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This was an endless desert beneath a star-filled night sky. At the center of this space stood a giant pillar of light, its top branching into countless tendrils like a massive celestial tree, striking against the darkness.
"What is this place?"
Naruto looked at the desert beneath his feet, then at the 'path' in the distance—composed of countless lines of light, resembling a galaxy.
He wondered, "What is that? A path?"
Although it didn't appear to resemble a 'path' at all, the moment Naruto saw it, he was certain that it was one.
With a puzzled mind, Naruto prepared to walk toward it. However, the moment he lifted his foot, he realized that his legs had been shackled by two chains without him noticing.
Not just his legs—his hands, waist, and neck were also bound by chains, firmly pinning him in place.
"What's going on?"
Naruto tugged at the chains, only to find them completely unbreakable. He muttered in confusion, "What exactly is this place, and why am I chained?"
At that moment, Naruto noticed a figure in tattered clothes walking toward him from the end of the 'path'.
He immediately called out, "Hey, you over there! Who are you? Did you bring me here? What is this place?"
Naruto asked several questions in quick succession, but the figure did not respond.
She simply stopped a short distance away, then crouched down and began to 'play in the sand.'
Naruto watched as she shaped two human-like figures from the sand. After finishing, she cradled them in her hands, turned around, walked back beneath the 'path,' and dropped them into one of the glowing lines connected to it.
Naruto was completely bewildered.
After thinking for a moment, he called out again:
"Ymir? You're the Founding Titan Ymir… right?"
He didn't know why that thought came to him—it simply appeared in his mind.
But when he spoke the name "Ymir," the figure's movements paused slightly.
That was enough to confirm his guess.
"Ymir, what is this place? Why did you bring me here and chain me? Is it because I inherited your power as the Founding Titan?"
Hearing Naruto's voice, the distant Ymir slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were empty—devoid of emotion, filled only with numbness.
The moment Naruto met her gaze, countless memories flooded into his mind.
She was answering him… in this way.
Naruto immediately understood and began watching the scenes unfolding before him.
At first, the memory depicted a primitive tribal society.
Ymir had been born a slave in the Eldian tribe ruled by King Fritz. To maintain control, slaves had their tongues cut out at birth.
Ymir's role was to raise domesticated wild boars. Perhaps out of kindness, one night she opened the pigsty and set them free.
The next day, King Fritz discovered what had happened.
He gathered all the slaves and demanded that the culprit step forward. Otherwise, he would gouge out one eye from each of them.
Under that threat, all the slaves pointed at Ymir.
As punishment, King Fritz ordered her eyes to be gouged out.
Then, she was released into the forest and hunted on horseback like an animal, shot with arrows until she was covered in wounds.
With nowhere left to run, Ymir reached a towering tree and fell into a pool of water within its hollow.
Inside that pool was a mysterious organism—something like a hallucinogenic entity.
It merged with her.
And in that moment, Ymir gained the power of the Titans, becoming the first Titan in the world.
The Founding Titan's power healed her completely. Her eyes were restored, and even her tongue—cut out at birth—grew back.
Normally, after suffering such cruelty and gaining godlike power, she should have taken revenge.
But Ymir did not.
Her servitude was too deeply ingrained.
Instead of resisting, she returned to King Fritz and continued to serve him, using her Titan power to wage war and expand the Eldian tribe's territory.
King Fritz exploited her power without restraint, destroying the once-mighty Marley Empire and establishing the Eldian Empire.
He rose from a tribal leader to a ruler of the world.
As a "reward," he took Ymir into his harem, gave her the surname "Fritz," and had three daughters with her: Maria, Rose, and Hina.
Thirteen years later—
During a surrender ceremony, King Fritz was suddenly attacked by an enemy pretending to yield, who struck with a hidden spear.
At that critical moment, Ymir stepped forward and used her body to shield him.
She fell, gravely injured.
Yet King Fritz showed no gratitude.
Instead, he coldly ordered her to stand and continue serving him, declaring that her fate was to remain his slave forever.
Those words shook Ymir.
For the first time, she disobeyed him.
She chose not to heal herself.
And so… she died.
Ymir believed death would grant her freedom.
But even then, she was not released.
To preserve the power of the Titans, King Fritz forced his daughters to consume Ymir's body.
Through this, her power was divided among them and passed down.
Her daughters continued to serve the empire, just as she had.
Though this method ensured the continuation of Titan power, it came with a flaw—
Every inheritor would die within thirteen years.
King Fritz believed this was because Ymir herself had lived only thirteen years after gaining her power.
He named it the "Curse of Ymir."
Before his death, he ordered his daughters to continue bearing children and to pass on the Titan power through consumption, generation after generation.
Over time, this power split into the Nine Intelligent Titans.
This was the true origin of Titan power.
Even after death, Ymir's consciousness did not disappear.
Instead, it was trapped in this space.
This realm—formed by her will—connected all Titan powers and every Eldian through the 'path.'
Whenever an Eldian transforms, Ymir constructs their Titan body here using sand, then sends it through the 'path' into the real world.
That is why Titan bodies appear out of nowhere.
Perhaps because of King Fritz's final words, Ymir remained here endlessly, bound to serve the royal bloodline across generations.
"What a tragic life…"
After witnessing everything, Naruto sighed.
At that moment—
The chains binding him vanished.
"They're gone?"
Freed, Naruto walked over to Ymir and gently embraced her.
"Ymir… as the current King Fritz, I command you—break your shackles. You are free."
At his words, a faint spark appeared in her empty eyes.
"I… free?"
"Yes."
Naruto released her and looked into her eyes.
"You are no longer a slave. From this moment on, you are free."
King Fritz had never truly bound her.
It was Ymir herself who had accepted those chains.
Naruto didn't know what would happen next.
But he knew he wouldn't regret this.
"Freedom…"
Ymir didn't smile.
Instead, she looked confused—as if she had lost her purpose.
Naruto said nothing, simply standing beside her.
After an unknown amount of time—
Ymir raised her head.
Her appearance had changed—clean, composed, and dressed in simple but new clothing.
"Thank you… current King Fritz."
"You are the first king who did not treat me as a slave."
"You don't need to thank me."
Naruto shook his head gently.
"I should be the one apologizing. You should have been free long ago."
Tears welled in Ymir's eyes.
"Thank you…"
She nodded again, then said softly:
"You are different from the others. You truly wish for my freedom… but you came too late."
Naruto frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I have been here too long… so long that I have become part of this place."
"I can no longer leave."
She paused, her expression distant.
"If only… he had said those words to me."
Naruto understood.
It wasn't King Fritz who bound her.
It was her own belief… her own attachment.
Time did not exist here.
Though over two thousand years had passed outside, Ymir had endured far longer within this endless space.
Her existence had merged with it.
Naruto's words could awaken her—
But not free her.
For that, the power of the Titans itself would have to disappear.
And Ymir did not believe he would choose that.
After all, complete control of Titan power meant the ability to rule the world.
"I don't care!"
Naruto's voice rang out.
"If I say you'll be free, then you will be free!"
"Whatever stands in your way—I'll destroy it myself!"
"This is a command!"
Ymir blinked—then laughed softly.
"A command…"
She looked at him with a faint smile.
"You don't yet understand the true power of the Titans."
"I hope… when you do… you can still say those words."
As she spoke, her gaze flickered—
And countless breathtaking scenes flowed into Naruto's mind.