Perched on the smooth surface of the Wall, Levi watched as the recruits, led by Erwin, charged towards the Beast Titan. It was time. Slowly he took a deep breath as he gazed ahead, waiting for the right moment, when he could be sure the creature wouldn't see him.

The chance came. He took it.

Faster than the wind, faster than any soldier had flown before, he surged through the air towards the nearest Titan in the row next to the Beast and took to the sky. The captain dove down, his eyes hard and cold, and did not falter when Erwin fell from his horse, the ground quickly growing crimson with his blood.

Mercilessly Levi slashed the Titan's nape and leaped to the next one, blood splattering over his face and clothes. One by one the Titans fell to the ground, and before him stood his mission.

The Beast Titan.

The creature responsible for the deaths of countless soldiers and civilians, the transformation of whole villages into Titans, and most of all, the death of Erwin.

This is it. Let it all out. Make it pay.

Do it for Erwin. Do it for all those who died in this war.

A scream of rage tore from his lungs as he plummeted down onto the Titan. Everything but himself and his foe seemed to fade into the distance as his power took over. Before the Beast could make a single move, he sliced through its hand and arm so fast the pieces fell all at once. The roars of agony from the Titan spurred him onward, and he wanted more, for the first time in years he thirsted for blood.

He would not stop until the monster died in the slowest, most painful way possible.

With its remaining hand, the Titan grasped desperately at his nape in an attempt to protect himself. The captain dove past it, his blades spinning so fast only a blur of silver and red could be seen as he slashed out the creature's feet from under him.

Die. Suffer. Pay for all you've done.

Die.

Sprays of blood flew over the battlefield as Levi's swords tore through the Titan again and again, ripping through its arm, its eyes, its face, every part that was still left uninjured. All he felt was rage, blinding white-hot rage that engulfed his very being, destroyed any emotions lodged in his soul, and flowed out through his blades into the beast writhing beneath him.

Steam burst from the Titan, surrounding the captain as the shifter emerged, severely injured, and Levi pinned him down with a thrust before he could say a word. Slowly the raw power that had taken over him faded back where it came from, leaving him breathing hard as he leaned on his sword for support, though only for a moment.

Levi wanted nothing more than to kill the shifter and avenge Erwin's death. It was only right this monster should suffer the same fate he had inflicted on so many. But he couldn't. Carefully he reached into his blood-soaked jacket, making sure the serum was still there.

There's got to be somebody he hasn't killed. Even if they're dying…I can give them the serum, and the power of the Beast Titan. Keeping his blade firmly planted in the shifter's face, the captain looked around at the carnage meters away as slowly a feeling of indescribable horror grew over him.

That feeling you get when you realize you are the only one alive in a sea of the dead.

It was a feeling he'd felt only once, on the worst day of his life, and the fact that it was happening all over again scared him more than anything.

Please…His eyes darted over the corpses desperately, hoping against hope one of them would breathe or move again. Somebody…anybody…

It was as if he was trapped in one of his nightmares again, every emotion threatening to burst out as he struggled to wake up, only this time it wasn't a dream.

This was real. His worst nightmare – Erwin, Hanji, and all the others dying on the battlefield, leaving him alone in the losing war against his inner demons - it was more than a night terror this time…it was real.

And he couldn't wake up.

If the shifter had not still been fully conscious, if Levi had listened to the ground more attentively, if the Titan hadn't been so quiet as it bounded towards them, perhaps the captain would have avoided it. He only saw the shadow as it leaped high above him, mouth wide open ready to devour another victim. But instead of going after Levi, it snatched up the shifter in its great maw and galloped across the plains, its mission accomplished.

No. No, this can't be happening! Levi scrambled down from the steaming corpse to give chase, but the Titan had already gained too much ground. There would be no way to go after it on the plains, where the maneuver gear he held was useless. "Get back here!" he yelled angrily, clenching his fists in frustration as he watched the shifter escape, unable to do anything about it. "I'm not done with you yet, you bastard!"

As he said the words the captain heard his voice crack, and it was then he realized how small his voice sounded. He'd never felt this helpless before, not even in the Underground. I failed…I failed again. Everyone's going to die because of me. Levi felt himself fall defeatedly to his knees and gazed down at his hands, dripping with blood. He did not need to look at his reflection in his blades to know every inch of his short frame was covered in the hot Titan blood. I can't…I can't do this anymore.

He had failed to destroy the Beast Titan. Erwin's death had been in vain; that one thought tormented him more than anything. They would all die here in defeat, and he would never see his daughter again.

This…this isn't all a childish delusion, is it? Is it too much to ask for a single victory?

Erwin's last words to him rang through his mind…it was the only thing in his mind. No. I won't let you die this way, Erwin. Slowly he forced himself to his feet and looked back at the bloodbath that was behind him. It won't be in vain.

I have to do this. For him.

Levi watched as five Titans began charging towards him on the shifter's orders. Almost mechanically he took up his last pair of blades. If these dulled…he didn't want to think about what would happen if they did. I can do this. I will do this.

I promised him.

I

PROMISED

HIM!

The emotions building up inside him finally burst out in a flood, and he glared up at the Titans as tears streamed down his cheeks, mingling with the blood. "Just you wait!" he screamed, not caring anymore that his voice was breaking. "I swore to him that I would defeat you no matter what! I SWORE IT!"

That was the one thought that drove through his mind, the one thing that kept him from losing his sanity.

The promise.

As soon as the Titans were close enough Levi shot his grapples into two of them, propelling himself forward and into the air. For barely a second he soared above the monsters still charging over the plains, then he dove back down, slicing out a Titan's nape as he did so, then kicked off its body as he wove his way between the monsters trying to reach him.

I can't lose. I have to win.

The captain sliced through one Titan's legs to immobilize it, slashed off the hand of another that attempted to grab him, and leaped onto the first's head to finish it off. His boots thudded onto the Titan's shoulder for only a moment before taking off again as it collapsed onto the ground. Quickly he shot a grapple into another Titan's neck and reeled it back in, sprinted up the creature's slippery back and slashed across its nape, then used the blow to propel himself past the last two, which he ended before they could make a move.

The last one fell with a low thud to the ground as Levi jumped off, swaying slightly. He planted one sword into the ground to steady himself and allowed himself a moment of respite. Blood dripped down his brow onto the flattened grass, and the captain glanced back behind him. Carefully he lifted one blade and pressed his finger to the edge until a drop of blood ran down its steaming side. It was still sharp, but would dull soon, and he was low on gas. He'd have to restock, and fast.

Levi slipped the blades back into his worn holsters and ran to the scene of bloodshed nearby. He hated disturbing the bodies of the dead, but right now he needed both blades and gas, and they had those things. Still, he couldn't help but check each mangled soldier he passed; clinging to the chance there might still be someone alive. Finally the captain turned away and began gathering fresh blades from the unused holsters after he refilled his gas canisters.

In a few minutes the job was done. As he turned to leave, Levi hesitated, then slowly approached the motionless form at the beginning of the carnage, the first one to fall.

Erwin.

The captain sank to his knees next to him and lowered his head, trying to keep it together. His hand reached out, trembling slightly as he hoped for the impossible, and rested on the commander's chest.

A heartbeat.

His eyes widened in shock and he jerked his hand back; then quickly Levi grasped Erwin's wrist and checked his pulse, watching the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

He had a heartbeat. He was alive.

"Erwin…" The captain felt as if a huge weight was lifted off him, so great he almost wept in relief. The commander was alive. Barely, but as long as he was alive, Levi could save him.

I can save him. I can give him the serum.

But he couldn't do it here. Not with all these human and Titan corpses strewn over the battlefield.

Levi tore off his cape and pressed it to Erwin's chest to stop the flow of blood, then heaved him up on his back as gently as possible. For a moment he stumbled under the dead weight, but he tightened his grip on the unconscious man and trudged forward.

"Come on, Erwin," he grunted, quickening his pace as finally he stepped onto clean grass, unstained by blood. "We'll go see the Basement together."

Don't give up on me.

After what seemed like forever, Levi reached the edge of the Wall and lowered Erwin down onto the grass. He could see the shifter and the Titan that had rescued him resting on the roof of one of the houses, having evidently not noticed the two yet.

Exhaustion surged through his body as he leaned over Erwin, making sure he was still alive. For the last time he reached into his jacket and ran his thumb over the embossed edges of the box, then slowly opened it. Taking out the syringe containing the precious serum, Levi ripped off the commander's jacket sleeve and gently grasped his hand.

Live.

"Listen to me," he said, raising the syringe. "You've got to get the Beast Titan. That's your job, not mine; I've realized it now. End him, and take his power." He pressed his thumb against its edge, watched the serum inside build up ready to burst out.

"Win this war." With that, he plunged the syringe into Erwin's arm.

A torrent of steam burst from the commander's body, surrounding the two men. Quickly Levi activated his gear and flew up onto a nearby house where he crouched low, waiting for the Titan to emerge.

Sure enough, before him rose a huge, heavily armored 18-meter class Titan, similar to both the Armored Titan and Eren's Titan, with glowing ice-blue eyes and blond hair that fell down the side of its face. It let loose a deafening roar that shook the buildings around him, then turned to face Levi.

There was a slight flicker of recognition in the Titan's eyes, and Levi took the opportunity to land on its shoulder. He hoped he could get through to it, since Erwin did not have control over his Titan until he ate a shifter.

"Do you hear me, Erwin? You've got to get him, now." The shifter has now rapidly escaping once again, taking off over the rooftops as another group of Titans began charging towards them. "Do not engage, I repeat, do not engage! Go for the Beast Titan! I'll cover you here!" With that Levi leaped off of Erwin's shoulder and charged into the melee, slicing off a Titan's nape with his first blow.

"Don't worry about me!" he yelled. "Get out of here! Go!"

Erwin managed a slight nod and sprinted off in the direction the shifter had gone. As soon as he'd left Levi soared back up into the sky and sent one pair of blades spinning into a Titan's eyes. He sped up his movements, straining every muscle in his tired body to the limit as he dispatched one Titan after another, his form nothing but a blur of silver, green, and red.

More Titans were approaching in the distance. The captain tightened his grip on his blades as he dove down, about to destroy one of the remaining Titans, when it happened.

An Abnormal sped ahead, arriving faster than Levi had anticipated, and lunged at the Titan the captain was approaching. There was no time to avoid it. Quickly he dodged the brunt of the collision, just barely, as splinters of metal tore past him.

His gear was broken.

Desperately Levi attempted to shoot another wire, even with just one he could land safely. But the controllers wouldn't work anymore. On impulse he yanked out a blade from his smashed holsters and drove it into the Titan's back, ignoring the stinging pain as blood dripped from his hands. Levi could feel the remnants of his gear fall off of him as the Titan twisted around, and he kicked helplessly trying to find his balance.

His hands were slipping. The captain struggled to regain his hold on the embedded blade, then the Titan shook itself hard and he was no longer holding on. For a moment he just stared at the bloodstained blade growing smaller, and he realized he was falling.

It was over.

The blade disappeared from his sight, and Levi watched as the sky grew further away, knowing he would never see it again.

Kaylee…

I'm sorry…I never got to tell you…

He wrapped his arms around his head and neck in a final attempt to protect his life, his body bracing itself for impact.

I love you.

The pain of a thousand swords exploded through his body as he hit the earth, and after that there was only darkness.

This was literally one of the most emotional things I've ever written. I really hope I did this part of the manga justice.