Shingeki no Jiyu

XXVI

       As anticipated, Adria's return became a political spectacle. Brant had arranged one of the Resistance volunteers to be transformed into a Titan and have Adria kill them in the main square. This further proved to the inhabitants of Marley that Yelts were like Helos—protectors. When Adria suggested that this could have come from Paradis, Willy was more than willing to listen to her.

      For Marley.

      A few days had passed, and Adria oversaw the Marlean counterstrike. Unlike Paradis' military hierarchy, Willy commanded corporals who acted as a solid unit. There were specialist aviation, sea, and land units—the warriors were their ultimate weapon to traverse all terrain and foe.

       "How many warriors would you suggest?" asked one of the generals. "They would anticipate the Beast, so we could dispatch the Armoured and Colossus."

       Adria cocked her head at the information but kept her eyes fixed on the world map. Paradis was a drop in the ocean in comparison. She didn't realise how large the world was behind Paradis' fortifications. Her juvenile aspirations spurred on by Gregory seemed to do this new world an injustice. She could spend her entire life exploring and still not experience everything that the Walls took from her. 

      "The. . .Devils are unaware of who or what the Beast is," Adria's mouth contorted to formulate the slur. Everything in her body wished to refer to them as my people, but if she were to succeed in her infiltration, she would have to do everything to surrender herself to them. "Due to their seclusion, their technology are decades behind."

      She flexed her arms at the new gear Marley was testing. Unlike the ODM gear behind the walls, this was a full body exo-skeleton which was flexible and responsive to every movement she made. It had independent mechanisms which could be detached from the hips or trigger sensitive pressure points which she could utilise around her fingers and hands.

       "We analysed the technology Zeke retrieved. . .they have seemed to adapt to their vulnerability to Titans. The swords are even stronger than those we've forged in Liberio," murmured another commander.

     "Swords won't save them against one of the Nine," Adria tapped her long nail against the perimeter of the island. "They're an isolated colony now that the villages beyond the Walls have been quashed. Their military is compromised and there is no figurehead to lead. The civilians are rioting in the poorer districts. . .they're not as put together as you think. Sending an experienced Warrior would be reckless and overkill."

      "You seem to forget Miss Yelts that we wish to destroy Paradis whilst they're weak. We can't risk an oversight," Willy rubbed his chin. "A full-fledged assault will be in order."

       "Do you want to lose your Shifters?" Adria set her jaw tight.

       The table turned to her fully, perplexed.

         "The Defence Titan has survived. From experimentation, they have come up with some form of serum that renders Shifters practically useless. It degrades their abilities at a cellular level. Do you want to risk all of the others in your possession too?" Adria didn't know how accurate the lie was, but she remembered Viktor mentioning the Corps had developed chemicals to use against him. The information seemed to compel the generals as they reclined in their seats, exhaling.

        "How can we confirm this?" Willy queried.

        "Ask your nephew," Adria couldn't hold the venom from her voice. "He's only just healed, and they didn't even land a direct hit on him. It affects the Titan body as well as the human inside."