Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
Within the blink of an eye, Sage Zavir was joined by other Sages, including Sage Hansen Lehan, representing the current kingdom of Edinburgh back in Arsalan.
"What do you have to say about now, boy?"
Sage Hansen smiled with evil intentions as he looked at Eren. Eren had killed King's Hand Garos Renar and other important Rankers from Edinburgh during the Lazarus Project. Plus, he had killed Hansen's potential love interest inside the Birdcage barrier as well.
Hansen had a score to settle with Eren for that.
"What do you want me to say? Did you already forget what I had done the last time I was surrounded by these many Sages?"
Eren asked calmly as he looked around, facing a Sage-level siege.
Zavir's expressions darkened, reminded of how Eren had killed multiple Sages during the beginning of the Great Shattering, and he was barely a Master Ranker back then.
'Hansen. Don't do anything stupid. This demon is too crafty. Be on your guard and just stay in your position.'
Zavir warned Hansen privately, preventing him and others from taking any action against Eren. He was sure that the feat Eren had pulled last time couldn't be repeated so easily. However, he didn't want to give Eren the chance to slay multiple Sages once again.
"I hope you know what you have done to the whole of Anfang, Grimdawn. Billions of people died because of the things you did back then," Zavir stepped forward and said to Eren, looking him in the eyes.
"I know what I have done," Eren nodded as he looked at Sage Zavir. "I'm sorry for any loss of lives you may have personally been involved with. It all happened because I didn't have a better choice back then.
I was backed into a corner so I had to retaliate. So no matter how I feel right now, I'd do things in the same manner all over again if I was sent back in time."
"You…." Sage Hansen felt anger boiling within him hearing Eren's words. However, Zavir's expressions softened when he heard what he considered to be an apology from Eren. One could say that the butcher knew what to say on which occasion.
"The past cannot change, but you can certainly rewrite your wrongs in the future, Grimdawn. We are here to stop you from entering the Immortal Planes. We can't let you go unpunished, you see."
Sage Zavir said after taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Things would go smoothly for you and your people if you surrender and cooperate with us. We'd like it if you let go of your claim on Ravendale as well."
Eren smiled knowingly when he heard Zavir's words. He understood the hidden meaning behind them. It turned out that he had predicted right. The continents of Arsalan and Katiyal were desperate for resources, and Ravendale was the ideal place to acquire them.
As such, they wanted to take Eren out of the picture and strike a deal with whatever remained of the White Raven Guild after his forced or voluntary exit. Just like he had imagined, the maritime siege was the pressure tactic the Anfang Alliance had come up with to flush Eren out of his comfort zone.
They knew that with such big movements happening all around Ravendale, Eren would be forced to show himself. Except, they didn't expect him to come to them all by himself without his army of monsters and Rankers under him.
Thus, Zavir couldn't help being on his guard. His past experience had taught him that Eren was most dangerous when he was all alone.
"Cooperate? Kekeke," Eren chuckled mockingly as he looked at Zavir and Hansen with eyes full of contempt.
"You want me to stretch my neck out for you so that you can chop my head off without breaking a sweat? I may have altered the past, present, and future of Anfang with my actions. But I didn't know I made you guys hallucinate.
You guys, things change with time. However, they also stay more of the same– a paradox of time, if you will. This is still Anfang. And things will never be given gift-wrapped to you here, no matter which era we live in.
Come. Take whatever that you want from me using your brain or brawn. Or go back to your homes, live your lives in a bubble. I have nothing against people who want to hallucinate anyway."
"This is not hallucination but the reality you have brought upon yourself, Grimdawn," Hansen said, gritting his teeth. "If you don't relinquish your claim over Ravendale, not only you but your allies and subordinates will also suffer."
Eren smiled as he looked at Hansen. Shaking his head, he spoke calmly.
"If you want to use my subordinates' well-being as a bargaining chip to strike an unfair deal with me, be my guest. In return, I'll just start targeting your people instead.
I'm talking about your kin who are in Arsalan and Katiyal. The things and people you care about. I hope you know I'm perfectly capable of doing that.
If you force me to do something I don't want to do, the end result will not be pretty for you. I can guarantee you that.
I guess words are useless. Instead, let me show it to you.
Watch closely now."
Eren said before tapping his Titan transformation.
A runic tattoo of a red sun appeared right between Eren's eyebrows. In the next moment, streaks of golden lightning surrounded the butcher, and the sky above him darkened all of a sudden.
Swoosh. Strike. Boom.
The golden lightning struck Eren and the elemental mana in the surroundings was galvanized like a tidal wave.
"This… not good. ALL OF YOU! GET BACK!"
Sage Zavir shouted at his allies before pulling himself back from his initial position. He looked at Eren with a mix of shock and dread as he watched him transform into a Titan.
'This… this can't be. A Titan from Allansia! He belongs to that wretched race from Allansia!'
