A/N: Apologies for the delay on this chapter, I wanted to time it with the release of the next chapter of my "Golden Gundam" fanfiction, but it took FAR longer than expected to reach the intended stopping point for that.

Guest 1: I suppose you could say that.

Nobody Here: I've actually approximated that the Marleyans might be able to muster up to 90 million troops. Considering they own about two continents. That's not including the Klatsky Tsardom, a USSR-Russian Empire nation allied with Marley.

NICHOLAS VERRELL: I wanted Porco to still be relevant somehow. I didn't want to just lose him as a character. Also, about your previous review, Alto could technically cheese the process by having blood drawn from his Titan form. (I think titan blood can be drawn into special syringes like the one for the titan serum)

Superkoola: Just wait until 851...

Gaujay7: I'm glad to see your return to my review section! As for me responding to your Final Announcement, I read it...halfway. Short attention span - long story short - I didn't end up finishing it, but thank you for the reminder! I did indeed just drop a review for it.


Battle of Istantiople Part I: The Enemy Above

Xanthe, Grecia - July 24th, 850

"The capture of Xanthe was a major boon for our forces. The Mid-East lines have collapsed and they're falling back all the way to the city of Istantiople." Magath explained to the assembled Warriors.

"However, as you might expect, the enemy has no intention of letting us take the city. Istantiople is key to Mid-East naval superiority in the Buran and Inner Seas. Not only does it serve as a pseudo-gate to the Buran Sea, but it's a major naval base for the Mid-East fleet in the Inner Sea."

"Which means that if we take it out, the Olturka Sultanate's entire Western flank is open to invasion." Stella analyzed, and Magath nodded.

"But doesn't Istantiople have - like - ridiculously big ass walls? That are probably fitted with Anti-Titan cannons every three feet?" Porco mentioned,

"Not bad Pock. There's something up there after all." Annie snarked, and Porco shot her a glare.

"Porco is right." Magath stated, "Istantiople is heavily defended. We're not just talking a few trenches. It's surrounded by walls on three sides, built back when the Eldian Empire still controlled the city, and called it Bosphoria."

"What about the Navy? They can't have walls running through the sea," Porco asked,

"If the Navy was of any use, we wouldn't be here." Stella scoffed, "No. The channel is lined with 21cm coastal guns. If you thought the armored cars and infantry guns you were facing were bad, these can even split the Armored Titan in two."

"So…what do they expect us to do?" Evangelica asked,

"While the Army and Navy are laying siege to the city, we'll form the core of an airborne invasion."

"Airborne assault?" Pieck leaned forward, "We've never trained with something like that before."

"More like we've never even tried it." Stella huffed, "They're asking us to pull off something we've never trained or prepared for. They make a few advances and they suddenly think we're the most advanced country in the world."

"Are you questioning orders, Hauptmann?" Magath raised an eyebrow, and Stella looked down.

"...No sir."

"Good." Magath nodded, "Pieck, your new Panzer Unit has been completed."

Pieck nodded, "Understood."

"Preparations will begin immediately, move out!"


Mitras, Paradis Island

"...that concludes the report from our agents." Rosalie explained,

"Thank you, Generalleutenant." Historia nodded to Rosalie, who proceeded to leave.

"With this, I think we can solidly say we'll be ready for war by 854." Alto began, "If everything happens according to our memories, the Mid-East Allied Forces will have surrendered by then."

"And Marley's attention will turn to us." Eren said, his arms crossed and staring out a window.

"Yes." Alto nodded, "This time…we'll be ready for them."

All Eren did was grunt softly in response.


July 26th, 850

"Incoming!" A Marleyan soldier shouted as a shell detonated near the trench.

In front of them were the high walls of Istantiople. In ancient times the city belonged to the Eldian Empire as a major fortress. The gate between Europa and Asia. Now, it served the Olturka Sultanate in a similar role, and as a major port city and military base to boot.

Now, it was what stood between Marley and the heart of the Mid-East Allied Forces.

A Marleyan soldier stood up and threw a grenade at the base of a bunker, only for it to detonate harmlessly and for him to be riddled with bullets as a reward.


"(Fire!)" A Mid-East officer yelled, leveling his hand at the Marleyan forces below, a row of 8 cm artillery pieces rained a deadly payload on the Marleyan forces, however, they simply kept charging.

"(Machine guns! Don't let them through!)" The officer yelled, and following the barrage, a hail of machine guns and riflemen poked through the battlements and fired consistently at the Marleyan invaders below.

A few meters away, a mortar blew out a chunk of the top of the wall, taking several of the defenders with it.

"(Keep firing! Marley can not take this city!)"


"It seems like the city is better defended than we predicted." Magath noted, overlooking the scene from a distance behind the siege with his binoculars.

"How do you want us to proceed?" Stella asked,

"The Cart and Artificial Titans will clear out the bunkers at the base of the wall. After that, the air force will come in, and the Female, Beast, Armored, and Warhammer will take out the cannons from behind. As well as blaze a path into the city for us." Magath explained, "The Support Company will take point in breaking into the city once the wall falls."

"Understood, I'll translate this to our Warriors and the Air Force."

"I'm counting on you, Hauptmann."


"This is it. What are your names?" Pieck asked as she shrugged on the new Panzer Unit armor.

"Er…I'm Private Carlo Andres!" A young boy with short red hair and glasses saluted at Pieck.

His companions were similarly young, a portly boy named Doyle Pein, a taller and more well-built boy named Kyle Estenberg, and two others named Richard Kelen and Lyle Dilwity.

"I see. How long have you been trained?"

"About two months short of a year!"

"Warrior Unit?"

"Yes ma'am…" Carlo said the last part somewhat dejectedly, the Panzer Unit was always made up of Warrior Unit wash-outs, usually from the first year.

"Don't be sorry. Lots of people wash out, only more will in the coming years." Pieck said offhandedly, "This way - you're getting something of what you're trained for. And besides, you still get Honorary Marleyan status from this too."

"Understood…" Carlo faltered, realizing he didn't even know her name.

"Lieutenant Pieck Finger, Private." Pieck said to him, "A pleasure to meet you."


"We'll be coming up on the landing zone in a few minutes. Be ready." The pilot announced, the four Warriors in the back nodded.

Annie reclined against the wall of the airship and crossed her legs before sighing, "Yeah. Just make sure you don't go splat when you hit the ground." She muttered to herself.

"Evangelica and Reiner will drop first to ensure there are no armored cars or other threats that could ruin our plan." Zeke briefed them, "After that, Annie and I will follow some minutes later."

"Got it." Evangelica nodded,

"Opening the hatch door now!" The pilot yelled, and the Warriors all stood in unison as the door opened in front of them.

Right outside, black clouds of flak smoke dotted the sky surrounding them as the airship began to increasingly shake as the anti-air fire closed in.

"Let's do this." Evangelica muttered, and she and Reiner rushed forward and leapt out the airship.


"(Up there!)" A Mid-East soldier yelled, rapidly cranking the Anti-Air gun into position against the airship.

"(It might have titans! Shoot it down!)" An officer screamed,

Suddenly, two black dots dropped out of the back of the airship, and the officer began to pale as their parachutes opened.

'It's already too late…' The officer lowered his binoculars in dismay as the two parachutes descended through their flak fire.


'The enemy has a number of anti-aircraft guns scattered throughout the city, and their large caliber makes them easy to use as makeshift Anti-Titan weapons as well.' Evangelica turned to look at the port, where there was an array of the 21 centimeter coastal guns Stella had mentioned.

'Just looking at them, those could rip a titan - even one of the nine - in half.' Evangelica noted before sighing and whipping out her knife.

"Very well then." Evangelica said before slashing her palm open. Immediately after, she was absorbed in a bright blast of light. Reiner followed suit soon after.

The Warhammer dropped down into the center of the city and let out a loud roar, letting the nearby Mid-Eastern troops know of its presence, which did wonders in drawing the enemy to them.

"Reiner, we have incoming." Evangelica growled, and Reiner nodded, staring down the large group of HSAs and Mid-Eastern soldiers approaching them.

Reiner rushed forward, and slammed his fist down into the leading armored car, crushing it.

Evangelica proceeded to create a large broadsword, in which she first ran another armored car through before eliminating a row of Mid-Eastern infantry.

"We need to take out those Anti-Air cannons." Evangelica stated, summoning a bow and arrow, she drew back and fired, piercing one AA cannon and its crew.

Immediately after, Reiner rushed forward through the Mid-East troops, and crushed them underfoot before leaping up and slamming his fist down onto another Anti-Aircraft cannon.

"(Fire!)" Below them, a row of Anti-Titan cannons had been lined up, and opened fire on them.

'Shit!' Reiner blocked the shells, which ricocheted off and cracked his armor.

Evangelica was in a similar position, using a shield to block the majority of the shells. Using her free arm, she summoned a crossbow before firing at one of the cannons, taking it out. She then proceeded to stand and threw her shield into them, slamming into several of the cannons before she rushed forward and kicked the rest aside.

Suddenly, a shell detonated on her back, and as she straightened her Titan out, she turned to face the final Anti-Aircraft cannon on top of the building.

Dropping her weapons, she summoned a tomahawk and began to approach the building steadily as the Mid-East crew began to panic. As they tried to get off the building they were on, Evangelica raised her hawk, and cleaved it in two.


"The Warhammer and Armored have cleared out the landing zone." An officer affirmed, "You two are up."

Zeke and Annie stood up simultaneously and nodded, approaching the back of the airship.

"If we do this, we may be able to get leave for a few months." Zeke stated, and Annie nodded.

'Just a little more…' Annie thought, before running and jumping out the back of the airship.


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