Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 46: Perfect Game
After the Winged Titan was successfully taken down, Miche and Rico's squad let out a victorious cheer. At long last they have managed to take down the ultimate threat to humanity. The Winged Titan's mutilated body was lying on its front with its back and nape exposed. Lazarus's body was still attached, though his whole head was missing. His jacket had completely burned off by the combined blast of a couple of Thunder Spears.
Lying beside the downed Titan were its severed wings laying atop a couple of destroyed houses, like someone had dropped a massive dense blanket over them.
Though he was down for the count, the soldiers stayed on guard just in case he somehow managed to get back up again. Many of them dismissed the possibility. "Surely it's impossible for someone to still be alive after getting their whole head blown up, right?" They all thought.
Rico carefully approaches Lazarus's actual body sticking out of the nape, cautiously avoiding the hot steam rising out of his wounds. She places two fingers on the side of his neck inches away from the gaping hole where his head used to be, checking for a pulse. She relaxed her poise once she confirmed that he was indeed dead.
"There's no pulse. He's dead." She announced.
The soldiers all let out another cheer in response to the great news. But Miche retained his serious face as he looked over to the sets of houses east of their location where Annie was currently hiding.
"We're not done yet. Leonhart is still hidden somewhere in this village. With her injuries and her only means of escape gone, she won't get far. Search the village until you find her."
"Yes sir!" A squad of MPs and Garrison soldiers rush over to the set of houses still intact while the rest of them stay by the Winged Titan to ensure it's actually dead.
Miche examined every part of him until he noticed a little detail that they'd all overlooked. The Titan's body was still healing.
"I should've known it wouldn't be so easy. If Lazarus was dead, then his body wouldn't be healing. Still, there's no way he can be alive. His head's gone! Nobody can come back from that."
Under normal circumstances, he would be right. But Lazarus was no ordinary person inside or out. He was immortal. Something the Scouts would never have been able to deduce.
Unbeknownst to them, Lazarus's human body started twitching on its own. Even without his head, he was able to retain some measure of control of his body. Like Michael, he was able to save himself by transferring his consciousness throughout the nervous system of his Titan body. As far as they know, his actual body was dead. Which was what he wanted them to think.
He channels his energy into his human left arm, severing its connection to his Titan body and reaching for the sheathed blade on his side. Miche eventually catches a glimpse of him drawing his katana sword. And Rico was still standing behind him, in perfect swinging distance.
"RICO!"
Miche's warning didn't reach her ears fast enough, as she only had a small window to notice the long katana swinging through the air, aimed for her neck. In a single strike, Rico's head is severed from her body with a fast, clean cut to the neck. Her body drops dead to the ground. Blood gushes out of her neck, spraying the soldiers closest to her. Her head rolls down the Winged Titan's body until it ends up stopping right at Miche's feet. The look of shock and slow realisation still frozen on her face.
Miche just stood there paralysed with fear. His eyes often changed from Rico's head to the horrific sight of Lazarus's body moving without his, steam violently bursting out of his exposed neck. It was too much for his logical mind to handle.
The other soldiers all let out another cry, this time of anger. They all charge in on the Winged Titan, readying their Thunder Spears for another strike. But their desire to avenge Rico blinded them to what Lazarus had planned next.
His body retreats into the Winged Titan's nape, which instantly closes up and heals, allowing him to start regaining control of his Titan body. It thrusts its head back and charges up a huge burst of electricity within its body.
It then disperses that bioelectricity in all directions simultaneously, shocking the soldiers and knocking them out of the sky. The electrical strikes not only pass through their chests but also stop their hearts. But they also pass through the Thunder Spears, setting them off in midair. All the soldiers ended up getting blown up by their own Thunder Spears, reducing them to tiny chunks of flesh and a heavy rain of blood that came crashing down on the whole village.
This quick turn-around caused Miche's eyes to widen with terror as he dropped to his knees beside Rico's head. The many drops of blood land on him, staining his body red. But he didn't so much as blink in response to being covered in the remains of his comrades.
The remaining squads who were sent to retrieve Annie all stop what they were doing and look back at the slaughter unleashed by the Winged Titan. They all trembled in fear at the durability of the monster. Even with its wings severed and its eyes and throat blown out, it's still proving to be a formidable force to be reckoned with.
"Are you kidding me?! It's still alive! Even after we've bombarded its nape with Thunder Spears?!" One of the soldiers spoke up.
"What's it gonna take to kill this bastard?!" Another one added.
"I'm starting to think nothing will." A third one muttered under his breath. "What if he can't die?!"
The Winged Titan slowly gets back up on its feet again. Its body was still in the process of healing. His muscled, corpse-like face was exposed, the expression slack as its hardened skin was still repairing itself. By channelling most of his energy into his eyes, Lazarus was able to regrow them within their sockets, allowing him to see again.
Within the Titan's nape, Lazarus's actual head was still growing back. At the moment it was just an exposed skull with his horns attached to the top of it. His actual eyeballs were resting within their sockets, only held in place by a few strands of muscle. The back of his skull was still broken, exposing his pulsing brain.
Right now, his humanity was gone, forcing Lazarus's Titan body to act entirely on instinct until his brain had fully repaired itself. As of this moment, his instincts were telling him to go over to Annie and save her, completely unaware of the many soldiers he'd just obliterated with his lightning.
The Winged Titan slowly stumbled towards the location of the remaining soldiers. Its tongue was hanging out its mouth. Its throat was still torn open, preventing him from making any sounds other than a horrific gurgling.
"It's coming this way! Ready the Thunder Spears to-
The soldier was immediately cut off by an explosion occurring behind him and his comrades. The explosion managed to consume a vast majority of the remaining troops, reducing them to ashes. While those quickest to react managed to zoom out of range on their ODM gear.
Once they were safe, they managed to figure out that the explosion was the result of Annie finally regaining enough strength and energy to transform into the Female Titan. The house she was hiding in explodes outwards, sending bits of debris everywhere as her Titan body rises out of the cramped space.
The reappearance of the Female Titan was what helped Miche snap out of his fear-induced trance. It hadn't been that long ago since she was first discovered and captured. But to him, it felt like years since he'd seen the Titan that slaughtered many of his comrades standing tall before him again.
"It's the Female Titan! Kill her!"
"She ain't got protective armour. A few Thunder Spears to the nape should put her down for good!" A random soldier bragged as he readied his Thunder Spear.
The Female Titan uses her quick reflexes to dodge the incoming Thunder Spear and grab the soldier. She then crushes him within her grasp and tosses him aside. Her eyes were now set on the others heading her way.
She takes up a runner's stance and sprints towards them. She lifts her leg back and performs a sideways kick at them, smacking them out of the air and killing them all on impact, their bodies becoming a slurry of red meat that splattered against the surrounding houses.
Watching what remains of his squad getting ruthlessly slaughtered like that gave Miche all the strength he needed to stand up and draw his blades. Enraged, he unleashes a murderous battle cry that attracts both Annie and Lazarus's attention.
"It's just him now. He's the only one left to stand in our way. And yet he still thinks he has a chance of stopping us." Annie thought to herself within the nape of her Titan.
The Female Titan glances over at the Winged. She noticed that it was still struggling to stand upright. Its eyes were twitching relentlessly.
"Lazarus? Are you ok?" She asked, worried for him.
"Who's… Lazarus?" He responded in a murmur, as though even his thoughts weren't quite there. His brain was still recovering, preventing him from thinking clearly.
Annie couldn't help but feel heartbroken seeing him in the state he's in now. He may be immortal, but that didn't prevent him from suffering from his injuries. She couldn't imagine the torture of having your head grow back, whilst slowly regaining the missing parts of his brain.
The Female Titan stands in front of the Winged and stares down at Miche. It was now her turn to save him. He is in no shape to continue fighting, and he will be of no use to the others in this vegetative state. The best she could do is kill Miche and help move him somewhere safe so his body can heal without interruption.
As the two of them ready themselves for their clash, Miche thinks back to everything he'd done for the Scouts, and all of humanity, throughout his years as a soldier. He knows he stands no chance against the Female alone. They were all out of Thunder Spears, and he was down to his last blades. If he timed his attacks carefully and aimed for her vitals, he may be able to buy himself some time. But in the end, the outcome was clear to him. He will die, and they will escape. But at least he'll have bought the others time to be prepared for their imminent arrival.
Miche raises his blades high. "FOR HUMANITY!" He declared proudly as he blasted off on his ODM gear towards the Female Titan.
He was expecting her to make a move and attempt to strike him, giving him an opening to slash her Achilles heels and bring her down so he could go for the nape. But instead, Annie was just standing there. She wasn't even making any gesture for a kind of long-range attack. She was waiting for him to come to her.
"She's just standing there?" Miche slows his approach, trying to figure out what she was planning. "No! I won't retreat! I will do everything in my power to delay your departure! You are NOT gonna take away our one chance at freedom!"
As Miche closed in on the Female Titan, he readies his blades to cut her to ribbons. But his intended target decided to grab a hold of the Winged Titan's hands and pull him close, using him as a shield. Miche's blade break on contact with Lazarus's hardened skin, leaving him defenceless.
The Female Titan then reaches out and grabs him through the underarm of the Winged's right arm. Miche struggles within her grasp but is incapable of escaping. The two Titans look down at the helpless lieutenant. Miche coughs up blood as he can feel Annie's grip tightening around him. He could feel his bones breaking within his body as well as the oxygen in his lungs being squeezed out of him with every increase in pressure.
"Humanity… will prevail… You will… never win." He uttered his final words before being crushed to death in Annie's hands. His whole body had been reduced to a huge blood stain on her palm, which she gradually wiped off in the grass.
The Winged Titan starts to stumble, forcing the Female to grab his right arm and drape it over her shoulder. She guides the two of them out of what's left of the village and out into the open fields. That fight took a lot out of her man, leaving him in a weakened state. He needs to be back up to full strength if he is to fly them back to Shiganshina and provide the Warriors an edge in the final battle with the Paradis people.
"Hold on, Lazarus. I'll get you somewhere secluded so you can heal in peace."
She eventually manages to get him far enough away from Wall Sina and into yet another forest of giant trees. The middle of the forest was deemed the safest place for her to offload the Winged Titan. She gently lowers him down under a tall tree, allowing him to heal at a much faster rate. His regenerative powers can work much faster whenever he's relaxed and not burning through his stamina.
His face, mask, and armour plating were able to heal the fastest, but his wings still needed time to grow back and up to speed if he was to fly again.
"I don't mean to rush you. I know you've been through so much. But you have to heal faster. Michael and the others won't last long on their own. They need you, Lazarus… I need you." Annie mentally spoke softly, hoping his brain had recovered enough for him to hear her thoughts.
The Female Titan leans in close to the Winged Titan and cups the side of his head with her left hand. Her fingers and thumb rested in between the lowest set of horns behind his long, pointed ear. She then pulls him in for a Titan-on-Titan kiss on the lips. (Although his Titan didn't have any lips)
"You risked everything to save me, even when the others prioritised Eren's capture first. I would still be trapped in that cocoon if it wasn't for you. Who knows how long it would've been until I was able to escape… Now you must do the same for the others. It is your duty as leader of our unit."
There was still no response from Lazarus. The Female lowers her head and decides to sit down next to him. She takes hold of his right hand and intertwines his fingers with her own, grasping his hand tightly. She turns away from Lazarus and keeps an eye and ear out for any other possible ambushes. But the forest was quiet, apart from the occasional wildlife.
She continued to sit there in silence, waiting for the Winged Titan to recover enough to fly them back. She was then startled by the feeling of the Winged Titan's hand closing around hers. His finger movements were slow so that he'd take care not to accidentally pierce her flesh with its claws.
She quickly turns back towards the Winged Titan. Her eyes widen with joy once she sees him able to move on his own. He slowly turns his head to meet her eye-to-eye.
"An… Annie?" He uttered weakly, but clearly.
"Lazarus!" She telepathically shouted in excitement.
The Female Titan lunges straight into the Winged's arms, clinging to him like she hadn't seen him in years. The Winged Titan returns the gesture and wraps its arms around her.
The loving embrace was interrupted by the sudden loudness of the Winged Titan's roaring, forcing the Female to let go and back away from him. The Winged Titan got back up on its feet and hunched its back forwards. Its roar only grew louder as two lumps of flesh were pushing out of his back as if something was forcing its way out of him.
Suddenly, with its head reeled back, the Winged Titan unleashes one final roar as a new set of wings burst out of his back and spread out to the sides. His exposed back shows them being connected to his spine before getting covered up again. He looks over each of them and gives them a couple of flaps, loosening them up for the flight back to Shiganshina.
Satisfied with their functionality, he approaches the Female Titan from behind and wraps his left arm around her torso.
"Uh, Lazarus? Is now really the time to be doing-
She shuts herself up from her perverted assumption once she realises that he is actually holding her Titan body still while he cuts her out of the nape with his free hand.
He carved a circle around the nape with a sharp fingernail, exposing Annie's actual body without accidentally harming her. Annie soon breaks free of her Titan body and falls out of it, landing right into the Winged Titan's palm. Lazarus's hat was resting safely atop her head, causing Lazarus to let out a relieved sigh. He'd been so caught up in the action that he'd forgotten he'd given it to her.
"Kept this safe for you like you asked." She glances up at him as she secures the strap under her chin.
"Thank you." The Winged Titan gently replied. He then glances to his right and stares out into the open landscape. The sun was now resting in the centre of the sky, implying that it was noon.
"We've wasted enough time! We have to get back to Shiganshina as quickly as possible. Hold on tight."
The Winged Titan carefully curls up his fingers around Annie, holding her close with the right amount of pressure to ensure she's secure without crushing her. He then dashes out of the forest. His wings stretched outwards as he exited the forest and entered the open clearing. Though he struggled at first, he was able to gain enough momentum to launch himself off the ground and begin the long-awaited flight back to Shiganshina. He hadn't fully adjusted to testing out his newly grown wings, but he didn't let that stop him from fulfilling his promise to Michael and the others.
"Hang on, Michael. The cavalry's coming."
Back in Shiganshina, the Colossal Titan continued its slow, but effective, rampage, scattering burning houses everywhere, hoping to finish off whoever was left of Hange's squad. Turning Shiganshina into a sea of flames.
Michael and Reiner were still safely secure within the crystal dome in the corner of the wall. They both managed to survive the Colossal's blast that occurred a few minutes ago. Their injuries were still healing from the continuous Thunder Spear strikes to their napes. Between the two of them, Reiner's injuries were more severe. Like Lazarus, he was struggling to regenerate the part of his missing head, though he was healing at a much slower rate.
The Crystal Titan kept a lookout on what was going on outside whilst the Armoured just lay there and let its body repair itself. He could see Bertolt. It would be impossible not to spot a Titan his size. But he could not locate Eren and the others yet. Going out there was not an option either in case they were waiting for him to come out of his dome and get bombarded by more Thunder Spears. His best bet was to wait for Eren to attempt to attack Bertolt himself. Knowing he alone would be stupid enough to take on a Titan ten times his size.
The Colossal Titan begins making its way towards the edge of the wall where the inner gate is. The Attack Titan and the five remaining Scouts get in his path and attempt to stop him.
"From what I'm seeing, Jean appears to be leading the charge." Michael thought to himself. He was then surprised to see the Attack Titan charge tackle the Colossal's left leg and try to push it back, hoping to knock him on his ass.
But Eren's blind aggression left him at the mercy of Bertolt, who ended up kicking him right into the top of the wall directly above the inner gate. The impact had put him out of commission throughout the rest of the battle.
"Ooooh... That's what you get for trying to wrestle the Colossal Titan. With Eren incapacitated, now's our chance to rip him out of his Titan body and capture him."
He then notices the others all attempt to attack Bertolt with their last Thunder Spears. Mikasa goes first. But the immense pressure of steam emitting out of its nape was strong enough to blast them backwards, triggering their explosion unintentionally. Mikasa survived the explosion but ended up falling back down to earth. Though Michael knew that wasn't the end of her.
"My body's not 100% healed, but I should have enough strength to climb up the wall and secure Eren." He glances down at the Armoured Titan still recovering beside him. "You rest up, Reiner. In case I fail to get to him, I need you to take over once you've recovered… Ok, here goes nothing."
The Crystal Titan opens up a hole in the centre of the dome and strolls through it. His Titan body was almost back up to full strength now. Getting past his former teammates should be a cinch, he thought as the dome closed itself behind him.
On the other side of the wall, Levi was standing atop a tower recovering from what felt like endless hours flying around and slicing up small Titans. As he was getting his breath back, he took the time to process the massive explosion that went off within the district.
"Shit. That explosion just now... Are Hange and the others alright? Or did they get caught up in it too?" He shakes his head, refusing to accept that outcome. "I need to get to the other side and-
Time started to slow down from his perspective as he noticed a few stones flying past his eyes. He slowly turns around and notices the Beast Titan is standing in a different pose than before. His eyes widened in shock once he realised what was going on.
He only had moments to react as a bombardment of rocks came hurtling through the air like cannonballs, tearing up all the houses, and people, standing in the way of it's trajectory. A huge cloud of dust and red mist covered the area as the rocks landed.
Erwin trembled slightly at the sight of it. What they're witnessing is not red mist, but specks of blood that splattered all over the front side of the town. The Scouts unfortunate enough to escape had been shredded into tiny pieces by the sharp rocks and exploding debris. There was nothing left of them. Not even so much as a piece of flesh.
The Beast Titan flexes its pitching hand as it gleefully admires its first successful throw. The Cart Titan appeared behind him, rolling another boulder for him to throw later.
"Hmm, that one was a little harder than I would've liked." He notices Pieck approaching out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, good work. Leave it there." He wastes no time picking up another boulder and crumbling it into more tiny chunks for him to throw again for another strike.
"No problem, we'll just consider the first pitch a warmup." He says as he stretches his arm back, lining himself up for another throw like how a pitcher would during a baseball game. Just like how Tom Xaver taught him. "I'm going for nothing less than a perfect game today."
Erwin was the first to spot the Beast Titan preparing its next throw and jolts into action, shaking himself from his state of shock to warn the others below.
"FRONTAL BOMBARDMENT! ALL TROOPS TAKE COVER NOW!"
Levi guides the surviving Scouts with the horses to cover behind the row of houses closest to the wall to avoid the second bombardment. Unfortunately, not all of them were fast enough to get to cover. The Scouts in the back were the ones to meet the same horrific fate as the veterans who came before them.
Those who had survived started succumbing to fear as they felt the blood of their comrades land on their faces. Some of them also suffered from tinnitus as a result of being near the crashing rocks, filling their ears with a painful ringing sound.
Levi tried his best to get them to the wall as a third bombardment approached them at high speed. But many cadets, and the horses, were too afraid to keep going.
Erwin realises the problem and decides to come down and persuade them himself. Eventually, all that remained of the Scouts on their side of the wall were safely hidden behind the houses near the wall.
"Erwin, how's it looking?" Levi asked.
"Terrible. The front line of houses is gone. He decimated them. If he keeps throwing those, everything will be levelled. We won't have anything left to hide behind."
"And we can't retreat to the other side of the wall?" Levi suggested.
Erwin shook his head. "No. The Colossal Titan is already heading this way, setting fire to everything in its path. Theoretically, we could scale the wall to avoid the stones, but the horses can't. We retreat here and there's no hope for victory."
"What happened to Hange's group? Is Eren alright?" Levi asked.
"For now… The Colossal Titan kicked him directly into the wall. I doubt he has any strength left to move. Most of the others got caught up in the explosion. We've sustained a great many casualties. The Beast Titan directed the small
Titans in such a way that our soldiers would group up in one place. Dirk Squad, Marlene Squad, and Klaus Squad were engaging the small Titans, which put them in the line of fire when he launched the bombardment. They were all wiped out." He pauses briefly to address the remaining Scouts who are all glaring at him in horror and despair. "In other words, our remaining forces on this side of the gate consist of you new Scout recruits, Captain Levi, and me… No others."
A fourth bombardment soon passes over them, causing all Scouts – apart from Levi and Erwin – to duck behind the houses as the rocks came crashing into the side of the wall. Erwin and Levi didn't even so much as bat an eyelid in response to it. They expected it to happen.
But there was one thing that they didn't expect. And that something came in the form of a looming shadow that quickly passed over them. Followed by a Titan roar that echoed down to their level from above.
All eyes were directed to the sky. Everyone was horrified to see the Winged Titan flying over them. Even Erwin and Levi were shocked by the sight of it. Marlo was just as terrified as the other recruits. But unlike the others, he knew Lazarus before he was revealed to be a traitor.
"So, he's finally decided to show himself," Levi uttered, his fists clenching in anger.
"Yes… The Winged Titan has arrived." Erwin regrettably replied. "If he's here… Then that means Miche, and his entire squad, have been wiped out. We're all that stand between him and victory now."
Erwin thinks back to the day the Winged Titan unleashed the Hellfire Force to obliterate the army of Titans Eren sent after them. If he were to use that power again within Shiganshina, then there was no escape for any of them. He doubted that even the wall would be strong enough to contain an explosion far greater and more devastating than the Colossal Titan.
"As bad as this looks, Lazarus would not dare use that explosive attack without killing his comrades and Eren. We know that's not an option. But even without that power, he's still too strong for what remains of Hange's squad to handle."
"You still want me to go after the Beast Titan?" Levi asked. "We both know I have the highest chance of taking down the Winged. Let me scale up the wall and bring the bastard crashing down."
"No. Your priority hasn't changed. If you go after Lazarus, you will die. And the Scouts need you. Our only hope for victory is to take down the Beast Titan. If we can at least obtain its power, we may have a chance at taking down the Winged and the others."
Levi lets out a sigh of defeat and follows orders as he usually does. However, he still doubts Erwin's plan. As always, he's taking big risks. Probably the biggest risk of them all.
In the distance, the Beast Titan smiles in response to the Winged Titan finally returning to the battlefield.
"Lazarus…. Hehehehe. Just the tactical advantage we need to ensure 100% victory."
The Colossal Titan continued its approach towards the gate. With Eren incapacitated, and the the squad's ODM gear useless against him, nothing was standing in his way.
Armin was trying to deduct a plan to take Bertolt down before he could spread the fiery buildings over the walls and towards what was left of the Scouts on the other side. But he wasn't confident enough to lead them. His plan to reason with Bertolt failed, resulting in the deaths of Hange and the majority of their squad. He no longer had faith in his abilities.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the Crystal Titan was now making its way up the wall. "How could this day possibly get any worse?" Connie voiced his thoughts out loud.
It didn't take long for Connie's jinx to come back to haunt him as he and the others all bore witness to the long-awaited return of the Winged Titan standing atop the wall. It was standing right above the Crystal Titan's location, a few feet away from where Eren was. The Crystal Titan was climbing the wall using the same method Reiner used.
Lazarus lowers his right arm, offering Michael a helping hand that he accepts. The two friends were reunited once more atop the wall in full view of everyone on both sides.
Eren was incapable of moving as of right now, but he was aware Lazarus was close by. He recognised his Titan roar anywhere.
"Sasha, smack him again for jinxing us and making things worse," Jean spoke up in a deadpan tone.
Sasha happily obliged and bonked Connie atop his shaved head just like before when he made that terrible pun of having a roof over their heads as a reference to the flying, flaming houses Bertolt threw earlier.
"We're dead. There's nothing we can do against Michael, Lazarus, and Bertolt." Jean muttered under his breath. He didn't want the others to hear him. Giving up hope automatically guaranteed victory for the Warriors. He needed to keep their spirits high, even if it did look like they had no chance.
Back atop the wall, the Winged and Crystal Titans look down at Erwin and the Scouts on the inside of the wall, and then over to Shiganshina where the Colossal Titan was almost halfway across it.
"I know I've arrived much later than I intended, but what matters is that I showed up as promised, right?" The Winged Titan addressed his crystal-covered ally.
"Where's Annie? Did you save her?" Michael telepathically asked.
"She's safe outside the walls and away from any Titans. I came back as soon as I dropped her off." The Winged Titan places its hand atop the Crystal's left shoulder. "You did well holding out for this long, Michael. You and the others. Now it's time for me to take care of the rest. Make sure Eren is secured. After that, get Reiner out of here. We'll meet you outside the walls."
"Not without my dad!" Michael quickly responded. "I'm taking him with us too. I'll grab him and Eren and meet up with you, okay?"
The Winged Titan sighs and turns around to face Shiganshina and the Colossal Titan. "Do what you must. Just make sure you get yourself to safety. I'll protect Bertolt."
The Winged Titan leaps off of the wall and takes flight once more. He lowers himself down to eye level with the Colossal Titan who comes to a complete stop upon noticing him.
"Glad to see you took my advice to heart, Bertolt. Keep doing what you're doing. I'll defend you."
The Winged Titan then proceeds to land atop the Colossal's right shoulder. It perches itself while tucking its wings into its back and keeping an eye out for the remaining Scouts using his enhanced birds-eye vision.
The Crystal Titan started to approach Eren. Mikasa and the others attempt to scale up the wall and reach him. But they were all forced to back off when a sudden fireball came hurtling in their direction. The flames came from Lazarus who was still sitting atop Colossal Titan's shoulder, acting as a shoulder-mounted cannon to not only keep Bertolt safe but also keep them off Michael's back so he can retrieve Eren.
Both Scout squads were caught between a rock and a hard place now. They can't attack either one of the three Warriors without getting seriously hurt. But they can't just stand around and wait for Michael to reach Eren either. They all turn to Armin in their time of need, praying that he'll come up with a strategy to defeat them.
But he had nothing planned. And just when they thought three Warrior powerhouses were considered overkill. Now they've got four. The Armoured Titan had finally recovered from the Thunder Spear attacks and punched its way out of the crystal dome to join the others.
Within the lands of Wall Maria, the Beast Titan continued its hailstorm of stones in the hopes of wiping out the rest of the Scouts. He knew they were all hiding behind the houses close to the wall. All he had to do was destroy them all until there was no cover left.
Levi was beginning to see this mission as a complete failure, especially with the untimely arrival of Lazarus. Their best hope now was to wake Eren up and have him carry as many people as he could back to Wall Rose. At least then they'd have some form of victory, and a few survivors on top of that.
But Erwin still refused to retreat. His determination to see what was in Grisha's cellar and learn the truth of the world was too strong for him to turn tail and run. But he can see the terror in his soldiers' eyes. They've all given up. All of them were beginning to question what the point of it all was. They're broken beyond repair. They all knew what they signed up for and believed they had what it takes to be a Scout. But they're all that's left now. All the veterans are dead.
Erwin then hears the sound of thundering footsteps atop the wall. He glances up to see that it is the Crystal Titan making its move against Eren while he's too weak to move. He knew he'd survived the Colossal Titan's explosion. But part of him wished that he hadn't. Because he didn't want him to get a clear view of what he had planned next.
Erwin gathers the recruits together and begins what may be his final inspirational speech. He still had one way to beat the enemy Titan Shifters, but it could go a few ways. The smallest of which could result in the death of the Beast Titan. But to obtain that outcome, he and the recruits must lead a suicide charge. The Survey Corps may live on without him if Levi and the others manage to survive. But it was still highly unlikely.
Erwin decided to lead the charge himself. It was the only way he could convince these youths to ride to their deaths alongside him. Had there been any other way he would've taken it in a heartbeat. But there wasn't one. He will die today never knowing the truth. Never telling his son how much he loved him despite turning his back on the Scouts.
As he leads the Scouts on horseback out into the open on a direct path to the Beast Titan, the Crystal Titan is closing in on Eren. However, he stops once he notices Erwin leading the suicide charge.
"Dad?! What the hell is he doing?!"
With Michael distracted, Armin used this opening to get to Eren and whisper his plan in his ear. Once that was done, the Attack Titan's body fell forward and came crashing down hard at the front of the blocked-off inner gate.
But the Crystal Titan didn't even bother to take notice. His eyes were fixed on Erwin's charge. He wanted nothing more than to slide down the wall and stop them before they got shredded by the Beast's bombardment. But Levi was waiting at the bottom for him. He intensely stares up at his former ally standing atop the wall.
"Getting a good look, you traitor? All those soldiers. Your father! They're all gonna die because you switched sides! So don't you dare walk away! And don't even think about coming down here either." He draws his blades. "I won't miss this time. I'll carve you up and serve you to Mikasa." Though he couldn't hear a word of what Levi was saying, Michael got the impression that he was blaming him for Erwin's sacrifice.
Contemplating on which of them he should go after was yet another one of Erwin's gambles. Neither of them could ever anticipate how he would respond. But if Michael truly did see him as his father, he anticipated that his sudden death would provoke a reaction out of him. He wanted to force him into a position where he'd have to choose between the success of their mission or Erwin's survival. The question is, which one mattered more to him?
The Beast Titan was crumbling up another boulder for his next strike. But he was surprised to see the Scouts leading a suicide charge against him. All of them formed a wall of soldiers that were rapidly closing the distance between them. They were all letting out an intense battle cry as they rode forward to their deaths.
"Huh? I did expect them to lay down and die, but a suicide charge? For some reason, I thought they'd do better than that." He uttered to himself as he stood back up and readied his fist full of rocks.
"Alright! Fire!" Erwin ordered at the top of his lungs as he fired a green smoke signal into the air. All the other soldiers respond by repeating the same action. They did this in the hopes of confusing the Beast Titan and throwing off his aim a little bit. But it didn't appear to be working.
"Is that smoke?" He wondered out loud. "Oh, it's from those signal guns they use." He raises his arms back and prepares to unleash the bombardment.
"Incoming! Spread out!"
The Scouts all spread out in their best efforts to evade the Beast Titan's barrage of rocks.
As they continued their charge, the inspiring words of Erwin's last speech echoed throughout their minds, giving them all the motivation they needed to continue their charge.
"Everything that you thought had meaning. Every hope, dream, or moment of happiness. None of it matters as you lie bleeding out on the battlefield. None of it changes what a speeding rock does to a body. We all die… But does that mean our lives are meaningless? Does that mean that there was no point in our being born? Would you say that of our slain comrades? What about their lives? Were THEYmeaningless? THEY WERE NOT!"
The Beast Titan unleashes its next wave of flying rocks at the approaching Scouts. Many of them get hit by the bombardment and die instantly. But Erwin and those still running kept pressing forward, determined to see it through to the very end.
"Their memory serves as an example to us all! The courageous fallen! The anguished fallen! Their lives have meaning because we, the living, refuse to forget them! And as we ride to certain death, we trust our successors to do the same for us! Because my soldiers do not buckle or yield when faced with the cruelty of this world!"
Levi manages to reach the end of the row of Titans on the left side of the Beast Titan, using them as an anchor point to reach him. One by one, he slays them and continues onwards, whilst listening to the hardened cries of his comrades.
"MY SOLDIERS PUSH FORWARD!"
The Winged Titan was able to catch a glimpse of the suicide charge from his perch. He couldn't help but look away in despair, knowing Zeke wouldn't hesitate to kill them all. He couldn't convince him to spare their lives even if he tried. He will always make the hardest choices and close his heart to anyone in his way. One of the qualities that made him the better candidate to lead the Warriors instead of him.
"MY SOLDIERS SCREAM OUT!"
The Crystal Titan roars as it reaches out to Erwin with its right arm. "DAD! NOOOOO!"
"MY SOLDIERS RAGE!
But it was too late. The Beast Titan unleashes its next bombardment at the approaching suicidal, but dutiful, soldiers. This time he was successful in taking out a vast majority of them, including Erwin himself.
Time began to slow down from Erwin's perspective as a shrapnel of stone made contact with his gut. His horse topples over, followed shortly by his own body. His life started to flash before his eyes as he could see the ground getting closer. His heart beating in his ears.
Flashes that involved him as a child in school speaking up in front of the class to his father, the teacher. His father shared with him his theories on the world beyond the wall. His father's death. Him joining the military as a young adult alongside the commander of the Military Police, Nile Dok. Him joining the Scouts and becoming second in command to Keith Shadis before inevitably taking his place. Then he saw memory flashes of Michael from the day he first rescued him, raised him as his own, to the present day.
Those memories forced a small smile across his face. He glances back at the Crystal Titan atop the wall. He could tell that he was grieving for him.
"I'm sorry, Michael. Despite everything we've done together, I wasn't able to keep my promise to you… Go home, my son. Nothing is holding you here anymore. Just forget about Eren and return to the world you come from… Do it before Levi kills you and takes away your power."
Erwin's body hits the ground with a deafening thud alongside the other soldiers who were all hit by the barrage of rocks. His eyes slowly start to close. He was still focused on his son, refusing to let anything else be the last thing he saw before departing this world forever.
"Goodbye… Michael." He uttered his final words as he exhaled his last breath. With one fell swoop, the bravest, most determined, courageous, and beloved leader of the Survey Corps was dead.
To Be Continued