Armin arrives in paths, and sees Bertholdt standing above him, his eyes obscured. Armin stands, and life comes to Bertholdt's eyes.
"Hello, Armin." He says
"Bertholdt, am I dead?" Armin says trying to catch his breath.
"Can't say," Bert says, a comforting smile across his face.
"Where... am I? How are you here?" Armin stands up.
"The path where all points converge. Where life and death are meaningless."
Armin has an epiphany "That's how we get previous holder's memories! You're all still here, in limbo." His face begins to turn grim with this realization.
"Yes. You should rest, I've been watching everything since you ate me, you've suffered enough. The view we share grants us perspective but carries too heavy a burden."
"I refuse to stay here!" Armin shouts, Bertholdt's warm smile turns to bewilderment
"Why?"
"I took your life, your power, your memories, and condemned you to eternity here. It can't all be for nothing."
"Good answer," His smile returns. "There's someone else like you here, but he lacks your determination. You'll have to convince him."
Armin falls down and becomes encased in a pillar of light. He's flooded with The Founder's memories, tears begin to rush out of him uncontrollably as he experiences 2000 years of sorrow in an instant, and then his mind shifts to Mikasa, then Jean, Connie, Eren, and finally Annie. As these flashes race through him, he clutches his chest. What a strange feeling, for a time like this.
He falls forward, his hands landing in sand. He looks up and sees Zeke Yeager, building a titan body out of the sand, his back to Armin.
"Hello, friend of Eren, so Ymir ate you too," he says solemnly.
"Mr. Zeke," Armin notices the body Zeke is constructing is Pieck's Cart. "You're the one enabling us to fight back?"
"No, Eren is. I'm merely acting out his will." He says, resignation thick in his tone. Armin walks up to Zeke, kneeling in front of him. "Do you know why life began? Why it persists? It is our evolutionary nature to procreate, to multiply as everything else in nature does. That's why we exist, to continue existing. Even your fight now has no higher purpose. Do you even know why you struggle?" Zeke's eyes bore into Armin.
"Why? To stop this tragedy! To save innocent lives!" Armin says, flabbergasted by Zeke's argument.
"Why? Death is inevitable, you're just delaying it. For what? For the sake of multiplication? Is the survival of our species that important? it's a cruel farce, our existence is meaningless. The rumbling wasn't my intent, but it gets the job done all the same. This resistance you're putting up, is the end result of lifeforms controlled by fear, being manipulated into continuing a meaningless existence."
"My friends are still fighting out there, fighting fear! I can't let them die!" We see Reiner on the ground with Warhammer blows across his body, the titan formerly belonging to Lara Tyber holding a scythe over him. Jean and Pieck barely dodging bites from Porco and Marcel's Jaw Titans. Annie being punted by Bertholdt's Colossal.
"What's wrong with losing that fight? To live means to one day die. Who knows, maybe the end of your days being manipulated for the sake of multiplication, without knowing if it has any meaning, feels like freedom. It could be said that this realm is the ultimate manifestation of that fear. "
Suddenly Armin remembers how he felt in The Founder's memories. "You're wrong," Armin whispers. "She feels attached to this world she left behind. The Founder built this place because her time in our world held meaning!"
"The Founder built this place because she was afraid to die. Titans exist because the Founder wanted an undying body. Did you ever wonder why they regenerate as they do? On some level everything wants to live, everything is afraid to die. Fear started this whole tragedy, fear, and hate. You may think your actions are noble but they're just as primitive and base as Marley's hate."
A leaf appears in the sand that Armin picks up. "The sun had begun to set, we were running to the tree atop a hill. Eren far in front, Mikasa watching his back, and me barely keeping up. At that moment, I thought, this is why I was born. I felt that was walking through the market, feeding a squirrel, and reading a book on a rainy day. You're mistaken, searching for any one meaning was shortsighted. Isn't there something you enjoyed in this life?"
The flower changes into a baseball in Zeke's eyes. "Yes, that repetitious motion of throwing, catching, and throwing again. It's completely irrelevant to multiplication but, to me, it's invaluable." Was I so shortsighted that I never acknowledged the good in this world? So determined to see suffering that I looked away? This world is cruel, and yet... It can be beautiful. Zekes eyes are obscured as tears roll down his cheeks.Thank you, Mr. Ksaver. Zeke stands. "I'll help you defeat Eren!" He says with conviction.
He turns and lets out a roar. Stars begin to fall before Zeke and Armin. Figures begin emerging from the light. Grisha Yeager, Porco and Marcel Galliard, Tom Ksaver, and Karl Fritz, Bertholdt appears behind Armin too. But as more begin to fall, dozens of figures emerge. The former kings of Paradis. Uri and Frieda Reiss lead the pack.
"My scream was a war cry for those trapped in this realm who wish to stop Eren. I've learned a great deal during my time here. All of Paradis' kings were waiting for this moment." Zeke says.
"You mean?" Armin says.
"Yes, the true reason that Karl Fritz fled to the Island was to stop a future he knew was inevitable. But, I believe he saw this too, that he knew the world would be crushed and forced to unite to stop Eren." He turns toward Armin. "I heard you and the captain speaking earlier. Your deduction was partially correct. Killing me will temporarily halt the rumbling. Use that reprieve to kill Eren. Otherwise, he'll reconnect with Ymir, and it'll all have been for nothing."
"Ymir..." Armin says, deep in thought.
"Mr. Ksaver," Zeke says, now facing his two fathers. "I still believe the euthanization plan was justified. But, if it meant playing catch with you again, maybe I wouldn't mind being born once more." He turns to Grisha. "I guess I should thank you for that, right dad?"
Armin looks beyond the crowd and sees a figure standing in front of the pillar of light. Armin begins to walk towards it. Passing through the crowd as they part to form a path. As he gets closer he realizes it's the Founder Ymir. Of course, she wouldn't let us leave easily. We can't fight her here, but we can't stay either. Those who can't give up everything won't be able to change anything.What do I have to give up? The toll keeps growing higher. He thinks back to everyone who's sacrificed to get them here: Reiner and Bertholdt, Annie, Pixis, Magath, Erwin and Hange, Floch, Eren. Suddenly Armin has a realization. Fiery water, lands of ice, sandy snowfields. Whoever sees them, would be the freest person in the world.
He kneels before the Founder and holds his hand out. "If you let us go stop Eren, I'll take your place here. Forever. You can get a second chance." He says with a sad smile.
Zeke looks over in shock. "You would sacrifice your freedom for a world that will curse and destroy you if you save them?"
"The world I saw in my parent's book wasn't what I expected it to be. The scenes in there would be tainted if I had to step over innocent bodies to see them. Besides, as a scout, I dedicated my heart to the resurrection of all of humanity. Nothing would make me prouder, than sacrificing everything for such a noble cause."
"I see," Zeke says, not quite convinced of Armin's point. Ymir generates an apple, handing it to Armin.
"Zeke, you know what to do." Zeke nods and Armin bites the apple.
Back in the real world, everyone but Levi, Falco, Connie, Gabi, and Mikasa are pinned down. They soar above the clouds and look at the carnage below. But things start to change, suddenly Titans begin materializing. The titans from the Paths realm, former founders, and friends long dead begin to help fight. As a former Beast Titan is about to eat Annie, Bertholdt's Colossal Titan flies forward, grabbing the alligator-shaped titan and crushing it. Annie looks into the Colossal's eye. "Bertholdt?" She says, knowing it's her dead comrade in there.
Marcel and Porco's Jaw Titans rush in, biting the Warhammer Titan attacking Reiner's arm off, as they fight it off, Reiner rolls his titan onto its back, shocked at the scene in front of him. "Why are the titans helping us?" He asks.
Sensing a shift in the battle, Levi realizes this is their chance to save Armin. "Falco! Direct us towards the titan that grabbed Armin, I'm going to get our commander back." Levi orders.
"Got it!" Falco responds and begins flying towards the Okapi titan, but from just out of earshot, they hear someone yell. Levi's eyes go wide in shock at the sight before him.
"Hey, Levi!" They turn and see Zeke waving at them. His form grown out of Eren's Founder's spine. "You wanted me, right? I can't say I was looking forward to this day but I'm all yours!"
"Captain! What do we do?" Connie yells. As Levi looks around, he comes to a devastating conclusion. The path to Armin can only be navigated by him. Mikasa only has her blades, they wouldn't be enough to fly through the legion of titans between them and Armin. Give up on your dream and die. I'll kill the Beast Titan. Erwin, I don't think that I can fulfill my promise to you.
"Connie... You go for Zeke, I need to save Armin." He says solemnly. Connie goes for Zeke, and Levi turns and latches his ODM gear to one of the Founder's protruding bones. As he dodges and weaves through a tunnel of titan attacks, the Okapi titan comes into view. Erwin, I didn't fulfill your final order, and I have no regrets. I trust in my comrades to see it through! He throws his thunder spear at the Okapi titan's jaw blowing its mouth open, some of the shrapnel from the thunder spear stabs Levi's stomach. As Armin falls out of the titan's mouth, Levi catches him. They hang from a titan's bone, waiting for Falco.
What a beautiful day. I could've been seeing this all along. He looks down slightly seeing the chaos below the sky. I can't understand it, but... At least, I can be free of this beautifully cruel world. Connie rushes forward, cutting Zeke's head off. "Mom." He says both crying and smiling. The march of Colossal footsteps cease, the Rumbling has stopped,
Falco sweeps up Armin and Levi, "Armin! Wake up!" Armin coughs up titan spit and sits up, he looks around, dazed. "You need to go!" Levi yells. Armin, who's finished collecting himself jumps down into Ksaver's Beast Titan's hands. Ksaver and Bertholdt begin to help Armin towards Erens's nape.
As Connie jumps on Falco, a bolt from a Warhammer Titan's crossbow pierces Falco's wing. Falco twists his body, maneuvering himself to crash in Fort Slava. Mueller's shot was let out in order to calm both sides, now Marleyans and Eldians stand at peace in this fort. Falco and Gabi run to their parents, meanwhile, Levi, who's ignoring severe injuries, walks to the edge of the cliff, collapsing to a seated position against a rock. I have to see it for them.
Annie, Jean, Connie, Pieck, Reiner, and Armin remain in the fight. Jean and Pieck use the opportunity presented by the new titans to detonate the explosives on Eren's neck. Pieck rushes towards them with Jean on her back. Pieck launches Jean at the explosives as 3 Warhammer Titan spears stab her back and nape. Jean looks back but can't tell if Pieck is dead, he resolves to keep moving forward. He darts forward with his ODM gear, reaching the explosives. Jean grabs the detonator. "You damn suicidal blockhead!" He screams with tears in his eyes as he presses the button. Eren's nape is now fully exposed and the source of all titans springs from it. As the hallucigenia attacks Jean, Reiner grabs it and forces it to the ground. Jean begins to fall, but Annie catches him. Jean notices that next to him is the injured body of Pieck. He lets out a sigh of relief. Annie begins running to the cliff where the rest of the alliance is.
"Thank you all for your sacrifices," Armin says, standing in Ksaver's hands as Bertholdt holds them both, Karl Fritz and Grisha standing beside Ksaver in Bertholdt's palms. Armin jumps down. "In the end, we couldn't understand each other," Armin says, tearing up. "Goodbye, Eren." Armin transforms, detonating directly on Eren's nape.