising his hands slowly while observing the situation. The fact that the Central Military Police, equipped with Anti-Personnel Vertical Maneuvering Gear, were here could only mean they had a specific objective.

The Reiss family, as the true royal family, were far from fools. They had always operated from the shadows, meticulously monitoring everything within the walls. Events such as the tunnel-digging miner and Erwin's father's discoveries had been swiftly suppressed due to their vigilance.

With Eren's transformation into a Titan being such a significant event, the Reiss family would undoubtedly be aware. Moreover, Grisha Yeager had slaughtered many of the Reiss family members and stolen the Founding Titan. According to the original timeline, instead of acting directly, the Reiss family had manipulated the Survey Corps into transporting Eren to the capital, their stronghold, where they could easily handle him.

However, the appearance of the Female Titan and the revelation of the Titans within the walls had disrupted their plans, forcing them to delay and rethink their strategy. This eventually led to their attempt to have Historia consume Eren to reclaim the Founding Titan's power and eliminate the invaders, a plan thwarted by Historia herself.

Currently, Rod Reiss likely had similar plans. Without the Founding Titan, the Reiss family lacked the leverage to act too aggressively, fearing the exposure of the true state of the walls. The recent capture of Pastor Nick by the Survey Corps had forced Rod Reiss to take action. The Wall Cult, much like the Central Military Police, was under the direct control of the royal family.

"What a stroke of bad luck. If I recall, this guy should be Jack the Ripper, but I can't quite remember his name. He's Levi's uncle from the Ackerman clan," Daniel thought, surveying the area. The Central Military Police had him completely surrounded. Even on the walls, four men hung suspended with their maneuvering gear, making escape seemingly impossible for an ordinary person.

But Daniel wasn't just anyone. The moment he was surrounded, he had activated his Room, the domain of his Op-Op Fruit ability. Everyone from the Central Military Police was now within its reach.

"Looks like I'll be lending the Survey Corps a hand again," Daniel decided as two soldiers approached to restrain him. His proximity to the rock breach made it simple for him to escape using his spatial swapping ability, which could instantly transport him outside the walls.

The Central Military Police were formidable against human opponents but less effective against Titans. Daniel could easily dispatch them if necessary.

"Room, Slaughterhouse," Daniel whispered. As the two soldiers reached for their ropes, Daniel swapped places with one of them, crashing through a nearby window into an adjacent room. He quickly performed another spatial swap, placing himself in the next room over. There, he donned a helmet and drew his twin pistols.

Gunshots erupted from the surrounding rooms, directed at his previous location. The Central Military Police's weapons, powered by gas propulsion like their maneuvering gear, were far more powerful than standard firearms of this era.

Iceburst Stone was the energy source for the maneuvering gear, producing potent gas from a solid state. This discovery had intrigued Daniel, who initially expected the energy source to be a typical gas. Its solid form made it more convenient to carry and use, and it produced a much stronger propulsion than conventional gas. This rare mineral was abundant beneath Paradis Island, explaining Marley's desire to seize it.

Energy resources were timelessly valuable.

"Hold your fire! Damn it, hold your fire!" The leader's voice, the same one who had spoken to Daniel earlier, rang out. This wasn't the capital, and such loud gunfire would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention.

The sound of maneuvering gear echoed from the roof, followed by footsteps above and the crashing of someone entering the next room.

"The Central Military Police really are adept at fighting humans," Daniel muttered, leaping out the window. Before landing, he fired in four directions, dropping four soldiers in quick succession.

However, the remaining soldiers retaliated swiftly. Their shotguns, loaded with small iron pellets, unleashed a wide spray. Although the range was limited, the pellets could easily incapacitate a human with a single hit.

These shotguns had two types of ammunition: the broad-coverage iron pellets and a more powerful slug round for large animals or breaching locks, with much longer range. Daniel had become familiar with these weapons after acquiring so many, understanding their strengths and weaknesses well. He had both types, with the added convenience of Pym Particles for easy resizing.

Ping! Ping! Ping! Iron pellets struck Daniel's body, forcing him back a few steps despite his resilience. His enhanced physique could endure the impacts, but the force was still significant.

Seeing Daniel emerge unscathed from their attack stunned the Central Military Police. These elite soldiers, accustomed to dealing with rogue citizens and not Titans, were momentarily frozen.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Daniel seized the moment, swiftly gunning down the remaining soldiers. Only Kenny Ackerman, with his exceptional reflexes and skills, managed to evade and retreat using his maneuvering gear.

"A true Ackerman indeed. He's inherited their formidable physical abilities," Daniel noted, watching Kenny flee. The disparity in weaponry and power was vast; Daniel could have easily killed them all if he chose. Only Kenny had managed to dodge a few shots.

"I should have used the Desert Eagle," Daniel mused. He had opted for a less powerful automatic pistol due to the Desert Eagle's excessive force.

"It's time to go." Seeing the Garrison and Survey Corps responding to the commotion, Daniel activated his spatial swap and appeared outside the walls. He mounted his hoverboard and flew off into the night.

"What are the Central Military Police doing here?" Erwin and Levi arrived shortly after, finding the area littered with bodies, each with either a blown-off head or a bloodied chest.

"This maneuvering gear..." Erwin inspected the fallen soldiers' gear, recognizing its specialized design.

"Erwin, it's the Central Military Police's gear," Hange confirmed.

"When did they arrive?" Erwin asked, his face grave.

"We received no notification of their presence," Hange replied, shaking her head.

"It seems the royal family has taken notice. Clean this up immediately. We can't let this information leak out," Erwin ordered, organizing his team while heading to confer with Pixis. With their limited numbers, they would need the Garrison's help to track the Central Military Police.

The Survey Corps had more members than those seen in the anime, numbering over a thousand, though many were non-combat personnel involved in logistics like caring for horses and maintaining equipment. The combat-ready force, however, still exceeded two hundred.

As Erwin sought out Pixis, Levi returned to his quarters. Pausing at his door, he drew a knife from his belt before cautiously entering.

"Long time no see, Levi," a familiar voice greeted him as he stepped inside. Levi's knife flew through the air the moment he recognized the voice.

"Kenny, you're still alive," Levi said, lighting a lamp. In the dim glow, he saw Kenny seated in a chair, his outfit stained with blood, holding Levi's thrown knife.

"You've joined the Survey Corps?" Levi noted Kenny's attire with a cold gaze.

"And you, the infamous thug, became a soldier," Kenny retorted.

"And you, the notorious Ripper, joined the Military Police. I thought you were killed by them when you disappeared. Got caught and surrendered, did you?"

"You've grown talkative, Levi."

"What are you doing here, Kenny? What's your game?" Levi demanded, moving to the table and drawing another knife.

"We came to investigate your recent activities and to bring the Titan-shifter kid back to the capital," Kenny replied, coughing up blood. The unexpected resistance had left him wounded and seeking Levi out of desperation.

The Ackerman bloodline endowed its members with exceptional strength, but not invulnerability. Even Daniel, despite his powers, would be injured by a bullet. Kenny's wounds were beyond this world's medical capabilities.

"What happened to you?" Levi asked, observing Kenny's condition.

Had today's operation gone unnoticed, the Survey Corps would have remained in the dark, but now Levi was curious about the force capable of overpowering an Ackerman.

"Don't worry about me. Do you know what this is?" Kenny placed a box on the table and opened it to reveal a syringe filled with a strange fluid.

"This is power," Kenny said, recounting his story and the truth about the Titans.

"The Titan serum," Levi murmured, connecting the dots.

"You knew about this?" Kenny was surprised. Despite his outward demeanor, he had a deep care for Levi, having trained him for years to survive before pursuing his vendetta against the royal family.

The Ackerman clan had been targeted for extermination by the royal family due to their immunity to the Founding Titan's memory-altering power and their physical enhancements from the Titan serum. As a potential threat, they had been hunted down and forced into hiding. Few of their lineage remained, and most were unaware of their heritage. Kenny's line, however, knew their history, prompting his rebellion against the royal family, though he stood no chance against the Founding Titan.

"The current king is a fake," Kenny revealed.

"The real royal family is the Reiss clan."

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter