Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 48: Midnight Sun
Back inside Shiganshina, Lazarus managed to recover from being violently crushed and blown up by the Colossal Titan. At the last second, just as it was about to impact the ground, Lazarus managed to eject himself out of his Titan body and get out of range of the impact. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough to evade the fiery explosion that followed.
His whole body was consumed by the flames. His Cloud Zero ODM gear exploded from the blast and caused him to crash hard to the stone-slab ground. His clothes – apart from his trousers – were all burned off in the flames. Bits and pieces of his Cloud Zero landed all around him.
He survived, but his body had suffered from massive third-degree burns. Both his legs had been blown off in the explosion, leaving his ability to crawl as his only method of transportation. All the smoke that covered the area would've been poisonous to him, had his body not been redesigned to breathe fire. But as of this moment, he was in no condition to transform again, or even fight in his human form.
He looks over the whole area and manages to catch a glimpse of the Cart Titan escaping over the wall with all the members of the Omega Warrior Unit. He breathes a sigh of relief knowing that they're all safe, alongside Annie who is awaiting their return. All he can do now is focus all his energy on healing himself and regaining enough stamina to transform and fly out of there.
The smoke started to clear up around him, allowing him to spot the metal case that contained Ymir's letter to Historia lying a few feet in front of him. He was happy to see it still intact after everything he's been through. He missed his chance to bring it to her when he rescued Annie. The opportunity hadn't presented itself then, and it still hasn't now. His best course of action is to have the Scouts deliver it for him.
Lazarus struggles to crawl over to the case as his body is still in a lot of pain from the loss of his legs and his whole body being burnt. But he didn't let that stop him from keeping his promise to Ymir. He'd never broken a promise to anyone before, and he wouldn't start now.
He reaches out to grab it with his right hand, only to be rejected by a mysterious figure who slowly approaches him and grabs it before he can. His eyes slowly drifted upwards to see who it was. He was not surprised to see that it was Mikasa who'd beat him to it. She just stares down at him with a coldness in her eyes. Sadly, it wasn't cold enough to cool his burnt body.
"It looks like you're the only one left." She muttered before grabbing him by the left horn and dragging him across the ground. Lazarus grunted in pain and tried to scramble free, but Mikasa had no intention of letting him go. She didn't hesitate to sever his arms, rendering him limbless, and easier to drag to the others without resistance. He was at her mercy.
He was inevitably brought face-to-face with Hange, Jean, Sasha, and Connie. All of them were equally displeased to see his treacherous face again. He couldn't bring himself to look them in the eyes again after everything he'd done to them. Whatever form of torture they had planned he was ready to accept it. Even if they tortured him forever, it wouldn't have made up for the sins he'd committed.
"My my, how the tables have turned." Jean taunted as he paced back and forth in front of him. "How's it feel to be looked down upon for a change, huh?"
Lazarus remained silent and kept his eyes on the ground, refusing to give him the satisfaction of getting in his head. Annoyed by his silence, Jean decides to kick him in the stomach, forcing him closer to the floor and gasping for air. He then continuously stomps on his back. His rage builds up with every kick.
"Bastard! Think keeping quiet is gonna make it all go away?! That's not how it works! You don't get to fly away this time! Not after everything you and your twisted buddies have done! All those soldiers you've killed!" He shouted down at him, increasing the strength of his kicks with every slur.
"That's enough, Jean! Leave him alone!" Sasha unexpectedly stood up for him. She quickly covered her mouth once she realised the gravitas of what she'd just done.
"Are you kidding me?! Even after all we've been through, you STILL believe he's a good person?! Are you on their side too, Sasha?! You gonna turn against us just like your man-crush did?!" Jean directed his rage at her next.
Sasha trembled with fear and confusion. She started to stutter in her words, struggling to give him an answer, fearing that no matter what she said, they wouldn't like it.
Hange then decided to step in and approach Lazarus with the metal case Mikasa had given to her. She kneels to his level and pulls him back up by the hair to look him in the eye. She holds the case in front of his face, finally triggering a response from him.
"Hello again, Lazarus. Or should I say, Winged Titan? It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" She spoke in a soft, yet venomous, tone. She was resisting the urge to cut him up and make him suffer for everything he's done. But he was the only enemy Titan Shifter left. They need him alive if they are to transfer his powers to a wounded soldier.
Since he didn't respond she continued her interrogation. "What's this metal case Mikasa found? Before she closed in and chopped off your limbs you used what strength you had left to grab at it. So what's inside? Suicide pills? A bomb?"
Lazarus's eyes gently gaze up at Hange and the case as he finally decides to talk. "… It's a letter."
"A letter? What does it say?"
"It's for Historia. Ymir wrote it. I promised her I'd deliver it to her." He narrowly glares at every one of his former comrades before focusing on the section commander again. "Do whatever you want with me. Just… make sure she gets to read it. You can check it yourself if that helps. As long as I know I fulfilled her last wish, that's good enough for me."
Hange takes a moment to think it over. She cannot trust anything coming out of the albino's mouth after his betrayal. It sounded like he was telling the truth, but they knew that he was very good at lying. So good that he even fooled her, Levi, and even Erwin into believing he was a trusted ally.
She opens the case first and confirms that there was indeed a letter inside. At least this time he was being truthful, she thought… for once.
"She'll get it, but only after we've inspected it." She places the case in her pocket and stands up. "Now then, I've got lots of questions you can answer but," She draws one of her blades and points it at him.
Lazarus didn't so much as flinch. Even when the blade was a few inches away from his eye. He couldn't help but be reminded of the same scare tactic Hange used on Annie in Stohess.
"You're a tough one. If you don't wanna talk then I can't make you. So, I'll ask. Will you cooperate and tell us everything we want to know?" She asked.
"No." He simply responded in such a calm manner. "I won't betray my friends." He looks over the others a second time. "Not again."
"Thank you, Lazarus. It helps to see that you're ready for death!"
In a fit of anger, Hange presses her blade against his throat in an attempt to kill him for good. Lazarus grunts in response to the blade cutting deeper into his neck but refuses to give her any indication that he regrets his actions and begs for mercy. He'd accepted what he'd done and would take the consequences. His last-ditch effort to show them that he's still an honourable man despite his actions.
This only pissed Hange off even more. He didn't have the right to accept his fate like this. She wanted him to suffer as much as he made them suffer with his deceit.
"I've been through all kinds of pain. Nothing you do can make me beg for mercy even if I wanted to. That's just how I was made." He weakly uttered in between breaths.
"Grrr! Shut up!" Hange shouted in anger. She's reached her limit with the Warriors and their cursed powers. They have far exceeded her understanding too many times than she would've liked. She'd been fooled by Lazarus many times by having her believe she'd understood his power, only to unveil a new power she never could've anticipated and gain an advantage. She refused to underestimate his power again.
Jean then decided to step in and break it up, which was ironic considering his outburst moments ago. As she said, they still needed him alive so that they could take control of the Winged Titan's power.
Hange eventually backs off and allows Lazarus's throat to heal. He starts coughing up blood in response to her sudden attack.
"Get something to hold him. We'll bring him to Levi. He'll decide who gets to eat him." She instructed them.
For some strange reason, those words were what finally provoked a reaction out of Lazarus. He struggles against his bonds, begging Hange not to turn one of their own into a Titan and feed him to it. That outburst brought a smile to Hange's face. Maybe she should've led with that first, she thought.
"You don't understand! If you feed me to a random soldier, they'll-
Jean quickly gags his mouth with a torn piece of cloth, cutting off whatever it was he was trying to say. "That's enough outta you, devil!" He and Mikasa then tie him up with rope and proceed to drag him across the ground over to where Eren and Levi are.
As they carried him, Erwin's explanation about the Titan transformation serum started to play out in Jean's head.
"Pay close attention." Erwin opens up the case and shows the syringe and the bottle of Titan serum to all the members of the Scouts.
"I'm about to explain how we can get maximum value from this syringe. Using its contents, we can steal any Titan's powers. That goes for the Winged, Colossal, Armoured, Beast, and Crystal Titans. As for how, we first need to defeat one of these intelligent Titans. Then we'll inject one of our comrades, turning them into a Pure Titan. They'll be in that mindless state only for a brief time. Once they consume the captured foe, they'll revert back into a human but gain the power to shift forms at will."
"However, the Crystal Titan power follows its own set of rules. It was designed to only be inherited by someone of the same blood as its current user. The Ackerman Clan. Therefore, only Captain Levi and cadet Mikasa, are the only ones capable of using it. Since Captain Levi has refused to inherit the power, Mikasa will be our only choice should we fail to capture any other Shifter."
Many of the cadets look over in Mikasa's direction. Even Eren was surprised to hear her willingly accept such a responsibility without question. While Mikasa would gladly do it if it meant protecting Eren. Armin couldn't help but wonder what her Crystal Titan would look like compared to Michael's.
"If this is achieved, not only will we gain knowledge and a powerful weapon. We'll also be able to bring one of our soldiers back from the brink of death. Should you capture an enemy Shifter, be sure to sever their limbs. Once it's safe to do so try to locate Captain Levi… We have only this one injection. The captain will decide when to use it and on whom. Among our five enemy Shifters, our primary target is the Winged Titan. If we can gain control of it, we'll have a major advantage over the enemy. And in time, this war will be as good as over."
Jean had to admit that he never would've expected Lazarus to be the one they'd capture. He assumed he'd be the most difficult of them to weaken and incapacitate. Guess he thought wrong.
They inevitably reach Levi and Eren and toss the limbless Lazarus over to the captain. He attempted to talk again, but the gag wasn't coming off anytime soon.
"Hey there. Not so tall and mighty now, are you?" Levi taunted him. He looked over his entire burnt, limbless body and almost snickered in response to his helplessness. "Amazing. You've gotten uglier somehow. You even smell like you've been in the oven too long. Shitbag!"
Levi pulls out the case containing the syringe and dangles it over him. "Don't worry, we're not gonna kill you. As fun as it would be for me to slice you up. Instead, you're gonna die inside a Titan's stinking mouth. I'd say that's a pretty merciful way to kill ya, right? But we won't stop there. Once Armin takes your powers, we're gonna use them to kill your comrades too. Including that four-eyed brat, Michael… I'm only telling you this because I want you to die knowing that it is YOUR power that'll be the death of them. Even your precious Annie."
Lazarus squinted his eyes in response to Levi's threat and continued to vent his warnings through barely audible muffles.
"Captain, please give me the serum! Armin's barely holding on as it is! Turn him into a Titan, then we can have him eat Lazarus. Hurry up and inject him!" Eren cries out, begging him to put aside his personal grudge and save Armin.
Levi nodded and was about to hand the case over to Eren. Only to be stopped by Floch, the only recruit who survived the Beast Titan's onslaught… With Erwin strapped to his back.
"Captain… I finally found you. It's the commander. He's hurt. His stomach is gouged, and his insides have been torn to shreds. But he's still alive! I thought that injection might save him."
Everyone was shocked by this sudden news. Some were happy to see Erwin managed to survive, though barely. Whilst Eren and Mikasa were starting to feel despair. This meant that they now had a choice on their hands. To save Armin, or Erwin.
Levi, of course, chose Erwin. Floch and Hange backed him up on his decision, believing that Erwin was too valuable to the Survey Corp to lose. As intelligent as Armin is, he lacks the legendary leadership skills the commander had.
Furious with his decision, Eren attempts to steal the syringe from him. Levi kicks him to the side, provoking Mikasa to tackle him and pin a blade up to his neck.
Lazarus stayed quiet amongst all the squabbles. He was just as shocked as the others that Erwin managed to survive. If he could find a way to escape now, he could grab him and Eren and finally get off this island with the others. The mission would finally be over.
Unfortunately, transforming now would mean killing everyone around him, including the two intended targets. And speeding up his regeneration would be useless as they could just cut off his limbs again and again. All he could do was wait and find an opening to get some distance from the others and transform again.
Eventually, Eren and Mikasa were forced to back off and leave the area so that Levi could make his choice. To Lazarus's surprise, he had decided to revive Armin instead. Believing that Erwin had suffered long enough and deserved peace at last.
After injecting Armin, Levi removes Lazarus's gag.
"Don't do this, Levi! You'll only end up killing him!"
"Shut up. The only reason I'm taking this off is because I wanna hear your screams whilst you're being chewed up in Armin's mouth. So all of humanity can rest peacefully knowing we don't have to fear you anymore… Don't worry. We'll make sure your powers are put to good use."
With his final words said, Levi departs and retreats to a safe distance. A burst of energy erupts out of Armin. His whole body is consumed by Titan flesh until at last, his Pure Titan form is fully manifested. Once the metamorphosis is complete, Armin's Titan spots Lazarus squirming on the roof and reaches out for him.
"You guys don't understand! My powers cannot be taken by anyone! If he eats me, he'll die! You're killing him!" He shouted down at them at the top of his lungs. There was no response from the others. They all just sat there and watched as Lazarus was getting eaten by Armin's Pure Titan.
"Shit! They're not listening! This is gonna hurt!… I'm so sorry, Armin." These were his final thoughts until he was temporarily silenced by Armin. The pain only lasted seconds since his head was the first to get chomped off, followed by the rest of his body.
Once it was over, the surviving members of the Scout Regiment waited patiently for the Titan to drop dead and allow Armin to emerge from its nape. Reborn as the new Winged Titan.
But nothing happened. Armin's Pure Titan just stood there. It saw them sitting atop the rooftop, but it chose not to go after them. It even ignored the still injured Erwin lying on the roof next to him.
"Somethings wrong," Eren muttered to himself. "He should've changed back by now. Why's it taking so long?"
"Maybe it takes longer depending on the size of the Titan?" Connie suggested, trying to reassure him that everything was fine.
"If he'd eaten Bertolt maybe," Jean added. "But The Winged Titan is fifteen meters tall like all the others. There must be another reason why-
They were suddenly silenced by the eerie, painfully loud shrieks of Armin's Titan, forcing everyone to cover their ears. Armin's Titan started twisting and bending, his flesh bulging disturbingly like he'd been possessed. Eren and Mikasa were scared for their friend, wondering what was happening to him.
Armin's Titan continued to roar in agony as some sort of contusion was forming on his back. It was as if something was forcing its way out of his back, pushing against the flesh.
Suddenly, two large dragon-like wings burst out of his back and spread outwards, destroying the houses in its range. At first, the others thought this might be a good sign. Maybe this was his way of growing wings for the first time. Having two extra limbs on your back would be a very unpleasant experience for anyone, they thought.
But their hopes were unfairly ripped away at the sight of the Winged Titan's arm bursting out of Armin's stomach. This was followed up by its six-horned head. Using its immense strength, the Winged Titan completely bursts out of Armin's Titan body, blasting it, and Armin, to pieces. What's left of him rained down upon him and the others like heavy rain. Eren and Mikasa were traumatised at seeing their friend being brutally massacred and mutilated right in front of them. With them getting soaked in his blood being the icing on the cake.
"Ar…min… no." Eren weakly uttered in despair and hopelessness.
The Winged Titan glances down at the severed head of Armin's Titan lying beside his feet. It was the only part of him still intact. The Winged Titan closed its eyes and turned away from him, ashamed that he had to do that. Had a better opportunity come along they could've avoided this.
"What happened?! What did you do?!" Levi shouted over at the Winged Titan with a mighty rage.
"That was your fault. I warned you that it wouldn't work, that you'd only end up killing him. But you wouldn't listen." The Scouts were all still processing what had just happened to fully respond. Lazarus took that as his only chance to explain what happened before leaving.
"I'm nothing like Reiner, Bertolt, and the others. I never inherited the Winged Titan from anyone. It was created within me, ONLY for me. Any attempt to devour me and take it only results in the death of the injected. It cannot be taken away. For better or worse, the Winged Titan and I are stuck together forever. Instead of saving Armin, you cost him his life. You killed him. Not me!" He vented at them, showing that he was just as upset by this as they were.
"How the hell are you even still alive?!" Mikasa spoke up. "We all saw you get eaten. You should be dead!"
The Winged Titan glances over at Eren before responding with an answer. "It's like I told you before, Eren. You couldn't kill me even if you tried. Because I can't ever die. I'm an immortal being. Not by choice. It was the price I had to pay to obtain this power… Why do you think I've been begging you to give up and not fight me? A fight with me is a fight you can never win. And I don't want to kill any more of you… To my eyes, you're still my friends and comrades. You all deserve to live long, peaceful lives. And so do my friends on the other side of this war."
The Winged Titan then decided to take his leave. He had no reason to stick around anymore. He'll just grab Eren from above and ascend to the skies before they get the chance to attack. No more blood needed to be spilt.
"Live your lives, members of the Scout Regiment. Live them well." He calmly addressed them before turning his back on them for the last time.
"No way!" Eren finally finds the push he needs to get back up and face down his greatest enemy. "No way I'm gonna let you get away with killing Armin! I will make you suffer for everything you've done! As long as you still live, we will NEVER be free!"
Eren triggers his Titan transformation for the third time now and lets out an anger-induced roar at the Winged Titan, who stops in its tracks and glances over his left shoulder at him.
A revelation occurs within Lazarus's mind. He'd seen this before. It was one of his visions of the future he saw during his training within the 104th Cadet Corps. The vision of him staring down Eren's Attack Titan with its fists up within the ruins of Shiganshina.
"So, this is it? This is the vision I saw that day… I understand now. If it's gonna play out exactly as I foresaw it, then I can't afford to fight him."
The Attack Titan roars again as it begins its vengeful charge towards him. He reels back his right fist as it hardens before bringing it forward for a devastating punch. However, he was surprised to see Lazarus catch it without even breaking a sweat. The tips of his claws dig into his knuckles, breaking through the hardened skin and drawing blood.
Eren attempts to punch him again with his other fist, only for it to end up getting caught by his other hand. Enraged, the Attack Titan unleashes another roar directly at the Winged's face, attempting to startle him and weaken his grip. But the Winged Titan wasn't fazed one bit.
He then responds by opening its mouth wide open and unleashing a massive blast of fire at close range, completely engulfing Eren's head in flames. The Attack Titan roars in agony as it can feel its skin, hair, and eyeballs burning away simultaneously. Lazarus then pushes Eren back until he ends up stumbling backwards into another set of houses.
"Eren!" Mikasa cried out, worried for the boy she loved. She then directs her anger at the Winged Titan and attempts to challenge him herself. But she was stopped by Levi, of all people, who grabbed her arm. "Let go! I need to kill him!"
"With what? We're out of Thunder Spears. Our blades have been worn down to the nub. And we're low on gas. Believe me, I want to fight him as much as you do. But none of us have the means of challenging him right now."
"He's right." Hange supported him. "Lazarus is too powerful for even all of us combined to defeat. The only thing we can do is defend Eren from him. Or at least buy him time to get away."
"B-but he'll end up killing us." Connie stuttered. He was still consumed with fear and hopelessness over Armin's death. Finding out Lazarus was immortal, and the Winged Titan could never be stolen was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
"What's the point of fighting him if we don't stand a chance? He's an immortal God whose power can never be stolen. Literally nothing can stop him!" He then started to break down crying, losing all hope of the Scouts ever winning this war.
"He won't kill us." Sasha intervened. "He told us he has no desire to kill any of us because we're still his friends… And I believe him." She hesitantly added that last part. She scrunches up her face expecting someone to slap her for even daring to think something like that. But nothing happened.
"I- I don't believe it," Jean uttered in disbelief. Everyone else turns to him, only to notice that he is pointing over towards the Winged Titan, who is walking away from them, and Eren.
They all quickly turn back to Eren expecting Lazarus to have already grabbed him, which would explain his sudden retreat. But Eren was still inside the Attack Titan's body, writhing in pain. All that remained of his head was a charred skull with pieces of muscle and strands of hair clinging to it.
The Scouts quickly used what was left of their gas to get down and help him. Mikasa and Levi waste no time cutting the nape and pulling him out. Even as a human, Eren could still feel his face burning, even though there were no signs of third-degree burns.
The Winged Titan spreads its wings and takes flight once again. It makes a small detour from its current course to say its final words to the last of the Scout Regiment. He hopes he'll never see them again after this. But he knows they're too stubborn to admit defeat. Even if they believed he was immortal, they'd find a way to beat him. Annoying. But it was also one of the many things he admired about them.
"Final warning. Please don't ever come after us again. For both our sakes, accept keeping Eren as a victory and stay put. The people of my homeland won't be as merciful as I am… Goodbye, people of Paradis… Goodbye forever."
With those final words lifted off his chest, the Winged Titan turns around and flies full speed over the outer gate of Shiganshina, leaving the Scouts, and the cursed walls behind him.
Once he was out of sight, the remaining members of the Scout Regiment took as much time as they got to gather their bearings and relax for the first time in what felt like forever. They've been fighting their hardest. Put so much at risk. Lost SO many comrades along the way. They have earned this.
Jean, Connie, and Floch were still confused as to why Lazarus turned tail and ran. They had them and Eren right in the crosshairs, but he just took off. They were all too weak to fight him. He could've just killed them and taken Eren right then and there. Instead, he wasted what might've been his only perfect chance.
Sasha had a vague idea why he did it. Whether everyone refused to believe him or not, she believed he was being truthful when he said he didn't want anyone else to die and that they should live their lives. She could understand why Michael chose to stick with him. He sacrificed their chance at pursuing a relationship to create a better world for everyone. Even if she had no idea what it was they were planning to do with Eren. She'd hoped that it wasn't all just talk.
Hange and Levi just saw Lazarus giving up as a rare moment of weakness. They didn't care what he thought of them. It didn't change the fact that he and his comrades needed to be stopped. Hopefully, him letting Eren go will prove to be his biggest mistake.
Eren manages to catch a faint glimpse of the Winged Titan flying away. His eyes were once again filled with rage. More anger and hatred than he'd ever felt before. This final act confirmed that Lazarus is indeed the worst of them all. He was angry because he only just learned of how powerless he was against him. He was faster. Stronger. Smarter. More powerful than he was. And now he learns he's immortal. Truly, there was nothing more painful than that.
"I should've known." He inwardly monologues as he thinks back on all his encounters with Lazarus up until that point. "Ever since the day we met, I felt a deep unease about you, Lazarus. I didn't understand why at the time. But now I do… I've always hated the Winged Titan ever since I first saw it. I told myself it was because you were responsible for the hell you've put us all through… But I was wrong."
"Everything you've done! Hiding your true self! Murdering countless civilians! Being all-powerful! Turning Michael against us! None of them compare to the fact that you are free! You are the only person in this world who has true freedom! Flying across the sky. Looking down at the world and its problems below. Having the freedom of death so you can be reckless and throw yourself into the heat of battle without consequence. Always acting like you were above it all! You don't deserve this freedom! If anyone deserves that freedom, IT'S ME!"
"You'll pay." He decided to speak his mind this time for everyone else to hear. "Somehow, I'll find a way to make you pay! I'll take away your freedom and take it for myself! You may be immortal. But that doesn't make you untouchable… There are things so much worse than death!"
A deranged, sinister look appears on Eren's face. It was a look that struck fear into everyone around him, except Levi and Mikasa. She was starting to grow even more worried for him, whilst Levi thought he was slightly losing it. Given the fact that he just had his whole head on fire, he can't say he blames him.
"Wait! Guys, we've got a problem!" Floch called out, gathering everyone's attention to him.
"What is it, Floch?" Hange questioned him.
"Erwin's body… It's gone!" He fearfully pointed out.
Everyone's eyes widen when they notice that he is right. The rooftop they'd left Erwin's body at was dismantled. And the commander's body was missing. It didn't take any of them long to deduct that the Winged Titan must've taken him, which explains his sudden retreat. But if that's true, then why only take him? What could Erwin possibly offer them that is worth more than Eren's power?
To Be Continued