Chapter 71 (A Commander's end)
'Be dead Saitama, or I'll keep knocking you down!' Eren exclaimed from inside of his nape, Saitama jump out of the debris incredibly fast and punched Eren's head. Ripping it off from his titan body instantly.
Eren came out of his nape exhausted and agitated. "Tch! Damn you!" He shouted towards Saitama who had a pokerface on. "Eren!" Mikasa landed aside of her friend. Saitama blinked two times and decided to speak.
"Tell him to stop, going any further is meaningless." One Punch Man pointed out with a finger to them. "Eren, he is right! Whatever you thinking stop it! We can't beat him!" Eren was glaring daggers to Saitama.
"DON'T SHOOT!" Falco cried front of Pieck's hald dead body. Genos deactivated his incineration cannon and walk near them calm.
"You kid will give us some answers then. My Sensei need to know information about your people and why they are attempting to kill humans that live inside of the three Walls." Falco bend down like he was praying front of Genos.
"I'll do whatever you want, just don't kill Pieck-San." Genos raised an eyebrow for Falco's response.
"Pieck? This individual possess a titan power, and she is the woman that I just crippled, isn't that correct?" Falco turned his head up and nodded scared.
"I see, you coming with me." Genos grabbed Falco's shoulder and placed him on top of his back.
"Wh-Where we going?!" The boy asked Demon Cyborg afraid of him. "We need to h-" Gabi screamed desperately whilst she run with a rifle towards Genos. "Falco! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM AWAY! AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She pulled the trigger and shot Genos' head. The bullet fell on the floor broken.
Genos remained calm and approached Gabi. "Is she your friend?" Genos questioned Falco, he snapped out of his fear and nodded again. "Then you are coming with us as well." Genos grabbed Gabi just like he did with Falco.
Genos saw Magath staring at him tremendously afraid and with doubts in his eyes. "They will be fine, heroes like me are not killing kids." Magath almost lost it. He didn't know how to reply back.
'What did he say? Heroes? So there are plenty more like this guy and Saitama on Paradis island? Don't fuck with me...' Magath quickly took out a handgun and shot against Genos. Demon Cyborg launched himself up with his boosters while Gabi and Falco were on his back.
"N-NO! LET GO OF ME YOU DEMON!" Gabi was now struggling on Genos' back, however Falco managed to calm her down. "GABI! Stop fighting! If you fall from that height you die!" Gabi listened to Falco but she also hissed.
Levi did what they had been told from Erwin, the plan was a complete success. "Everyone, retreat now! This battle is done." Connie, Jean, Sasha, and Akame nodded in response. Ryuko shook her head ironically. "HEHHH?! But I have so much Fun!" Levi and Ryuko made eye contact.
"That's an order." Ryuko sighed in disbelief but at the end she obeyed. All of them fly away and reached a zeppelin that came to pick them up.
"REIIIIIIIINER! HELP USSSSSS!" Gabi was now screaming as much as she could. Reiner from inside his makeshift nape shield was hearing the screams. He had his eyes close and wanted to relax.
'Leave me alone...' He uttered to his thoughts but the screams continued. "REINEEEEEER!" Gabi kept trying to wake Reiner up. 'So noisy... Let me...' Falco begun screaming whilst Genos was taking them away. "REINERRRRRRR!" Reiner inside of the shield remained silent. 'Please... Let me...' "REINERRRRRRR!" 'Why... You guys... JUST WON'T LET ME BITE THE DUST ALREADY...' Reiner finally transformed into his titan form. It was totally different from his usual Armored titan, he had armor spikes over his shoulders and his face was more humanlike.
"Oh? Who is that?" Eren and Mikasa shifted their heads and saw Reiner's new form. "That's Reiner." Eren clenched his eyes. Mikasa felt slightly depressed and afraid of Saitama being a possible enemy. "Eren... Forget about Reiner... Let's go. Go back home." Mikasa shot her firearms onto a building to reach near the zeppelin where their comrades were waiting, she carried Eren with her midair.
Saitama jumped on a rooftop and followed right after them. Eren had multiple thoughts in his mind. 'Reiner..? We'll meet again. Saitama... You keep surprising me, proving me wrong when I think I am strong enough to take you down... I will become stronger than you eventually and then I'll kill you to earn my freedom!' Annie came out of her nape exhausted, she couldn't keep up with Saitama's speed either to chase after them.
"I need to leave from her-" Annie felt a sharp edge touching her back. "Don't move... Or I'll sever your head." Annie lifted her arms up to give up. "W-Who are you?" Annie asked with sweat coming from her forehead. "Turn around." The mysterious voice ordered Annie.
She did so and saw Kurome with dozens Surveys Corps men. "You coming with us, prisoner." Annie couldn't transform because of her injuries that they were healing. Three of them took off her silver ring and shut her mouth with a piece of cloth.
"Take her on the zeppelin." Everyone nodded to Kurome as they tied Annie up and fly off with her on someone's back. Kurome could keep up with their firearms easily just like every current hero.
"There's our evacuation vehicle." Genos mumbled whilst he, Falco, and Gabi were reaching the zeppelin. "FALCO! GABI! LET THEM GO YOU BASTARD!" Colt shot Genos with a M1 Garand rifle from a rooftop, Demon Cyborg dodged easily and kept flying to the zeppelin. "BROTHEEEEER!" Falco screamed and extended his opened palm towards his older brother. Gabi kick Genos' back but her foot got hurt instead.
"Stop struggling, it's no use." Genos landed inside of the zeppelin. He let Falco and Gabi down to a corner while they grabbed everyone's attention. Levi with Jean and the others were already inside. Only Eren, Mikasa, and Saitama were still missing. Erwin was having his sternly look as always.
"Excellent work, mission success!" Erwin smiled to Genos right after he saw him being completely unharmed.
Jean was the first to have a handshake with Genos. "Demon Cyborg! We did it." A random scout saw Gabi and Falco at the corner. "Who are those kids, Demon Cyborg?" Genos turned to his place to answer. "We need them for informations." Gabi saw a pistol with blood being on the floor front of her, it seems it fell from someone's back and didn't noticed it.
She grabbed the pistol and shot directly towards them, there was no time to react. "Out of the way!" Erwin pushed Sasha down and took the bullet for her. The Commander fell down with blood coming out of his chest and mouth.
Connie, Sasha, and Jean were staring their Commander in shock bleeding on the floor. "COMMANDER ERWIN?!" Jean and Connie kneeled near Erwin, Gabi aimed again to shoot but then a kick broke her nose.
"NO! GAB-" A punch right on Falco's face shut the boy as he fell down. It was Levi, he was furious and out of control, he then moved to Gabi.
Levi grabbed her hair and lifted her up, his eyes were glowing slightly red because of his anger. He beat the shit out of Gabi for what she did. He couldn't stop punching her face and kicking her down on the ground.
"You shitty little brat!" He almost killed the girl, but then Genos stepped in and separated Levi from Gabi. "Captain no! We need them!" Levi tried to wiggle out of Demon Cyborg's grasp, but after a few seconds he gave up.
"Take those filthy rats out of my face!" He shouted towards the scouts and kneeled near Erwin. "Co-Commander! Hey! Wake up!" Connie didn't know what to do at this dire point.
Jean shouted as loud as he could. "Stop the bleeding! Quickly, seal the wound!" Connie was trying to keep Erwin awake. "Commander! Hold on till we reach the island!" A doctor sealed Erwin's wound, however it was too late for him.
"Devote... Your hearts..." He closed his eyes and died. Levi clenched his hands and punched the wooden platform, Jean was holding his head desperately, Sasha was sweating and asking herself.
'If Commander wasn't there, I could have...' She let fear and guilt to take over her mind.
Levi walk near Gabi and Falco who got another beating from the scouts. He grabbed their heads and lifted them up. "These brats are here because of your selfless plan... Give me a good reason to not toss them out right now!" Levi took Genos' gaze immediately with that question.
Genos saw Gabi having a broken nose, and blood coming out of her mouth. Falco had shorter injuries from his friend.
He stared at Levi who was ready to throw off Gabi and Falco. "We need them for valuable information Captain, I am taking full responsibility of these two, leave them to Me and My Sensei."
Levi spit on Gabi's face and kicked her at Genos, he pushed Falco forward as well. "Filthy disgusted animals..." Levi left the rear side and moved to the front side of the zeppelin to tell the news about Erwin.
Jean was having his head facing a metal wall. "FUUUCK!" He screamed seriously. "What are you going to do with them Demon Cyborg?" Floch asked Genos without receiving a response.
After Genos cleared the girl's face, he took Gabi and Falco to the front side where Levi go. Gabi was screaming and attempting to break out of Genos' grip.
"GABI! STOP!" Falco next of Gabi was trying to calm her down. Genos didn't payed attention to her screams though. "DON'T TOUCH ME YOU DEVIL! WE HAVEN'T LOST YET! THE WILL LEFT BY THE WARCHIEF ZEKE WILL BE CARRIED ON BY OUR COMRADES!" Gabi kept screaming her nonsense about devils and Zeke.
"THE ONE TO CURSE AND KILL YOU WILL BE THE TRUE ELDIAN! TELL THAT TO YOUR COMMANDER AFTER YOU'RE DONE WITH ME!" Genos could feel the girl's desire for bloodlust.
"You two could be dead if it wasn't for me, stop resisting child. You also killed our Commander before..." Genos mumbled serious in a calm tone.
He opened the door of the front side and let the kids in, there was Levi facing down, Yelena next of Zeke who had steam fading away from his cutted arms and legs, Ryuko being half asleep and Armin.
Eren and Mikasa finally made it into the zeppelin successfully, they saw Commander Erwin being dead on the floor as Connie and Jean were hissing, Sasha was to a corner scared.
"W-What happened here?!" Eren asked. He only took a negative nod from Sasha and a finger point from Connie that was showing the door to the front side of the airship.
Eren and Mikasa run straight to the front and found Genos holding two kids, one was heavily injured. A brunette girl and a blond boy.
Zeke was calm and made a question to the kids. "Gabi... Falco... Why are you here?!" Both Gabi and Falco were shocked by that, they asked back. "Why is Mr. Zeke? Why..." Gabi shouted after Falco.
"YOU WERE ALIVE! BUT YOU'VE BEEN CAPTURED BY THE ENEMY." Genos explained to everyone what happened.
"I infiltrated them in our ship. And.. It seems that Commander Erwin won't live from being shot from the gun they used." Levi barely holded himself from not attacking Gabi again.
Everyone felt shocked except for Eren who sat next of Zeke, Mikasa and Armin immediately run back to confirm Genos' words.
Hanje opened a door next of Zeke and said. "I'll leave it to you, Onyakopon." A voice from behind her reply back to her. "Understood!"
"So? Zeke Jeager, has everything been according to your plan?" She asked Zeke like they were besties or something like that.
Zeke answered to Hanje with confidence and with a smirk. "In essence yes, but there were too many miscalculations." Gabi and Falco couldn't believe that Zeke betrayed them. "Zeke-San?" Gabi widen her eyes.
Hanje stare at the two kids in confusion. "Genos? What are these kids?" Zeke gave the answer before Genos could speak.
"Miscalculations." Genos looked at Yelena and said with a serious look. "Yelena, wasn't containing the Jaw and the Cart part of your responsibility? More of our friends died for no reason?" Yelena spoke back with a bored stare.
"Sorry, I did drop the two in the pit, but they escaped. It was my mistake, Demon Cyborg." Levi gazed at Zeke to mock him.
"Because of that the Beast threw more rocks than planned. That improvisation was great even for a clown like you, hm? Beardie fucker?" Levi didn't attack Gabi by a miracle named Genos at this point.
Zeke said back to the short Captain serious. "Don't stare at me like that Levi, what are you going to do if I piss myself? You're the better actor here, you must've wanted to kill me really badly then."
"No, I want to kill this little bitch more than you now, beardie." Levi meant Gabi who was in Genos' protection. Levi had a point from saying that.
Eren joined the conversation with another subject. "We killed the Marleyan Military Officer, and eliminated the Capital fleet and the Military Port. We should have bought enough time with this."
Hanje came after Eren too, she had a sternly expression towards Eren. "Until the world mobilises with full force to the Paradis island? Whenever you were caught by the enemies, we risked our lives including the heroes to retrieve you, no matter how many died in the process."
Eren was staring Hanje with his long black hair, he was shown so emotionless like Black*Rock Shooter and One Punch Man, Hanje resumed.
"Despite knowing that, to think that you would go with such a suicidal strategy using yourself as bait... As you had wished l, we had no other option, we could throw Saitama in that damn city and do the job for everyone. Eren... You trusted us, and we lost all trust in you." Zeke assisted Eren towards Hanje.
"However with this, we have gathered the Founding titan and one with royal blood together. The great sacrifices made will return its favours by giving Eldians their freedom. You cannot count an entire plan to only one bald man, Hanje." Hanje was ready to reply back but then Connie opened the door.
He had tears in his eyes and Kurome was next of him. "We captured Annie but Commander Erwin has. Died. Armin and Mikasa were crying atop of Erwin's dead body.
"Wait a minute... Where is my Master?" Genos asked and his face went on Eren who didn't reply and asked Connie. "Connie, what were Commander's final words?" Connie answered with tears falling from his face.
"He said... Devote your hearts." Genos had enough of this, he told everyone the tragic truth. "Eren. Commander Erwin died because you dragged the Survery Corps into this mess, if you all had send Me and My Sensei we could avoid the death of many!"
Eren remembered something that Erwin said back to the past. "Tell me Eren, who is the enemy here?" Eren hissed and gritted his teeth from anger.
"We never needed your help nor Saitama's! He is a huge threat to all Eldians that must die!" Genos let the kids down gently and walk near Eren.
"You take what you said for My Master back or I smash your ugly face and bury it in this metal platform." Genos was now front of Eren, bright green eyes met glowing metallic yellow.