Freedom's Ring

by DFMRCV

A cruel and unforgiving world, an enemy of unclear origin hellbent on finishing a war of extermination, its victims and their desperate attempts at resisting proving just as futile as the hopes of the men who led them. Many died and would continue to die, none of them doubted that reality. But what if...

16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Daggers

---

Bertholdt sat in the cold cell in silence.

Annie only lay on the cold bunk, staring at the wall.

Reiner was in a similar position, only sitting up instead of lying down.

Karina Joy asked, "You kids feeling alright?"

No reply.

"I brought you breakfast. The chef was in a good mood today, and..."

She did her best not to sigh in frustration.

They rarely said anything.

She placed the dinner down by their cells and walked away.

Joy stopped when she saw the figure by the exit.

"Howdy!" the CIA woman called.

Joy gave a tired "Oh... I didn't think you'd get here early."

"Plans change... Hi, you child soldiers, you!"

Joy hung back, eyeing the woman with suspicion.

Such was the reaction most got around the CIA operatives.

Again, no reply.

With a huff, the CIA woman said "A warship from the World Union fired on the port."

Joy sensed the kids shifting in place, the statement has gotten their attention.

"No one on our side died, thankfully. I think they were testing the waters after Historia established an exclusion zone... the ship was sunk immediately, of course."

Glancing at the cells, Karina noticed that it was Annie who seemed the readiest to ask a question.

The CIA woman noticed as well, smiling as she said "Leonhart, you have a question?"

Annie stared silently, mouth hanging open before closing again.

"Good. Better save your questions for when I'm done."

Joy frowned, saying "Ma'am, they're just... kids..."

"Ugh... you nurses... yes, they're kids, and they also happen to be enemy combatants, keeping them alive isn't a sign of Uncle Sam being nice, you know. No, we have or... had... a practical reason for keeping them alive."

She got closer to Annie's cell.

The girl cowered back at the seemingly menacing glare from the.

"And that reason is slowly vanishing."

Bertholdt crashed against his cell and said "You leave her alone!"

The CIA woman groaned, saying "Relax, will you? You know that even if I wanted to I can't actually do anything to you kids... yet."

"Yeah, Bertholdt, don't you see? Now that we surrendered, we're valuable assets for negotiations." Reiner called.

The CIA woman grinned.

"Funny you should mention that, Braun! Because, funnily enough... your status didn't actually come up during negotiations!"

"W-what?" Annie stammered.

Reiner said nothing.

"Yeah, it's... it's kind of funny, see... Marley, or better put, the World Union, who, by the way, seems to have made Marley their collective bitch given the circumstances, only had one concern in mind and that was the status of the Founder and our plans for all Eldians, and... what'd you know? They don't like our plans for keeping the evil Eldian Devils alive! So, yeah... that little scuffle I mentioned earlier? That's how the war kicks off."

She walked over to Reiner's cell.

"A war between our worlds, Reiner... oh, can you imagine? I'm sure you can imagine!"

Reiner huffed, groaning a disgusted "Why do you people try to act like that every time you want something out of us? Just get to the point already, I-"

"No, no... you sit there and listen... see, I'm sure when you three knocked down that wall five years and... what, six months? Seven? I don't really care, personally, I don't have that high a body count to worry about on Judgement Day, but the point is, you guys saw what happens when a superior power is allowed to decide what happens to a civilian population, no?"

Silence.

She saw Reiner's eyes drop to the floor.

With a satisfied expression, she said "Can you imagine all that destruction, all that death, and destruction happening to your home cities?"

Silence.

"Your neighborhoods flattened."

Silence.

"Families crushed..."

"You don't target civilians!" Annie said.

"Oh, we most certainly do! If it's us or them, we always prioritize our people, and if civilians are in the way, well that's just too bad!"

"Annie, relax, she's just torturing us to get us to agree to whatever she demands in a minute, just-" Reiner tried.

"No! I can't take any of this... I just... I want to see my dad again! I thought this would end quickly if we..." the girl said, her hands covering her head as she sat on the floor.

The CIA woman eyed her for a moment.

She shook her head, saying "I'll cut to the chase, you brats give us as much info on Marley, the World Union, and any other piece of dirt in this God-forsaken planet, we'll offer you some degree of... amnesty."

Annie stood up, shouting "I don't care about amnesty! I just want my father safe! I-I want him out of there, I-"

"Kid, I'm not here to coddle you, and the fact is that getting your parents out of the potential hellhole that Marley and any other country may become in the coming months is a pipe dream! We don't have the aircraft carriers or warships to evacuate your parents, we don't have the connections or global network to get them to a safer nation, we are operating with what we have and what we can bring from back home! Had we had things our way, this war wouldn't be happening! Had we had things our way, you brats would have been negotiated and out of here! Had your leaders not have such a hard-on for genocide, none of us would be here right now!"

Silence.

The CIA woman straightened up, rubbed her eyes for a second, and said "The best we can hope for is a quick end to the war... one or two battles, preferably away from civilian dwellings..."

"Not going to happen." Reiner sighed.

"Oh, good... why is that?"

Reiner said, "Remember the Romanovs, Bert?"

The taller teenager only nodded in silence, not moving from his position near the cell door.

Reiner groaned, saying "Awful mess that one... the Romanovs are an Empire south-east of Marley's, uh... I'd draw you a map, but..."

He raised his hands in exasperation.

Then said, "Well, back when we first got our titans we had to combat test them, and conveniently the Romanovs invaded a tiny country not too far from the Germanic states, and not too far from the border with Marley, so... in we went."

There was silence for a moment.

"As much as they wanted to, their weapons couldn't outclass us. Anti-titan shells are... or at least at the time were still new and mostly experimental. They didn't have much of anything to hit us with, so on multiple occasions they tried to hold entire towns hostage."

There was an eerie moment of silence as no one spoke, Reiner not having to explain what had been done next as it was already perfectly obvious who won the war.

Reiner said, "Civilians got in the way... or better put were forced to get in the way."

The CIA woman finally said, "I see... human shields... great..."

"There are no civilians in war, their prisoners said... I remember hearing them once... a crazy, sputtering mess of a man just... crying, begging..."

Bertholdt said "It was because of that war that the World Union ordered international protection of civilians. Not the first law, but the first to ever be accepted... of course, it excludes Eldians."

"Which is all the more reason to help end this war quickly... you give us what information you can on the matter, we'll help you where we can."

Then, turning to Annie, said "If you really care about your father, then I suggest you give us what we need to end the war quickly."

Annie only said, "If I knew of an easy solution don't you think I would have said it by now?"

The CIA woman said nothing.

She nodded to someone behind Karina and several men walked in with papers.

She walked out.

Karina Joy chased after her, saying "Well, what now?"

"You really care about those brats?"

"They're kids. Brainwashed. They need therapy if anything."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure we'll give them plenty of that assuming we win..."

"But what are you going to-?"

"You ever hear the saying 'history is determined by the victors?'"

Joy paused, saying "Yeah."

"Let me tell you right now that it is an absolutely bogus statement. History is written by whoever recorded it, but some self-righteous prick in Silicon Valley or... hell, wherever self-righteous pricks are produced... one day figured that if history seems to paint certain groups in a certain light it obviously had to do with some kind of inherent bias or whatever those idiots in California preach nowadays."

"I'm... from Cali-"

"Oh, that explains why your parents named you after a Pokémon character. Point is, there is one thing that the saying 'history is written by the victors' technically gets correct and that is that a victor in a war can determine who gets punished and who does not. We forgave a lot of Nazi scientists and God only knows how many sick bastards we forgave in Japan, why? Not only because we won the war but because there was ultimately a practical application. It's why these kids aren't going to get hanged, it's why we have several murderers from the old Military Police training the new recruits, and it's why people like me have a job. Do you want to win? You have to get your hands dirty. Don't agree? Don't have to. Enjoy second place."

She walked out the door and into the early morning sunlight.

Karina said, "You CIA spooks must be a joy to work with."

"If being a joy in my line of work was a work necessity, we'd be speaking Russian or only be led by sociopaths, and frankly..."

She lit a cigarette and put her sunglasses on as she walked out of the prison.

"...I prefer my nicotine addiction to be okay with half the stuff I have to do. Thanks for the assistance, Nurse Joy, keep it up and I'm sure you'll get that badge or whatever."

Nurse Joy only stared as the woman walked off.

She rubbed the back of her head, taking off her Army cap.

She glanced around, the city of Shiganshina already up and running like a military base. Old buildings had been fully cleared, the Army and private companies assisting them already placed in the newer buildings that would likely be storing ammunition.

And medical equipment.

We're going to be short on staff if the entire planet is going to try and rain down on us.

As she glanced at the early morning sky, she could only wonder what the enemy was thinking of them.

...

The busling streets were intensely crowded on this particular day over the port city of Liberio.

It was almost entirely men in typical suits and hats, holding on to newspapers, some mouths agape, some looking on with worry and concern. Some with hats, some with ties and jackets that likely hadn't been washed in a while, others with more than well cared for clothing. All were clearly in a state of unease.

A young boy heralded everyone's worries.

"Extra! Extra! Mid-East Warship sunk by enemy forces in the island of devils! World Union urging nations to mobilize for war!" the boy shouted over the murmuring crowd.

There was a lot to listen to.

"You don't think the Eldian king is planning on retaking his empire, do you?" one man asked.

"At this point, who knows?" another replied.

"Seventy deaths... so quickly... those damned devils." someone else muttered.

"We never should have let them keep that island." another man said, folding the newspaper and grabbing a pipe to smoke.

"Oh, what choice did we have? You got a solution for the millions of colossal titans ready to stomp us out?"

"I..."

"What I don't understand, how did they do it? It doesn't say anything about titans."

"They probably spent some time developing some different superweapons. Who knows what those devils can do?"

Willy Tybur kept his face hidden as he walked through those streets, keeping his eyes to the ground as he got on the inconspicuous carriage at the end of the street.

He continued listening as people continued talking.

Confidence was not exactly high.

Oh, the desire to eliminate the Eldian threat once and for all was always there, but now faced with the reality that everyone had to band together in order to defeat an enemy they may have no chance of defeating, an all or nothing situation where living or dying could quite literally be a fifty-fifty chance...

No... no, confidence was not high at all.

Advancements in weapons and technology mattered little if the enemy could destroy them before they could use them effectively. What did it matter that their batteries and guns could fire over mountains if the enemy could not only easily fly over them, but deliver their payload with even greater accuracy?

This wasn't an alien army with a particular type of weapon designed for a particular type of warfare, like it or not, it was humans with weapons designed to kill other humans.

That prospect was almost more terrifying than anything he could imagine the old Eldian Kings of the Empire could come up with.

As the carriage took him further from the murmuring crowds, a means for leveling the playing field eluded him.

Marley is starting a full-on draft in order to train and mobilize as many men as possible, but if history shows anything, one can have the best army on the planet and will pale against a smaller but superior force...

Stories of the Eldian tribe defeating a great and ancient Marley Republic had been passed down. Spears and swords wholly useless against titans, the giants easily devouring or tossing aside cavalry and infantry alike.

Could the same happen now?

He pushed the thought aside.

The question facing him and the entire world was how to make a superior force come to their level of combat efficiency?

He pursed his lips glancing at the thin rays of morning sunlight coming in through the mostly covered-up window. Staring at the quaint homes of one of Marley's largest port cities. People going on with their day-to-day lives as if nothing had changed.

How indeed...

The relatively closely constructed buildings disappeared little by little and soon enough he found himself at the train station. Ancient medieval walls stood behind him, a reminder of what exactly their society had been built on so long ago. Despite private ownership, the train station was entirely occupied by his military personnel, armed with their bolt-action rifles, bayonets affixed, the soldiers keeping their eyes open as they stood silently, guarding one of the most important people in the world.

A second carriage arrived a moment later, and his sister stepped off without a word.

Can't be too careful if the enemy begins planting spies.

He wordlessly greeted his sister and, in a few moments, they were both on the train.

It didn't take very long for the scenery visible from the window to change from entirely desert to silent but green meadows and fields, Liberio barely visible in the distance as the train headed towards the mountain ranges in the distance, away from the coasts, other towns, and cities visible in the distance. Birds flew out of the saplings and oak trees as the train drove past. The view as they went up the mountain reminding him of just how vast the world could be.

Vast and free...

Such was the result of a century of peace in a world without the Eldian Empire.

People could now freely develop and grow on their own without the threat of being devoured. Exploration had boomed, men could pursue their dreams, the authoritarian regime of old gone. Technology was no longer suppressed, and races no longer feared extermination.

Well, not all races...

The Eldians were still unequivocally hated on the planet, and while tolerance was indeed planting its seeds in human civilization, Willy knew all too well how difficult it would be to heal the scars of a thousand years of oppression.

He pondered this as the train steadily continued on its way towards the Tybur home estate.

…

The main hall was silent.

As if the room itself was a vacuum that sucked in all form of sound and swallowed it.

The Tybur family sat there in silence.

One could confuse the scene for one of prayer.

The home was certainly decorated like a famous church, with soft white curtains covering the windows as sunlight illuminated the golden decorations of the mansion.

The older members reading the books provided by the men from another world with a dim, emotionless expression on their worn faces.

Faces worn only by the tired, guilt-ridden existence of the previous century.

Emotions buried and kept hidden away by the weight of the responsibility of the Tybur family.

World peace was no easy feat to achieve, but to maintain it... oh, that alone was enough to give any man nightmare for five lifetimes, but to do so after the downfall of the most destructive, most expansive, most terrifying empire in human history?

In that world at least?

The oldest man placed the book down with a shaky but still strong hand.

In a way, the horrors of the past 100 years had both weakened and strengthened him.

He then turned to Willy, and in a tired voice, said "They are more alike than we could have ever anticipated."

Willy only nodded politely.

The oldest woman nodded, placing the book down along with her reading glasses.

A slightly younger man said "They are arrogant in some of their claims... they say they have eradicated several diseases here, but the diseases still exist in that world. They say they live in the most peaceful era in their history, yet clearly, wars are still waged... they are proud of their achievements and use it to blind themselves to their flaws."

The oldest man said "But they are not without merit. They are more advanced than us. That is clear... and they know it is clear. We have already declared war and they accepted it, almost without a second thought it seems... the sinking of that warship is proof enough that we are still in a position to lose."

Silence returned for a moment as the statement sunk in.

The oldest woman asked, "How many died when they sunk that ship?"

"Forty-seven good men. The papers are emphasizing there were 70 casualties to garner support, of course." Willy replied, glancing at a newspaper on the table, a photograph of the sunk ship on the front page.

"Their families shall receive compensation... as for the enemy..."

There was a moment of unsteady silence.

While the other nations had already made their choice, the Tybur family had not yet cast its lot.

But there was little doubt where they stood.

"We must fight." came the final decision.

It was a little-known fact that the old king of the Eldian Empire had made a vow renouncing war. Guilt over the millennia of atrocities and cruelty against what the old Eldian Empire considered "inferior" races left the old king depressed and wishing to end it all, choosing to take some of his people, hide behind titan made walls, and establish a hermit kingdom while the Eldian Empire collapsed from the inside, allowing new nations to rise, free of the reign of titans.

It was an even lesser-known fact that the Tybur family had aided him in that very endeavor.

"For centuries the Eldian empire oppressed people all over the world. We've been able to slowly improve the standing of the subjects of Ymir now that the Fritz Dynasty holds no sway in world affairs... but we must push everything into denying the enemy to reinstate an Eldian Empire."

"They did say another Eldian Empire isn't in their interests." Tybur motioned.

The oldest man huffed, nodding to the transcribed book.

"Their 'American Settlers' said they had no interest in killing the natives. Their 'Nationalsozialistische' Claimed that they had no interest in another Germanic Empire... their own history reveals them for the liars they are. Similar to how Marley claimed to have little interest in starting an Empire or how the Middle Eastern Alliance wanted to be kind towards their Eldian minority. We, humans, are good at lying, my child."

The oldest woman spoke then.

"And even if they were telling the truth, the risk is far too much. We have been on the cusp of a peaceful world... wars have been few and small in scale; weapon's technology has advanced to the point that titans are essentially useless in combat... and then they had to arrive and ruin things."

"Worse still, if it's true, and the Founding Titan is in the hands of someone who isn't the King..."

No one spoke.

"Then our civilization could be crushed under an apocalyptic stampede, with little we can do about it."

The Tybur family had always been operating with the knowledge that the will of the old Eldian King would prevent any holders of the Founder from acting even in self-defense. It was why they approved of Marley's mission of reclaiming the Founder. Even if the walled civilization was completely annihilated the king would never retaliate due to the vow that renounced war.

But now...

"Willy... you're our representative. Go on, inspect the nations... Everyone needs to band together here and now, otherwise..." the oldest man began before falling silent.

Filled with resolve, Willy stood up and walked over to the elder.

He kneeled, kissed the man's right hand, and said "I will see everything possible is done to stop the Eldian threat."

The late morning sun shone outside as Lara observed the playing children.

Her face never betrayed any emotions.

As one of the younger boys began pulling at his sister's hair, all she had to do was glance at him, and the boy immediately knew to stop and apologize.

She slowly glanced behind her, at the Tybur estate, seeing Willy march out.

She didn't ask anything as the man walked over to one of the carriages and stepped inside, giving the driver some instructions.

The horses obediently pulled the cart away from the estate and out the barred fences and gates that surrounded the home of the Tybur family.

She overheard one of the older girls say "Father is leaving again? So soon?"

Lara didn't speak.

…

Zeke Yeager calmly walked off the ship and onto the Liberio port.

The people surrounding the area were talking louder than usual, not so much paying attention to the docked warships as discussing how it was possible such advanced weapons could have been defeated so easily.

He ignored them.

As the holder of the Beast Titan, he was just as capable of destroying such warships on his own. Hell, if one were to give him the proper projectiles, he would have been able to sink an entire fleet of the damned things. The frightening thing was that the enemy was capable of causing such damage without the power of the titans.

So that's what a century of unfettered human development does to a world without titans...

People equally ignored him as he continued walking down the crowded streets and stony paths.

He crumpled up the piece of paper in his hand and tossed it onto the floor.

He tried to suppress the memory of the order, but amongst the civilians discussing things he heard it.

"So, it's true they're bringing in a draft?"

"I think it's just for the Eldian population..."

"No, I hear it applies to everyone."

"Good! Everyone must pitch in if we're to come out on top!"

"Oh? And what are you going to do, fat ass?"

"I can work at a factory!"

"No, no... the Eldians are at fault here. Let them make up for their past sins."

Zeke turned onto an alley and slammed his fist into the wall the second he was out of sight.

He only remained composed for an instant.

He immediately went back to assaulting the poor stone wall, destroying his knuckles as he huffed and tried not to scream.

Everything... everything I've done was for nothing?!

Sick of it all he slammed his forehead into the wall so it hurt.

He took heavy breaths as his injuries healed quickly and he slowly composed himself.

Inwardly, however, he was entirely distraught.

If anyone noticed his inner turmoil they didn't speak of it as he approached the Eldian Internment Zone of Liberio. The massive gate ahead of him briefly made his mind wander to what this "gate" connecting his world to another one looked like.

The two older gentlemen by the opening waved at him, smiling as the fatter one said "So, Mister Yeager! Any good news?"

Zeke forced a polite smile, glancing away as he said "Sorry, but none that I can share right now."

"I heard you were near that ship they sunk." the skinnier one said.

"Oh, I can't really say much of that... I didn't see it happen, either."

"Ah, of course... um... listen, sir... Miss Braun is-"

Zeke froze as the woman's name was brought up.

He swallowed, saying "Thank you... I'll be sure to speak to her."

The man only nodded as Zeke walked in.

It was an odd situation with the guards.

Despite their position, most of the guards in recent memory were incredibly kind to the Eldians they kept segregated from everyone else. As if simply existing next to one another for so long helped ease the tensions between people. To any competent analyst, this would be a sign that relationships could improve between these groups.

What a joke...

He walked into the internment zone, the only other Eldians around being some small kids playing nearby.

"Mister Yeager!"

Zeke did his best to resist the urge to shut his eyes tightly and not speak, instead of forcing his smile and friendly demeanor to remain.

Karina Braun was, for all intents and purposes, a good Eldian mother.

She'd taught her son the history of the Eldian Empire well, planting the seeds of remorse and understanding that all the Eldians on Marley had a duty to make up for the sins of their ancestors.

Her worried expression spoke for itself as Zeke approached her.

"Karina! How are you feeling?"

"I'm... I'm fine, but... did you hear from Reiner or the others? The news of the attack and... everything going on recently..."

Zeke allowed his smile to fade slightly.

"He's alive," he said simply.

"But...?" she asked, expecting bad news if her shaky hands were anything to go by.

Zeke glanced at the children playing nearby.

"It seems the Warriors were captured by this new enemy... I don't have any details on their status as is, unfortunately. All I know is that they're apparently alive."

Karina Braun sucked in a breath, forcing a smile and saying "Thank you... thank you, mister Yeager."

Zeke only nodded, letting the woman runoff, more than likely to cry by herself.

It wasn't appropriate to show grief in public.

Not there.

Not then.

He briefly wondered if she, like so many parents of Eldian Warriors, regretted pushing her son so far.

Frankly, he didn't care.

He had bigger problems to worry about.

Pieck, I really hope they give you more details... otherwise...

…

Pieck Finger sneezed.

The Intelligence officer handed her a handkerchief.

"Thank you, commander."

The "Intelligence" Room was dark and dusty as two other men placed the few photographs on the boards.

Marley's Intelligence Committee was, for all intents and purposes, the best in the world.

For all intents and purposes, they were also at a loss.

Pieck glanced at the first photograph on the board.

A black and white photograph, taken from a warship, showed several of the soldiers from the other world milling about on the docks, the nearby beach full of jagged rocks.

The commander said, "This is probably the best picture we have of their men... uniform, helmet, rifles... not at all unlike our own soldiers... the problem is that... well... we have no idea how powerful their weapons can be."

"We know they easily sank a battleship with their aircraft..." one man said.

"So could we. The problem is the speed with which they reacted. We'd have to rely on our own warships to prevent an enemy fleet from shelling our shores, but they used their aircraft to sink those poor bastards in mere moments. It would take several attempts by our airships to get a hit that accurate, and with anti-aircraft fire from their canons? We would never risk that." the other said.

Pieck said nothing, staring at the other pictures.

All of the beaches of the island of Paradis.

The men continued.

"This means that... in theory... they could sink any and all attempts we make at a landing party... landings, in general, may be off the table, by sea and air." the commander said, seemingly defeated.

Then, turning to Pieck, he said, "But the Cart Titan is capable of going underwater for long periods of time, is it not?"

She smiled politely, saying "Not exactly. My titan is, unfortunately, not a submarine, but the longer snout allows me to remain mostly underwater for some time... I suppose I could sneak men onto some of these beaches without being seen."

"But even that's not a guarantee after what happened yesterday. They can find us with their aircraft, and if we're assuming they're a hundred years ahead of us... who's to say they can't see us perfectly from so high up?"

The others nodded.

"It's worth a shot, though. If we can get a team on the island to report back..."

Pieck nodded.

"Would high command even be willing to risk another titan? We already lost four of them in one fell swoop."

"Titans won't be the future of warfare after this war." the commander sighed.

No one spoke.

Pieck nodded, saying "It's true... even us titan shifters can only do so much. I certainly can't sink a battleship so quickly, not without proper weapons."

She eyed the photograph of the men from another world.

"But Miss Pieck is still useful. And we're going to have to pull together everything we can if we want to win this war."

The men nodded.

Pieck asked, "Are we planning a defensive strategy?"

The commander pursed his lips.

"Commander?"

"It's complicated."

...

Magath suppressed the urge to chime in as the Mid-East ambassador finished his sentence, knowing full well General Calvi would speak his mind.

"An offensive is the only way we can stop them! Otherwise, they will spread to even small parts of our countries and rally the Eldian populations behind them! A defensive strategy will at best, delay the inevitable. We must stop them there and now!" General Ahmed "Ibrahim" Osman shouted at the top of his lungs.

From a distance, the man could easily be confused as "obese".

Magath knew that it was all muscle, however.

Calvi didn't really care.

"You're correct, but this idea of utilizing Eldians as cannon fodder is not entirely feasible."

"Oh, do not try to argue against it, we have seen you use Eldians the same way!"

"Eldian soldiers, trained same as our own infantrymen, using the same weapons, using the same tactics. Yes, we throw them at the more dangerous parts of the battlefield, so would any officer here. But you're suggesting we force Civilians to act as human shields, not as soldiers." Calvi said in the calm, tired, almost bored tone the aging general always used.

"Yes. And?"

"That could spark an uprising." was the calm, tired, almost bored reply the aging general always used.

The General of the Mid-East Alliance frowned slightly, but the ambassador was quick to speak.

"So, we use those that try to rebel as well. More titans to use, anyway."

Calvi sighed, saying "It's only been a day, sir, can you not discuss this with your other generals?"

"General Calvi, what hostilities existed between our two nations matter little now that the Eldian devils are rising yet again to threaten our livelihoods! Have your tolerance of the devils made you forget of their past actions?!"

Magath and Calvi both suppressed the urge to tell the man off.

Unlike most nations in the world, Marley allowed some degree of tolerance for its Eldian population. They were the only nation in the world aside from Paradis where Eldians could at least hope to live relatively normal lives.

And why shouldn't they?

As long as they kept to themselves and didn't try to ruin other people's lives, wasn't it at least fair to allow them some degree of existence?

It wasn't as if Marley had forgotten or forgiven their past sins. The memories of the massacres and horrible atrocities committed in the past were forcefully and painfully reminded to every Marleyan child, instilled into their very mind from birth if possible so that they knew better than to ever completely trust an Eldian.

But were they not individuals as well that could serve some purpose?

According to the rest of the world, the answer was a resounding and disturbingly final "no".

"General!" the man demanded.

Calvi groaned, saying "All so troublesome... speak with your leaders first. We still have our orders and plans to look into, I'm sure you do as well. We're still in the planning phases of this war, sir. We need time to come to a genuine strategy against such an enemy and anything we discuss here would be... speculative at best. We still haven't heard from the Germanic states or The Romanovs... every nation in the world is going to come together here, so please, try to save your plans for those meetings, alright?"

The man darkly said "General Calvi... this will be the final war for the fate of mankind, will it not?"

Calvi only shrugged.

"General!" the man protested.

Magath stepped forward, saying "The Military leadership of Marley is not as quick or as snappy as your Middle Eastern militaries. We're a centralized force with an established battle doctrine, not several nations and their militaries combined into one, tactics and command structure already split apart. This means that decisions cannot be made as quickly and we cannot afford as much flexibility. Apologies."

The man huffed, saying "Of course not... what worries me is your leader's apparent refusal to agree to what is necessary from the start."

Calvi only said "I'll do as told. Is that enough to shut you brown-nosed bastards up?"

The Mid-East general winced at the insult.

"You-"

"Clearly not. Then let me remind you that your Alliance was sending Eldian refugees our way, some terrorists, some civilians. You've caused us a lot of grief in recent years and if not for that Gate in Paradis we would not be forced into this alliance of convenience."

General Osman scoffed.

"No. We'd be slaughtering your technologically inept nation so badly that even if we lost Marley would never recover and humanity would finally be one step closer to being free from the Eldian scourge." the general spat back, poison lining every word.

Calvi said nothing.

The ambassador, seeing the meeting not being productive, only said "We all know what must be done. Hesitating now will result in our enslavement at best. But if you need time to organize, we understand."

No one spoke, albeit there seems to be a sense of agreement on the last note.

Satisfied, the representatives of the Mid-East Alliance said, "Good day, general."

Calvi lazily waved as the man turned and exited the office, shutting the door behind them, General Osman giving him a glare as he closed the door.

Magath sighed.

Calvi asked "Technologically inept?"

Here we go...

Magath said, "Hizuru is certainly ahead in terms of aviation technology and if word of mouth is to be trusted, then this also applies to the Mid-East Alliance's anti-titan weapons. The rest of the world developed better weapons whilst we relied on titans, general. Had we gone to war... who knows how it may have turned out?"

Calvi groaned, saying "Things were easier that way, no?"

The room fell silent for a moment as both men considered things.

Magath said, "How are the other heads of the military taking the World Union's decision to go to war?"

"As you'd expect. Some bickering over the troop organization, lots of bravado, and fake overconfidence to keep the journalists from spreading panic..." then with a sigh, he said "Why must we do this to ourselves? We were doing fine on our own."

Magath said, "Yeager even had a theory of a potential way of eliminating titans from the face of the earth if we acquired the Founder..."

Both men appeared disappointed.

Calvi looked at the clock on the wall and stood up, exhausted as he adjusted his tie.

"Well, do what you have to, Magath... I need to do my part as well."

"Good luck, sir."

"Thank you, I'll probably need it."

He paused at the door.

Turning to his subordinate, Calvi asked "Magath, you're a rather forward-thinking fellow... what do you think they're like?"

"Sir?"

"Those... men from another world. The technology to sink an entire battleship in one shot... what do you think they're like?"

…

"Ben, if you think this situation is remotely comparable to Israel and Palestine-" the political pundit said loudly.

"I do say it's comparable to Israel and Palestine because the-" the other political pundit firmly interrupted before being interrupted himself.

"Oh, here we go..."

"Because, Hasan, because the two nations are surrounded by other countries that wish for the complete and total annihilation of the race living within that country! Both nations have a right to defend themselves and as long as Paradis cannot defend itself, we should help it in its defense. For crying out loud, they're the door to another world!"

"I thought you right-wingers were in favor of the small government, you agree with the president pushing for more spending like that?!"

"Hey, the previous administration-"

"Gentlemen, please, can we get back on track?" the debate moderator tried.

"No, I'm sorry, but Ben is downright giddy at the idea of our soldiers, American soldiers, getting tossed into another forever war because that will boost the Military-Industrial Complex, right?!"

"Forever war?! What are you even talking about?"

"Yes, Ben, another forever war! You know? What we have currently in the Middle East? That Forever War?! A-and look, I understand wanting to defend a group of people, I really do! But this time... this time we're not facing an entire regional population like in the Middle East, we're facing a global population that, let's be honest, just wants revenge for the imperialism of the past. I don't agree with leaving these people defenseless, I really don't, but the amount of effort we're committing to? We haven't pulled out of Afghanistan, we're dragging NATO into this, there are rumors about Russia sweetening talks with your moron in the oval office to get in on this Arrowhead deal..."

"Oh, like how the previous administrations promised the Russians more flexibility if they stayed out of American interests?"

"I didn't like it then; I don't like it now!"

"Neither do I, the problem is that we really don't have much of a better option! Getting Russia off our backs allows everyone to spare more forces to divert into the region beyond the gate, while still leaving enough of a force to challenge other enemies including this self-proclaimed World Union. But if you have a better solution, I'm more than happy to hear it!"

"There are plenty of solutions, like de-escalation-"

"How the hell do you de-escalate this situation?! This UN Knockoff is demanding genocide!"

"W-well, we can start by not selling weapons to the Eldians! If they saw that we were more neutral, then maybe they would be more willing to say 'hey, maybe these people aren't so bad' and we wouldn't be facing imminent war!"

"Oh, sure, Hasan, cause appeasement has worked so well in the past!"

"It did! Appeasement bought the Allies much more time to prepare for a German invasion-"

"No, it didn't! In fact, it was appeasement and the refusal to commit to a strong military that permitted Germany to not only quickly rearm while France and Britain stood by the sidelines, but Japan to start conquering territories all over the Pacific. You need a strong military to challenge tyrants, not appeasement!"

"Ben, if the alternative is the bloodiest war in 21st-century history, then yes, I'd argue we should at least consider a bit more appeasement!"

"Oh sure, appease a tyrannical regime and allow a genocide like what the Turks did to the Armenians, right?"

"Oh, you cannot compare-"

General Connor closed the tab the live debate was playing on and rubbed his eyes.

Parker said, "I heard the French had a similar debate on their big networks the other day."

"Yeah, people have opinions. Who knew?"

"He's right about this turning into another Afghanistan... the second Arrowhead gets up and running, we're going to have a major NATO base here... hell, it may turn out more like Syria if Russia does what it does best."

Connor groaned, saying "Russians... I love and hate the fact the president included them on the plan."

"Well, a wildcard is a wildcard... and despite the opposition, I think most people are backing the defense of Paradis, if a little reluctant."

"Still... where are we on this... Dina Yeager deal?"

Parker showed him the document, saying "The problem right now is how little we know. Fact is, we have not a real way of proving these paths exist. We know something... out of the ordinary... is happening, but we can't really prove it, and even if it were true..."

"Not even Dina knows for sure..."

Both officers sat in silence.

The sound of the base continuing to expand outside was the only noise for a moment.

Parker finally said, "The possibility of Eren knowing the future..."

"Yeah, not a pretty prospect. It only raises more questions if it's true. Can it be changed? If not then is everything we do predetermine or is it that Eren is only getting memories of events that already happened and would have happened because we already knew about it?"

"Or perhaps this Ymir character... if she's really controlling what titans do since the very beginning of their existence, then why not do something else?"

"Mad gods?"

"If so, how do we get to her?"

Connor said "Well, there is a possible way of getting to her, and that's experimenting with Dina and Eren. If putting Eren in physical contact with the royal blooded Dina Yeager, then maybe we can get more information."

"Or destroy the world. If putting them in contact is all part of this other Ymir's plan, and her plan involves destroying everything with the Wall Titans... we can't stop all those Wall Titans with what we have. We'd slow it down, sure, but we'd need multiple nuclear warheads to stop something of that number. What was the estimate again? Nearly six-hundred-thousand at the minimum?"

"Assuming they're all the same size, which... so far it looks that way..."

Silence again.

Connor finally said, "We can't let them come into contact then, can we?"

"Maybe... what we need now is information, though... and presumably, we can still win this without resorting to them."

"True..."

"Which reminds me, how are we on the recon and intelligence teams?"

…

"Alright, what exactly do we know?" The CIA man asked out loud.

The room was silent as the Special Operators simply sat there, some rubbing their necks, some knowing it was better to wait until the information was given to you than to half-ass a response. Levi focused on the pocket watch on his hand while Petra dutifully took notes, occasionally glancing at the different operators they would be working with.

"I'd say 'not exactly' but truth is, we're a bit in the dark with some things and not at all in the dark with others, but let's review..."

He pointed to the photographs from the drones and jets that had spied on the World Union Fleet, stretching from horizon to horizon, the projector obediently amplifying their size so that the whole room could see it clearly.

"The World Union has a varied fleet of warships, all of them appearing to be pre-dreadnoughts... no aircraft carriers, no detectable submarines. Flags are, unfortunately, not indicative of any nations in our world's history."

Someone mumbled, "Marley has a God damned clam on their flag..."

"Yeah, and Mozambique has an AK-47 on its flag... you Yanks should put the AR-15 on yours."

"We should, shouldn't we?"

Levi cleared his throat.

The men went quiet.

The CIA man suppressed a sigh.

Uncertainty made everyone nervous, and right now they were up to their metaphorical necks in it.

But they had to move on.

He continued.

"Right, not all of these warships are equal, some don't even have guns and appear to be manned by... a few riflemen's positions, machine gun ports here and there... nothing that can go up against our farthest-reaching weapons, but certainly something to consider."

He passed the slide, a picture of the ambassadors of the World Union replacing the fleet.

"So, these are the ambassadors and representatives that spoke with our representatives and ambassadors last week... of importance is Miss Kiyomi Aumabito. She and her clan are our golden ticket for future operations within the mainland."

Petra swallowed at the mention of moving to the mainland.

Would that even be possible?

Glancing at her captain, she was pleasantly disappointed in that even now his stoic expression never betrayed fear or emotion.

The CIA man said, "Now, we have some volunteers from the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, they had them working a security detail for the Japanese embassy being established here and given their training in Reconnaissance, they're going to help us get on board their warships, and from there we will be secretly transported to the Port City of Liberio."

The photo on the screen changed again, now showing a black and white photograph of a city that appeared to be in the Mediterranean Sea.

"From there... well... we'll begin playing the long game. We have no idea how long the World Union will take to invade, we don't even have consistent details on their capability to deploy, but... we suspect it will come soon. Too soon."

"Probably before Arrowhead is even up and running." Levi sighed.

No one spoke.

"Correct... which is why our strategy is going to focus on low risk, high reward... no different from back in the day. We'll mix between the civilians, relay information back here, and when necessary... sabotage."

Nods all around.

"We don't know how long it will take, of course... but we're in this for the long haul like it or not."

After discussing a few more details, the soldiers were dismissed.

Walking after Levi, Petra asked, "Are you going to choose two more soldiers to take along Eld and me?"

Levi was silent for a moment.

He finally said, "We need someone good with their guns, and someone who is inconspicuous enough they won't call attention to us."

"The 104th cadets then?"

"Sounds about as good as we can hope from our side. Most of them have already seen combat and have some training in blending in... they should also be able to spare a couple of them."

As several tanks drove away in the distance, Levi said "However, I think we better leave the Shiganshina Trio here... don't want them out of Command's sight."

Petra pursed her lips.

"Captain, is it true that Eren can see into the future?"

"It's certainly a theory... and if this business with Ymir controlling titans across time is true, then it certainly explains a few oddly suspicious coincidences, doesn't it?"

"Then... are we on a set path?"

Levi only said, "Erwin didn't think so, and I have no reason to think so either... at worst, we're dealing with something we'll just have to live with."

Petra nodded, walking after him.

He then said, "The farm girl was one of the better shots, no?"

…

Marco stared petrified as Sasha wolfed down the American MRE while sitting on the table. The Survey Corps captain, once considered Humanity's Strongest, now simply another skilled soldier, had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and sat down on the table with them.

Levi ignored the messy eating, focusing more on the mess she was making on the table.

After downing some water, she said "Ah! I'm so full!"

Marco shakily said, "S-Sasha, maybe you should-"

"Oh, it's captain Levi! Hello!" she said childishly.

"What have you cadets been doing since getting back?"

"Lots of hard work!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Basic drills." Marco sighed.

"Ah... Brouse."

"Yes, sir?"

"How good of a shot are you with the rifles they brought over?"

"Top ten, sir!"

"Hmm... good... I'm assuming this applies to long-ranged targets?"

"As far a range as the rifle allows, sir!"

"I see... good. Then I'm drafting you."

"Happy to- wait, what?"

"I'm drafting you. You'll be a part of my squad and do as I say when I say."

The brown-haired girl looked at him for a second, dumbfounded.

"H-hold on... a-aren't you supposed to be protecting us in the 104th?"

"That was there, and it was less protecting you and more making sure you didn't get in trouble. You'll report to the Survey Corps barracks over there tomorrow, so get your things in order."

"I... yes... sir..."

Levi nodded and then turned to Marco.

"Private Bodt."

Marco had only been looking at the scene in front of him, flabbergasted at the bluntness of the Survey Corps captain.

"Y-yes, captain?"

"How good are you with the radio equipment?"

Sasha quickly said, "One of the best!"

"I-I can handle it... alright. Not as good as some of the others, though."

"Define 'alright'."

"Um... I can change frequencies, know some code-"

"Good enough, you're getting drafted as well. Same as Brouse here. Get your gear in order and report to the same building tomorrow. Same time."

With that, he stood up and turned to leave.

"W-wait, Captain, what for?!"

"You'll be informed there."

Sasha stood up, seemingly realizing something, saying "Does this have to do with the special mission to infiltrate-?"

"Sasha!" Marco chided.

Levi only repeated "You'll be informed there. For the time being... work on your table manners."

Sasha sat back down, a defeated look in her eyes.

Marco swallowed.

"That short man... I forgot he had a hygiene obsession... ah, and I thought we could relax for the time being!" she whined.

"With the world bearing down on us, how can you be so calm?" Marco asked, a pained look in his eyes.

Sasha shrugged, saying "I can't help any of that. I don't know what'll happen tomorrow, so why sweat it?"

She then sighed, forlornly, adding "Not that it's easy... I still remember those early days after Wall Maria fell..."

Her face twisted in pain slightly.

"Sasha?"

"Ah, forget it... I'll go ready my things."

As if noticing her friend had grown concerned, she quickly said "What kind of food do you think they have over there, Marco? Assuming we both have to go across the sea before Yeager and the others?"

Marco shrugged.

"Probably not as good as New York, but... well, we'll find out."

Sasha smiled and walked off.

Marco only mumbled, "My question is how we're going to get there..."

…

First Lieutenant Yoji Itami was a simple man living with a simple code: Hobby overwork. If he could read his favorite manga, watch his favorite anime, or play his favorite video game instead of finishing the required paperwork for a special report to the American overlords, he would do any of the former instead of the latter.

First Lieutenant Yoji Itami could never quite live up to that simple code.

The Japanese Ground Self Defense Force was not exactly an army like others.

Its members since its founding after the Second World War had seen little to no combat, mostly acting as security or assistance to larger operations for other nations.

And yet they were one of the best-funded militaries on the planet, with an increasingly hostile China and North Korea right across their ocean.

Itami knew that Japan had been one of the first to begin sending aid to what was now the Island of Paradis, back then it was simply the humans of the walled society in another world, and that had included a small embassy.

And that embassy had needed security.

And likely because of his awful luck or perhaps some kind of divine treachery, he had not only been chosen to be part of the security detail but had in fact been ordered to be the man in charge of the security detail!

The only way this despicable act could ever be given a silver lining was that the "other world" may provide him some much-needed opportunities for a vacation.

To his frustration, however, this "other world" was positively nothing like the light novels and manga that had saturated the market.

There was no fantasy continent filled with mystery and adventure, magic or magicians... just more people in need with the sole exception of the giant monstrosities that allegedly plagued the world, which just so happened to have actually been humans of a specific race who could be transformed into the brainless creatures against their will, all engineered by a world that had previously been ruled by a race of people who had used that very ability to conquer it.

And now they were helping those people survive.

Which, again, he had thought he wouldn't have to do much.

Until it turned out that there was a counterpart culture practically the same as Japan!

How lucky!

Better yet! This Japan-like nation was willing to work with the earth-side governments to help the island of Paradis!

Great!

Thus, the JSDF officer found himself wearing a sailor uniform in the dead of night, out in the somewhat cold ocean, looking through the old-looking warships for the one they needed in order to transfer the people on the ship.

Such misfortune...

A short woman, also in a sailor uniform, strode up to him, saying "El-tee, Furuta says he's picking up the radiowaves."

Itami sighed, saying "Well, good, that means we're nearby."

Shino Kuribayashi frowned.

No, you think?!

She instead said, "Yes, captain, he's also scanning for the signal that should be going over the waves."

"Even better." came the less than enthusiastic reply.

How did you pass Ranger Training?!

Captain Levi called out, saying "Hey, do you people know what you're doing?"

Itami resisted the urge to make a height joke, saying instead "We have a decent idea, captain, don't you worry... pretty soon we'll locate the ship and you and the other S-F will be on your way to do whatever it is you'll do."

Levi only said, "Then shouldn't you monitor the radio waves to see if you find the signal?"

Itami sighed a dispassionate "My guy is already doing that, captain."

The CIA woman popped up from under the deck and said "Lieutenant, why aren't you scanning for the signal?"

"My guy is already on it, miss."

"Is he?"

"Chūi, renrakusen ga kakuritsu sa remashita." the man on the radio said.

Itami smiled, saying "See? Furuta is fine at doing his job. Kurata, ready the signal light!"

The CIA woman and Captain Levi glanced at the man on the radio.

The man smiled politely.

The CIA woman said, "The Japanese, captain... they're scary efficient... even when it looks like they're not doing anything they'll be making strides."

Levi nodded and they both ducked back under the deck.

Shino groaned as she helped the taller soldier flip on the ancient electric light.

I wish they let me work with the Marines more... damn it all.

As they approached the ship that replied, Itami could only wonder about the developing situation. Presently both worlds were looking for strategies in winning the war, with the Americans and several of her allies bringing in more ammunition, aircraft, and equipment.

But how did it look like from the other side?

As the Hizuru warship responded, Itami only shrugged.

What business was it of his, anyway?

...

Willy Tybur hated visiting the factories with a passion.

The smell of oil, the heat, the dirty workers, the overall unsanitary conditions.

He politely shook hands with the men working them, smiling at them as the military men walked ahead of him with little care for the men actually producing the materials necessary for fighting a war.

"As you can see, we can produce thousands of these anti-titan rounds a day given our factories. If we were to put everyone to work in longer shifts, we could keep this going continuously as long as we have them." the Mid-East general said.

So, places like these would be prime targets for the enemy...

The World Union officers and Willy observed the production lines as dozens of large artillery shells were passed along, men inspecting them before carefully moving them off to a transport cart. The actual process of making an artillery shell was seen in other aspects as the parts and pieces were carefully put together was not seen, likely due to the risk to the military leaders should one igniter accidentally cause a chain reaction.

Willy ignored the possibility, asking "And the guns? How many of those can you produce and transport?"

The Mid-East General grinned, saying "If my sources are accurate, and they usually are... two hundred a day. Machine guns, rifles, anti-titan or otherwise... our armies will be the best equipped in our history."

"Transporting them is a major issue, is it not?" Calvi groaned.

The Mid-East general sneered but composed himself as he politely said "My people and our allies are willing to give everything to ease our logistics. We have hundreds of trains and thousands of civilian automobiles ready to assist in transporting our machines of war... if Marley opens up its borders to our trains, it will be even faster, and with assistance from the Romanovs and their trains... logistics shouldn't be too much of a concern."

"Certainly..." came the reply, which may have been sarcastic or not, but the tone was almost unreadable to Osman.

He decided to move on.

"And then there are the weapons themselves. The new rifle models have an effective range of well over five hundred meters, and our capability at producing bullets is only increasing. With Marley and the other nations banding together... we'd have enough munitions to murder the Paradis population many times over, regardless of their titan powers."

No one took the last line seriously.

Mere bullets were not enough, nor could they be delivered fast enough to stop even one titan, however they did have an answer to such a problem. Stopping a man, certainly, and perhaps if solely directed at the titan's nape in enough quantities it could be done... but to stop a thousand titans with ammunition meant to stop humans?

Not possible.

But clearly, the kind of ammunition the Mid-East General was describing was no "normal" ammunition.

As they moved to a nearby table, the man grinned from ear to ear as he lifted a clean, white sheet to reveal a strange device.

"These are the new anti-titan rifles... oh, these... these are beautiful." He said with a degree of excitement.

The man picked up the massive gun with some difficulty, saying "These are far easier to carry than previous models... were those required three men to operate, this one, firing a fourteen-point-five-millimeter bullet, can be carried and operated by one soldier. If the enemy is human, as they claim they are, then I doubt even they can stand in front of one of these!"

The men nodded slowly as if agreeing, some even appearing excited at the prospect.

A dark-skinned general said "Impressive, our Anti-Titan rifles were essentially small cannons that needed two men to effectively use. May we see a demonstration?"

"Certainly! This way, please!" he said, grabbing a case of ammunition.

The men followed him outside where, out in the sandy fields between the pair of factories, a steel plate had been set out on a table.

A one-inch steel plate.

Calvi said, "Our Panzer unit utilizes thicker steel plates than those."

Osman ignored him, inserting the large round into the rifle's bolt and quickly placing the rifle into firing position

With a grin, he lay on the dusty ground, aimed the rifle, said "Gentlemen, I suggest you cover your ears!"

The advice was heeded by all.

Osman gently pulled the trigger.

The ground appeared to almost shake at the explosion that was the rifle firing, dust going up from the ground, the steel plate flying off the table with a smoking hole right in its center.

Osman stood up, shouting "Did you see that?!"

He ran towards the still smoking piece of steel and picked it up, running back to the military officers.

Still shouting, he said, "Can your normal titans resist that, Calvi?"

Calvi only stared at the almost perfectly circular hole in the steel plate, the other generals nodding, impressed.

Willy internally shuddered.

Just how many would die if they really went all out?

…

"How many canister shots?" Ryan asked, putting a shovel down as Darnell looked over the supply list.

"Ten for each... we're going to try and balance our load here so no matter what they hit us with we're ready. MPAT's are only going to be 3 for each instead."

"They have any airpower?"

"Blimps if the information available is any indication. We haven't picked up any aircraft trying to fly in to investigate, presently the enemy has no real airpower to challenge us with, but if the situation changes we should be able to adapt easily enough."

Ryan asked, "Are they even going to try an invasion?"

"Don't know, don't really care. Right now all we can do is get ready for the worst-case scenario."

Ryan asked, "And that is?"

"Brass says the enemy may try to use human shields. Noncombatants, civilians... the Nazis used it in World War 2, so it's not the craziest thing to imagine."

Off in the distance, four British Challenger 2 tanks were positioning themselves similar to the Americans.

"If that happens, things will get ugly, uglier than any other fight we've seen in a long time."

Ryan said "But that's the worst-case scenario. I'd assume pushing civilians and keeping them organized to the point they're an adequate shield would be impossible given the terrain."

"Still... I'd rather avoid that..."

Ryan thought back to the young girl who had died so young.

It wasn't exactly unusual for even the youngest of the young to be mercilessly cut down in the war.

"Other than that, we'll just have a typical static defense situation..."

Ryan glanced at their work so far.

While there were plenty of dunes and hills for the armor to effectively hide behind should the enemy land and begin pushing inland, it wasn't exactly adequate, so there they were, out in the blazing sun, helping dig out proper defensive positions for their tanks.

Even if the enemy had no tanks, they couldn't underestimate their enemy.

They weren't that different from one another.

And a hundred years of difference was only so much, at the end of the day.

Had their armies gone to war with the armies of the past, he doubted any army would give the other armies any quarter, so why should they?

With a look of grim determination, Ryan went back to work.

...

The Germanic States were a somewhat unified group of countries. Not the most powerful force in the southern continent despite occupying most of the land in its center, but it did have some of the most feared soldiers in the world. The men were tall, pale, rarely spoke, and their piked helmets appeared reminiscent of a bygone age that the nation was desperate to preserve if it maintained its status as a fierce people.

But as the forested villages demonstrated, it was a rather quaint land, not unlike many other places in the world.

It still provided the Tybur family with its elite guards.

And now, perhaps, the best infantry force on the planet.

The second he got to the training field, he heard the gunfire, both automatic and from the bolt-action rifles.

Willy walked ahead, moving up a hill and looking over the training field just as the Germanic cannons fired several rounds at a massive steel target on the field. Under those guns, in a complex trench system, Willy could see the spiked helmets of the Germanic soldiers rushing from spot to spot, taking positions in vital areas and remaining there until an officer ordered otherwise.

General Paul Halder spoke in his native tongue, smiling as he said "Now that we have the go-ahead to prepare for a... more direct approach to the Eldian question, we've been working on our anti-titan tactics. Ah, notice our trenches are explicitly designed deep and thin. Enough to allow our men room to run and move in, but not enough for a titan to reach in."

Willy smiled politely, saying "Well, that's all well and good, General, but the enemy-"

The man raised a hand, saying "Of course, sir. However, these smaller trenches also work great against artillery and other forms of combat. If our enemy is, indeed, human, then we can expect these trenches to form effective lines against both titans and human attackers. Getting to the island would have been a major problem for us, but if Marley is on board, then there should be no problem, what with their massive navy."

Willy watched as the soldiers stabbed at a sandbag before rushing past it.

He only said "Indeed..."

...

Fort Slava was less stuffy than the Middle Eastern factories, but the desert sun and dust made it no less irritating as they oversaw the vast, empty fields ahead. At least within the control tower, it was much more tolerable.

Willy peered from the command center with binoculars.

Ahead of them lay a near barren wasteland, with only a few Marleyan airships flying in the sky and a single group of people out in the sand below, a pair of trucks driving far out into the desert.

General Calvi said, "These were intended to be used against titans once they needed to be disposed of."

Observing the trucks stop not too far from the area below the airships, he saw Marleyan soldiers kick men that he knew were Eldian criminals sentenced for death out onto the sand. The men unmoving likely due to drugs.

Great mercy.

Willy was very aware of how the laws Marley had would result in the offending Eldian being punished by titanization were very lax, but the bright side was that most Eldians in Marley knew to follow the law, so those being punished were, at least, for the most part, criminal offenders who had done great crimes.

And even if they aren't the sins of the past weigh on all of us.

He kept that in mind as he peered over the field again.

Just as quickly the trucks drove off.

Some of the World Union generals frowned, at least one muttering "Inhumane..."

Willy didn't comment.

The trucks had driven a fair distance away.

Then, through the binoculars, Willy saw a familiar figure hop off the truck, seemingly clearing his throat as he did so. He stood out on the desert floor for a moment and then heaved as if he were about to vomit.

Willy knew better, of course.

On the horizon, the Eldians suddenly began to glow as the instantaneous transformation took place. Bone and muscle manifesting as gigantic bodies erupted forward.

Again, the generals of the World Union only cringed away from the scene, disgusted by the action.

Except, this time Willy noticed General Osman seemed oddly intrigued.

Turning to Calvi, the Middle Eastern man said "Your boy Zeke... he can control those titans?"

"To a degree, General."

Off in the distance, the men could easily see the titans were standing still.

A Marleyan officer moved over the radio.

"Airship 1, you are clear to begin your bomb run."

"Understood, watchtower. We will commence shortly."

From the airship, a small bay was opened.

From that, several dark objects began to roll out and fall to the ground below.

The Titans didn't even peer upward as the objects hit them on the head, erupting into smoke and fire. The effect was continuous, with each eruption causing more damage to the attacked bodies. One titan fell over, and then another. The slow-moving airship allowed for just enough precision on the giant's bodies.

After the Airship finished passing over, and the smoke cleared, the small horde of titans was already disappearing into dust.

Some Generals nodded.

It was the Mid-East Alliance's General who said "Impressive, but will it do the job against the enemy's aircraft? They moved at incredible speeds last we checked."

Calvi didn't reply.

"I was speaking to you, general Calvi."

"Hmm? Oh, yes... anti-air... right then... give the order."

The radioman nodded and said, "Airship two, proceed with the anti-air demonstration."

"Understood. Commencing Anti-Air drill."

Willy looked through the binoculars as the second airship released several black balloons.

As the floating objects flew over the sky, the airship turned slightly.

After a moment, the sky was riddled with flack and smoke from the guns on the airship. The rapid-firing cannons were tearing the now widespread balloons to shred as the shells exploded in the air, smaller puffs of smoke catching the smaller flying spheres in its wave of destruction.

Calvi said "Those are anti-ship guns we were able to install on the cabins of the blimp. Experimental, of course, but we could potentially begin to mass-produce them. I assume we can use those to some effect against those enemy planes."

The men nodded slowly.

Willy said "Excellent news then! This will at least help us fight on, would it not?"

Calvi opened his mouth, but Osman was quick to say "Certainly! This may even the odds! If your factories can produce them in enough quantities, of course. If not, then surely our factories or the Romanov's will!"

Willy hid his concern.

"I do worry, gentlemen... yes, these weapons better the odds, but... how costly would it be to face these weapons against one another, let alone counterparts that are over a hundred years more advanced?"

The officers in the room fell silent.

With a determined huff, Osman said "We can't afford anything better, sir. It's either the destruction of the Eldian people or another Eldian Empire. We can't possibly go down without a fight, can we?"

Willy forced a smile.

"No, I understand... I just worry it will be a costly-"

"Men are expendable, as are Eldians, which leads us to a theory we have been working on that may even the odds further."

Tybur glanced at the Mid-East general.

"Go on."

…

"Enter."

Lara Tybur opened the door to the Eldest Man's office.

"Lara... everything alright?"

The girl's stance never betrayed any emotion as she was incredibly stoic, but there was enough for her to measure what she was thinking.

She said "Grandfather... I was wondering if there were any plans for me in the future."

The man smiled politely, saying "Of course there are. You are to be in reserve unless called upon."

She nodded slowly as if expecting more.

The old man said, "Ah, of course... no need to worry. Your Warhammer Titan is one of the most powerful types. Even against these weapons, I'm sure you'll perform spectacularly."

Again, slow nods.

The old man frowned then, asking "Oh, speak your mind, child. If there is a concern, then please make me aware of it!"

"I just... I worry that the enemy may figure out a way to shut off our titan powers, and-"

"Silence, child!"

She obeyed.

"That... that is, at best a theory, and one we have no basis for. Where is this coming from?"

She said "It's been on my mind. Ever since the Yeager Titan proved capable of controlling other titans, a power only attributed to the Founder... we just know so little of the power of the titans..."

"True... unfortunately, true. But it is what it is, and it is... all we have to work with. If the power of the titans were to be lost forever... no one really knows what would happen. Perhaps mankind would tear itself apart looking for another enemy, perhaps world peace."

The old man eyed the book on his desk for a moment, picking it up and passing a hand through the old pages.

"Knowing man... well... we'd be at each other's throats sooner or later."

Lara nodded in understanding.

"I sense you're still worried."

"I am."

"Can you do anything about it?"

The girl's lips pursed into a thin line.

She said, "I don't know if I can."

"What are you worried about?"

"Grandfather... when Willy and the representatives were discussing a possible peace, they... they did mention all of that, but... they also seemed to be seeking peace. Should we not consider the same?"

The man allowed a tired breath.

"You know as well as I do that it's not possible so long as the risk of another Eldian Empire persists."

"In the end, I suppose I'm afraid that... I'm afraid that war is the only outcome... perhaps we will lose, perhaps not, but many will die."

The man patted her hand reassuringly, saying "My dear, sometimes there is no other alternative. This is the only way we can achieve a better tomorrow."

She didn't reply.

…

Watching over the training grounds from his horse, Magath rubbed his chin.

Another officer groaned, saying "Why should we throw our men at the enemy? Isn't that what Eldians are for?"

Another officer quickly chided in before Magath could say anything.

"They'd probably surrender. You know those damned devils. The only reason they even fight for us is that we give them even a modicum of dignity. Had the other nations we've been at war with have done the same, we'd see Eldian surrenders all over the battlefields we've fought in."

Magath only said, "It's better our forces be ready to defend themselves when necessary is it not?"

The officer shrugged, saying "Certainly, but it's frustrating... look at those boys. They're barely out of school and already carrying the burden of defending their nation... I can't stand it! We didn't go through a thousand years of Eldian rule just to..."

The officer eventually went quiet.

There really wasn't any valid argument that could be employed here.

Either everyone banded together, or the Eldian Menace would continue to be a menace, especially with its recently acquired "help". He focused on the drill below, lifting the binoculars again to observe the young soldiers run around, firing at specified targets, their steel helmets looking sometimes too big for some of the younger men.

"They're clearing trenches properly enough. Fast, too." He said.

The oldest of the officers said "Yes, we've had quite some help from the Germanic States. We're also looking at possible alterations to some of our carbines in order to make more semi-automatic rifles, but..."

The man sighed.

"It's too complex a process. Even with the military budget as high as it is, most of our men will still be charging with the old rifles."

Magath nodded.

"Numbers won't be the only thing we're throwing at them. Now that the Mid-East Alliance shared its artillery technology with us we'll have longer reaching support."

"Still... I personally prefer just flooding Paradis with Titans. Can't that Yeager boy control them?"

Magath said "We're looking into something like that. Titans can make for great shields and if Zeke can control them by the thousands, that may buy us enough time and cover to gain ground."

"Is the Warhammer going to assist us?"

"In some way, probably. Everyone is coming together."

To a degree...

He then said "But even then... the power of the titans will never rule. We'll have far more terrors to deal with once this war is over."

The sound of distance artillery guns firing punctuated his remark.

The older officers chuckled lightly, saying "Oh, Magath, such a pessimist sometimes. The whole world is behind us here... there's not much they can do without resorting to using titans, is there?"

Magath didn't reply to that.

...

Zeke Yeager didn't bother stretching as he got back to his home in Liberio.

He didn't bother looking around as he usually did.

He didn't really bother acknowledging the neighbors greeting him after such a long mission.

He was tired.

Little Gabi Braun didn't really seem to care about that as she ran up to him with a ball, saying "Mister Yeager! How was the tour?"

Zeke walked past the child, muttering an acknowledgement.

"What did you say, mister?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Gabi, this old man is just too exhausted to really give you much of a talk... I just saw a lot of new weapons for the war effort..."

The girl brightened up at that, saying "can you tell me about them later?"

"Ah, it's against policy. I'm sure you'll hear about them in the papers anyway. Now run along, my head hurts and I need to lie down."

"Oh, all right... thanks, Mister Yeager!"

Zeke waved her away with a tired feeling.

Worse, Zeke Yeager was in an odd state of mind. Usually, he could find motivation and an endless source of hope from life's setbacks if it meant he would be able to end it all, the struggle to keep living always a source of motivation to accomplish his goals, but now... all of that was gone.

Just how powerless am I, really?

As if to punctuate his own thought, the second he opened the door he was greeted by an awful sight.

A blonde woman he had never seen before was sitting with his parents on the dinner table, several armed men with her, using rifles not entirely unlike the ones he'd seen the enemy forces at Paradis use.

"Howdy," she said with a smile.

Zeke looked at his grandparents, both of them staring at their hands on the wooden surface of the table as they each held the other.

Zeke glanced at the woman and calmly spoke.

"Hello... who are you and what are you doing here?"

"My name's not exactly important, but what we're doing here certainly is."

Zeke removed his coat and calmly placed it on the rack by the door.

He sighed as he walked over to the table, saying "If you expect me to betray Marley or work with you, think again."

She laughed slightly before speaking.

"To be honest, we've thought about this far too often to consider other options, so I'll skip the small talk. See, we have something you probably want."

Zeke glanced at his grandparents.

He turned to the woman and asked "What?"

"Your mother is alive."

Zeke blinked.

If the words had impacted him at all, he didn't show it.

"You know what that means, right?"

"You intend to use that... traitor... as a bargaining chip?"

"In a way, see... we know she has royal blood."

At this, Zeke felt his blood run cold.

The CIA woman smiled cruelly, saying "I think you understand the severity of the situation a little better now, don't you?"

Zeke said nothing.

Standing up from the table and moving to a window, she said "See, Marley can assume we have a titan or two with royal blood. We have all of the shifters your people so graciously sent Paradis five years ago, so it was always a safe assumption. However, we also know that Marley and the rest of the world have no idea you're a titan shifter with royal blood."

Zeke stared at her.

She smiled brightly now, saying "Annie Leonhart and Bertholdt Hoover are just kids, you know. With families. Once they saw where the tides were going they gave up what they knew we needed."

The oldest man in the room let out a shaky sob.

The CIA woman sighed, saying "Look, we don't want to destroy anyone, we don't want to start any Rumblings or world-ending disasters. We're people, same as you, same as anyone."

"You cannot turn into titans. Don't pretend you're like us."

The woman appeared insulted by the statement, her face contorting slightly.

"It's the way you were raised... I understand you don't think you're the same as other races, and that's fine, no two races are entirely identical... genetically speaking, at least... but neither are any two humans. Even identical twins have different fingerprints, you people should at least know that much."

No response.

With a frustrated sigh, she said "Look, regardless, what we want is to ensure Paradis isn't destroyed."

"The destruction of Paradis is the only way we can guarantee peace."

"You don't believe that."

"If you have a better solution, go ahead and tell me."

"There is no solution to Conflict. How do you intend to stop mankind from fighting each other? No, really, how do you expect a species that is the apex predator on all the world's continents to not be in conflict with one another?"

"So we shouldn't try?"

"Not if it will result in the extermination of an entire group of people. Hell, we were willing to negotiate, it's the World Union that's pushing for war!"

Zeke fell silent for a moment.

No one spoke.

"Look... Yeager... no one is going to win this war. Yes, our technology will prevail in defending Paradis but we have no intention of fully invading every single continent and every single country. Our earth has a lot of problems, too, and even if we did all unite to invade this world, it would be years of constant fighting and it would do nothing to stop the hate felt by this world's people. We are not another Eldian Empire, we want a peaceful resolution... but we will fight to the death if pushed into a corner same as anyone else."

"We know, and we expect it... I still won't work for you."

The CIA woman pouted, not taking the man seriously.

She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her chin as she considered things.

Zeke studied her.

She was confident.

Too confident.

She had all the cards.

All he could do was try to deny her any ground. If these Americans were out to perpetuate the cycle of suffering then they were his enemy, same as-

"You know, your father survived, too."

Silence.

Zeke said "If you are going to kill us for not cooperating with you then do it. Don't waste our time with-"

"No, you're going to sit down and listen. Certainly, you could transform into a titan and kill us all, but we have ways to get information to people. What would Marley do if they found out that you're of royal blood?"

Silence.

She pushed the chair closer to him.

"Worse... that you lied about it for so long."

Zeke didn't speak.

"Enough!" the old man yelled.

All eyes turned to him, his wife clutching his hands tighter as she shut her eyes, holding back tears.

"Haven't you demons done enough?! We won't help you, so just kill us and be done with it! Stop torturing us with your lies!"

Zeke softly, almost in a child-like tone, said "She isn't lying grandfather."

"You can't know that!"

Zeke said "No, because she's here to negotiate. The royal blood, the possibility of blackmail's little more than something to hold over our heads so we don't inform the civil authorities of their presence. They can't kill us because that would raise the alarm, so they brought that information as their weapon to mutually assure destruction should either of us try to hurt the other. We try to hurt them, we also get hurt."

His grandparents stared at him.

He forced a smile, saying "It's something I read about intelligence gathering... let your Honorary Eldian grandson handle this, alright?"

The old man shakily nodded.

Sitting back in her chair, she continued.

"Very good, Yeager. I'm glad we understand each other. Anyway, it turns out your dad survived. He was never turned into a titan. Apparently, a Marleyan officer was actually an infiltrated Eldian restorationist that had slipped through Marley's blood tests. What's more, he somehow had access to the Attack Titan. One of the only titans Marley never really got ahold of. I assume you know that much."

Silence.

She continued.

"So, he passed on the Attack Titan to Grisha, which your father used to get to the walls, and-"

"W-wait..."

All eyes turned to Mister Yeager, the old man now looking up, hot tears still streaming from his eyes.

"What?" she asked, impatiently.

"Our son... is alive?" he asked.

"No." she replied coldly.

The old man stared back at the ground.

As if no questions had been asked, she continued.

"Grisha remarried, had a kid, became a doctor... having a doctor there with experience from this nation did quite a lot of good in the district your child soldiers destroyed five years ago."

No response.

She continued.

"So, here's where it gets interesting, see... this... man, this holder of the Attack Titan... he saved Grisha... but not Dina Yeager."

Zeke winced.

The CIA woman said "Yeah, it's the damndest thing. He let her turn into a titan, setting her loose with all the... ah, what did they call them?"

"Restorationists." one of the masked men said.

She smiled, saying "Right, the... restorationists... the ones you sold out. Dina Fritz wondered the outside of the walls for quite some time, as a titan, of course, and here's where things get really intriguing, see... she claims someone guided her to kill Grisha's wife specifically."

No reply.

"Now, we don't have any eyewitnesses to confirm it, but she did describe a young Bertholdt fairly accurately, and Bertholdt says he remembers a particularly big titan ignoring him... would you know anything about that?"

Zeke didn't reply.

"Does the term 'paths' mean anything to you?"

No reply.

"Well, it does to us... see, we've been experimenting with the Founding Titan, I'm sure you'd have liked that opportunity."

Zeke didn't speak.

The CIA woman sighed, saying "So, essentially, we know the Founding Titan has certain abilities..."

"But you're having trouble accessing them." Zeke concluded.

Now she smiled.

"Good. Good guess. So, tell you what. You give us a hand with that endeavor and... well, not only will we reunite you with the mother you effectively killed, but get your grandparents out of here?"

Zeke glanced at his grandparents.

He asked the woman "And then what?"

"Pardon?"

"Say I help you, what will happen then? Will you eradicate titans from the earth? Start The Rumbling? What's your plan?"

Pursing her lips, she said, "Eradicating titans from the earth is a fine idea, and we'd be more than happy to pursue it, but frankly that's not up to me."

"It's a terrible idea."

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, still smiling, though now a touch confused.

"Titans are the reason the world is so united now. Eliminating them will, at best, throw a wrench into everything and spawn new problems. Odds are it won't even help Eldians, which I'm generously assuming is your goal. You'll just cause more tension."

Now she didn't reply.

Zeke said "There is a cruel reality that we are facing, you understand. One side has to destroy the other completely. That's it. No middle ground."

The CIA woman laughed.

"Wow, ain't you a pessimist?"

"It is merely a fact. If Eldians continue to exist- no... to wield even a touch of power... the billions who have known of their threat will live in fear, and-"

"Yeah, yeah, people are dangerous, extermination is the only way forward, blah blah blah, God, I've heard it all before. Who cares?"

"I... what?"

"Who cares? No, really, who cares?"

Zeke stared at her.

Obviously, the people with the concerns cared, did she not know?

She angled herself forward slightly.

"Even if we can't find a way to get rid of titans, if we win then everyone else will just have to deal with the fact that Eldians are just as free as anyone else. People have rights, do they not? Those rights don't just cease to exist because the person has a condition."

"Easy to say when you don't come from a world where people can turn into gigantic-"

"Yes, yes, I'm not saying there's no merit to the argument that special considerations must be taken, and believe me, we're working on that, but my point is that you shouldn't just compromise on this idea of one side ultimately destroying the other."

"No, I..."

Zeke glanced at his grandparents, neither of them had disagreed with him yet. These Americans had access to the Founder, and while his plan had gone out the window, a new possibility was in the purview.

He said "I believe we Eldians should never have been born... The world rightfully hates us. If the Founder would... simply make Eldians infertile-"

"Hold it right there..." she said, raising a hand.

"What?"

"Well, ignoring the fact you're suggesting euthanizing an entire race... I take it this is a confirmation of our theories about the Founder?"

Zeke only said, "Of course... the Founder has many supernatural capabilities as it controls the Paths..."

Then he glanced at his grandparents.

"I'm willing to help you if you agree to my plan. We make all Eldians infertile, that way the threat of titans will disappear, the rest of the world will have the devil race pay for its sins, everyone is happy and can move on."

The CIA woman stared at him, seemingly impressed.

She then sighed, saying "I highly doubt the higher-ups will agree to that plan."

"Assuming my mother is a shifter, she'll have no clue as to what she's doing. I, on the other hand, can fully control my titan and my royal blood. Show me the Founder and I will find a way to end this conflict, this I swear!"

"Zeke..." the old man shakily said.

The CIA woman didn't reply.

"I'll inform my superiors, but don't get your hopes up..."

"It's a solution to everyone's problems that requires no violence!"

"Yeah, until the next group of people gets deemed 'dangerous to humanity. There is a reason rights don't just stop existing in a specific situation because then that situation can be exploited to excuse other actions."

"That's a fallacious line of thought!"

"I'm not here to argue, I'm just a messenger." she sighed, standing up.

"We'll be back with a response."

Zeke said, "I just hope your leaders see the light before it's too late."

…

"Absolutely not!" Historia loudly proclaimed.

The Advisory nervously mumbled in agreement.

General Connor said, "We agree, but Zeke is a threat we need to take care of."

The British General said "Well, we could just bring him here and toss him in a deep hole. Tell him we'll go along with his plan, get him on a ship... then, BAM, knock him out with a drug and toss him in the gallows."

"True, but it's too much of a risk right now. Getting our people across the sea was already an insanely dangerous prospect even with Hizuru."

"There is one thing we haven't mentioned, though."

All eyes turned to Hanji.

"Zeke can control titans, can he not?"

Those who knew nodded, everyone else not moving.

"Can we assume this is because of his royal blood?"

"Maybe."

Hanji shook her head, saying "Even if it isn't, it doesn't matter because if the stories are true, then this means the man can control and manipulate as many titans as they can make."

"We're bringing in some heavier bombers to deal with that possibility... disassembling them and reassembling them is... a process, but we're getting what we can here." Connor said.

"Still, it would be better to just neutralize the threat before it became one. We're already dealing with way too many things to worry about a coordinated titan invasion." the British officer said.

The room fell silent.

Historia finally said "Maybe Eren could just... remove the power of the titans altogether. He has the Founder, doesn't he? Is that not an option? Just completely rid the world of titans and be done with it?"

All eyes turned to Hanji who only said "Well... we're considering starting tests with the Founder, but... to be honest, we're not very confident. If it goes wrong the risk to all of us is just... well... titanic."

No one laughed.

Hanji said, "Both Eren and Dina are on board, of course."

…

"Eren, are you sure about testing this Founder theory?" Armin asked, looking up from the notebook.

Eren stared at the ceiling, saying "I won't pretend to understand it all... a part of me still understands the thought process of that day."

"But you're not-"

"I know I'm not the same, but... what if this is what the Founder wanted? What if I never had any choice in the matter? My titan can supposedly see into the future, can't it? So what if father saw a specific future? What if I can't see that future because seeing it would change it? Or what if I can't see it so that I can't change it?"

Eren sat back up and said "We need to know, damn it! Even if there's a risk of walking into the Founder's plans, I refuse to just be caged up like an animal!"

Armin finished writing, saying "Well, it's not impossible, but it's worth mentioning that the risks heavily outweigh the pros in most cases I can come up with. Best case is you learn some vital information about how to get rid of the titan powers in the blood of Eldians. That's the best case, right?"

Eren nodded vigorously.

Armin said "Then, best case, that could potentially end the war before it started, and that's a long shot, I know, but for the sake of argument, let's say that's what directly follows... how do we know getting rid of the titan's powers won't kill you? How do we know getting rid of the titan's powers won't kill a large part of the Eldian population? How can we know it's gone for certain?"

"We don't."

"Exactly. That last point alone makes it difficult to get the trust of any nation that sees us as Devils... they might think we're trying to trick them or lull them into a false sense of security, it... it's awful, but... it's the awful truth... and we both know what the worst-case scenario could be here."

Eren sighed, saying "Yeah, I know, I know... I want to avoid that outcome, too, but... as long as we hold the Founder, we have to take a risk. Do nothing and risk a long and bloody war, or..."

The door opened and Mikasa walked in with several trays of food, somehow balancing them all on her arms.

She placed one on Armin's desk, one on Eren's bed, and held onto the other one, eating the kitchen meal as soon as she stepped in.

She swallowed, and then said, "Have you been able to see anything through your memories?"

Eren shook his head, saying "They're all... fuzzy. I have nothing new that I can come up with."

Mikasa paused, glancing behind her.

Quietly, outside the relatively warm room, slow footsteps sounded through the hallway.

Mikasa sighed as the steps subsided, mumbling "I don't like the new guy..."

"Captain Mike?"

"He keeps smelling everything... it's worrisome."

"He's probably keeping around the only titans left in Paradis that he can smell. Didn't Commander Hanji compare him to a dog once?"

"Right, now that Captain Levi is helping the other teams he's the next Survey Corps officer with a high titan kill count..." Armin said.

"Still... if he's so dangerous, I'm worried what would happen if he tried to hurt you against orders."

Eren only laughed, saying "I have the power to destroy the world and you're worried about a Survey Corps captain?"

Mikasa and Armin both said, "You're still Eren!"

Mikasa added, "You can still get hurt!"

Armin added, "We know he can kill you, so of course we'd be worried!"

Eren raised his hands in surrender, saying "I got it! I got it! Geez, guys..."

The Shiganshina trio was silent for a moment.

It was Armin who said, "We'll figure a way out... one where we can get rid of the titans and create a lasting peace... no need to destroy world required."

Mikasa nodded, saying "Armin will put his book smarts to good use here."

"Book... smarts... you mean knowledge, Mikasa?"

"I said what I said."

Eren was about to say something when he heard something in the distance.

The trio looked out the window, the moonlight only petering in through the cloudy night.

"What's... that?" Mikasa asked.

"Sounds like they're scrambling some planes." Eren mumbled.

Deep down, a bad feeling grew in his stomach.

…

Willy Tybur paced from one end of the command center to the other.

General Osman said, "They should be entering the exclusion zone now."

Calvi sighed, saying "Honestly, is this really your best strategy? Throw more Eldians at them?"

Osman said nothing.

Willy said, "Come now, general... if they sink it, we lose an old ship, if they don't then we know the plan can work."

Willy nodded, saying "I worry about retaliation... they've been incredibly quiet this past month."

"Maybe they're cowards." Osman said.

Calvi said, "Or perhaps they were genuine about not wanting a war?"

Osman glared at the older man but didn't speak.

A Marleyan operator turned from his radio and said "They're passing the blockade and doing as told, sir."

Osman said "Good... now we wait."

A dreadful silence filled the room.

Willy knew it would take hours before they even heard anything and he only said "I'll go prepare some tea..."

"I shall accompany you, sir." Calvi said, happy to leave the Mid-East General to the operation.

As both men marched down the decorated halls that were mostly lit by moonlight, safe away from the prying eyes in the operation's room, Calvi said "You appear worried, Mister Tybur, if I may be so blunt."

"You're supposed to ask if you can be so blunt before saying something so blunt, not after."

"Forgive me, I'm a tired old general, I speak my mind."

"I know, and... yes, I'm worried."

"It's a low-risk operation, sir."

"Do you agree with the conflict?"

"Not particularly, but as a soldier, I do as I'm told."

Willy said, "I'm terrified of the possible death toll, but I agree... we must do our duty regardless of what we may think, no?"

"Ah, yes... I suppose the rebuttal to that is the question of whether what we are doing is our duty or not, yes?"

Willy froze, staring at the calm general as the older man walked past him.

"He asked, what do you mean by that?"

"Nothing really. It's a simple rebuttal someone who may theoretically be arguing with you on the matter would say."

"Do... do you believe this is not our duty?"

"Well, you're a Tybur, if I may be so blunt, sir. I wouldn't know what your duty is, but as a soldier, a general... defending our people is my duty, so I would wage that this is, indeed, within the purview of my duty."

Willy stared at the floor.

Then Calvi said "Of course, in theory, the rebuttal to that would be that we're not necessarily defending our nation now, are we? But that's an argument for the politicians."

Tybur stared at the old general for a moment.

He decided not to speak and only pray the operation didn't result in any unnecessary deaths.

…

"THIS IS NOT A MILITARY VESSEL! WE ARE CARRYING CIVILIANS AND REFUGEES! WE SEEK ASYLUM ON THE ISLAND OF PARADIS! PLEASE DO NOT SHOOT!"

Connor grimaced as the message blared over the radio.

He turned to an operator who only shook his head.

"General, from what we can see it's an old cargo ship, steam powered from the looks of it. F-35s aren't seeing any armed personnel on the deck."

"They could be hiding inside." he mumbled.

The British officer said, "Or worse, they could be one of Zeke Yeager's titan bombers, set to transform into titans at a later time."

"They already within 200 kilometers, ma'am," Hanji said, staring at the computer that was receiving information from the port.

Historia shakily rubbed her temple, saying "Are they responding to us?"

"Yeah... but we can't understand them."

"Sounded... Turkish." the British officer mumbled.

Historia said "Do any of your soldiers speak it? That way we can direct them to shore properly."

"So... we're just going to let them land?" Connor asked.

"Well, we're not going to sink a civilian ship!"

Hanji said, "General, there are risks, of course, but we may gain some knowledge of what's happening in other nations, and maybe it will look good that we didn't sink their ship."

Connor's grimace deepened as he said "I understand, but the possibility that this ship could be full of potential titan shifters is one we can't ignore."

"Then we'll keep them at the beach until we're sure they aren't titans!" Historia suggested.

The British officer said "Sure, but what will happen if they send more ships filled with civilians? A lot more?"

Historia fell silent.

Connor turned to the computer, saying "In our Second World War, the Germans sent refugees towards the Allied Armies... the allies mostly ignored civilians, but it slowed them down... I think they're trying to test the waters if they can do something similar... or worse... regardless, our decision now will have consequences going forward."

Historia stared ahead.

Finally, she said "I didn't deny my father to take an easy way out... we are not sinking that ship. General, do any of your soldiers speak the language?"

Connor only said, "I'm looking into it..."

It was Ilse Langnar who said, "Actually, general, there is one soldier learning Turkish specifically."

…

Dave Emin shakily held on to the Blackhawk as it flew out to sea, trailed by a pair of AH-64 Apache gunships.

Learn Turkish to speak to Grandma is a GREAT idea, son! It'll help you get closer to your cultural roots, son!

He couldn't get too angry, though.

If him knowing enough turkish to hold a conversation would help more effectively communicate with refugees, then, hey, why not?

As the Blackhawk approached the steamer, it slowly began to descend.

Obviously, it couldn't land on the ship, so he and the others would have to jump onto the ship.

The Blackhawk's lights illuminated the deck, several people on board, looking up in obvious fear.

"Hold on... now! Go!" the lieutenant shouted, Dave, hopping off, clutching his M4 as he literally hit the deck.

The Americans quickly lowered their rifles as the frightened civilians raised their hands.

None were armed.

"Clear!"

"Emin, you're up!" the lieutenant yelled.

Turning to a younger man, Dave said "Birleşik Devletler Ordusu, yardım etmek için buradayız. Geminin kaptanı nerede?"

The civilians, men, women, and children huddled together on the deck, appeared shocked for a moment.

One young man quickly gained his compsure and just as quickly pointed down ahead, leading the Americans, saying something.

He was quick to lead them to the captain, and Dave stepped up, but the young man was rapidly explaining things to the old captain.

The man turned to Dave, quickly asking "Ne yapmalıyım?"

"He's asking what he has to do."

Before he could reply to the old captain, the lieutenant said "Tell him why we're here and then ask them if they have any weapons on board."

Dave sucked in a breath, saying "Um...Sizi kıyıya çıkaracağız, sonra gemiyi yanaştıracaksınız ve herhangi bir yaralanma veya hastalık olup olmadığını kontrol edeceğiz. Err... Silahlı kimse var mı?"

The captain shook his head, saying "Silahlar yok. Çocuklar, on hasta. Güvertenin altında."

Dave said "No weapons. Ten kids, sick down below."

The Lieutenant mumbled something.

The captain said "Bizi zorladılar!"

"Huh?"

"Bizi zorladılar! Bizi zorladılar!"

"What's he saying?"

"He says... he says they were forced... Uh... Dünya Birliği?"

The old man nodded.

"The World Union forced them to do this, it seems."

"So... this is a test then."

"If it's a test then how do they plan on finding the results?" Dave mumbled.

…

Pieck Finger was cold.

Being tied to a ship and trailing it for several meters tended to do that, but what choice did they have?

It's not like she could freeze to death, after all.

The ocean was cold, but she could handle it.

She cautiously observed the American flying machines hover and trail the ship as it got closer to shore, the lights of the island's garrison now visible in the blackness only the ocean could conjure up.

At that point, she cut the rope and began playing her favorite game: the waiting game.

The ship got dangerously close to shore, but it wasn't sunk.

Using binoculars that barely functioned, she could see the ship got to the docks.

It wasn't sunk.

She didn't hear any gunfire or see any muzzle flashes as the Paradis force killed the civilians.

She didn't see the civilians disembark, either, but she doubted they were dead.

So, she waited.

And waited a little more.

She saw more men get to the port.

She saw some from the "scouts" in their green capes, she saw some of the "other" men in their strange uniforms that were similar to Marley's but also quite different.

As the first rays of the sun began to emerge, she saw what she needed to see.

The civilians were allowed to leave the ship.

That was all that was necessary.

She didn't have to press the knife hard to get a cut, nor did she have to worry about sharks as she quickly transformed into her titan and dove deep under the waves, quickly swimming back to the World Union Fleet.

A part of her did pause.

She could accidentally be seen by one of the helicopters.

She could coincidentally eject from her titan, totally on accident of course.

She could inadvertently get herself caught by these men from another world.

Pieck obviously couldn't.

But the thought did cross her mind

…

Hobbes sat atop the Leopard 2, watching as the refugee camp was assembled, the German battalion, a fair distance away in case one or several turned out to secretly be human weapons. The sun now high in the sky made it ideal weather for the titans to run at full energy, and if that was the plan, then the tanks needed to be at a fair distance, ready to fire everything they had.

Hobbes thought about the 120 millimeter Sabot already loaded on the tank, ready to be fired on the civilians.

He shuddered.

One hundred civilians.

All Eldians.

All from the "Middle East Alliance".

All victims of an oppressive regime.

All, technically, also a threat to the people helping them.

His captain sighed.

"We screwed up."

"Captain?"

"Remember a few years ago? The migrant crisis?"

Who could forget?

"Remember those early days? Our systems got swamped, bad people mixing with good people, vandals, and... like it or not, a few terrorists..."

Hobbes frowned.

His captain, while by no means old, was raised by people who were once Eastern Germans. Even now, almost 20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall, almost 20 years after German reunification, there was still a small cultural difference between those that lived in the west and those in the east.

"You think they should have sunk the ship?" he asked.

The older man sighed, saying "Nah... maybe force them to turn around, but... even that would have been a mistake. We'd have exposed ourselves eventually."

"Captain?"

"We just gave the enemy a weakness."

Hobbes winced, glancing at the older man.

"They'll either send more... or... and this worries me far more, Hobbes... they'll begin using civilians and non-combatants to their advantage."

Hobbes felt a chill go up to his spine at the amount of dread the Bundeswehr captain spoke with.

"They teach you about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944?" he asked.

Hobbes only said "Yes, captain..."

The man only said "Of course they did... as they should, of course, but... I worry we may see something similar here."

Hobbes looked past the sickly-looking civilians on the beach and towards the ocean.

A worried look in his eyes, he could only pray it didn't come to that.

…

Calvi didn't smile or celebrate as Osman happily said "See? Do you see? They won't kill Eldian civilians! Devils cannot harm other devils!"

Several men, even some of his own, cheered along.

Never mind that the confirmation had come from one of these "devils".

Never mind that one of these "devils" was actively working to destroy other "devils".

Never mind all of that.

Calvi couldn't actually say anything, neither could any of the other generals or officers because, in the end, they had finally found some degree of victory, a small bit of potential that could even the playing field with these men from another world.

Osman turned and said "So, Mister Tybur? What do you think of the strategy now?"

Willy smiled, tired.

"Well, sir, I think you have proven that it can work. It is also an excellent way for the descendants of those devils to pay for their past sins, is it not?"

"Indeed! Indeed, it is mister Tybur!"

Willy said, "Then I shall consult with the other heads of state myself."

He took a breath, his insides lurching in self-loathing as he tried to appear composed as he said what he had to.

"Every nation will provide Eldian civilians who will be onboard our warships. They will be a gracious shield to our men who are bravely fighting to stop the threat of another Eldian Empire! Man, woman, child... we must all do our part, and so will the Eldians!"

Calvi only watched as the other men clapped and cheered at the words.

He glanced out the window.

The blue sky stared back at him with indifference.

He found comfort in the fact that his own officers in the room did not cheer at such a proposal.

But it did little to ease the dread he felt at the prospect of pushing forward.

The stage was set.

Whatever story both worlds had set to create was coming to a head and like it or not, it had to end somewhere. The Eldian Empire had been the end of the story created by a once powerful Ancient Marleyan Empire, and the end of the Eldian Empire was the beginning of the story of a modern world with nations free of the devils that once ruled it.

And now...

So... this is the fate of those who defeated the devils? Resorting to just as heinous a tactic?

He smiled.

Ah, of course... Such is life in this world.

---

A/N: So I had decided to wait just a BIT because it was announced that the final Attack on Titan volume would have some extra pages that added to the story and as many of you mentioned, "hey, maybe it will answer some other questions" and then there were the interviews with Izayama and...

...anyway, let's ignore all that because they only raised MORE questions...

*sigh*

ANYWAY, the Tyburs!

I can't be the only one who thought they should have gotten more than what we got.

I'm glad the anime at least gave us a little more than the manga, and I get that in the grand scheme of things they weren't that important (not sure their positioned mattered all that much when faced with the Rumbling), but hey, it gives me more room to play with, and here I'm trying to show that they're also haunted by a degree of guilt about their ancestor's actions. It's an... odd dichotomy, because people who hate their own race are usually depicted as crazy or brainwashed, but the Tyburs are some of the only characters to look at this hatred with some degree of logic. Awful logic, but logic nonetheless.

I think one thing Attack on Titan did manage to capture a lot more than stories like it is the whole tragedy of humanity, Tyburs included, where everyone more or less wants some kind of noble goal deep down, but are set in their ways so other options are sometimes ignored without listening to what is being suggested. It's easy to forget that many of history's greatest monsters were people same as anyone, and while that can lead to bit of a rabbit hole of an argument, I do appreciate it that Attack on Titan, even in the end, didn't just turn into a typical anvilicious message about "X is bad" or "Y is good"... Of course that also depends on your interpretation of Attack on Titan's ending and... let's just avoid THAT stretch of No Man's Land for a while, okay?

The point is that I don't want this to just be a simple "dark vs light" situation because, let's be honest, we humans are a bit more complex than that. How well I do in that department is, of course, up to you.

Oh, and Isayama more or less confirmed that the setting for the series was inspired by a novel about the Russo-Japanese war, which DEFINITELY helped me establish the tech level and international mindset a little more, which was pretty cool, actually.

Anywho, on to the Reviewer response!

Guest- Seeing Pieck in action.

I think I mentioned this a while back, but I do want to include as many characters in this fic as possible. It's just kind of difficult to include the titans in much of a practical way as all you need is one or two aerial strikes from beyond visible range to take each and every one of them out. But trust me when I say that all the stops are going to be pulled.

Guest- CRAMs?

I mean, maybe in some areas. C-RAMs are used in very particular circumstances, and the issue with employing them against a mass artillery attack will be that the CRAM will run out of ammo before the barrage subsided. I'd argue a more proactive approach would be preferable, where you take out the artillery pieces before they deploy.

Guest- Nuke 'em?

I really don't think it would be realistic, even if it would be a valid option to some degree. Plus, if we went with it, the nukes would probably serve to have the World Union antagonize our side more. This isn't a single nation our side is fighting against, it's an entire planet! If a foreign power nuked New York and then demanded we surrender we'd correctly say "We have a hundred more cities, come and get it" and we in the US aren't anywhere near as fanatical as the Attack on Titan population or even our early 1900s counterparts. Yeah, as a final "hey, we can also do THIS" moment it might work, dropping a warhead in the middle of a desert, but honestly, it may not be necessary... or maybe it will be... who knows?

As is, I don't see it being necessary... at the moment.

Guest- Show them porn!

No.

Guest- Update schedule?

As I said, I no longer have a clear schedule for Freedom's Ring. I have tried to keep it to once a month, but that's been a bit... challenging... granted, I've been writing The Fight we Chose at the same time, and that fic has a completely different atmosphere and scenario compared to this one, and I'd be lying if that didn't throw me off at times.

Now that The Fight we Chose is coming to an end, I hope to have more time to work on Freedom's Ring, though, but I can't promise any consistent upload schedule. I do intend to finish this fic, and I do have an ending planned out... it's getting there that's probably going to be the challenging part. But mama didn't raise no quitter!

Once again, thank you all so much for reading! Reviews and suggestions are greatly appreciated, and any advice on bettering the writing or places you think I can improve would also be a great help as this is helping me improve my writing.

Thanks once again for reading, and hopefully I can upload the next chapter soon!