Lukas shot up from his sleeping position, those memories, he only remembered the three of them, who knows how many he saw and couldn't remember, but why those memories? What was so special about them?

His hand went to his throat without realising it, rubbing it tenderly, he could feel what Frieda had done through her memories, the way she snapped that poor bastards neck, it was such a recognisable sound, it was so memorable for all the wrong reasons.

All the things she'd done in the name of getting stronger, but none of that had worked for her. In the end, it was him who was stronger than her, he'd taken her power, just like he'd planned to, and now all that was left to do was go home, but there was still some things that needed to be taken care of first.

"Finally decided to get off your ass and stop sleeping?" Captain Levi had rode up to the cart he was being carried on as soon as he spotted him getting up. "Took you long enough. Rod Reiss is heading straight towards the interior. Erwin has a plan to deal with it, and we'll need your help."

Looking around a bit, there were a number of carts, all surrounded by members of the Scouts. Looks like they all made it from Mitras fast enough. It was still dark out, but off in the distance was a massive lump of flesh, it was Rod Reiss' Pure Titan form. The amount of steam coming off it was ridiculous, and it was setting fire to every piece of vegetation that it came close enough to, the heat and steam it was producing was also enough to keep any Scouts from getting close enough for an attempted kill.

"What happened while I was out?" Lukas asked the captain, looking around to see that what was left of the Reiss children were sat on one of the carts off to his left.

"Well, you made yourself less valuable to us for one, because Eren can now harden his skin as a Titan." Levi told him. "One of the Reiss brats tried to stab you after you collapsed, you're lucky Mikasa stopped her from doing any damage."

"What about the others who weren't at the the alter?" He asked the Captain. "Who didn't make it?"

"Only Oluo and Petra died." Levi informed him. "For what it's worth, she died fighting for a cause she believed in. She may not have been thrilled with who you turned out to be, but she still felt the same for you. Told me as much herself."

"I see..." Something felt like it broke inside of him, being told Petra was dead, there was no anger, no resentment for anyone or anything, at that moment, he just felt... empty. "Thank you for telling me."

Levi had just lied straight to his face about Petra, she'd never said anything to him, it was obvious the way the two felt about each other, even if they weren't having the best spell. He had seen what relationships in the field did to people, he had experienced it first hand himself, a broken and angry Titan was not what they needed right now, so he did what he needed to and lied about it.

He would've done it a thousand times over if it meant Lukas wouldn't go off the deep end in a fit of rage, he'd learned that a soldier needed to be in a sound state of mind to be able to function properly, and if lying to his subordinates meant they'd stay sane, then he'd make sure he lied to them on a constant basis.

Lukas didn't speak for the rest of the ride to Orvud District, the Scouts racing to get there well before Rod's Titan did so they could set up defences. Luckily for them, his Titan wasn't very fast, dragging itself along on its stomach, so hopefully they'd have plenty of time to get the District's defences set up.


When the Scouts arrived at Orvud District, they went straight to the Garrison Headquarters, a meeting with the Garrison Captain in the region had been hastily set up.

As they were finishing up tying the horses up, a Garrison officer came up to Captain Levi. "Please have your squad stand by in the hall now." He requested. "They're almost ready to begin the meeting."

"We'll be right there." Levi responded. "Historia." Levi called out. "I forgot to tell you, there's something we need you to do."

"What's that?" Historia asked as the others gathered round.

"This is an order from Erwin." Levi began with. "Once we finish off this Titan, seeing as you're a successor to the throne, you'll become Queen."

"Wait, Queen Historia? You're kidding, right?" Sasha was very surprised at this news, as was everyone aside from Lukas, he knew it was inevitable they'd use Historia over the other three, she was far more trustworthy.

"The coup d'état was successful but, the people won't follow Military rule forever. We need to give them a heartwarming story. One where the rightful heir retakes her crown from the pretender." Levi glanced over to the three other Reiss children, who were handcuffed to stop them from doing anything stupid. "Those three won't cut it, they were involved in the family business for too long."

"Oh... I see..." Historia looked dejected at the prospect of being used as a tool.

"Hey, uh... you heard what Historia was saying earlier, didn't you Captain?" Connie was the one to speak up for her. "Cause, well, it sounded to me like, maybe in siding against her family, she finally broke off from that part of her life you know, it's just, like-"

"Like what?" Levi interrupted the teen. "You have something to say, then say it."

"Umm, I-"

"Hey Captain." Jean was the next one to speak up. "What Connie's trying to say, is that Historia finally broke free from the Reiss Family, and decided that she's more than just a bloodline. So for us to force her into another role for that reason, I... I just, don't think it's fair."

"It's fine." Historia finally spoke up for herself. "If my next duty is to become a Queen, then that's what I'll do."

"But, Historia." Armin didn't think it was fair either, surely she should be able to decide her own fate, and not be forced onto the throne by the Military.

"I do appreciate your concern, but, whether this is forced on me, is really up to me to decide." She brushed off the concerns they had for her. "And, I've decided. Captain, before that, I have one condition for you."

"And that is?"

"While my fate is still my own, I want to put everything I have on the line!"


Inside the Garrison building, they were all waiting for Historia, who was getting changed from her robes into her ODM Gear. She wanted to fight against Rod's Titan, she felt it was the only way the people would respect her as a Queen, and when she did arrive, the meeting started.

"Sirs." A Garrison soldier entered the room just after Historia. "We have determined the Reiss Titan's location. It's south west approaching Orvud. It's fast, at this rate it'll reach the walls before dawn."

"Right, understood." The Garrison Captain spoke up. "Commander Erwin, I'm sure everyone here would like to hear your plan. How can we evacuate the people in such a short time?"

"That's not part of the plan." Erwin told him.

"What's that?"

"The people of Orvud District will need to stay exactly where they are." Erwin reiterated the main part of the plan, which didn't sit well with any of the Garrison members in the room.

"But, Commander." The Garrison Captain protested, but Erwin remained calm, until the Captain lost his cool. "What the hell are you thinking Erwin?" He grabbed the one armed man by the jacket. "If we don't get the civilians out of the city, they'll die by thousands! That hulking monstrosity will be a stones throw from the wall by morning!"

"That Titan is an abnormal." Hange spoke up, her arm in a sling because of her injury.

"You're right, and what the hell does that even mean?" The Captain yelled at her, not letting go of Erwin.

"It behaves strangely, unlike most Titans we encounter, it's only attracted to large groups of people." Hange informed him. "Hence the word abnormal. Put simply, given a choice between a few soldiers right next to it and a distance but densely populated city, it'll choose the city. So if we were to evacuate Orvud's populace to the interior of Wall Sina right now, the Titan would change its course, destroying the wall and anything else in its path."

"Left unchecked, it would make for the city with the greatest density of people, Mitras. The ensuing rampage would deliver a devastating blow to humanity." Hange told them. "As we rode for Orvud, we tried to get the Reiss Titan's attention, it didn't respond in any way."

"If we're to stop this thing, it'll have to be outside the Walls of Orvud District." Erwin finally spoke up again. "For that to happen, we require the citizens here to act as bait. However, this doesn't change the fact that our first and foremost duty as soldiers is to protect the people. In the event we're unable to halt the target, we'll take measures to minimise civilian losses. We'll announce a District wide evacuation drill tonight, the people will be gathered away from the outer Wall, ready to escape if the battle is lost."

The Garrison Captain hesitated, his duty was to the people, but that Titan had to be stopped as soon as possible. "It seems there's no other choice." The Captain conceded.

"The body of this Titan is the largest we've seen yet." Erwin informed them all. "As such, it presents an easy target. Our wall mounted cannons should prove highly effective. But if we can't bring it down with artillery..." Erwin looked over to his soldiers in the room, specifically Eren and Lukas. "The Scout Regiment will throw everything we have at it."


By the time the sun rose in the morning, the Garrison, assisted by the Scouts, had every single wall mounted cannon facing the South West, where Rod's Titan was coming from. That was along with all the cannons they could get onto the ground at the base of the wall, there was well over one hundred cannons, with hundreds of Garrison soldiers working on them.

"FIRE!" The order came from the Garrison Captain, and every cannon on top of the wall began firing, a huge number of cannon balls being fired at a high velocity towards the Titan. The artillery inside the Walls were nothing compared to the artillery other nations had been developing, in fact, the cannons here were severely limited in comparison to Trost and Ehrmich, because Titans primarily came from the south, there was little reason for heavy fortifications in North Sina.

They watched from the top of the wall as the Titan was barraged by a volley of cannon fire, smoke and dust sprouting into the air from the impacts.

"Well, how'd that do?" Erwin was the one to break the silence between them. Nothing happened for a moment, and momentarily, there was hope it was killed, but the Titan reached forward once again, pulling itself forward as it kept advancing towards the city. The cannons on the ground were fired at Rod's Titan, but they were basically useless being on level ground.

"Looks like the field cannons are even less effective." Erwin noted.

"Makes sense. The cannons on the wall have a way better angle." Levi concurred with the Commander. "But they didn't do shit to it either, what's the problem?"

"Unprepared soldiers." Erwin answered. "Scrapped together cannons, shallow leadership. The Titans always attacked from the South. Not only is this a northern Garrison, it's also the interior. Therefore, I can tell you for a fact this is the best we'll get."

"Yeah, that much is painfully clear." Levi deadpanned. "And of course your strategy for getting us through this battle, comes down to a gamble, just like every other plan that you've come up with."

"Erwin! I brought the goodies!" Hange called out to the Commander. "All the gunpowder, netting and ropes I could find." Hange had a load of barrels of gunpowder on top of the wall, that was key to Erwin's plan. "We still need to put it together though."

Then a soldier came wheeling a barrel of gunpowder with ODM Gear strapped to it. "Oh, got this too. There's another one just like it a bit further down. The trigger is held in place, so once fired, it'll wind itself right back up just like ODM Gear." She explained. "So, we do any damage?"

"Imagine a swarm of cicadas pissing on it." Levi answered.

"Then we'll actually use these things, exciting."

"Captain Levi, Jean, Sasha, Connie." Erwin got their attention. "You handle that side."

"Yes Sir." The four of them quickly scurried off down the wall to where the other barrel of gunpowder attached to ODM Gear was, hopefully the Titan would come right between them.


As they were tying up the nets around the powder barrels, Erwin approached Historia. "I believe you heard from Levi, Historia. Assuming we live through this, we'll have you become the Queen who rules the people within the Walls. So naturally, I can't have you fighting on the front line."

"I doubt that plan will work." Historia turned her head to face Erwin. "The people won't bow to a Queen in name alone, they aren't that naive."

"What exactly are you suggesting?" Erwin asked as Historia got to her feet, a stare down going on between the both of them.

"I should earn my place as the rightful ruler of the people. Let me act like the kind of ruler these people deserve." Historia told him. "You need to let me be the one to deal the killing blow to Titan, because then, we'll have a story the people can get behind, a story to unite the Walls!"

Erwin didn't admit it, but she was right, this kind of story was exactly what the people needed right now. "I understand your reasons, but, I can't approve you entering combat."

"Please Sir, I have to." She begged. "I've finally found my purpose, the duty I was actually meant to fulfil. That's why I'm standing here right now."

Erwin turned away from her. "Well, at any rate, with my body as it is now, I can't exactly stop you, can I?" That was the closest she would get to permission from the Commander to enter the battle.

"I'm sorry Commander, I know this is selfish, but this is the first time I've stood against my family. The first fight I've ever had with my father."

"It is what it is." Erwin responded, and with that, the conversation was over and Historia got back to work in preparing the gunpowder for Eren to carry.

Everyone aside from Erwin was helping to get the barrels stacked up and the nets tied up with the rope. Lukas had overheard Historia speaking to Commander Erwin, she wanted to fight her father's Titan, and while he didn't particularly care, there was something inside him gnawing at him, telling him to stop her from letting Historia put herself into the heat of the battle.

He knew for sure that it wasn't him who had these urges to protect Historia, that meant it could only be Frieda. Nobody knew for sure how the memories and desires of past Titan shifters worked when inherited by someone else. They knew that blood relatives definitely had a stronger effect that no blood relation, but it was very rare for Titans to be transferred between relatives aside from the Tybur family.

Maybe it's because Frieda was the Founding Titan that these desires were beginning to surface? Possibly because Historia was nearby? However, it didn't matter one bit, the desires of others would not get in his way now. He wouldn't let them, no matter what it took.

"Eren!" His attention was brought away from his thoughts by Mikasa, who was watching Eren punching himself in the face for no reason whatsoever. What was wrong with these people?

"Hey, stop!" Armin spoke as Eren continued to hit himself. "Why are you-" He didn't get to finish as Mikasa had thrown herself at him, restraining him by the arms, holding on so that he couldn't hurt himself anymore. "Were you making a wound? It's not time yet."

Eren's nose was bleeding, and his face would've bruised heavily if he didn't have his healing powers as a Titan shifter. "It wasn't that. I just needed to beat the shit out of a useless brat real quick, with any luck, he's dead and gone now."

"I'm impressed Eren, it looks like you can learn to grow up." Lukas spoke up from behind them. "Just make sure you don't try and grow up too fast, it'll just lead you somewhere you don't want to end up, or someone you don't want to be."


Within a few minutes, Rod's Titan had almost reached the wall, with the field cannons abandoned long ago, there was one last chance for the cannons to work as they all pointed down the wall. "The enemy is moving, adjust your aim. Our target is the back of it's neck. Fire!"

Another volley of cannon fire hit Rod's Titan, and although it left a good number of holes in its skin, it did not kill the Titan outright.

"Well done, we've torn into it's flesh." The Garrison Captain thought they had a chance. "One more volley and we-" He was cut off by the rushing winds that the Titan was producing, everyone on the wall was being affected by the heat generated by the Titan now.

"I can't see Captain!" One of his soldiers called out.

"It doesn't matter, the target is right beneath us! Just keep shooting!" He ordered, and another volley was fired, this time it was even more useless than the last, as the Titan reached up the wall, both hands grabbing on and pulling itself up. It had to be double the size of the wall at least. He had no face, the front half had been scraped off by the way it dragged itself along the ground, and so too was it's stomach, the organs in full view as they collapsed out onto the wall, blood and guts everywhere as some of the Garrison jumped off to avoid the impact.

As the Garrison were falling back, the Scouts had begun drenching themselves in cold water to keep them cool in all the heat, all aside from two, Eren and Lukas, who were getting ready to transform.

"Looks like we're up." Armin spoke to both Eren and Lukas, the younger shifter stretching and rolling his shoulders first.

"Armin." Eren spoke to get his friends attention. "There's one more thing that's different from then, it's not all we'd hoped for, but it's something, mankind has an ace up it's sleeve now."

"People of the walls." Lukas tried to correct Eren, but he had already bitten into his hand, a bright light and a roar coming from Eren as he transformed. "Whatever." He shook his head, biting on his index finger, his own transformation taking place as his own Titan formed on top of the wall, his crystal half stuck inside the wall.

Erwin raised his left arm, a flare gun in hand, the right sleeve flapping in the wind the Titan was creating. "On my mark!" Erwin yelled. "Now!" He fired the red flare into the air.

On cue, on either side of the Titan's hands, both Armin and Sasha triggered the hooks of the ODM Gear strapped to barrels of gunpowder, the hooks sank into the flesh, and after a moment, both soldiers activated the reeling mechanism, the small carts steaming ahead into the wrist of Rod's Titan.

Both barrels exploded after a moment, the flesh and bones of the Titan being ripped apart by the force of the explosion, making the Titan start to lose its balance. After trying to support itself to no avail, Rod's Titan slowly crumpled over onto the wall, its head with the open mouth at the perfect height for Eren to stuff all the gunpowder they had in there.

"Eren, go!" Erwin yelled, and out of the dust and steam, the Attack Titan came sprinting forward, the gunpowder all stacked up into the netting as Eren carried it over his left shoulder. As Eren closed the distance, now close enough, his Titan let out a roar as he thrust the gunpowder into the mouth of the Titan with all his strength.

For a second, nothing happened, but once the heat ignited the powder, the Titan stood no chance. With nowhere for the explosion to go but deeper into Rod's Titan, the energy made his body bloat up, to the point where the skin was pulled so thin the light of the explosion could be seen coming from within, and after a second, the Titan exploded into hundreds, possibly thousands of pieces of flesh, any one of them could be an intact nape that was capable of regenerating back into a Titan.

"Lukas! Do it now!" Erwin commanded.

About halfway down the wall where the guts of Rod's Titan were laying, out shot three pillars of Lukas' hardening ability, a light grey in colour as they soared into the sky into the city, and after about fourty metres, the thick spires stopped and sprouted thousands of paper thin spires, each one of them targeting a piece of flesh, impaling them and holding them in the air.

The effort and concentration he was putting into this was enormous, some chunks of flesh had flown hundreds of metres, but he didn't stop using his power until every last one was caught, hanging in the air like a giant, incomplete spiderweb.

"Go! Deploy your ODM Gear and finish it off!" Erwin ordered the other Scouts once the flesh had been finely suspended above the city. Each of the Scouts taking off, having to use pieces of flesh to hook into because their hooks couldn't penetrate the hardening Lukas produced.

Historia was flying with them, she had spotted a large piece of flesh with a bone sticking out, and for some reason, she had a feeling. Reeling herself in, with a scream, she slashed at the flesh right down the middle, cutting straight through it, and in an instant, she knew she'd done it.

She saw some of her father's memories, one where he was in a cell, pleading with his own father to kill all the Titans. One where his brother Uri told him he could handle it. A memory with her mother in a maid uniform, where he told her she was the only one who understood him. Her sister Frieda was next, she said to leave it to her, that she wouldn't lose to the ghosts of their ancestors. Finally, there was her dead mother, and Rod seemed... upset by it, or was it shock, Historia couldn't tell.

As soon as Historia sliced the flesh apart, there was a secondary explosion that came from the area where Rod's Titan was, and it knocked Historia off balance as she went crashing down onto a cart in the street.

While that was happening, the rest of the flesh began evaporating, and something told them that there was no need to continue cutting, even the blood and guts on the wall were beginning to steam up, giving everyone the signal that the Titan was dead.

As quick as the spires coming out of the wall appeared, they were gone even quicker, retracting and disappearing in an instant, giving Lukas some energy back after he had almost exerted it all stopping Orvud District from being bombarded with Titan flesh.


Down below on the streets, a crowd had formed around Historia, who was still alive and laying down on the cart she had crashed into.

"The Titan has been destroyed."

"Hey, you okay?"

"You're not injured are you?"

"It looked like, you dealt the final blow."

"Was that real?" Historia thought to herself. "Or did I imagine it? Am I acting for myself?" She moved her arm out of her eyes to look around as she sat up. "Or am I still just someone's tool? I... don't know. But..." Historia began to get to her feet, standing on the broken cart. "I've always just gone along with things. Until now at least."

"It's okay." Historia spoke to the citizens and Garrison soldiers gathered around her. "My name is Historia Reiss, and I am your rightful Queen."