I do not own Attack on Titan or any of the characters.
Declaration of War
Adam watched out the window as the stage and audience seats were prepared. Behind him, Annie was putting her uniform on, along with her ODM gear, Adam already wearing his.
"Are you alright?" Annie asked.
"There's a rumor that Willy Tybur is going to declare war in his speech at the end of the play," Adam said.
"Who the hell did you hear that from?" Annie asked.
"Some of the Marleyan Soldiers were talking about it," Adam said. "Apparently someone leaked info from one of the higher ups' meetings that Marley's going to formally declare war on Paradis."
"If they do, what will you do?" Annie asked.
"What will you do?" Adam asked. "Which side will you fight for?"
"I'll fight for whichever side you're on," Annie said.
"Then I guess we'll be alone," Adam said. "Because I'm fighting for whichever side you're on."
Annie smiled, walking over and kissing him. "If they declare war, we'll try to mitigate the damage as much as possible," Annie said. "And then we'll see which side is willing to accept us and go from there."
Adam nodded and sighed, looking outside again as people began to arrive. "Time to go."
Annie nodded and they left their room, heading out into the street, then up to the rooftops on opposite sides of the square where the play was to be held, both kneeling down a little ways from the edge and enough, everyone began to take their seats and Adam caught sight of Falco leading Reiner to a cellar below the building behind the stage. He narrowed his eyes. What was Falco up to?
He looked up to Annie, who nodded to show she had seen him too, but they both remained in place. They had a job to do, after all. Before long, the band began to play and a Marleyan soldier stepped up beside the titan shifters that were present, as well as the warrior cadets, then led the titan shifters away. Adam gripped his swords, narrowing his eyes. What was Magath up to?
Finally, the curtain parted and Willy bowed to the crowd, a second curtain behind him lighting up, titan silhouettes appearing on it.
"Once upon a time, about a hundred years ago," Willy began. "The Eldian Empire was using the power of the titans to rule the world. From the time of the appearance of their ancestor, Ymir, to today, who knows just how many lives have been taken by titans." the curtain rose, revealing a couple dozen men and women blindfolded and covered in fake blood. "The latest research says that humanity as we know it today could go extinct three times over and that number still wouldn't be high enough. The titans took from us an outrageous number of races and cultures, our history. These slaughterers are now humanity's history...and the path of history that the Eldian Empire chose to walk. Then, once the Eldian Empire ran out of enemies, they began to kill one another."
A man dressed as a king stepped up in the center of the stage as the bloody titan victims were replaced by men with a variety of weapons, who began to fight each other in slow motion.
"That was the beginning of the Great Titan War," Willy said. "The families who held the eight titans shed each other's blood in an endless cycle of conspiracy and betrayal."
A single man in a fancy uniform with a spear, which Adam recognized as Marley's faked folk hero Helos, stepped up beside Willy.
"There was a Marleyan who saw a way to prevail in this situation," Willy said. "None other than the great Helos. He deftly manipulated information until the Eldian Empire killed its own, again and again."
The men on the stage began to die one at a time until only one with a warhammer was left, the king kneeling down as Helos and the warhammer soldier, which Adam understood was supposed to be the Warhammer Titan, both placed a foot on the king's back, placing their fists so the backs were against each other's as they held their hands just above their shoulders.
"Then, he joined hand with the Tybur family and forced even King Fritz, said to be impossible to defeat, to retreat to an island," Willy said, the audience cheering and clapping as the curtain fell again and the silhouettes of multiple Colossal Titans appeared on it. "But thought the king retreated to the island of Paradis, he continues to have his power. Tens of millions of titans lie in wait on that island, with the power to crush the world. At the moment, our world continues to exist, intact. That is by pure chance. It is the only explanation the titan society can provide. While Marley, our motherland, sent four titans to the island to remove this threat, they were foiled and defeated. The only ones to return were the Armored Titan and the Female Titan. We have sent a total of thirty two survey ships to the island in the last four years. Every one of them has vanished. In other words, the Eldian Empire, the dark side of mankind's history, continues to be alive and well."
Willy excused himself for an intermission and Helos and the Warhammer Titan began to dance about to music while they waited. Adam rolled his eyes. If he had known the play was going to be this kind of political agenda bullshit, he probably would have followed Reiner instead. He looked over to Annie, who looked about ready to fall asleep. He raised an eyebrow and she looked over at him, blowing a kiss.
"Now, let's begin the main subject," Willy said, stepping back onto stage. "The story I have told you all so far is a truth that everyone knows. But the facts are slightly different."
Adam stared at him. Was he for real? Was he really about to tell the truth? He couldn't be.
"These are memories that we, the Tybur family, have passed down from generation to generation, together with the Warhammer Titan," Willy said. "Today, these facts will be publicly revealed for the first time ever. Facts from about a century ago, concerning the Great Titan War. Who ended the Great Titan War? Was it Helos? Was it the Tybur Family? It was neither. The man who saved our world by putting an end to the Great Titan War, was King Fritz. Specifically, Karl Fritz the one hundred forty fifth. Even before he inherited the Founding Titan, he lamented the Eldian Empire's brutal history. He'd grown tired of the ugly war between families and countrymen. And most of all, his heart ached for Marley, a nation under constant tyranny. When he inherited the Founding Titan, he also decided to conspire with the Tybur family. He offered himself as a way to bring the history of the Eldian Empire to an end. King Fritz worked with the Tybur family to present a Marleyan as a hero. That man was Helos. Then, as the Eldians began to eliminate one another, just as we planned, he himself moved as many of the Eldian people as he could to the island, and enclosed them inside walls.
"As he did, he said that anyone who threatened his peace would be met with countless titans as retribution, but he did not truly mean this. In order for his successor to inherit his own philosophy even after his death, Karl Fritz created his Vow to Renounce War. Only royal blood is able to make use of the absolute power that is the Founding Titan, with its ability to control all titans. Only inheritors of this royal bloodline are affected by this vow. Because of it, Karl Fritz's ideology is passed down to each new king of the walls, which is why the titans have yet to come attacking from that island. In other words, it was the detestable king of the walls that had protected this world. Karl Fritz's heartfelt desire for peace. Yes, his goal is peace."
"Along with the liberation of Marley from its many years of persecution," the actor playing King Fritz, who was now standing beside Willy, began, "if Marley grows strong and attempts to tae the lives of the royal family or its Founding Titan, I will accept it. If Marley wishes to exterminate all Eldians, I will accept it. That is how grave the Eldians crimes were. They could never be atoned for. Eldians...titans...they never should have existed in the first place. I will accept the responsibility of righting this wrong. But, until the day that this retribution comes, I want to live inside the walls, I want to enjoy this brief paradise, this world without conflict. Please, I ask that you only grant me this."
"Those were the king's final words," Willy said as the king bowed, the entire crowd beginning to murmur about all of what they had just learned. "But...in recent years, a rebellion has occurred within Paradis, eliminating King Fritz's peaceful ideology. The Founding Titan has been stolen away by a certain man."
The screen behind him lit up, displaying a titan silhouette with a sharp-toothed grin.
"The world is in danger once more," Willy said. "Someone has come to rise against King Fritz's peaceful world. A man who rebells against peace. His name, is Eren jaeger."
Adam clenched his fists. So that's what this was all about. It really was a declaration of war. Across from him, Annie looked as worried as he felt. Something felt off about the situation. He turned, looking around, but he couldn't see anyone. Something was definitely wrong though. He drew his swords, signaling Annie to be ready. She nodded, drawing her own swords and looking around. As they scanned the rooftops, alleyways, and the crowd itself, Willy began a part of his speech explaining how the Tybur family was flawed for having neglected the Eldians suffering while they, fellow Eldians lived the good life.
"I stand on this stage, parting with my false glory," Willy said, "because I now understand the dangerous state our world is in. Yes, this problem affects me, and it also affects everyone living in this world."
The screen behind him lit up with an image of the Colossal Titans from the wall standing with their arms linked.
"King Fritz used the power of the Founding Titan to give birth to massive titans," Willy said. "These were to act as both his shields and his spears. His three walls, named after the three daughters of Ymir, the founder. Wall Maria. Wall Rose. Wall Sina. These walls, both shield and spear, are made of what must be millions of Colossal Titans. The threat that Paradis poses to us is the threat of an attack in the form of a rumbling caused by these Colossal Titans. As I explained earlier, only the royal bloodline can use the power of the Founding Titan. This line will not use the Founding Titan for military purposes due to its Vow to Renounce War. But according to reports from Reiner Braun, the Armored Titan, someone has appeared who can activate the power of the Founding Titan despite an unclear relation to the royal bloodline. That is the threat posed by Eren Jaeger, who now has the Founding Titan within him. In other words, Eren Jaeger could potentially have the ability to activate this rumbling."
Adam looked away from the stage, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Where were they? Someone was going to attack soon. And he had a sinking feeling he knew who. However, he didn't know from where, or with what.
"While we saw the rise of weapons more powerful than the titans in the last war, we will never see a weapon that can prevent the advance of millions of Colossal Titans," Willy said. "If this rumbling is activated a single time, there will be nothing left we can do. All that will remain for humanity is for us to flee in terror of the sound of the inevitable footsteps signaling our end. Before long, these massive creatures will trample us all, along with our cities, civilizations, and our entire ecosystem. They will literally flatten the ground. It will be too late then. If we want to stop the threat, now is our only time. But this danger now facing the world can all be traced back to the existence of Eldians. I would choose to have never been born, if it was up to me. I've hated my blood. More than anyone else, I wished for the extinction of all Eldians. But I do not wish to die. Because...I was born into this world. We may belong to different nations and races, but I ask any of you who do not wish to die, lend me your strength! Please, I wan to t ensure our future together!"
People began to cheer. And still no attack. And still, Adam's sense of danger continued to grow.
"I want you to fight with me!" Willy shouted. "Against the devils on Paradis! It is true. We still face many issues that keep the militaries of the world from joining hands. But I believe we can band together in the face of this powerful enemy. We should be able to overcome anything if only we can work as one! As ambassador for the Marleyan government, I, Willy Tybur, wish for world peace! And so, I proclaim on this day! To the enemy forces on Paradis! This is a declaration of war!"
Just as he said this, Adam's entire body went numb as the building above Willy exploded outward, Eren's titan form erupting out of it.
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