Chapter 39

'I'm fucked up!' - Zirken.

They both continued forward, with Zirken remaining close behind while Mikasa led the way. It seemed that the boy was becoming more and more nervous, as his rapid heartbeat resounded through the silent snowy forest.

"I-I'll follow this path here, it should be easier to find prey if we stay apart..." - Zirken, while pointing in a certain direction.

"Why do you want to isolate yourself so much? What are you trying to hide?" - Mikasa.

"H-Huh? N- I'm not trying to hide anything!!" - Zirken.

"If that's the case, then what were you whispering to Annie? Why do you insist on breaking up? Why are you constantly looking up at the sky?! Why do you want to run away from me?!!" - Mikasa.

"And I-"

"It's you isn't it?! Zirken!" - Mikasa.

"I d-don't know who you h-re talking-" - Zirken.

Perhaps because his powers were constantly weakening as the moon rises, or even because Mikasa was much stronger than an ordinary human being, but Zirken couldn't react when in an instant Mikasa rushed towards him.

She ran her hands diagonally between Zirken's chest and shoulder and delivered a direct kick to his calf, causing him to fall backwards to the floor as Mikasa pinned him so he couldn't get up.

"Why?! Why did you leave?!" -Mikasa, with tears starting to fall down his face.

The sky was now visibly darkened, it was at that moment that the power of the sunshine stopped making a visible effect and all the boy's features returned to normal. His eyes and silver hair reflected only the imposing and beautiful moon, which stood out in the sky filled with darkness and starlight.

"Why did you leave us behind?!" - Mikasa.

The girl leaned her head on the boy's chest as an even greater amount of tears streamed down her face and finally fell onto Zirken's skin.

"You idiot! Do you know how sad and worried our mother was all this time?!" - Mikasa, crying like never before.

'I guess now I don't have a place to run anymore, do I?' - Zirken.

"I'm sorry..." - Zirken, at the same time he hesitantly started stroking her hair.

"Do you have any idea how much I suffered when you left us?! Do you have any idea how much I've been looking for you all this time?!!!" - Mikasa.

"Pardon me..."

(loud crying sound)

Mikasa just shut up and continued to shed all the tears she had been holding back for years. She focused solely on not letting go of him as she enjoyed the sound of her heartbeat.

They both spent long minutes just enjoying being together. Zirken had already accepted that it would now be too late to keep it a secret and he wouldn't be able to make Mikasa feel the pain of separation again.

Now Zirken was sitting on the ground and leaning against a tree as he held on to Mikasa. Her head still remained on his chest, she wanted to continue listening to his heartbeat as much as possible.

"I almost went into complete despair when I couldn't find you on the day of enlistment... I even thought about the possibility that you were dead..." - Mikasa.

"Your onii-san wouldn't die that easily! Hehe..." - Zirken, smiling awkwardly.

"Because you left?"

"It was necessary... I'm facing an enemy that I don't even know when he could attack me..." - Zirken.

"Enemy? The titans that destroyed Wall Maria?" - Mikasa.

"Maybe they too... But the enemy I'm going to face is much worse. I couldn't let the people I love suffer or be killed in this fight..." - Zirken.

"The people you love..."

"I didn't want to tell you about it, let alone get you involved in it all, but at this point in the championship it's safer if you know what I'm actually facing and my powers..." - Zirken.

"How many things did the Old Man tell you?"

"He just showed me the contents of that letter you left behind, about how you were able to defeat a titan just by lifting a finger and told me about the days he spent with you." - Mikasa.

"And how did you not discover me as soon as we entered the camp? Didn't he tell you about my appearance?" - Zirken.

"No. He just said, 'If he used a cape and hood to hide his face, it's because he doesn't want to be recognized'"

"I see... I knew he would understand my actions. The old man trained you too, didn't he? You used the mortal steps to get close to me." - Zirken.

"Yes... I asked to have the same training routine as you."

"Huh?! And how did you put up with it?! My body is not the same as a normal human's!" - Zirken.

"I...I just wanted to find you as soon as possible, so I resisted any pain I felt during training...Mr. Kiren also mentioned that I also possess superhuman strength as an Ackerman."

"Wait! Mr. Kiren? Did the old man tell you his real name?! He said he forgot it when I left... what an old bastard!!!" - Zirken.

"Huh? He told me as soon as I asked him for the first time... the full name is Kiren Asumabito." - Mikasa.

"!!" - Zirken.

"Hahahahahaha!" - Zirken.

"W-What is it?" - Mikasa, lifting her face to look at him.

'Why do I have this feeling of deja-vu?' - Mikasa.

'So that's why that old man is so interested in the people of the shogun clan.'- Zirken.

"It's nothing. I just thought it was funny… haha." -Zirken.

"Ok..." - Mikasa, laying her head on Zirken's chest again.

"From what I remember, the Ackermans really do seem to possess the strength of a titan in a human body... The current strongest man in humanity is also an Ackerman." - Zirken.

"Things you remember?" - Zirken.

"This is going to be a long story, so listen carefully."

"Hmm!" - Mikasa.

"I come from a different world than this..."

Zirken spent a few long minutes telling his entire story, from the time he died in his world, to meeting the goddess and being dropped off in front of his parents' house during a severe storm. He also didn't exclude any details about his life after they parted, telling about his powers and his purpose in coming to this world.

"I think that's all..."

"..." - Mikasa.

Perhaps because of the shock of receiving so much absurd information or just disbelief, Mikasa didn't know what to say.

"I heard mom talk once about you not actually being my blood brother..." - Mikasa.

"Did she speak? Directly to you?"

"No, she was talking to Aunt Carla." - Mikasa.

"I understand..."

"Good! That just adds to the truth of what I just told you." - Zirken.

"Yes... I still haven't been able to absorb everything I've just heard." - Mikasa.

"I figured. It can't be easy hearing about these things." - Zirken.

"So you died right after saving a kid and were sent by a goddess to kill some evil god? And right after you kill him, you're going to leave for another world?" - Mikasa.

"Probably." - Zirken.

"I want to talk to that goddess." - Mikasa.

"I understand it's hard but-"

"Huh?!" - Zirken.