Moving through the devastated city the scouts reach general Magath's position. He was pinned down and under heavy fire from the Yeagerites.
General! Pieck, Reiner and Porco shout at him. For an instant Gustav thought of shouting the very same thing but his mocking nature had to be kept under control at least for now. The scouts offered cover fire and flanking allowing the general's forces to push back and recapture their defensive position.
What in the world are you doing alongside the enemy forces? Magath asks taking cover behind a rooftop.
We are stopping the end of humanity. My name is Erwin, I am the one in charge of the scouts.
Aren't you shooting the wrong army commander? We're the marleyans you know.
This skirmish right here is nothing compared to the threat the world is facing. Eren Yeager is planning on contacting Zeke in order to activate the powers of the...
Die in hell traitor! A young voice says followed by a loud bang. Gustav jumps forward trying to intercept the bullet but it goes through his left shoulder and neck hitting Pieck in the face. Gurgling on blood and fuming with rage Gustav gets on his feet with his head hanging to one side. Scared stiff Gabi doesn't move a muscle and Gustav simply grabs the rifle from her hand, reloads it and points it at her. Reiner grabs Gustav from under the armpits. Armin jumps to take the rifle out of his hand, Mikasa, Annie, Cony and Sasha were trying to wrestle him to the ground while Falco jumped in front of Gabi ready to take the bullet in her place. It was only when Magath came, took the rifle out of his hands and threw it off the roof he calmed down.
Do you have a death wish child? Magath asks looking at Gustav waiting for him to calm down. Angrily he goes and pulls out the bullet from Pieck's head calming down only when she started healing.
Cowled Titan powers, she won't die unless burnt to death. Gustav says calming down a little.
We seek peace between nations. Erwin starts the discussion again while the scouts were firing back at the enemy lines.
If Eren reaches Zeke the whole world will be destroyed sparing only Paradise island. We cannot allow that to happen, yet the solution we've got to that problem puts all eldians in danger.
Marley is always ready to negotiate if it means the survival of the nation.
We want one thing, after I explain you the plan Marley will cease all aggressive actions against paradise island and we will start diplomatic relationships or at the very least ignore each other on the political scale at the very least until Eldia manages to regain it's place on the world stage as a modern nation.
I'm a mere general, but I control all the armies in Marley. As much as my word will weight I'll aid you now, as much as after Eren is stopped.
We will require more concrete proof of that later. For now here's our plan. The scouts will intercept and hold Eren and Zeke at bay from meeting as much as possible, even attempting negotiations between us and them. Zeke seeks to render the population sterile, Eren seeks to destroy the world. We seek to destroy the source of titan powers, the Devil titan. Thanks to research we've made the Devil titan's location can be discovered using the powers of the founding titan, however we cannot take down such a monster alone. The first part of our agreement is this: Eldia defends the world from annihilation and Marley will send help when the final battle will take place against the Devil titan.
Are there any more secondary terms to this contract?
I am no diplomat so that's all I came up with it for now. We will help you break through the Yeagerites for now then we will head towards Eren.
Very well! However, when you break through, I want you to take me with you to fight Zeke and Eren. You have some of my men under your command, I'd like to be there offering assistance!
Very well. Erwin agrees and the scouts start their counter attack. Mikasa, Jean, Sasha and Cony use their OGD around the buildings to flank the enemy position striking them with grenades and thunder spears. Hit in the sides the Yeagerites have to split their attention in three different directions allowing the alliance to break through the middle and conquer their position. Having taken back the fortified position the scouts fulfilled the first part of the bargain. The marleyan soldiers mount their counter offensive as general Magath and the scouts leave to chase Eren.
If we want to fight the Devil titan don't we have to take the other titan crystals with us?
The Devil is not here on Paradise island, it has to be somewhere in Marley. Think about it the island does not have ruins on it and the only man made structures are the walls, the cities inside the walls and the port. If Eldia as a nation was born on this island there should have been more signs of their presence. We can only presume the Devil titan is on the continent.
Won't the Devil wake up when we are going to use the founder's powers?
I have no idea! The matter at hands were Eren, his head start and his desire to destroy everything outside paradise island. His titan form was fast and if he uses the powers of the Furnace titan he would have reached the forest of giant trees in no time but that would have left him too tired to fight off the scouts that were present there, especially since Levi and Hange were stationed to guard Zeke. That only leaves Eren with the possibility of travelling by horse, something which is slower than Pieck in her Cart titan form.
There are horse tracks! This is the way they've taken towards the forest! Sasha says trying to hold her balance on the Cart's back.
This place! Can you manage without me? Erwin says ready to jump off the Cart titan.
Go ahead, we'll manage from here! Erwin jumps and runs off into the distance.
I've been thinking you know. Annie says.
Why should I bother to fight the Devil titan and all that? From my point of view it isn't my problem.
The end of the world is not troublesome enough to do something against it?
All I can do is try and fight, but from where I stand we face overwhelming odds. If Eren reaches Zeke before us then we are doomed. They might even try and control us.
I am not having insubordination in this group! If you don't want to fight then say so, you're getting a one way ticket back into your crystal and I'll wake you up ten thousand years from now. That way at least you won't drag down the moral of the party.
Oh, come one Annie, you were always bothered by exercising yet you can't get yourself hyped out for this battle? Jean asks... kind of confused. Annie was the one who killed Marco, yet he didn't felt the need to seek revenge, not now at least.
You will all get what you deserve in due time! Concentrate on the mission.
You're talking as if you didn't killed anyone.
In my titan form, not really. I've killed more with your weapons than I did with mine.
You're all guilty for being island devils.
I'm throwing you off! I'm pushing you off the back of this titan if you don't stop with your nonsense. Damn it, can't you let the past where it is you one track child.
It's because of the past that...
It's because of the past that you can do better! You want to be seen as a good person? Help stop the end of the world and stop spreading lies that hurt yourself. If aren't you walking around with a giant cane begging people to hit you over the head with it then you go around crying why are people hurting you.
Where did that came from Armin?
We are going to stand against the end of the world, might as well stand up for ourselves this one time. Listen Gabi, I don't know...
Why we took you with us! Gustav interrupts.
what happened in the past or what the future is going to be, the only thing I'm sure of is... Armin doesn't manage to end his phrase before an explosion goes off underneath Pieck's right arm.
Kill the Cart titan and they won't be able to reach the forest in time! A bunch of Yeagerites come out from their hiding places armed with thunder spears prepared to kill Pieck.
Don't let the Cart get hurt. Even if she survives it would take too long for her to heal all the damage. Gabi, Falco and Magath start firing while Mikasa, Sasha, Jean, Cony and Porco go on the offensive. The four scouts attack with their OGD while Porco turns into the Jaws titan and starts swooping them down from the sky.
They can't defeat me! Go, I'll hold them back alone. Porco says pushing the cart forward.
Don't you dare die on us, we need the Jaws to defeat the Devil titan! Reiner and Annie shout as they leave Porco behind. Not too long after they reach the forest of giant trees meaning only one thing. Both Eren and Zeke were close, not only relatively to the scouts but also to one another. It was too dangerous, they had to move quickly and find them.
Luckily for the scouts, Hange and Levi had the foresight of moving as they heard the commotion outside the forest. Gunfire, explosions and the sound of giant footsteps were enough to alert them. The two tied Zeke up in order to not allow him to either make a sound or to turn into a titan and headed out into the thick of the forest hiding inside bushes and around tree branches to keep a low profile. They did not knew if Eren turned into a titan and was hunting the forest looking for them or of he was in human form looking around the forest while hiding himself. The scouts found him first and engaged into battle. The guards that Levi and Hange had with them defending Zeke searched the forest and ratted Eren out sending smoke signals asking for help as well as telling in which direction they should not head out. Soon enough the scouts and the warriors joined in and from a distance they could be heard fighting against Eren.
Can you manage taking Zeke out of the forest alone? They might need my help.
Sure, go right ahead I'll! Just as Hange was about to take Zeke and leave he threw himself in a thorny bush and scratches his face. That was enough for him to draw blood. The titan transformation starts and the two are caught in the blast radius being flung into nearby trees. Zeke doesn't waste a second and shouts as hard as he can both notifying Eren of his presence and activating the spinal fluid that was used to poison the wine the scouts had. Suddenly around twenty pure titans erupt in the middle of the Forest as Eren makes his way towards Zeke. The Best titan starts running and screaming too fearing the wrath of Levi who was quickly following behind. Meanwhile on Eren's side of the battlefield the Female and Armoured titan and engaging the pure titans while Gustav is charging after Eren, using the limbs of the pure titans as spears to throw after him. Armin was waiting to use his titan powers as he would have devastated the whole forest and Pieck was keeping Falco and Gabi safe as they were manning a regular mortar from behind her. They started firing hitting in front of Eren damaging the trees making branches fall and hit him as he was running trying to make him slip. One especially large branch was so big he had to dodge to the left and with that occasion Gustav managed to catch on with him and grab him by the legs. Eren falls to the ground and Gustav rips off one of his legs turning it into a blade. Eren struggles and punches Gustav as he tries to escape while the latter is grabbing onto Eren's body attempting to use the dagger he created to carve Eren out of the titan. Eren turns around and blocks mid air the dagger's blade as Gustav was swinging down aiming just above the neck. He blocks the blade with both hands and locks Gustav's finger to the blade by turning his arms to crystal. In one move Eren rips Gustav's hands off and stabs him through the head with the dagger making the Knight titan fall on one side. Just as he was about to get up however Pieck jumped on him trying to bite off his face and buy time for Gustav to get out of his titan body and transform again.
That's just enough Eren, you're just making a fool of both yourself and all of us. It's time I'll treat you as an enemy, just for this once. Gustav turns once again into a titan and pulls Eren by his one leg anticipating a spike from the ground to come up and strike him. Just as he foresaw Eren sends out a giant spike aimed at his head to stop him. He dodges the attack and puts Eren's leg in the direction of the spike impaling him. In this weird upside down position he lets go of the leg and starts pulling on his head breaking Eren's spine backwards. Eren gets out of his titan form and is about to jump and turn again when Pieck darts from behind Gustav and bites his legs off not allowing him to turn again. Pieck was just about to reach with her hand and capture Eren but a flying branch hit her right through her stomach sending her back to the ground. Zeke with Levi at the heels was running forward preparing to launch a second attack and catch Eren mid air. He throws a second salvo and hits Gustav in the face just long enough for him to be stunned and for Zeke to be able to dive and catch Eren mid air. The two brothers enter in contact as the powers of the founding titan are about to be activated. He stalled long enough however, the plan worked for over the horizon there she was, a goddess!
Commander Erwin realising they were close to Historia's orphanage went and pick her up in order to use her royal blood and command the founding titan to obey her commands. The three enter in contact and the titan realm is activated. Everyone present, all but Magath, could see it. The giant tree, the endless plain of sand and the beam of light coming from the giant tree.
That's it, the centre of the universe, the place were all the eldian minds converge! Zeke shouted laughing. He did it, he reached the coordinates, he could finally put his plan in action.
Ymir! Listen to me, be bound to my will and do my biding. Remove the power of the eldians to rep...
Be free! Eren stops him from completing his command.
You don't have to listen to him, there is not going to be any more danger in this world any more. You can finally rest. Free the world, free the titans inside the wall and start the rumbling.
Or you can not do any of that! Historia shouts at the top of her lungs.
For once in your lifetime, stand tall and make a choice of your own! Which will reached Ymir, which of the three wishes did she fulfilled? In a flash the world of titans disappears and they return back to reality.
Did it worked? Did the rumbling started? The ground starts shaking and the walls start crumbling but the colossal titans trapped within did not awake. They start walking in their endless slumber converging towards the centre of the walls, creating long thin lines to reach the capital.
The colossal titans themselves are the world tree! They are uniting in the place with the highest density of eldians on the planet. They are going to summon the Devil titan in the middle of Paradise island!