Morning light poured through the thin curtain, golden rays illuminating dust particles that floated like microscopic snow. Nemor woke with heavy body — muscles still protesting from recent battles. He got up, mattress creaking under his weight, and went straight to the bathroom.
He opened the faucet. Icy water gushed, hitting stained porcelain before splashing on his hands. He threw the liquid on his face — penetrating cold making skin tingle, waking still dormant neurons.
Nicia's voice exploded in his mind like fireworks:
"You look so great! What a good thing!"
Each syllable dripped sickly excitement.
He completely ignored it. He returned to the room, drops running down his chin and staining the old t-shirt. He grabbed one of the hanging black jackets — fabric worn by use but still clean, smelling faintly of cheap soap. He put it on in mechanical movements.
At that instant, mechanical vibration cut the silence. Phone shaking on the bed, screen lighting up in bluish light.
He picked up the device. Name blinking: Hana.
He answered without hesitating, bringing it to his ear:
"Are you okay? Are people following you? How many are there? Send me your location and I'm coming!"
Words came out in avalanche, loaded with urgency — as if he'd known her for years instead of just chaotic days.
Her voice came through the speaker, shy but determined:
"I'm fine!"
Brief pause to breathe.
"You said those people won't stop coming after me..." Tone became more hesitant, choosing each word. "So... it's... that... I'd like to go to the hospital. See Mei."
Frowning:
"Mei? Who's that?"
"She's my friend!" Frustration tinting each syllable. "And stop asking so many questions!"
"Well, then just go."
"You yourself said those people come after me..." Heavy breathing came through the microphone. "I don't want to be separated from her."
Three seconds of tense silence.
"I'll send you the location. Don't be late."
Click. Call ended before he could complain about not being a voluntary bodyguard.
Notification appeared seconds later. Location pin blinking on digital map.
He sighed deeply — air filling lungs before slowly emptying. He adjusted the jacket collar, smoothing wrinkled fabric. He opened the door with familiar creak.
As he left, Sasha's voice emerged in his skull:
"Sir, how long do you intend to protect the girl?"
Crossing empty room — parents had already left for hard work in the field, leaving only residual smell of reheated coffee — he responded:
"If she really can end the nightmare..." Pause while opening front door. "...I want to know how. And who she really is."
Without adding anything else, he left.
Sun was already beating down hard when he reached the cracked sidewalk. He shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling rough texture of crumpled bills — money given by Yeager yesterday. Deep breath filling chest. He waved at a passing taxi with peeling paint.
He got in. Back seat smelled of old cigarettes and cheap disinfectant. Taxi took off, engine rumbling. Passed corner after corner, driver following pin that blinked on Nemor's phone.
Until it stopped abruptly.
In front of gray building. Sparsely busy subway station — peeling paint on external walls, torn advertisements hanging. Location near the city of Filop, where expensive Amister school was.
He got out. He pulled folded bill from pocket, extended it to driver. Taxi accelerated looking for next fare.
He faced the station entrance. Took three steps toward the abandoned building.
But no one was there.
Disturbing silence. Wind carried crumpled paper that rolled down the dirty sidewalk.
Hana wasn't there.
He held his phone, looking at location blinking exactly at that point:
"Are you kidding me?"
Nicia exploded in excited fury:
"What insolence! For a human... how dare she commit such an unforgivable act?"
"Be silent."
"I offer my most grandiose apologies, my beloved lord!"
Controlled breathing. He went to contacts. Dialed Hana.
Ringtone echoed through the speaker. But something was wrong.
He heard melodic sound... nearby. Very nearby.
He looked forward. His eyes widened.
Phone lay on the ground. Seven meters ahead. Screen lit, vibrating with incoming call. Crack crossed display like spiderweb.
He approached. He bent down. He picked up the still vibrating device. Contact image showed name he had saved:
"Powers exist"
Sasha's voice cut through thoughts:
"Sir, I detected into energy ten meters from here."
He stood up, putting both phones in the deep jacket pocket.
Then he heard.
Muffled scream coming from inside the station. Hoarse, suffocated — as if something covered mouth preventing sound from escaping completely:
"Let me go!"
Muscles tensed. Attention focused in that direction like laser.
Another voice cut the air — different, feminine, loaded with irritation:
"Shut your mouth, you insufferable girl!"
Nemor's body froze.
That voice. He knew that voice.
He widened his eyes, murmuring:
"That voice..."
Without hesitating, red energy exploded from his limbs. Rays crackled around legs and arms like electric snakes. In instantaneous movement, he shot off.
Absurd speed transformed world into blur. Only red trails marked trajectory. He crossed distance in seconds.
Behind wall blocking vision, he reached hidden area.
Hana was there.
Three men held her — common clothes, no visible into marks. One held her left arm, another the right, third kept hand over her mouth preventing screams. Gray duct tape covered her lips partially.
When Nemor landed meters ahead, body seemed to float for moment before legs dug into ground. He decreased speed, leaving shallow furrows in concrete.
Surprised, he murmured:
"My body seems lighter?"
Sasha responded promptly:
"I almost forgot to mention — you rose to level twenty after defeating the Failed Archangel."
He tried to ask another question but movement caught peripheral attention.
Looking ahead, he saw.
Hana held tightly. Duct tape binding mouth. Absolute terror shining in wide eyes.
The three men seeing that impossible speed were paralyzed — muscles locking, mouths opening in mute shock.
So close to them, she was.
Playing on phone as if nothing was happening. Short and elegant pink dress swaying slightly. Perfectly done nails sliding across touch screen.
Alya.
She put phone in expensive designer bag. Then said with natural disdain:
"Good thing you arrived, you weakling." She pointed to the three men. "I was already tired of these shits."
She continued:
"You can stop being so useless and help me take this girl."
Nemor clenched fists so hard knuckles cracked.
Nicia's voice exploded in mind:
"Sir, permission to delete this plague!"
He ignored it. He stared at Alya fixedly:
"Tell me... why do you want to take her?"
She rolled her eyes:
"What do you mean you still don't know, you idiot?" Condescending tone. "All intos know she can end the nightmare. We just have to take her to that guy."
Pause.
"The one called Eren."
She continued while examining nails:
"I don't give a damn what he does with her. As long as I don't go back to that damn nightmare and my beauty is intact..." She smiled coldly. "...nothing matters to me."
Eyes didn't deviate from Nemor while speaking.
Meanwhile, three men still held Hana trembling violently.
"I'm sorry..." Tone became serious. "...but you can't take her."
Alya widened her eyes:
"Do I need your permission?"
At that instant, red cross on her arm along with two horizontal red bars began to glow. They climbed skin like living tattoo until reaching center of right eye.
When she captured Nemor in her vision, his body vibrated. Sharp pain exploded through muscles — as if invisible wires had wrapped around each fiber, compressing.
Muscles stopped responding to commands.
She looked at the three men:
"Why are you standing there, you idiots? Take her now!"
When they tried to take a step, red rays in Nemor vibrated intensely. Muscles returned to obeying his own commands.
Alya was surprised — eyebrows rising.
But Nemor was already millimeters from her.
Her eyes couldn't follow movement. For him, everything around seemed slow — each dust particle floating in slow motion, each of Alya's breaths extending for eternity.
Surprised, he murmured confused:
"This speed?"
Sasha's voice emerged:
"Let me explain, sir." Educational tone. "Resets don't mean power energy will decrease." Pause. "With each creation... it multiplies physical strength and agility."
He widened his eyes processing implication.
At that instant, millimeters from Alya, he avoided any physical contact. Just planted foot on ground.
When energy radiating from body dissipated abruptly, air vibrated with brutal intensity. Invisible shock wave exploded around.
Alya's body staggered like doll thrown by child. She hit head on nearby wall with nauseating hollow sound. She slid to ground.
Same wave pushed three men backward — dragging even Hana herself, who rolled over rough concrete.
Men got up trembling:
"What the fuck is this? Who is this guy?"
Pause.
"I'm out!"
Without any remnant of courage, they left in desperate run. Steps echoing until completely disappearing.
Meanwhile, Alya with blurred vision stared at phone fallen on ground. Three meters away but seeming like miles. She stretched arms trying to reach precious device.
But blurred vision brought memory she would never allow to relive.
---
Alya walked on busy street. Backpack on back, impeccable school uniform. Silver hair swaying with each coordinated step.
But face...
Covered in scars. Reddened, some purple. Didn't look like result of beating or accident. They were birthmarks — deformities that grew with her since first day of life.
People averted eyes. Children pointed before parents pulled small hands.
She reached nearby house. Peeling white door. She entered, hanging backpack on rusty hook.
She reached the room.
Lady was sitting on sofa. Watching TV without really paying attention.
Silver-haired girl said, intertwining fingers nervously:
"Good afternoon... mom."
Lady didn't even turn head:
"How many times do I have to tell you..." Voice cold as ice. "You're not my daughter. If it weren't for your father, I'd kick you out of my house."
Venomous pause.
"I won't repeat again. I don't have a daughter as ugly as you."
Tears exploded from Alya's eyes. They ran down marked cheeks, burning in scars.
Without hesitation, she ran. She crossed room to kitchen. Blurred vision could only see one thing.
Knife.
On dirty counter.
She held handle with both hands. Trembling so violently that blade shook.
Lady entered kitchen, staring at scene:
"What do you think you're doing? Have you gone crazy?"
Girl trembled strongly. Arms vibrating. Said with breaking voice:
"If I can't be beautiful..." Tears falling on floor. "...then why live?"
Lady tried to run to snatch knife. Hurried steps crossing worn linoleum.
But didn't arrive in time.
SHLACK.
Sound of metal piercing flesh. Tearing layers of skin, muscle, connective tissue. Until penetrating vital organ — young heart still beating frantically when pierced.
Blood gushed. Hot, bright red staining white school dress.
Alya's body fell. Knees hitting first, then shoulders, finally head. Lying in growing pool of own blood.
Woman trembled strongly seeing that. Word came out in horrified whisper:
"Dau... ghter..."
Too late. Breathing had already stopped. Eyes open but empty, staring at cracked ceiling seeing nothing.
---
Then darkness.
Then, voice. Masculine. Loaded with emotion:
"I can't believe it... I'll finally be a father!"
Followed by soft feminine voice:
"Yes... our daughter is so beautiful."
Alya felt that like final hallucination before complete death.
She tried to move arms. Didn't feel long ones. Small. Very small. Like newborn baby's.
Memory dissipated. She returned to brutal reality.
She saw Nemor holding her head delicately — fingers wrapping skull with surprising care. Near him, Hana breathed heavily, duct tape still covering mouth.
"Good thing you didn't die. You gave me quite a scare."
Alya pushed his hands away:
"Why are you holding me? Get your hands off me!" Panic crossing voice. "How dare you attack me like that?"
She held own face hurriedly, fingers checking every centimeter of skin. Looking for injury, scratch, any imperfection.
But universe was on her side. Face remained completely unharmed.
Hana tried to say something through tape.
But at that instant...
BOOM.
Station walls collapsed. Concrete exploding into fragments that flew like projectiles. Ceiling was brutally pierced — large pieces falling, raising dense cloud of dust.
Deafening sound echoed.
Nemor got up, clenching fists instinctively. Trying to see through that gray curtain of dust.
Hana's heart hammered against ribs.
When dust gradually settled, six figures became visible.
Impeccable black suits. Military posture. But figure at front stood out completely.
Dressed in pure white. Suit without a single stain or fold. He held small hand.
Yuna.
Red dress too large. Teddy bear pressed against chest with free arm.
When Nemor's eyes reached man's face, time seemed to slow down.
On forehead: fifteen red crosses arranged in perfect pattern. On exposed arm: four horizontal red bars glowing slightly.
Completely smooth skin. Perfectly combed white hair. Eyes that didn't blink staring at Hana fixedly.
Nemor widened his eyes. Breathing caught in throat. Heart raced.
Man stared at Hana. Voice came out calm but penetrating — carrying weight of mountains:
"So... you are the Extermination."
Pause while adjusting white suit collar with meticulous movement.
"I can call you..." Thin smile emerged. "...the weapon of liberation."
Three seconds of absolute silence.
"Because I..." Another deliberate pause, savoring moment. "...will be your... wielder."
Final word echoed like silent thunder.
Air became heavy. Suffocating. As if gravity had instantly tripled.
**END OF CHAPTER +2**