Chapter 8 Outside the Walls of Orvud District
"Levi and the Scouts clashed with Kenny's squad, charging straight into their defense. All to reach and rescue Eren and Historia. However..." Ray narrated.
The scene showed how everyone was fighting, and eventually how Hange was slammed to the pillar and knocked out.
"Do we really have to see that again?" Hange asks.
"It is just a preview of what happened." Ray replies.
"Fall back to the final defensive post! Time to regroup!" Caven yelled as the Interior Police retreated.
"I'm praying, Historia. For God to lead and guide humanity!" Rod said.
Just then, Historia threw the syringe to the ground, breaking it. Historia threw him over her shoulder and he landed on the floor with a sickening crack.
"God, my ass! You're just giving yourself an out and manipulating other people!" Historia yelled. "I've had it! I won't let you kill me!"
Historia freed Eren from the chains and Kenny laughed, "That's the spirit! This is gettin' good!"
"You escape from here. I'll destroy everything else!"
Just then, Rod pulled himself across the floor to the pile of fluid on the ground.
"Father... Uri... Frieda... Wait for me. I'll now..." As his tongue touched the fluid, he started to grow big and become a Titan.
"So that's what happened in the last episode..." Armin asks.
"Now we'll get to see what Rod's Titan looks like." Erwin says.
The Levi Squad finally arrived at the gate, with Armin and Moblit holding the unconscious Hange in their arms. They looked up and found all the holes being covered.
It's gotta be a way through if it's all plugged up. Levi thought. Shit. If only we have gunpowder left.
"We can't let them through!" Caven yelled on the other side of the door. "As long as we hold here, we're good!"
But the Titan transforming glow caused everyone to stare at the light. "That light. A Titan transformed?" Levi asked.
"Eren!" Mikasa yelled.
Rod Reiss' transformation to a gargantuan Titan created a lot of giant winds, with Eren and Historia struggling. The cavern was about to collapse because of it.
"Look at how big it is..." Jean gasps.
"It is going to destroy the cave!" Connie adds.
"Here it comes! Hang on tight!" Caven yelled.
Everyone struggled from the giant winds and the pillar breaking, Sasha said, "Th-This place is gonna collapse!"
Armin looked up and yelled, "Captain! The hole!"
Armin pointed at the hole, which broke open. Levi noticed it and yelled, "Armin! Moblit! Take Hange and get the hell out of here!"
"Man... I didn't get to see the transform." Hange muttered.
"You're wounded, and it is vital to get you to safety first." Levi said.
Kenny tried to swing away from the giant Titan, he yelled, "Rod Reiss! You bastard!"
And Historia was still trying to free Eren from the chains. "Forget it, Historia! Since that Titan's from the Reiss family, just let him come and eat me! Get out of here!"
"You're still saying that Eren?" Mikasa gasps.
"What choice do I have? I don't want you guys to get hurt because of me." Eren says.
"Hell no!" Historia yelled.
"Why won't you listen?" Eren yelled.
"I might be humanity's enemy, but I'm your ally!" Historia said, "I can't be a good girl, and I don't want to be God either! But... When I see people crying to themselves, saying they're not needed..."
The scene showed Historia and Ymir back at the snowy mountain. "...I wanna tell those people that's just not true! No matter who! No matter where! I'll come to their rescue!"
Eren widened his eyes in surprise. Historia managed to open one of the two locks around Eren's ankles, but the strong winds caused her to be blown away.
"Oh no! Historia!" Everyone is horrified at what is going to happen.
Historia thinks about what she has said, and she never thinks that she will say something like that in the future.
Historia was about to be slammed to the wall, but thanks to Mikasa, who came in time and saved her.
"Nice save, Mikasa!" Eren says, causing Mikasa to smile a little.
"Yeah! Now the gang's here, except for Armin, Hange, and Moblit." Connie says.
"You okay?" Mikasa asked.
"Mikasa!" Historia said, and Levi also arrived. "Give me the keys!"
"Captain? You guys!" Eren gasped, and both Jean and Levi were using the keys to free Eren from the chains on the arm. When one arm was freed, Levi handed the keys to Connie. "Connie, hurry!"
"Forget about me! Captain! Hurry and escape!" Eren yelled.
"Shut up already, you topless wimp!" Jean yelled. "It's not just a Titan! There are dudes with guns coming for us!"
"Now that I think of it, why did Rod and Historia take off Eren's shirt for the ritual? I mean, was that really necessary?" Armin asks.
This causes a lot of people to wonder about that and Eren is still blushing about it.
Connie and Jean managed to open the other locks on Eren's hand and ankle, and Jean yelled, "He's loose!"
"I think... That's way bigger than the Colossal Titan, isn't it?" Sasha asked.
"The Colossal Titan was 60 meters tall, I wonder how tall is that Titan..." Hange asks.
Mikasa noticed that it broke the ceiling, she said, "The ceiling...? Look out!"
"Get back!" Levi, Connie, and Jean managed to pull Eren backwards before a rock landed on the platform where he was chained.
"That was so close..." Armin says.
"Yeah..." Historia adds.
Kenny was swinging away, and he yelled, "Hey, hey, Rod! Ya done goofed up big time! You thought ya knew Titans more than the rest of us! Now I know you didn't, ya dumb shit!"
"Captain Ackerman!" Caven yelled, and Kenny realized that they were further inside the cavern, he yelled with horror, "Idiots! Get away!"
So not even Rod Reiss knows more about the Titans? Erwin wonders.
Squad Levi found themselves pressed back against the cavern walls. Jean said, "Shit! There's no way out!"
Why? Eren thought. Wasn't he going to eat me? He stared at the Titan in front of him. Should I transform? No... My Titan can't withstand all this...
"You don't know if you don't try, Eren." Mikasa says.
"Yeah, everyone is counting on you, Eren." Sasha adds.
"Just transform." Historia adds.
Eren cried again as he sat down, "I'm sorry, everyone...I've been nothing but useless...Ever since the very beginning, I was never the hope of humanity..."
"Come on, you're doing this at a time like this?" Jean mutters.
Eren noticed a piece of armor on the ground. Jean yelled, "What's this? Think you're some tragic hero? When have you ever accomplished anything by your strength alone?"
Connie said, "What a weakling. We've been through much worse than this."
Sasha said, "Not that I wanna get used to it!"
"Thank you, guys..." Eren says sacrastically. "Nice way of cheering up..."
"You should thank Mikasa about that one as well." Connie said, remembering what she said to them back in the battle of Trost.
Connie said, "Still, it's going to suck trying to navigate through all that."
Mikasa said, "I'll take Eren."
"We can't go nice and slow for you, so hold on for your life." Levi said to Historia.
"Right." Historia said.
"It's useless. We can't escape." Eren said.
"So do nothing? You wanna sit here and hold hands till we're crushed or burned to death?" Historia asked. "Because we're enemies of humanity?"
Levi said, "You know, I hate doing this to you every time, but...Eren. You've gotta make the choice."
Eren remembered back in the 57th expedition, he chose to trust the Levi Squad. "I trusted all of you!"
Eren winces as he really doesn't want to remember that, Levi is also pained to see his fallen comrades as well.
Eren gritted his teeth and he charged forward, letting out a large scream. "Eren!" Mikasa yelled.
Sorry. Since it's the end, just this once... I want you to let me... Eren grabbed a bottle labeled "Armor" on the ground and charged at Rod's Titan. He broke it between his teeth. Let me believe in myself!
"What are you doing, Eren?" Sasha asks.
"Are you nuts? You're charging at the Titan?" Connie asks.
"No...He's..." Erwin realizes what he's doing.
Just then, Eren started to transform into the Rogue Titan and pillars of crystal rose up from the ground around the Titan, reinforcing the structural integrity of the cavern around it.
"The harding! You did it!" Armin yells.
"That's awesome! You get to do it!" Hange cheers.
Everyone is also happy for Eren on the screen, and Eren is also shocked to see it happen.
"What... the..." Jean gasped.
"Everyone! Get underneath Eren!" Levi yelled.
Everyone rushed towards Eren. And on the other side, the Anti-Personnel Control Squad was not as fortunate. Caven was struck down by debris and so was another soldier. Kenny was trying to dodge the attack but was not fortunate.
"So they're dead..." Historia gasped.
Now everyone felt sorry for them, even though they did kill some of them in the future, and Levi also dreaded seeing Kenny seemingly get killed as well.
Rod's Titan finally rises to its feet, breaking open the ceiling above it. Eren let out a loud roar, trying to keep the structure intact.
Back outside, Armin and Hoblit hurried away with Hange as the ground around them collapsed and the surface chapel sank into the earth. Moblit yelled, "The Chapel!"
They quickly jumped through a crack and Armin yelled, "Let's try to run!"
After landing on the ground, Hange was breathing heavily as she woke up. Moblit asked, "Section Commander! Are you okay?!"
"Yeah..." Hange muttered. "What in the world happened?"
And just then, the Titan emerged on the ground surface, the scouts led by Erwin Smith also arrived to see it crawling out and dragged itself away on all fours.
"What the hell is that? If it's that big this far away... It's gotta be twice as big as the Colossal Titan." "The wall won't stand a chance..."
"Twice as big as the Colossal Titan? That's 120 meters!" Hange yells.
"Seriously? And that is just only a Pure Titan?" Eren asks.
"So things aren't going to be that easy after all..." Levi mutters.
"Commander!" Erwin stared at the sight and yelled, "Advance!"
Back in the underground, Eren heard faint voices of Mikasa calling his name, and he widened his eyes after Mikasa broke him off from the crystal.
"Eren!" Jean yelled, and it turned out that they managed to break Eren from the nape of the crystalized Titan.
"Look at that hardening!" Everyone can't believe what they're watching. "Eren did all of this?" Connie asks.
"With that, we can finally plug the hole in Wall Maria!" Erwin says with a small smile.
"That's what I call hardening." Levi said. "Even after cutting you away, the Titan hasn't disappeared. Pretty impressive, yeah?"
Eren remembered that bottle and said, "That bottle... Oh, yeah! Right before I turned into a Titan, I drank that "Armor" bottle..."
"Yeah... You couldn't do it at all before now, but you used the hardening power and saved all of us." Levi added. "In the blink of an eye, you devised and built all this. Yeah, the construction looks shoddy, but... I bet that's how the walls were made, too. In other words, it's possible for us to plug that hole in Wall Maria now."
Eren gasped in surprise. Jean and Historia lowered their heads as Levi continued, "A lot of enemies and allies have died on the way, and getting this far hasn't been pretty."
Mikasa lowered her head. "But for as ugly as it's been, look at the position we're in now."
Eren lowered his head. Retaking Wall Maria...Once we do that, we can investigate my basement. But, my dad was actually...
He remembered how his father turned into the Titan and killed the Reiss family.
"Geez...do we seriously need to see that again?" Armin asks.
"Yeah... we know how nasty it is..." Historia frowns.
"But Levi got the point there, how many people have lost until we get to this point? And there is no getting back." Erwin sighs.
"Captain! We secured an exit!" Conny and Sasha descended through a hole in the ceiling.
"Armin is safe! Hange and Moblit, too!" Connie said.
"Well done." Levi said.
"Eren!" "You okay?" Sasha and Connie rushed towards Eren. "We're all safe, thanks to you." Sasha said. "But to be perfectly honest, when you ran off prancing while crying like a baby... I thought we were doomed."
Everyone chuckled at Sasha's statement, and Eren could only mutter, "Shut up..."
"'It's over, over! Get it together, nincompoop! Quit bawling like a snotty-nosed brat!' is what I thought."
"That's weird coming from your mouth, Sasha." Connie says.
"Yeah. I realize that as well." Sasha says.
"Hey! Let's go. We're going after that big-ass Titan." Levi said as they left the cavern.
As they left, Armin was helping them, "Eren!" Armin reached his hand, and Eren grabbed it to get out of the hole. Moblit was also helping them out. When they got out, they saw the destruction and the Titan in the distance. The Titan was still crawling, but it left a trail of scorched earth in its wake.
"So that's what the Titan looked like in close look..." Hange says.
"But it is very terrifying compared to the other Titans..." Historia adds.
"It's no use! Stay back! We'll get burnt!" "Commander, we can't stop it! It's like an Abnormal and doesn't care about us!"
Erwin yelled, "Enough! Fall back! All that matters, for now, is to find out the direction it's heading."
"Commander Erwin! It's Squad Levi! Eren and Historia are with them! They succeed!"
The Squad Levi arrived, and Levi said, "Erwin." In the wagon, Eren and Historia were on it.
"Finally, you got your shirt back." Jean says.
"Is that what you're worried about all the time?" Eren says in annoyance.
Erwin approached, and Levi said, "Hange's our only casualty."
"Seems like nothing too serious." Erwin looked at Hange. "Well done, everyone."
"I've got a whole slew of things to report, but first..." Levi said.
"What's that Titan?" Erwin asked.
"It's Rod Reiss. I think we'll need your call on this, Commander." Levi said.
"So how are we going to stop that Titan?" Armin asks Erwin.
"We haven't had this kind of Titan before, and it might be a problem." Erwin says. "But judging from what we've seen, I think it is heading towards Orvud District."
"Regardless, we don't have time to stand here and chat. Return to Wall Sina." Erwin said.
"You're going to let that big ass crawl right up to the wall?" Levi asked.
"To Orvud District, actually." Erwin said. "That's most likely where it's headed."
The Titan of Rod Reiss was still crawling towards Wall Sina.
"So it was Orvud District after all." Hange says.
While the scouts are moving, Eren and Historia were talking about what happened on the wagon. Hange said, "Let's put this all together... Basically, Rod Reiss was after the Founding Titan, the Titan power inside Eren. However, unless it's in someone with Reiss's blood, you won't get its true potential. Though, even if a Reiss obtains the Founding Titan's power, they're controlled by the First King's will and refuse to liberate humanity from the Titans. Eh? Well, isn't that interesting... According to the First King, this is true peace? Now that's a weird way to look at it."
"In other words... we still have an option." Eren said. "If that Titan eats me, Rod Reiss will return to a human. Which means it's still possible to have a true Founding Titan."
Mikasa gasped, "You can't..."
"Seems that way." Levi said. "We could capture Rod Reiss once he becomes a human. Undo the First King's brainwashing. If we could do that, it might open a path to save humanity."
"I don't think that will be possible." Armin says, "What if he used the Founding Titan to make us all forget the coup d'etat? And things would be back to before..."
"That is not impossible as well." Erwin says.
"Plus, Eren. Are you saying you're fully prepared to let that happen?" Levi asked.
"I am." Eren said.
Mikasa said, "Eren, you can't..."
Historia said, "You're forgetting our other option. First of all, the current plan is full of flaws. One, there's no proof that you can undo Rod Reiss' brainwashing. No matter how you restrain him, if he alters humanity's memories, it's over."
"That was just Armin said. But I never thought it was coming out from your mouth, Historia." Hange says.
"I... I guess so..." Historia is also stunned.
"Basically, there are too many factors about the Founding Titan that we just don't know." Historia said.
"True... Even if Rod Reiss eats Eren, we have no guarantee that he'll return to normal." Armin said.
Historia nodded. "On the other hand, all we've ever known is destructive pacifists. But as it stands, the Founding Titan was taken from them. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for humanity."
Eren widened his eyes. Historia turned to him, "Yes... Your father was trying to save us and humanity from the First King. He stole the Founding Titan from my sister... murdered all of the Reiss children... because he had no other choice."
"So that's the reason..." Eren mutters, feeling relieved that his father is killing them for a reason.
Mikasa and Armin also feel relieved to learn about Dr. Yeager's true goal as well.
Eren remembered before Grisha's death. "If you want to save Mikasa, Armin, and everyone else... you must learn to control this ability!"
Eren held his head. "Dad..."
"That's right! The Dr. Yeager I know wouldn't do something like that for no reason at all." Armin said.
"Right. Even without having Reiss blood, there must be a way to save humanity." Mikasa added. "That's why he left you the key to the basement."
"What basement?" Sasha asks.
"Sasha, seriously?" Eren asks her. "You forgot about it?"
"I swear I didn't forget it right now." Sasha replies.
Jean and Connie stared at her, who said, "Oh, that whole thing? You mean it's actually important?"
"Uh, yeah..." Jean added. "We've finally got a way to plug up the wall. The way I see it, there's only one choice."
"That makes life a little easier." Levi added.
Hange said, "If it means anything, I agree with that choice. Though, are you sure about this, Historia? We can't exactly have a Titan like that wandering around inside the walls. One that big, we can't restrain. Meaning..."
Hange weakly pointed at the Titan. "We'll have to kill your father and there's no way around it."
Everyone feels horrible for Historia. Historia is also feeling conflicted, but all this time, she knows that her father was just using her for Eren's powers.
Historia stared at the Titan and remembered the reunion. "Eren. I'm sorry."
"Eh?" "Underneath the Reiss chapel...I really considered becoming a Titan and killing you. What's more, not even to save humanity...Only because I wanted to believe my father. I didn't want my father to hate me..."
"I see... that explained everything from your actions... deep down inside, you still yearn for parental love..." Connie says to Historia. "I'm sorry about before."
"It's fine." Historia says, "I was just jealous that all of you have nice parents after all..."
"But now, it's time to say goodbye." Historia said.
In the Orvud District, a scout informed Levi, "Please gather your squad in the hall. The strategy meeting is about to begin."
"All right." Levi said to the scout.
When Eren and Historia got off the wagon, Levi said, "Historia. Forgot to tell you... We need you to do something."
"Yes?" Historia asked.
"Erwin's orders. When this battle is over, since you're the true successor to the throne...become the Queen." Everyone gasped in shock at the information.
"Oh right, Historia is going to be the queen." Armin says.
"How could we all forget about it?" Eren asks.
Historia looks down and asks, "Will I be able to do it? I don't know..."
"Don't worry, we'll help you no matter what." Connie says.
"Yeah, we're friends." Sasha adds.
Everyone in the room also nods at Historia, who shows a small smile, "Thank you, guys."
"Q-Queen?! Historia?!" Sasha gasped.
"The coup d'etat was successful, but the people won't follow a regiment sitting at the top. What we need is a story to spread. That a true heir retook the crown from the fake." Levi said.
"I..." Historia lowered her head.
"Um Captain?" Connie asked. "I'm sure you heard what Historia said earlier, but... Well, uh... By leaving her father, she finally broke free from that burden, I guess you could say... And yet, again..."
"What? If you have something to say, say it." Levi said.
"Uh, um... I-in other words..." Connie asked.
"Connie's trying to say..." Jean said. "Historia broke free from the Reiss family and has finally found herself. And now you're forcing her into another role? Isn't that...? Isn't that... not fair to her?"
Everyone is now silent at what they just heard, it is actually the opposite of what they were thinking before. Connie says, "Now that you think about it, we're also right about that."
Jean says, "Yeah..."
"All right." Historia said, much to their confusion. "My next duty is to be Queen, right? Understood."
"Historia..." Armin muttered.
"Thanks for your concern." Historia said. "But whether or not it's forced on me is up to me to decide, I think. However... Captain, I do have one condition."
"Hm?" Levi asked.
The scene changed to the strategy meeting. "Since my fate is my own, I want to lay it all on the line."
In the Strategy meeting, Eren and Historia were now back into their uniforms with the ODM gear on them. Historia stood beside Mikasa, who whispered to her, "When you're Queen, you can punch that runt in the face." Historia flinched.
"Wait, Mikasa, are you serious about doing that?" Eren says with horror.
Levi gives a slight scowl, his family relative wants Historia to punch him. Hange laughs, "Looks like someone is still holding a grudge against you."
"Shut up." Levi mutters.
A Garrison soldier walked into the meeting and said, "We've determined the location of Rod Reiss' Titan. It's southwest, approaching Orvud. At this rate, it should reach Orvud District by dawn."
"Understood." Carsten turned to Erwin. "Commander Erwin, we'd all like to hear what your plan is. How do you intend to evacuate the citizens in time?"
"We won't evacuate." Erwin said. "We'll have the citizens remain in Orvud District just as they are."
"Uh..." The Garrison is confused. "Are you insane?"
Erwin showed a determined face, and far away, the Titan was approaching.
"Why don't we evacuate the citizens?" Eren asks, "Are we going to do the same thing with Stohess as well?"
"I think I might have an idea." Erwin says. "And I think it might be related to Historia..."
Ray says, "The battle will begin in the next episode, so right now, we'll be taking some rest until we get to the next episode.
And here is a new chapter, I hope you like it.