A/N: Edited the PAI/Textbook Excerpt from Chapter 53 (Previous chapter)

Super Comrade: Just one of Eldia's many victories to come! Sieg Eldia!

Music:

1. Kamado Tanjiro No Uta (Rengoku's Last Smile)

Return to Shiganshima Part V (Arc Finale): Hero

For the first time in her life, Pieck felt an emotion that she'd never forget.

She felt fear.

Not the back-of-his-mind lingering fear of being found out by the PSA, not the childish fear of getting in trouble, but terrifying fear for one's life.

"I got you…Cart Titan!" The girl in front of her gave her a wolfish and sadistic grin.

The Devils of Paradis…they'd never really seemed real to her. Even as she went to retrieve Reiner and Bertholdt, even as she went to get Annie, the myths and tales Reiner, Annie, Bertholdt, and Evangelica brought had never really seemed true to her, some part of her dismissed their warnings as paranoia. They'd dealt with Anti-Titan weapons before, how was this any different?

But now, as one of their blades was shoved against her throat, he understood why they were so scared. This girl was looking down on her with a predatory grin that reminded her of a wolf that had just cornered it's prey. No one, no one had ever beaten her in her Titan form. Not the Free Francian rebels in the South, not the Britannian skirmishers.

Pieck breathed heavily, "What….are you people?" She whispered,

The girl didn't respond, picking her up by the scruff of the neck she dragged the now limbless Pieck. Where another man, remarkably short, but covered in the blood of the Beast Titan was dragging Zeke in a similar manner.

"I got the Cart Titan, Hauptmann Levi." The girl ragdolled Pieck over to 'Levi'.

"Good. We have a Titan injection. We can feed one of these sorry bastards to anyone who might be alive. Then their powers will belong to the Kaiserreich."

Pieck paled, they were going to feed one of them to their comrades?

Zeke looked up at Levi, then at Pieck.

Levi's head suddenly popped up, "Move!" Levi tackled the raven-haired girl.

Pieck was confused, then a giant pair of jaws grabbed Zeke and Pieck between their teeth.

"Annie!" Never in her life was she so glad to see the girl.

"After them!" Levi shouted, and Mina followed behind quickly.

"They were right Levi!" Zeke spat blood, "You are dangerous, you all are!"

Floch groaned, and sat up. "I'm…alive? But how?" He wondered, he looked around, "Anybody?" He called out. "Someone…is anyone else out there?!" He yelled, and suddenly, he heard a faint groaning.

He turned around, and approached it's source, and gasped. "Commander Erwin…you're alive!"

He quickly picked up the commander, and headed for the main Shiganshina city.

"Armin…" Eren said to himself, "I should've known…damn it I should've known you were lying!"

"Hey…" A young Eren asked Armin, "Are you fine with losing forever?"

"You're wrong." The younger Armin replied. "I don't lose…because I don't run."

"Armin….you were always a hero…more of a hero than all of us." Eren fell to his knees, "But you knew…I had no other choice…but to rely on you." Tears fell down his cheeks, "Why…don't you ever run away?"

Suddenly, he heard a loud thud.

"A Titan?!" Eren said in surprise, sure enough, out of the dust the Female Titan got up and began running for Eren.

"No!" He shrieked. "Make a move for him, and he's dead!" Eren placed the blade to Bertholdt's unconscious throat.

He looked at the Female Titan's mouth, and saw Zeke and Pieck.

Zeke sighed, "Eren…you look nothing like your father."

Eren gasped, "You…know my father?" Eren asked, relaxing briefly, but still keeping the blade close.

"We're both victims of him." Zeke answered, "I know what you're going through. And believe me…I'll be back to save you!" Zeke turned to Annie, suddenly, something caught the corner of the girls eye, and Eren followed it. Two figures were covered in steaming titan blood.

Mina and Levi.

Mina seemingly slipped off the wall, but it was a precise movement. She limply hooked into a nearby rooftop and landed on her knee and one of her hands.

"Oh come on! Can't we just call it quits?!" Zeke said in frustration, he turned to Annie. "It seems Bertholdt is a lost cause. I'm sorry, but this is it, Hoover." He motioned for the Female Titan to move, and reluctantly, Annie turned away and ran.

"Shit!" Mina came over to him. "Eren! Divide your gas among me and Levi, quickly!"

"R-right!" Eren nodded

Suddenly, they heard a cough coming from behind Eren.

"No way…" Mina moved over to Armin, placing a hand on his chest. "He's alive."

"Hey, I found this on Reiner." Jean handed it to Reiner.

"What is it?" Hanji asked, taking the small metal box in his hands.

"Dunno. Ask him." Jean shrugged,

"Reiner," Hanji approached him, "What's this box?"

"It's…a picture." Reiner told her, he was completely limbless, and he was blindfolded as well.

"I see, anything else you're willing to tell us?"

"No."

"I see." Hanji said, "It's good to see you're ready for this." She drew his blade, and placed it against his neck-

And that's when Evangelica came crashing through a nearby window. She instantly barreled into Mikasa, pushing her aside. Using a spike, she launched Reiner in the air, and caught him before jetting up onto a nearby roof with Reiner on his shoulder.

Only to come face to face with the last person she wanted to.

"Ambros…Lange…" Of course he survived, he was a survivor, a man of the wilderness. Of all the shit they pulled…

"Evangelica." Ambros approached her, "Please…don't do this."

She shook her head, "I already told you…it was a dream. It was all we had."

"Then nothing I felt for you was real? Every beautiful moment was a lie? Nothing that you felt was real?"

Evangelica opened her mouth, the corners of her eyes welling up with tears. She wanted to say yes, had to. But for some reason…she couldn't.

"I thought so." Ambros said, "Please…stay with me."

"I love you Ambros." Evangelica said, tears streaming down her cheek. Approaching him, she strapped Reiner on her back, "I love you…so much." She leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

"Then stay." He whispered to her,

"I can't…you'll understand why…once you leave this place." She motioned to beyond the walls. "Because of who I am out there. I can't be with you." She shook his head. "I'm sorry, I will always love you."

She turned away, her white hair flowing outward. And latched onto Annie's shoulder and landed on it. Giving one last backward glance, Evangelica gave Ambros a tearful smile and shouted-

"Don't blame yourself! One day…I promise, we'll be together again!" She shouted, "I'm so happy I met you, Ambros Lange!"

Ambros collapsed, and howled, "Evangelica!"

Mina tch'ed, landing beside the tearful Ambros. "She's the enemy." Was all she said before she returned to her pursuit.

'I know that…' Ambros said, '...but at the same time…I can't help but love her.' He admitted, Hanji looked down on him. She wasn't sure what to think, when it came down to it, Ambros had come through for them. But if such a moment came again…it was too much to think about right now.

Hanji looked over to where Eren and Levi were, "There may be hope yet."

Alto landed near Eren and he turned to him, "Your blood! You can heal Armin!"

Alto gasped, Armin was alive, but taking raspy unsteady breaths. He immediately kneeled over him, and created a small gash in his arm with a knife before opening his mouth slightly, allowing the thick droplets of blood to fall on his teeth and open mouth, before long, Armin's body began to steam with regeneration.

"Captain Levi!" Floch came up to him, "Please…help me! It's the Generalleutanant! His organs are ruined…

Alto came up to him, "Open his mouth." He ordered, and Floch complied. Scraping off the dried blood from the wound, he let the blood drop into Erwins mouth, and Erwin's body began to heal as well.

Eren hugged Armin's healing body, as Levi stood in shock over Erwins.

Alto breathed, 'Thank god…' He thought to himself.

"We still need to decide who gets Bertholdt." Hanji said to them,

"Give it to Erwin." Mina said, drawing her blades.

"Where are you going?" Levi asked,

"The Warriors still haven't left the city." Mina said, her eyes filled with cold rage. "They won't get the chance."

"Hold on- you're low on gas-" Alto protested, but Mina shot him a cold look.

"I know…but I have to try!" Mina shot off, and Alto followed her without hesitation.

Annie continued running through the city, but suddenly, a Scout came and ambushed her from in front. She moved to swat the sucidal scout.

1. Mina immediately rolled over, "They're getting away!" She tch'ed, ejecting her dulled blades, she got new ones, and loaded her last Thunder Spear.

She hooked on to Annie and tried to fire for her knee pit, but suddenly, Annie quickly lept to the side, causing her ODM hook to come loose and her to fall to the ground before pouncing upon the wall and began climbing.

Inhaling, she raised her arm, the Female Titan was moving further and further away.

As the Female Titan reached the top of the wall. She exhaled, and hurled her ODM blade.

Pieck briefly turned to look back, and without warning she suddenly ran through the chest with a flying ODM blade.

"Gurlak!" She gurgled, spitting up blood. 'How?!' She wondered.

"Pieck!" Zeke shouted, as she coughed up blood.

1- "Don't you dare run away, you coward!" She heard Mina howl, as they retreated back down the wall, Pieck looked up, and saw Mina yelling at them. "We're not done yet, I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET! Don't you forget the Scout Regiment has always been fighting you while you have the advantage! We might not be able to regenerate as fast, and when we lose a limb it's gone for good! You don't have the RIGHT to run away! You're all cowards! We'll make you pay, one thousand times over! We won't stop fighting! We won't let you win! Marley will burn and we'll hunt you down, across the sea and even beyond it and we will slaughter you like the animals you are! We'll make you feel every inch of pain you've caused us for the past one hundred years! My name is Mina Karolina! And DON'T YOU FORGET IT!" 1x

Mina collapsed to her knees, crying. "Don't run…you don't have the right…" She sobbed as the Female Titan.

Alto came up behind her, and wrapped her in a hug. She felt as if she was in as many pieces as there were dead bodies.

She felt empty.

Behind them, he heard the roar of a Titan. Mina turned back,

"Help me!" They heard Bertholdt scream, "Please, guys!" When none of the Scouts responded, he desperately cried out for his fellow Warriors, "Pieck! Reiner! Evangelica! Annie! Somebody help-"

Evangelica could only wince as Bertholdt's fading screams were cut off suddenly.

"A tragedy…he was one of the best." Zeke said sadly,

Evangelica let a small tear escape her eyes. Bertholdt was more than just a good Warrior,he was the first person to be nice to her

Evangelica cried over her food behind a pillar. Yet again, she was eating alone. Her fellow Eldian candidates distanced themselves from her.

"E-excuse me…" A tall lanky boy came up to him, "C-can I sit down?"

Evangelica wiped her tears, "No. This is for Tyburs only." Trying to mimic her fathers regal and commanding tone.

He looked around, "Oh…" His face fell, "A-alright…"

Evangelica buried her head in her hands.

"Y-you know…" Bertholdt turned around, "You don't have to be alone…even if other people tell you to be."

Evangelica looked up, "I changed my mind." She looked away, "You can sit."

Bertholdt's face lit up as he happily sat down to eat with the girl.

Evangelica looked forward, they were going back, and two of their number was permanently laid to rest on this island.

Erwin emerged from the nape of the Titan as Armin slowly came to consciousness.

"What…happened?" Erwin asked, "The last thing I remember is…" Erwin looked at Levi, "Did we win?"

Levi nodded, "The Marleyans retreated from Shiganshina a few minutes ago. We're about to head to Dr. Jäger's basement."

"I see.." Erwin nodded, "You gave me…a titan?"

"Bertholdt Hoover, the Colossal Titan." Levi told him.

Erwin removed himself from the fallen titan.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Erwin smiled, "Lets go."

After kicking down the door, Erwin, Levi, and the others entered the basement.

And found…seemingly nothing.

"It looks like a normal doctors workshop." Levi noted,

"Hold on…are you saying there's nothing here?" Ymir asked incredulously.

"No." Alto stepped forward, "If he was hiding something, he wouldn't want to make it apparent, especially if it was from the Interior Police."

He approached a drawer, and looked down on it. "Here." He pointed, "It matches Eren's key."

Eren approached it, and sure enough, when he tried to fit it, it gave a satisfying click, allowing Eren to turn it and open the drawer.

Only to reveal nothing inside.

"False bottom." Alto said instantly and almost without looking. "Try lifting the board."

Levi did as he suggested, revealing three books. One simply said: Grisha Jäger, the second read: A Chronicle of the Great Titan War, and the third appeared to be an atlas of some kind.

He picked up the first, and opened it. And gasped,

"Woah…" Hanji gasped, "It seems like a painting, but its so realistic!"

Hanji flipped it over, and read "'This is a photograph, it is created by focusing light on a specially made piece of paper.'"

Hanji almost snatched the book from his hands, eagerly flipping it.

As you may have suspected, I come from a place outside the walls where humanity lives in elegance. Humanity has not perished…

They read for a few minutes. The book detailed many things about the life of Eldians in Marley, how they lived in ghettos called 'Internment Zones' and how they were cannon fodder for the Marleyan Army. How they had different armbands for different roles, all signifying one thing, that the person was Eldian. It detailed how Eren's aunt - Fay - died. How Grisha joined a resistance known as the Restorationists, and was betrayed by Zeke Jäger, who was revealed to be Eren's half-brother, born to Grisha and Dina Fritz, a woman of royal blood.

How they were turned into Titans.

"This is just history." Levi said, scrolling across the book called 'A Chronicle of the Great Titan War' "Nothing necessary."

"No." Alto gently folded it, "It's told us one thing."

"What's that?" Mina asked,

"There will be no peace with Marley." Alto said, "Not while our people suffer like this."

The remaining Scouts traversed the wall, and mounted the remaining horses.

As they passed the Cart Titan's ruined armor, Alto paused.

"What are you doing?" Hanji asked,

"What you should be - I'm salvaging the Cart Titan's weapons."

"Oooh!" Hanji leapt off her horse eagerly, "You're right, I'm really looking forward to figuring out how the guns that go Bam-bam-bam-bam works!"

Alto chuckled mirthlessly, 'Too many people died…so we could be doing this.'

Suddenly, he heard someone gasp behind him. At first, he thought it was a scout. Then, he approached the source.

It was a Marleyan Soldier. Likely a part of the Cart Titan's crew.

Alto stood over him, he was unconscious, and not too gravely injured.

"What…will you do?" Mina asked, reaching for her blade, but Alto raised a hand, staying her blade.

"We need him alive." Alto said, "If he refuses to cooperate, then we kill him."

Mina looked apprehensive, but nodded.

"Hey!" Jean shouted, "Look here, Bowl Cut is alive!" Jean carried Marlowe on his shoulder, he'd been hit in the stomach with a bullet, but it appears it was just deep, not fatal.

"Give him to me." Alto took Marlowe, and gave him some blood, and he began to heal, the wound closed up instantly as the bullet was ejected from his body.

"How many of us…are left?" Ymir wondered.

"Lets see…Floch, you, me, Ambros, Hanji, Eren, Alto, Isabel, Levi, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Mikasa, Marlowe, Erwin…plus the three royal guards and two scouts left?" Petra noted, "Twenty."

Ymir looked down, "Twenty." She repeated numbly, "So we lost 1,980 soldiers?"

"And many more to come." Alto said grimly. "This…is going to be a horrible war."

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