Chapter 23 (Monkey King)
Flashback On Wall Maria Before The Scouts Arrive
Zeke was talking to his warriors while Reiner was drinking his coffee.
"I already told you... Annie is doing fine, I'm sure. There's no way she's getting tortured. For starters, don't you think that's unlikely? With powers like ours, one scratch and we can pretty much handle anything. And remember it's Annie we're talking about. I bet she's in hiding somewhere and practicing her kicks and what not." Zeke scratched his left eye.
"Still. there's no mistaking her identity was revealed." Reiner said and Bertholdt followed him "Even if it's Annie. Plus they have that... man... Saitama, he's extremely dangerous, he was able to go head to toe with Reiner's form. He was even able to climb all the way up on my Colossal titan form and asking me to come out! The hot steam didn't effect him at all!" Bertholdt replied scared and nervous toward Zeke.
Zeke gave them a blank expression and answer. "So what if that Saitama is abnormal... He will not prevent us from completing our mission. I guarantee you he will die by my hand if I don't brainwash him, or there is a chance to turn him into brainless titan."
Zeke resume and remind them "Focused now! We only have one goal. To recover the Coordinate and put an end to this cursed history. Let's... end this. I want to end all this, with us." Bertholdt moved his gaze at Zeke and reply calm.
"Understood. I'll try to keep Annie out of my head for now. There's no need to put anyone else through this hell but us. Let's... ...end this." Reiner shook his head to his comrade. "Bertholdt..."
They heared their titan scout's voice calling Zeke. "War Chief Zeke." All three of them run at the edge to hear what the titan will say.
"Enemy troops are approaching. They've reached the foot." Everyone had determined faces, before the battle starts Zeke encourage them.
"My brave warriors. It's time to settle this here and finish our mission once and for all!"
The dawn has arrived, Reiner kicked the cups of tea from the edge and shifted his gaze to bertholdt. "Let's go." "Yeah." Bertholdt said back.
"Bertholdt. I told you a bunch of times, but... You and I will be in separate positions. So try thinking on your own for once." "Ri-Right."
"You don't always have to wait for my signal." "Yeah, I know Reiner." Reiner resumed with a serious expression "You're supposed to be the one with the greatest ability of all. But that Saitama poped out of nowhere and denied that. He must die today!"
"That's right. We're gonna win and end this." Reiner smirked and walk back to Bertholdt. "Keep up that attitude till you're with your beloved Annie." "I-It's not like that..." Bertholdt blushed but Reiner didn't fall for his weak excuse.
"I bet even Annie would appreciate the one who rushes in to save her... ...and mistake him for her prince. Even if it's you. And... Christa..." Reiner place his right hand on his chest and continue determined.
"We'll save her no matter what. That's our promise to Ymir." "Yeah, no matter what."
Both of them turned their backs and Reiner placed his left arm on Bertholdt's shoulder. "See ya. I'm counting on you, buddy." Bertholdt did the same to Reiner.
"Leave it to me."
End of Flashback
Bertholdt thought to himself 'It's been a while since Reiner transformed... No signal yet? Reiner? Are you okay?'
Reiner's face was half ripped and hot steam were fading away. "We did it!" Jean shouted to his allies. "Reiner bit the dust!" Connie stated.
"Haha! Thanks to Eren, Genos and Terrible Tornado. Serves you right, scumbag!" Jean's cocky smile turned into anger and grabbed Connie and Sasha's chests cause they were crying.
"What the hell are you crying for?! C'mon, get up! This ain't over yet!" They kept crying sad "Don't cry! We killed him!"
Hanje shouted to them with frustrated expression planted on her face. "It's not over! Ready your equipment for the next round!"
"Huh..." Mikasa's gaze shifted right to see Sonic watching them from the distance. He was searching for Saitama but no trace of him.
"Armin... Look..." Mikasa pointed Sonic with her hand.
"Wh-Who is that Mikasa?!" She answer back with no hesitation "I met him few minutes ago... He comes from the other world like the heroes, but he has something familiar with us Armin..."
Armin took many glances to Sonic and ask Mikasa. "Wh-What you mean?!"
"His face is similar to Eren's and his voice is exactly the same... ...Didn't Captain Levi asked me something on the carriage about a power I felt?" Armin remembered and nodded his head nervously.
"I felt it again... with this man over there." Armin walk near Hanje to inform her about Sonic. He was ready to tell her but suddenly the Armored titan screamed as loud as he could.
'It can't be...' Erwin said inside his mind whilst Levi and Saitama watch the Beast titan grabbing one of the barrels that was on the Cart titan's back and throwed it all the way atop of Wall Maria.
'That's it, the signal!' Bertholdt told inside his mind furiously and determined.
"Saitama! Take down those fuckers!" "Okay, but after that is done I'll need to take my cape back to Genos so he can sew it up." Levi smacked his forehead and shout towards the Caped baldy.
"Just do what I say!" Saitama nodded with his blank expression and began running straight forward against the Beast titan while Bertholdt had to deal with Hanje, Moblit, Levi Squad, Tatsumaki and Genos.
The Beast titan saw Saitama running towards him from the distance. "You think... ...you can win? Saitama..." The Beast titan shifted his head next of him and ordered 5 large titans to attack Saitama.
"Go and kill that arrogant demon." They obeyed like dogs at their master, but unfortunately for Zeke Saitama punched their heads off their bodies.
They fall down one by one decapitated and hot steam floated away from their giant holes.
Zeke sweat a bit from the inside. 'How is that possible... ...he just punched them... Forget it he won't stop me!'
The Beast titan grabbed a huge rock and smash it into his palms, turning it to a lot of smaller stones and debris. He took a stance and prepared to fire against Saitama.
'Saitama is doing work alright. The plan can be a success! And not even a single soldier has died yet. Or maybe that's because it's only the heroes, me and Levi's squad. But it doesn't matter, as long the heroes aren't threated we can win this. The titans are no match for humanity anymore!'
Erwin screamed inside his mind whilst he were watching Saitama punching the living shit out of the incoming large titans.
'Good job, hero. I can sneak up from his left now, the ape's attention is on Saitama. We can take down this Beast idiot together!'
Levi exclaimed in his thoughts and start slaughtering titans from the right of Beast titan, who hadn't noticed him. Thanks to Saitama's diversion, Levi would be able to attack the monkey from a blind spot.
With Armin and Bertholdt
"Bertholdt! Stop right there!" Armin screamed at his enemy and grab his attention. 'Armin... What are you trying to accomplish?' Eren thought for his friend.
"Bertholdt! Let's talk this over!" Bertholdt took a deep breath and screamed. "If I agree to talk, would you all agree to die?! We only want two simple things! We want Eren and the demise of humanity in the Walls! That's the harsh truth of reality, Armin! It's all been decided already! Noone will stop us! Not you nor that fucker Saitama!"
Armin shout back to him and asked. "Wha-? Wh-Who decided any of that?" Bertholdt mumbled "I did." Armin didn't hear him and placed his hand on his ear. "What was that?"
"I decided it! Your lives are coming to an end right here!" Armin hissed after he heared those words, he already knew they could just let Tatsumaki and Genos kill Bertholdt but they didn't want to risk anything yet.
"That's very unfortunate! I was hoping... I wouldn't have to hear Annie's screams any longer!" Bertholdt got shocked and sweated when he heared about Annie. Armin continue his clever plan.
"The only one who can save her from the savages in the Military Police... ...is you, and no one else! At this rate, she'll end up as feed for the pigs!'
Bertholdt screamed back at Armin "Fine! By me!" He gave notification at Armin to follow him on a roof and he did so. Mikasa followed after him while the two heroes were watching with the others and Hanje.
"Hanje, what Armin planning to do?" Genos asked gently "I don't know yet but I don't want you involved yet, nor you Terrible Tornado.
"You won't give me orders!" Tatsumaki float closer to Armin, Mikasa and Bertholdt.
"Terrible Tornado! Wait!" Hanje's expression changed into a frustrated one.
"What's the rush, Armin? Aren't we going to talk?" Both of them took their swords out, they were going to fight like swordmen.
"Did you think that if you talked about Annie, I'd lose my cool? That since I'm the meek and timid Bertholdt, you could fool me by letting my gua-" Bertholdt saw completely shocked Tatsumaki having her arms crossed together and staring at him with a cocky expression.
"Now! Armin! Explain me who is that?! How is she able to float like that!?" Armin released some drops of sweat before he answer. "That's... one of the heroes..."
"One of the what?!" Bertholdt shouted back to Armin "That's right... heroes... they came from the sky! Just like Saitama, they came to stop you and Reiner for good! They possess powers you cannot possibly imagine Bertholdt!"
"Why didn't you freaks stayed to your own fucking world?! That brat is exactly like the Sonic guy we met 2 months ago!" Bertholdt stated to Armin angry.
Suddenly a green aura covered Bertholdt and twisted his spine. He flinched in pain and agony. Tatsumaki float close enough to Bertholdt's face to say.
"Unforgivable, me. A brat? I'm older than you!" Bertholdt opened his eyes with hatred towards Terrible Tornado.
"Tatsumaki wait!" Armin screamed at the ESper but the only thing he did was to make Bertholdt even more angry.
"I GOT... SICK OF... YOU ABNORMAL BASTARDS!" Bertholdt bite himself and lightning striked on him. "YOU TWO FALL BACK!" Genos shouted.
Mikasa retreat far enough to avoid fatal damage but Tatsumaki didn't saw that coming and got fatally injured, her head start bleeding and had several wounded areas around her body.
Armin got worst than Tornado, he broke both of his legs and hit his head hard on the roof, making him bleed from his nose and fall unconscious while Bertholdt transformed into the Colossal titan.
"Hanje!" Moblit was with them too, he pushed Hanje out of the way to save her.
"Tornado! Armin! I must help them!" Genos enabled acceleration and he was able to take a limited flight.
The cyborg used his palms for jet propulsion in the opposite direction where he wanted, Genos performed rapid maneuvers to avoid incoming boulders and came close enough to pick up Tornado and Armin on his back.
The place was like a nuclear bomb just exploded.
"I got them both!" Genos replied to Mikasa "TAKE THEM TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY! Dammit Terrible Tornado! She had do interfere?! Now she and Armin are in dire situation! Plus the Colossal titan is our new enemy now!"
Connie retorted to everyone and they fall back, to think a plan of how they will take the Colossal titan down.
Erwin saw Bertholdt's transformation too 'The Colossal titan... Saitama and Levi must deal fast with the Beast titan so they can assist the others.' The Commander told in his mind.
"Where's Hanje and Moblit?!" Jean asked nervously Genos who was carrying Tatsumaki and Armin. "They were so close to the transforming man..."
Jean shook his head in despair and said. "You don't think... ...the one ones who survived... ...are us here?" The Colossal titan began destroying everything in his path with no hesitation.
"Genos! What we do?! Wait for burning houses to flatten us?" Genos holded his chin and tried to think of a plan.
"While my Sensei is occupied I cannot think he have enough power to take down that titan. Tatsumaki could take it down easily but she's to the bring of death. She and Armin..."
"Armin!" Mikasa screamed and holded her injured friend. She shifted her gaze toward Genos with a frustrated expression on her face. "You're in command! We follow your orders! What we do in that situation?!"
Genos stare her in the eyes "We retreat... Both Tornado and Armin need medical aid. We rally at the Commander Erwin for new orders. We can't engage him without casualties. My Sensei is the only one that can handle him." The cyrbog replied but Jean said back.
"Hold up, Genos... It'll be a disaster if we let the Colossal titan near the Wall and the others. If the house in the inner gate catch fire, Levi and Saitama will be sandwiched between the fire and the Beast titan."
Genos showed disbelief and answer back "Nothing wrong will happen to my Sensei but about Captain Levi you're right. We have no choice but to defeat this Colossal titan right here. And we have to do it... with the people we have here."
Eren hissed inside his titan form, everyone else were watching Bertholdt going towards the Wall.
Erwin mumbled and shifted his head back. "What will you do? Beast titan... Is being hunted by an immortal is exactly what you wanted?"
The Beast titan fired the huge pieces of stones at Saitama, the hero dodged them easy and came closer to the Beast titan.
"You think... you're some kind of hero?!" The Beast titan tried again, it was a direct hit on Saitama.
The rocks made impact with him and created a massive cloud of dust. The ape said to himself "Hmm, I got him but the first pitch was a warm-up. I'm going for a perfect game!"
Saitama appeared out of the smoke running straight at him without hesitation, the only thing that was torn off was his yellow suit and small pieces of his cape, the Beast smiled.
"Good, I knew you wasn't only show off." He took a baseball player stance and throwed the rocks at Saitama again.
The hero collided with the massive debris, Zeke thinking he got Saitama this time cheered. "YES! GAME SET! Haha! You like that? I changed how I threw the pitch." He said at the titans next to him.
"Yeah, Nice play man." Someone said to the Beast titan with a calm voice. "Thank y-" The ape took a glance and saw Saitama on top of his shoulder.
"Oh... You are the only titan that can talk, you're familiar with the monsters from my world. Do you mind if I keep you a little busy?"
Zeke frozed, he hadn't seen anything like this man before, he was so calm and relaxed on his shoulder. Saitama gave him the look like he didn't care about anything in life.
"Nice Fur, by the way. Now can you explain me why you titans eat humans?" Saitama stood up and jumped down from Zeke's shoulder.
'He's exactly how Reiner and Bertholdt told me, he looks like a wimp but don't let his appearance fool you. His mind though is weak.' The Beast kneeled and faced Saitama.
"Exactly! You are not from this world, Saitama. You doesn't know that these people brainwashed you from the beginning you ended up here. We are the good side, we fighting for the good of the world an-" Saitama cut him off and reply.
"I don't see any good with killing and eating innocents for no reason. You can't take away someone's life like that, oh... And I'm guessing you're the Monkey King?" The hero asked with raised eyebrows.
"One day you will understand you are doing the wrong thing... ...if you escape from here alive of course! Kill him!" The titans from the right of Saitama charged against him. The hero sighed in boredom and punched them one by one like the others.
The Beast titan took a glance to his right side and said in his mind. 'My titans has fallen...' Levi grabbed the Beast titan's shoulder with his hook and engaged towards the ape.
The Beast screamed and extended his arm to grab him, Levi spinned around his arm and chopped it into tiny pieces.
'Is this Levi?' Levi flew behind Zeke and aimed for the eyes, Zeke thought Levi was going for the nape and covered it with his right hand. 'My nape!' Levi sliced his eyes and the legs were next. Zeke couldn't keep up with Levi's speed.
'I can't see! Did he got my eyes?!' Levi cut off both of the Beast titan's ancles and he fall entirely on the ground. 'My legs! Tsk! I'll harden! Shoot I won't make it in time!'
Levi stoop upon the ape's nape and began slicing it wide open with his blades, making Zeke to scream in despair. The Captain got the fur bastard out of his nape and placed one of his blades in Zeke's mouth.
"Oi, Speak up shitty loser!" He pushed the blade and sliced through Zeke's cheek and got all the way up to his eye.
'We can have a soldier to eat this guy and steal the Beast titan's power.' Levi stated in his mind.
The Cart titan appeared behind Levi and opened it's mouth wide to devour the Captain but Saitama came in and slapped the Cart titan away.
"Nice Work! Saitama! We need this guy." The hero nodded whilst he stare Zeke. "Hello there." He waved to him.
'So those 2 are... the most powerful soldiers Eldians have...' Zeke said to himself.
'I must take War Chief Zeke out of there.' The human inside the Cart titan thought and waited for a chance.
"Saitama! The Colossal titan has appeared! Go help the others now! I will handle that fucker."
"Okay dude." Saitama picked his nose and stated before he leaves.
'Now's the chance!' The Cart titan run again without making Levi notice. "I'll enjoy seeing you being ea- GH?!" Levi jumped out of the way and Zeke escaped on the Cart titan's lips.
He spitted some blood and screamed to Levi. "It hurts! You've done it now, Levi! It hurts! But now you're done! You and Saitama will die next time we'll spar! KILL THAT MAAAN!"
Zeke screamed and demanded to the titans, they run towards Levi with their stupid faces.
Levi remembered his promise to Erwin and said with a low voice. "Wait... I made a promise to him..."
Flashback On Wall Maria
"Hey, Levi," Erwin said to Levi.
"What is it?" The Captain asked with slightly interest. "I know Saitama will go with you to take down the Beast titan but, I want YOU to kill him."
"Why's that? The bald guy is pretty much a walking god." Erwin gave a small smile to Levi. "You are humanity's strongest without superpowers. Levi, I want you to end him."
"As you wish, Erwin. I promise." Levi stated and ended the conversation.
End Of Flashback
"I PROMISED!" Levi pulled out new blades and start cutting napes of all the titans whilst Saitama returned on the Wall.
'Levi and Saitama did well, thanks to them w-' Erwin didn't noticed the Colossal titan's attack and huge flaming boulders collide with the Wall, someone saved Erwin just in time before he was crashed by the debris.
"SA-SAITAMA?!" The hero stared the Colossal titan and put Erwin down.
"You should watch where you looking, you could be dead." Erwin exhaled in relieve and nodded to the hero. "I just... Spaced out for a couple of seconds, Saitama." Erwin said.
Saitama respond again but this time with serious voice. "You did well on your own Commander, Leave the rest to me." The hero moved his cape and jumped down to face the Colossal titan.