Final arc of this story, people! Hope you guys are ready and have been enjoying the ride so far. :3 Shout-out to my good friend Arceus-MASTER for editing this chapter. Enjoy! :D
''Titans'' Speech
''Titans'' Thoughts
Located on a vast and sprawling continent in the far north was the huge and powerful nation called Marley. Long ago, it had begun expanding its roots through the colonialization of smaller nations after obtaining the power of the titans. Right after The Great Titan War, they started to oppress the Eldians and strengthened their military might to gain more land. Through clever lies, brainwashing, and relentless propaganda, they managed to change the truth surrounding Eldia's history when King Fritz fled to the island of Paradis so they could gain the sympathy of the Eldians still left behind on Marley.
This allowed Marley to become the most intimidating and powerful nation in the world at the time. They promised any Eldians that they'd become honorary Marleyans if they joined the military and used the power of the titans against the surrounding nations. Over the span of decades, this resulted in vast territorial gains and Marley becoming notorious for militarism. Unfortunately, while the power of the titans was great, technological advancements from neighboring countries were catching up to it very soon.
It was why, at this moment, commander Theo Magath was sitting across the most influential family in all of Marley. The look on his face was serious, his lips were twisted into an almost perpetual scowl while his eyebrows were furrowed. He had his arms crossed over each other while waiting impatiently for the host to speak up.
The aforementioned host was sitting across his desk, idly stirring a silver spoon into his porcelain cup which contained lemon tea. When he was done, he tapped the rim of the cup with his spoon so he didn't spill any excess tea, which made a pleasant dinging sound, and then placed it on the matching saucer underneath the cup. Magath could never understand how anybody could enjoy tea; he was an avid advocate for coffee, not whatever this weak leaf brew was supposed to be. He ignored it in favor of the host offering him a kind smile. Willy Tybur—head of the powerful Tybur family—was first and foremost, a family man. He didn't really like politics and rarely partook actively in any of them. As such, he was seldom seen by the public and spent most of his time inside his luxurious estate.
Now, though, things had changed rapidly. Ever since Marley had sent four of their titan shifters into Paradis Island to retrieve the coveted Founding Titan and hopefully nullify the threat of King's Fritz warning to flatten the earth, Willy had become a little more politically active. Even though Marley was an independent country that openly oppressed Eldians, Willy was still its true leader, hiding inside the shadows because of the horrible deeds his ancestors had committed in the past. As an honorary Marleyan, he lived without any restrictions and, in turn, let Marley do whatever it pleased.
Willy Tybur assumed it was for the best. If all his kin had to suffer, then so be it. They all deserved it after brutally oppressing Marley in the past. However, he couldn't help but show his interest when Marley decided to launch this stealth operation against Paradis Island. He knew that Marley was running out of valuable resources due to the war it waged against the Mid-East allied countries. Paradis Island possessed an invaluable trove of both natural and mineral resources. Critically, it was full of oil, coal, iron ore, and gold. If Marley managed to get its hands on the Founding Titan and take control of Paradis Island and its resources, it meant the Mid-Eastern countries would stand no chance in a lengthy war of attrition, even with their technological advancements.
Willy's interest had peaked a few days ago. Both the Beast and Cart titans had been sent towards Paradis Island to do a full check-up on the progress of the young warriors. The absolute carnage that took place on Paradis Island immediately after had stunned the entire nation of Marley. From the three of Marley's most powerful and biggest battle-ready warships that made the journey, only two managed to return, with one sustaining heavy damage. The other had apparently sunk on its way back to Marley after a severe engine malfunction. The explosion that followed left no survivors on that ship. Traumatized soldiers scrambled off of the remaining ships like they had seen the Devil himself, with the story they told spreading panic throughout the entire country.
''Commander Magath,'' Willy said kindly, ''please take me through all of the details again, if you will.'' He calmly brought his steaming-hot cup of tea to his lips and took a small sip. The bitter beverage—which was acutely sweetened due to the sugar cubes he had put inside of it—did him well. He had to assess the situation quickly if he wanted to retaliate fittingly.
Commander Magath grumbled and leaned forward on his chair. ''An ambush,'' he muttered. ''Zeke's instinct was apparently right. Both the Beast and Cart Titan faced heavy opposition the moment they set foot on Paradis Island. From official reports, it says that multiple soldiers saw at least three enemy titan shifters—which probably means our young warriors are dead and their titans lost—and an elite squad of flying soldiers.''
Willy's kindness never left his face despite the somber news, though the seriousness in his tone of voice revealed how precarious the situation truly was. ''Do we know the status of Zeke and Pieck?'' he questioned, folding his hands together on his desk.
Magath shook his head once. ''Negative. The battle was still ongoing in full force when the ships left. It could be that they managed to defeat their opponents and retrieve back the titans which were lost, or they could have suffered the same fate. If the latter is true, then we're in big trouble,'' he replied gruffly.
Despite the terrible outlook, Willy stayed positively calm. ''These 'Flying Soldiers' that you mentioned, are they anything that we should be concerned about?'' he asked with genuine interest. He couldn't really picture anybody flying without the use of a blimp or the recently-developed 'flying boats' that Marley had been testing, though the latter were far from a finished product capable of being safely piloted and used for either cargo transport or battle.
''I think they might be a big problem. From the limited info we have, they use some sort of gas to propel themselves forward and attack with blades, but we don't know how they manage to fly through the air and for how long. It all sounds very high tech and contradicts severely with what we know of Paradis Island,'' Magath answered, suppressing a sigh. He didn't understand how Paradis Island suddenly possessed technology that could rival the Mid-Eastern nations, let alone how they'd known about their plan to retrieve the Founding Titan and counter it near-perfectly.
''These are definitely some worrisome developments indeed,'' Willy responded idly, mulling things over. Out of nowhere, Paradis Island had gone from being a side-project to the most threatening country to Marley. ''We need to have good faith in Zeke and Pieck,'' he said, ''but, on the off-chance that they've been defeated, we also need to prepare for the worst. We can ill afford to lose more of our military right now to Paradis Island if we want to win against the Mid-Eastern nations.''
Magath nodded his head in understanding. ''What do you propose we should do, then?'' Though he knew that answer already, he still wanted to hear it from Willy himself. He shifted comfortably in his chair as Willy took another sip from his tea and smiled once more.
''Why, we do what we do best. We'll spread lies about Paradis, strike fear in the surrounding nations, and set up an offensive with the War Hammer Titan,'' Willy said casually, almost nonchalantly-so. ''There's no reason to be playing coy anymore. Paradis is apparently up-to-date with what has been going on in the world. Now is the right time to forge new allies and crush that little island before it starts to grow into an ugly wound.''
Magath couldn't help but let a little smile come across his face. Willy might be an Eldian, but at heart, he was a Marleyan through and through. The man was sly and cunning, something that Magath could appreciate. ''It sounds like a plan, albeit a risky one,'' Magath said. ''If Zeke and Pieck do not return within the next week, it means that the War Hammer has to face all the other titans at once.''
Willy nodded his head, still not alarmed in the slightest. ''There's a reason why the War Hammer titan has stayed in the Tybur family for generations and why nobody knows its shifter. It has always been a last resort if situations like these might potentially arise,'' he revealed mysteriously. ''I can assure you that the War Hammer titan possesses abilities that outclass every other titan except for the Founding Titan, of course.''
Commander Magath nodded his head in understanding, pleased with the response for now, even though the information he received was limited. ''Very well, then. I shall make a note to deliver the news that Paradis Island has awakened from its slumber and that these Devils are threatening to destroy the world to the surrounding nations. I'm sure that will stir up some fear and motive to form alliances with us so that we can neutralize Paradis Island once and for all.''
Willy finished his tea and gently placed the cup back on the saucer. ''You know what they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. We can agree to share the resources on Paradis Island and go from there. I think that will be enough inclination for the other nations to accept our offer.''
Commander Magath stood up from his chair. ''So long we can crush these Devils into the ground, everything is fine with me.'' He checked the time and noticed with some annoyance that it was already past noon. ''Forgive me for leaving so abruptly, but I have some other matters to attend to.''
Willy waved him off dismissively. ''No problem. I need some time to think things through, anyway.'' With that, Commander Magath left the Tybur's estate while Willy stayed behind in his study. Sighing quietly to himself, Willy assessed the situation. ''The vow to renounce war should still be in place,'' he thought while folding his hands and leaning his chin on them as he rested his elbows on his desk. ''Then how in the world is it possible that Paradis Island had been so prepared for the warriors?''
No matter how long Willy thought about it, he couldn't think of anything that would make sense. The people living behind the walls should have been oblivious to the outside world. Yet, as shown by their tech development and their ability to ambush Zeke and Pieck at the coastline, the complete opposite seemed to be true. He was about to stand up to get some fresh air outside—after all, it was a beautiful day and the sunshine would do him well—when the entire world around him seemed to melt and disappear in a flash.
Willy gasped as he was suddenly teleported into an unknown location. He couldn't tell if he had crash-landed or if he had been standing since the beginning, which let an eerie sensation settle on him. Looking around, all he could see was dirt on dried-out and cracked earth in every direction spanning as far as the eye could see. The sky was jet black and filled with twinkling stars, giving a sense of near-infinite space to his surroundings. He couldn't detect any wind, and neither any warmth nor cold.
Willy took a deep breath, trying to assess the situation of what was going on. The reality was strange, as if he just was, which was a pretty odd realization and moment of clarity for him. Then, the scenery shifted slightly as he detected a massive tree standing in the distance. Unnervingly, he wasn't sure if it had been there since the beginning or if it had just spawned. It was plentiful in its roots that seemed to be made of light as if it spread to every corner of the earth. It shone brilliantly like the sun itself and Willy found himself drawn towards it. He automatically started to walk in its direction until a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
''Willy Tybur.''
Quick as a fox, Willy turned around. A teenager—no older than eighteen years—was staring back at him. Willy didn't recognize him, but what was even more confusing in his mind was that the voice had no possible way of coming from this kid. It was all-surrounding and boomed with authority as if it was from an entity not to be trifled with. This teenager that had suddenly appeared, however, looked completely normal.
''Who are you?'' Willy asked cautiously. He had no idea of what was happening. ''Did somebody spike my tea?'' he thought incredulously while the teenager gave him a gentle smile.
''You do not need to worry. We are on completely neutral grounds here. I chose the Coordinate to speak with you as it is the root of all of Eldians past, present, and future.'' He pointed at the tree in the distance. ''The tree of Ygdrassil shows us every Eldian who is alive today. It also allows the bearer of the Founding Titan to take complete control over any Eldian they wish to. Beautiful, isn't she?''
The boy let that sink in for a moment to Willy, who then realized with growing horror that he was speaking to the current holder of the Founding Titan.
''My name is Eren Yeager, by the way, and I represent the voice of Paradis Island on the behalf of her majesties Queen Frieda Reiss and Queen Historia Reiss,'' Eren revealed diplomatically. ''I have brought you here because you are the head of the Tybur family, keeper of the War Hammer Titan, and the current leader of the country of Marley.'' He said this so casually and with so much authority that Willy had trouble believing he was speaking to a teenager at the moment.
After staring at Eren for several long moments and then regaining his faculties, Willy straightened himself and gave Eren a respectful bow. ''Eren Yeager, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,'' he said, not unkindly. ''The fact you're able to bring me here means that you are the current holder of the Founding Titan,'' he stated matter-of-factly. Even though Willy was pretty sure about this fact, he still wanted to get confirmation, hence why he mentioned it. A simple nod from Eren proved his deduction to be true. ''I assume that you have brought me here to discuss the recent affairs between Marley and Paradis, correct?''
''That is right,'' Eren responded, idly beckoning Willy to follow him as they moved over the cracked earth towards the almost blinding, divine-looking tree in the distance. ''As you may have heard by now, Paradis Island isn't as oblivious anymore about the outside world as it once was. After all, I have made sure of that,'' he revealed to Willy who had trouble keeping the surprise off of his face.
The tree of Ygdrassil radiated a pleasant warmth as they steadily moved closer towards it. ''I'm sure you have a lot of questions on how this is even possible,'' Eren continued, ''but let me just be frank with you.'' He stopped for a moment, the look on his face stern. ''We have successfully defeated all of the titan shifters which you have sent our way. Marcel Galliard, bearer of the Jaw Titan. Annie Leonheart, bearer of the Female Titan. Bertolt Hoover, bearer of the Colossus Titan. Reiner Braun, bearer of the Armored Titan. Pieck Finger, bearer of the Cart Titan. And finally, Zeke Yeager, bearer of the Beast Titan. They have all been neutralized.'' Eren paused for an ominous couple of seconds.
''You, Willy Tybur, are responsible for these attacks. Even though the country of Marley operated independently, you are still her leader. These actions against innocent human lives have been unacceptable and you should atone for the blood that's on your hands,'' Eren concluded, his voice dangerous.
For the first time, Willy frowned, before he sat down on the ground with his legs crossed, the tree of Ygdrassil perfectly in the background as if he was an extension of it. ''Those are some heavy accusations, Eren Yeager,'' he stated, letting one of his hands run through the soft dust on the ground, ''but if you are sure punishment is in order, then I'm afraid I can do nothing but accept it. So, go ahead,'' he said, a hint of cockiness in his voice. ''You have the Founding Titan, do you not? You can erase me from existence if you so wish.''
Eren didn't respond. Instead, he looked at Willy indifferently, the silence so thick you could cut it with a knife. ''You and I both know that some families are not affected by the will of the Founding Titan, like the Ackerman clan for example,'' Eren finally replied, some annoyance present in his voice. ''And, while the Tybur family isn't included on that list, the War Hammer Titan has this nifty ability to protect its members from most of what the Founding Titan is capable of.'' He sat down across Willy.
''Believe me when I say I'd love to kill you and end Marley's horrible oppression of all Eldian lives, but for that to be a reality, we'll have to meet in the real world, and you be sure that when that happens, I'll rip you apart.'' Venom dripped from every word Eren spat, which made Willy chuckle.
''My, such violent threats. It can't be helped, I suppose. Eldians have always been blood-thirsty. I am sure you know our history well and why I let Marley operate independently in the first place. We deserve it after all the bloodshed and oppression we have done in the past.'' Willy stood up again and resumed his walk. ''Of course, the fact you wanted to talk to me tells me you want to solve this peacefully. What do you propose, Eren Yeager?''
Willy could see that Eren had trouble keeping his cool. After all, the hypocrisy of him living a life of luxury while all his kin suffered was not lost on him. It's exactly what he was hoping for, to get a reaction out of Eren. However, Eren didn't bite and instead continued sternly. ''Marley's immediate and unconditional surrender to Paradis Island. We'll install a new government, and make it a constitutional monarchy under the authority of her majesty Frieda Reiss. A peace treaty will be signed by both parties which includes the liberty of all Eldians as well as an end to all persecution and oppression, and the destruction of all nine titan powers, once and for all.''
Now that they were approaching the base of the tree, Willy could see all the individual threads running through its roots like they were veins and arteries. It was simply a stunning sight to look at. ''Those are some steep conditions, Mr. Yeager,'' Willy responded, more interested in the tree of Ygdrassil than anything else. ''What if I refuse?''
''If you refuse, I'll simply activate The Rumbling and flatten the entire country of Marley,'' Eren replied without missing a single beat. ''I've been benevolent so far, but my patience has been running thin. I'll give you a month to think about it, Willy Tybur,'' Eren concluded.
Before Willy could respond, the world seemed to disappear once more in a flash. After a brief spell of disorientation and everything melting into nothingness, he found himself back in his study. Willy clutched his head, his stomach churning a little at the sudden teleportation. Sweat dripped from his brow as Eren's last words ran through his mind over and over again.
''He's right. What's stopping him from activating The Rumbling?'' Willy thought, taking his handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his brow. ''If he does that, then the country of Marley is doomed.'' He sat down and scratched the back of his head anxiously. ''But then again…'' Willy's panic seemed to dissipate a little as his eyes narrowed, ''he'll show the entire world what kind of Devils we truly are if he destroys Marley so savagely. He seems to want to avoid that, otherwise, he wouldn't have pulled me into the Coordinate to talk with me.''
Now, Willy's calm demeanor seemed to return on his features. He paced back and forth in his study, deep in thought. ''What were his conditions again? Marley's immediate surrender… Constitutional monarchy… Liberty of all Eldians… Destruction of the nine titan powers…'' Willy rubbed his chin as it started to dawn on him a little. ''He wants to liberate all Eldians, meaning…'' An open map spread on a nearby table showing all the internment zones within Marley—particularly Liberio—caught his eye, causing him to walk over to it and run his fingers over it.
''These Eldian lives are important to him,'' Willy concluded cleverly. ''I can use them as a safety measure. So long as they're under our authority, Eren Yeager won't be using The Rumbling.'' He tapped his finger on the map a couple of times. ''The fact he gave me a month to think about it makes me think that he's seeking alliances with surrounding nations. He wants to turn the tides in Paradis' favor and have the world turn on us with the promise of destroying the power of the titans.''
Willy started to pace again. ''However, is that just a bluff or will he really do it? He probably knows that we're at war with the Mid-Eastern nations. The power of the titans is becoming obsolete except when you're the Founding Titan. The question is, would a teenager have the guts to give up so much power willingly?'' Willy grumbled. ''No, Eren Yeager is definitely not a teenager. He probably took the appearance of one to throw me off while inside the Coordinate. Though…'' He observed his desk from the spot where he was pacing back and forth. ''Yeager… is that just a coincidence or is he really related to Zeke? If that's the case, then Zeke's father must have survived his trip to Utopia and gained the Founding Titan somehow.''
Willy nodded to himself contently. ''It would explain how Eren is the current Founding Titan. The fact he's also apparently loyal to 'queen' Frieda and 'queen' Historia means that both are from royal blood, hence why he's able to control the Founding Titan so freely,'' he carried on, formulating a plan.
''I need to share this info with Commander Magath. I believe a slight change of plans is in order.''
A long and drawn-out breath escaped Eren's mouth. He was more tired than he remembered being in a long time. Last week had been the most hectic period in his life. From extracting the Beast Titan and the Cart Titan from Zeke and Pieck, to regulating the voyage towards the Azumabito, and then finally confronting Willy Tybur inside the Coordinate. He was spent and was currently sitting inside the royal palace in the inner ring of wall Sina while idly tapping his desk.
The question remained if Willy was going to respond how Eren predicted he was going to. It was a risky plan, but it assured he could save the Eldians living in Marley. His top priority was managing that without the rest of the world declaring war on them. Then, he also had to think about who was going to inherit the Beast Titan and the Cart Titan, as well as how to proceed if Willy did something completely unpredictable.
Right now, though, it was time to call it a day. The afternoon was making way for the evening, with a beautiful twilight settling in and painting the sky with all the warm reds and oranges imaginable. Eren looked out of his window while enjoying the view, reminiscing about the days when he was just a kid without a worry in the world.
He found himself longing for them more often than not nowadays, and he hoped when everything was said and done, he could experience them once more. ''To be finally free,'' he thought while closing his eyes. Eren let the final warm rays of the sun hit his face, however, the tranquility he experienced at the moment was interrupted by a polite knock on the door. He recognized that knock pattern and style any day of the week; it was so integrated into his brain that he didn't even need to turn around to know who it was behind the door.
''You may come in, Mikasa,'' Eren called out to her sweetly. She opened the door—still clothed in her Survey Corps uniform—and gave him the official salute by pressing one fist against her chest and the other behind her back. On the verge of turning eighteen years old, Mikasa had turned into the beautiful young adult that Eren had grown to love so much. At his request, she kept her hair long, something that only added to her natural beauty.
''Sir Yeager, sir,'' Mikasa said to him respectfully. Even though she knew that Eren wouldn't mind if she broke protocol when she was alone with him, she'd rather stay professional. He was still her superior officer, after all. Mikasa patiently waited for him to give her his acknowledgment even though he couldn't keep the steadily-growing smile off of his face.
''At ease, Mikasa,'' Eren joked playfully, ''last time I checked, it's past working hours.'' He walked around his desk until he was right in front of her. She relaxed herself, her cheeks coloring rosy while a kind smile appeared on her features. Her eyes twinkled like a bright star, reflecting just how head over heels she was for him.
''How did it go?'' Mikasa asked him curiously, walking alongside him as Eren left his office. Every day when the evening was setting in, Mikasa would swing by and tell Eren the latest intel they'd gathered. As his right hand, she coordinated the voyage to the Azumabito and made sure Paradis Island was secure against any enemy attacks.
The corridor they walked through was empty, the flicking of the candle lights their only form of illumination. ''I'd say it went as well as one would expect,'' Eren responded with a slight grimace. ''Willy Tybur is cunning and the War Hammer Titan formidable. Here's to hope my bluff will scare him enough that he isn't choosing for a straight all or nothing attack on Paradis.''
The last thing Eren could afford was an all-out war inside the walls. Not only would countless innocent lives be lost, but he'd also most likely have to activate The Rumbling, at least partly. ''That, in turn, would just prove Marley's propaganda right and turn the entire world against me,'' Eren thought, worry present on his face.
Mikasa grabbed his arm and put hers around it, leaning her body against his while they reached the stairs to go down and leave the building. Eren smiled, his worry slowly melting away. ''I'm sure he won't,'' Mikasa reassured him. ''After all, it'd mean sacrificing a large part of their army and giving up all of Marley's power. They'd basically be at the mercy of the other nations.''
This was exactly what Eren was banking on, but hearing it from Mikasa while she was resting her head on his shoulder gave him that extra spark that he really had nothing to worry about. ''Thanks, Mikasa,'' Eren said appreciatively, opening the door to greet the chilly afternoon air. His warm breath made small clouds appear in front of him as the duo walked through the relatively empty streets.
Evening was settling in quickly, the last rays of the sun disappearing over the horizon which covered the streets in gorgeous shades of dark blue. Both Eren and Mikasa stayed silent, just enjoying each other's presence as they walked home. Eren had bought a small but quaint little house inside wall Sina not too long ago. Now that both he and Mikasa were basically adults, they had moved out of their parent's home in Shiganshina. The moment Eren had offered to Mikasa to move in with him, she'd almost threatened to tear up.
Eren loved how intimately she was holding him. It reminded him of when he married her and made love with her for the first time in the old timeline. Her small but powerful physique, yet still so feminine pressed so cozily against his side, her head rubbing against her shoulder while her hair tickled his neck, the soft scent of the cheap soap she still used despite being able to use any other soap she liked just because she knew he liked it wafting through his nose.
Eren never wanted to let her go. Moments like these he wished he could experience forever. He gave her a loving glance, which she reciprocated by holding him just a tad tighter. Finally, they reached the front door of their house. Eren was fidgeting to find his key, but before he could complete his quest and open the door, Mikasa had turned him around gently so he was facing her. Her eyes were filled with nothing but love as she looked up at him. She pushed him back until he was leaning against the front door, both of her hands cupping his cheeks.
He was a fair bit taller than her, so, going on her tippy-toes, she closed the distance until her sweet lips pressed softly against his. Eren closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Mikasa's body and pulling her against him while she deepened the sweet affection. Extreme comfort and warmth radiated through Eren's being, Mikasa's lips feeling heavenly against his. At the moment, he was completely content with the world, knowing full well that this was just the calm before the storm. Nevertheless, he only focused on Mikasa right now, kissing her back gently and exclaiming his love for her, once again.
And there we have it, folks! Did you guys like it, love it, hate it? Please review and let me know who should get the Cart Titan and who the Beast titan! Until next time, stay safe! ^^
~Syrup