"No matter what she did to us, we have to admit that she was also dragged along like a ragdoll by her fate."
Alephee spoke while looking at Lady Zee's body pitifully.
"Betrayed and left to die on her own. The whole world against her. Backed into a corner with no way to retaliate. No way to escape the circumstances she was subjected to.
You know how it feels, right? Add a few thousand years of loneliness on top of that and anybody is bound to turn into her.
I don't want to compare. But I believe you would have turned out much more ruthless than her if you were in her shoes," Alephee spoke in a calm voice as she looked into Eren's eyes.
Eren stopped staring at Lady Zee and turned to look at Alephee from the side. He didn't dispute or agree with Alephee's words. Instead, he turned silent and allowed her to speak further.
"They say time heals all wounds. And that may be right for some cases. But sometimes, the same passage of time ends up festering the negative feelings inside us.
My consciousness had been drifting across the boundless cosmos for even longer than that. So I get it as well. I had you… or rather… my brother's Echo as an anchor during the times I felt loss.
But Eliza… she didn't have much to grab onto. Only the thoughts of vengeance and willingness to do anything to achieve it. I'm surprised she can still care for her helpers even after her rebirth. You might not realize it. But this is an achievement on her part.
The reason I want to save her is because of that achievement. I believe we can make a better Ranker out of her. Someone we could count on in the future. You don't know it yet. But you need allies like her, Eren. Especially now that you have been noticed by "them."
Eren shook his head before voicing his thoughts.
"Just because I understand what motivated her to do what she did doesn't mean I would sympathize with her. You are indeed right when you said that I would have turned out much more vicious than her if I had been placed in her shoes. I will never deny that.
However, even then, if our positions were reversed, I wouldn't have complained if my opponent were to beat me fair and square. I could understand her by battling to death with her.
I'm sure Eliza would have gladly accepted her end if she was in charge of the body at the moment. I'm just concluding the unsigned agreement we both had before we started to duel with each other.
As for dealing with "them", I'll think about it when the time comes."
Alephee was about to say something when Eren pressed on as if reading what she wanted to say to him.
"I get what you are trying to say. I really do. But you need to understand one thing as well. This is not the world of could-have-been, Miss Timeless.
The regrets exist in the past and possibilities exist in the future. But this thing called "reality" exists today. And today's reality tells me I should finish this.
Or are you telling me I was wrong? That I would have let her walk all over me because of her circumstances?"
Alephee shook her head before responding.
"I am not saying what she did to you or Reen was fine because of her situation. I just want you to think about the future.
And it's not like you have never prioritized your benefits over acts of revenge before. You spared Ivor after seeing his potential. And that decision positively impacted the Lazarus Project.
Every right decision you took over this last decade, no matter how insignificant it might seem, played its role in your success today. So I need you to learn from your past self.
Agreed, things with Eliza were personal and you have every right to take them personally. But still, I want you to find that "rational Eren" within you and have a word with him."
Alephee spoke. She felt that she didn't have to force Eren to not swing his sword anymore. This was a sign of relief to her. So she took a deep breath before speaking once again.
"If not for you, then do it for me," Alephee said as she looked at Eren expectantly.
"Now that's just playing dirty," Eren growled at Alephee and looked at her and frowned. But he let go of his sword, letting Alephee take hold of it.
As soon as Eren let go of his sword, two more entities appeared at the scene. They quickly appeared on either side of Lady Zee and pulled her away at a safe distance from Eren.
"Who… who are…"
Lady Zee tried to speak to Layla and Leela who had appeared beside her suddenly. But she was stopped from speaking by Leela as she held on to Lady Zee's broken jaw gently. She made her drink a vial of potion to stabilize her condition, finally saving her from slow and imminent death.
"Thank… Thank you, Eren Idril. For your generosity," Layla bowed in front of Eren, her eyes watery as she looked at Eliza's form from the corner of her eyes.
"I am not sure about what our master decides in the future. But I can assure you that my sister and I will put our lives on the line to prevent her from ever becoming a hurdle for you. We.. we will take our leave now and won't bother you with anything."
Layla knew Eren well. The fact that he had spared Eliza's life was something she could have never imagined. However, she didn't want to give him enough time to change his decision by letting Eliza be in his vision. She was planning to take Eliza and her sister to the Asikha Empire, or rather, whatever remained of the empire after the calamity.
"Little Witch, I have indeed spared Eliza's life, and yours too. But I never said I will allow you to roam free and do whatever the fuck you want," Eren said in a low and threatening voice as he looked at Layla with a neutral gaze.
"What… what do you mean?" Layla asked Eren with an expressions of distress.
"You know the classic adage– keep your friends close but enemies closer. You guys are coming with us," Alephee answered for Eren as she supported his weight on her shoulders.
Eren rested his head on Alephee's shoulders and closed his eyes after confirming that the hardest battle he had ever fought in his two lifetimes was finally over.
Eren's consciousness, which had been under constant pressure for the last decade, finally relented to much-needed, carefree rest.
A genuine smile graced his lips as he quickly gave in to his slumber, a smile of liberation.
AN: VEH's 8th Volume: Liberation concludes with this chapter release. A lot happened in this volume. Needless to say, I enjoyed writing it. Also, excited to write what comes afterward with Reen back in the picture once again. See you in the next volume. :)
