CHAPTER 24: THE OLD CASTLE
Three weeks passed.
Sukuna read his father's books. Twice. Three times. Until the words were burned into his memory.
Marley. The Titans. The curse of Ymir. The history of the world.
The lies.
Armin read them too. His face grew paler with each page.
"This changes everything," he said.
"No," Sukuna replied. "This reveals what was always there."
Mikasa watched them both.
She didn't read the books. She didn't need to.
She just watched Sukuna.
"You're different," she said one night.
"I've always been different."
"More than usual. Colder."
"The truth does that."
"What truth?"
"That the world isn't worth saving."
Mikasa was quiet for a long time.
Then she said, "Then why are you trying to save it?"
Sukuna looked at her.
"I'm not. I'm trying to save the people inside it."
Zeke's deadline approached.
Two months left.
Sukuna gathered the books and prepared to leave.
"You're going to the castle," Mikasa said.
"Yes."
"I'm coming."
"He said alone."
"I don't care what he said."
Sukuna sighed.
"You never do."
The journey to the old castle took two days.
Sukuna rode ahead. Mikasa followed at a distance. Hidden. Invisible.
The castle stood on the hill, just as he remembered. Cracked walls. Broken towers. But something was different.
Lights flickered in the windows.
"Someone is here," Sukuna thought.
He dismounted and walked to the gate.
The gate opened before he touched it.
Inside, a fire burned in the courtyard.
And standing around the fire...
Zeke.
And behind him, a dozen soldiers. Not Marleyan. Not Eldian. Volunteers.
Yelena stood among them.
"You came," Zeke said.
"You asked."
"I hoped."
Zeke stepped forward.
"Did you bring the books?"
"I burned them."
Zeke's eyes widened.
"What?"
"Every word is in my head. The books are gone."
Zeke stared at him.
Then he laughed.
"You're smarter than I thought, little brother."
They sat in the great hall. A long table. Candles.
Zeke poured wine. Sukuna didn't drink.
"You have questions," Zeke said.
"Many."
"Start with the most important one."
Sukuna leaned forward.
"Why did you send the Colossal Titan to Shiganshina? The first time. The day the wall fell."
Zeke's smile faded.
"I didn't."
"Someone did."
"That was Marley. Their warriors. Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie."
"But the second time? The smiling Colossal?"
Zeke was quiet.
Then he said, "That was me."
"Why?"
"To get your attention. To make you understand."
"Understand what?"
"That I can control them. All of them. The Titans. The walls. The world."
Zeke leaned forward.
"And I can teach you to do the same."
Sukuna stood up.
"I don't want to control the world."
"What do you want?"
"I want to destroy it."
Silence.
Zeke's eyes burned.
"Destroy it?"
"The walls. The Titans. The curse. All of it."
"And the people?"
"The people can build something new. Something better."
Zeke was quiet for a long time.
Then he smiled.
"You really are my brother."
They talked for hours.
Zeke explained his plan. The euthanasia plan. The end of the Titans. The end of the curse.
"We use the Founding Titan to change the biology of all Eldians. No more children. No more future generations. The race dies out peacefully."
"That's not peace," Sukuna said. "That's genocide."
"It's salvation."
"It's surrender."
Zeke's face hardened.
"What would you do?"
"Fight."
"Against the whole world?"
"If I have to."
The argument continued until dawn.
Neither convinced the other.
As the sun rose, Zeke stood.
"You need time to think."
"I've had time."
"Take more."
He walked toward the door.
"The fleet arrives in two months. Find me when you're ready to make a decision."
"And if I never am?"
Zeke stopped.
"Then I'll make it for you."
He left.
Mikasa emerged from the shadows.
"I heard everything."
"I know."
"He's insane."
"Maybe. But he's not wrong about everything."
Mikasa grabbed his arm.
"You're not considering his plan, are you?"
"I'm considering all plans."
"Eren..."
"Sukuna."
She stared at him.
"What?"
"My name. Not Eren. Sukuna."
Mikasa was quiet.
Then she said, "Sukuna... don't lose yourself. Not like him."
He looked at her.
"I lost myself a long time ago. In another world. Another life."
"Then find yourself again."
He almost smiled.
"I'll try."
END OF CHAPTER 24