The Scouts rushed toward the abandoned district of Shiganshina, the thudding of hundreds of hooves permeating the air.

As soon as the Scouts neared the wall about half of them switched to ODM gear and leaped off of their horses.

Erwin soared up and landed on top of the wall just above the inner gate with the grace of someone with decades of practice, and surveyed the seemingly abandoned city with a frown.

The enemy's target is Eren. However, they don't really know what he looks like, having only briefly glimpsed him from a distance while they were in Wall Rose. And to ensure that they won't be able to know where he is, one hundred Scouts with their hoods over their heads will traverse the wall.

The hundred Scouts quickly swarmed over the wall, and began making their way to the outer gate.

As he watched them go, Erwin spotted some minor burn marks near the edge of the wall. As he approached the burns, it soon became clear that something had been kicked off of the wall.

"Mike, go check it out."

"Yes sir."

Mike descended down to the base of the wall to investigate.

Further along the wall Eren and Mikasa were making their way toward the outer gate, escorted by the Levi and Hange squads.

Despite feeling intimidated, given that they were two children amongst a group of adults, Eren and Mikasa had grown fond of the soldiers they'd worked with most closely, and had done their best to learn their names.

Levi's squad consisted of Levi, Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther, while Hange's squad consisted of Hange, Moblit, Nifa, Keiji, and Abel. They'd also gotten to know the members of Mike's squad, which included Mike, Nanaba, Gelgar, Henning, and Lynne.

Eren did feel a little annoyed that their job was to protect him, but he did his best to suppress this feeling. While his power was important, it wouldn't be the only factor necessary for them to win. He wouldn't allow his pride to cost them victory.

As he watched the Scouts approach the outer gate, Erwin found his attention diverted by Mike, who had returned.

"Did you find anything?"

"Yes sir. It looks like the remnants of a fire were kicked down over the edge of the wall. I found five cups."

Erwin froze. "Five? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Was the pot still warm?"

"No, it was cold."

Erwin frowned. "That's not good. It means the enemy somehow knew we were coming. Perhaps the Jaw Titan was acting as a scout for them, and warned the others."

He peered down the wall. "They're close. Find them."

"Yes sir."

Mike descended the wall once more, this time with his squad and several other squads to help him search near the wall.

As Eren's group neared the outer gate, Eren tried to reassure himself.

I can do this. No, we can do this! We're taking it back, and we're going to rescue Armin and Historia, no matter what it takes!

Eren bit his hand, and transformed.

A moment later, the hole was sealed. Two green smoke signals quickly followed.

Erwin nodded in satisfaction. Phase one is a success then.

Mikasa quickly retrieved Eren, and before long the Scouts were on the move once again.

Eren looked down at the outer gate uncertainly. "Did I really do it? It seemed too easy."

"You did it, I saw you." Mikasa said firmly. "Try to have more faith in yourself."

"We're not done yet." Levi reminded them. "We still need to seal the inner gate and make it to that basement. And don't forget, there are probably enemies lurking around somewhere nearby."

Petra glanced around. "Still, the lack of Titans is…unsettling."

Hange frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder…right outside of the outer gate was a large patch of grass that had been completely scorched black. This is just me speculating, but perhaps the enemy repeatedly lured normal Titans to just outside of the outer gate, and then repeatedly used the Colossal Titan to kill them all."

Moblit glanced out at the lands beyond Wall Maria. "That would explain the lack of Titans. Maybe they can't control them?"

Hange shrugged half heartedly. "Perhaps the normal Titans are just as much of a threat to the enemy as they are to us. In some ways it's good that the normal Titans have all been taken care of, since at least that's one less variable we have to worry about. But it's troubling because it suggests that the enemy has had plenty of time to prepare for our arrival. Which makes their apparent absence extremely concerning."

Meanwhile, the Scouts near the inner gate had no luck in locating the enemy.

Erwin looked at Mike carefully. "Did you find anything?"

Mike shook his head. "Nothing. The scents left behind indicate that there were at least two different groups, and they descended on either side of the wall near the inner gate. But after that, it's like they just disappeared. We've searched all of the nearby houses, checked for any hidden bunkers or holes, but nothing. Perhaps they were intimidated by our numbers?"

Erwin's eyes narrowed. "No, that's not it. They're here. I know it."

Mike glanced at the outer gate. "Should we halt the operation? It's possible the enemy is waiting for Eren to seal the outer gate too, so that way he'll have used up a lot of his strength, and capturing him will be easier."

Erwin was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "No. We continue."

Within Wall Maria the horses had been secured in several different locations, and a number of Scouts were perched on the roofs of long abandoned houses, trying to keep an eye out for any Titans.

Kenny was one of them, and he seemed almost disappointed by the lack of Titans.

He sighed. "Well, this is boring. I was expecting at least a few Titans, but there's literally none. Don't tell me I tagged along with these weirdos for nothing."

A short time later Eren, Mikasa, and the squads escorting them arrived near the inner gate.

Levi looked at Erwin for confirmation. "Do we continue?"

Erwin shook his head. "Not quite yet. My instincts tell me that the enemy will make their move as soon as we seal the inner gate. Since we haven't been able to figure out where they're hiding, we're just going to have to be ready for them. I want squads Levi, Hange, Rashad, and Harold positioned just inside Shiganshina near the inner gate, while I want squads Mike, Dieter, and Darius positioned just outside of Shiganshina near the inner gate. Be prepared for the enemy to come from anywhere. And, if things get chaotic, you are permitted to act at your own discretion. Remember, our primary goal is to keep Eren alive, and our secondary goal is to kill the enemy."

Everybody got in place, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice, constantly looking back and forth in every direction they thought the enemy might approach from.

Seeing that everyone was in place, Erwin turned his gaze to Eren. "Ready Eren?"

Eren nodded sharply. "Yeah."

Erwin shifted his gaze to the other former 104th member. "Mikasa, be sure to pull him out as quickly as you can."

"Right."

After letting out a deep breath, Eren leaped down, and transformed once again, this time sealing the inner gate.

Mikasa rapidly descended down to retrieve Eren from the nape, just as she had done for the outer gate.

But before she could pull him up, a section of the wall directly above them suddenly broke apart, its pieces violently thrust away from the rest of the wall, and a five meter Titan with powerful jaws and sharp claws emerged.

It leaped down, its maw opened wide, and Mikasa just barely managed to scoop Eren up and dive out of the way before the Titan's teeth clamped down on the spot that Eren had been less than a second ago.

As Mikasa carried Eren and used her ODM gear to flee away from the Titan, she stared back at the wall in utter disbelief.

What the hell?! They were inside the wall?!

Marcel watched Mikasa and Eren flee with a twinge of regret.

Damn it, I was so close.

"It's the Jaw Titan! Kill it!"

Harold's squad was the first to recover from the shock of the enemy appearing from such an unexpected place, and had swooped in to take down the Jaw Titan.

But this proved to be a fatal mistake.

"NO!" Levi shouted. "LOOK OUT!"

Annie leaped down from the same hole that the Jaw Titan had been hiding in, and transformed right as Harold's squad came near the Jaw Titan.

The Jaw Titan leaped away and began to pursue Eren and Mikasa, while the Female Titan's transformation killed the members of Harold's squad.

"EREN, RUN!" Mikasa shrieked.

"DAMN IT!" Eren yelled, but he reluctantly obeyed his orders to not engage with the enemy when he wasn't in Titan form, and he and Mikasa used their ODM gear to flee further into Shiganshina, the Jaw Titan in hot pursuit.

"PROTECT EREN!" Levi shouted.

The Female Titan began to run after Eren and Mikasa as well, while the Levi, Hange, and Rashad squads were doing their best to catch up to the former 104th members without getting too close to the Female Titan.

As she began to run, the Female Titan screamed, the sound piercing the air and forcing many to cover their ears.

"Keep your eyes open!" Erwin roared. "She must be signaling her comrades!"

No sooner had he spoken those words when a series of lights erupted in the fields just outside of Shiganshina.

As Erwin turned around, he saw that an entire horde of Titans had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

And near the center of the horde was the Beast Titan.

Kenny grinned. "Yeah! Now that's more like it!"

Three Scouts had gone down to investigate the cavity within the wall that the Jaw Titan had been hiding in. But as soon as they had landed inside all three of them were swiftly gunned down.

Reiner stepped out of the shadows, tossed the gun aside, and transformed after leaping out of the hole.

Erwin turned away from the Beast Titan and looked down to see that the Armored Titan had appeared. At first he assumed that it would be chasing after Eren just like the Jaw and Female Titans were.

But then he noticed that it had stopped moving, and had turned around to face the inner gate.

Erwin grimaced, his mind racing.

Damn, the enemy really isn't giving me much time to think. We know that their goal is to capture Eren, and it looks like the Jaw and Female Titans are attempting that right away. However, in order to ensure they succeed, their secondary objective will be to prevent us from leaving. That furry Titan and his thralls have cut us off. In order to guarantee we can't get away, they'll need to kill our horses. And that must be the Armored Titan's job.

The Armored Titan began to climb up, while the Titans under the Beast Titan's command began to form a large ring around the inner gate.

Mike looked at him anxiously. "Commander, your orders."

Erwin tried to force himself to remain calm.

I don't have time to come up with a careful plan. I'll just have to make snap judgments and adapt from there.

He quickly began issuing orders. "The enemy will be targeting our horses. We can't allow them to be killed, or else we'll be stranded in Titan territory. To that end, tell the others to prepare for battle, as I'm sure at least some of those Titans will be coming for us. Tell Darius Squad to go and help the others against the Female and Jaw Titans, but warn them to keep well away from the walls. Since the Jaw Titan was hiding inside the walls, I think it's likely that that's where the Colossal Titan is hiding too, though I don't know where exactly. Mike, I'm trusting you and Dieter's squad to take down the Armored Titan. Dedicate your hearts, the fate of humanity depends on us!"

The Scouts quickly moved to carry out his orders.

After seeing that his Titans were in place, the Beast Titan roared.

The larger Titans remained where they were, while the smaller Titans rushed toward the Scouts.

Kenny's grin widened, and he held out his blades. "Here we go."

Zeke surveyed the battlefield with satisfaction.

So far, everything seems to be going according to plan. I just hope things continue to go smoothly. We must succeed Marcel. The fate of humanity depends on us.

Eren and Mikasa had fled into the heart of Shiganshina, but managed to lure the Jaw Titan around and away, giving the Hange and Rashad squads the chance to catch up.

Meanwhile, the Female Titan had slowed down, and while it was still heading in the same general direction as the Jaw Titan, it was watching the Levi squad closely.

Levi watched it carefully. "Looks like this one wants to play. Get ready everyone."

"Yes sir."

Petra, Eld, Gunther, and Oluo got ready, recalling their practice sessions fighting Eren. This time, they wouldn't need to hold back.

Levi's eyes narrowed. She screamed, which must have been a signal of some kind to her comrades. We can't let her do that again. So…

Levi readied his blades.

The Female Titan continued to run, and then abruptly stopped and pivoted around, her fist swinging toward Levi.

But Levi had been expecting this, and easily dodged her attack. He lunged forward and embedded his blade in her neck, releasing it so that it remained stuck as he withdrew.

While her attention was on Levi, Petra and Eld swooped in and sliced up her eyes, blinding her and forcing her to back off.

Back near the inner gate, the Armored Titan had reached the top of the wall, and was gazing down at the battlefield below.

"NOW!" Erwin shouted.

Without warning, Mike and Nanaba soared up in front of the Armored Titan and jabbed two thunder spears into his eyes.

Huh?!

A second later the spears exploded, causing the Armored Titan to tip and fall back down into Shiganshina.

As he was fighting Hange's squad, Marcel noticed the explosion on top of the wall, and Reiner's sudden fall.

What? An explosion? So they must have come up with some sort of way to fight the Armored Titan. Still, his Armor is strong. I'm sure Reiner will be fine.

The Armored Titan's body flipped several times as it fell and landed face down on the ground. The impact was fast enough and violent enough that it reverberated through the whole Titan body and gave Reiner a concussion.

The second the Armored Titan landed Dieter's squad released a volley of thunder spears onto the Armored Titan's nape, destroying the armor protecting this vital point.

As Mike's squad descended the wall to help, they were relieved to see that the armor had been destroyed.

"It worked!" Nanaba exclaimed.

"We're not done yet!" Dieter yelled. "Prepare another volley!"

While this was happening, the Levi squad had completely carved up the Female Titan, rendering her limp and helpless, leaning against an abandoned house, all of her limbs useless.

Annie didn't want to admit it, but she was astonished by the speed and ferocity of their attacks, and had been unable to do anything to defend herself.

This is bad. But, all I need to do is…

Annie froze.

My neck! That blade, it severed my windpipe, and it's still there. I…I can't scream…I can't call for help...

She hardened her nape, but instead of continuing their attacks with blades, the Levi squad unleashed a volley of thunder spears that encircled her Titan's neck, all of which pierced deep into her Titan's body.

At the same time, Mike and Dieter's squads unleashed another volley of spears on the Armored Titan's nape.

Annie's eyes widened in terror.

NO! I DON'T WANT TO D-

All of the thunder spears exploded, completely destroying Annie and Reiner's bodies, killing them both instantly.

Erwin stared down with grim satisfaction.

The Female and Armored Titans are down. Good. Perhaps things aren't as bleak as I feared.

Marcel looked over at what was left of the Female Titan in horror.

No way. Did they…did they actually manage to kill Annie?

Moblit and Abel swooped nearby with their blades, forcing Marcel to dodge.

Damn it! Despite all our preparations we still underestimated them!

Hange and Rashad's squads continued to harass the Jaw Titan, with neither side able to gain the advantage. A short while later Levi's squad arrived to help, and shortly after that Darius's squad also arrived.

Badly outnumbered, Marcel was forced to run, only to find himself also being corralled by squads Mike and Dieter.

No way…did they actually kill Reiner too?!

Mike managed to get a clean slice on one of Marcel's legs, causing him to crash across the rooftops and fall down to the ground.

As the dozens of Scouts closed in on him, Marcel felt terror filling him.

They may not actually be devils, but they sure fight like them.

Before they could reach him, he roared loudly before immediately hardening his entire body.

Erwin frowned at the roar.

What was that?

The roar was loud enough that it could be heard by the Beast and Cart Titans.

Bertolt readied himself. There's the signal!

The Beast Titan picked up the barrel containing Bertolt, and flung it over the wall toward the area where Marcel's roar had come from.

Back near Marcel's hardened Titan body, the Scouts had surrounded it, and Levi was kicking its nape.

"Come on out of there, you damn coward. You can't hide forever you know."

Eren and Mikasa, who were a short distance away, were watching uncertainly.

Eren felt uneasy. That roar…was it out of fear? Or was it calling for help?

He looked back toward the wall at the spot where the Jaw Titan had been hiding, and as he did he spotted a barrel coming over the wall.

His eyes widened.

"EVERYONE LOOK OUT!" He screamed. "THE COLOSSAL TITAN IS ABOUT TO COME DOWN ON TOP OF US!"

They looked up, and could see what he was talking about.

Levi grimaced. "Shit. Retreat!"

They all fled away from the Jaw Titan as fast as they could.

But as they fled, Eren remembered what had happened the last time they faced the Colossal Titan.

Oh no. Based on what happened near Wall Rose…we'll never get out of the blast radius in time! We're all going to die! Unless…

He looked back and saw that the barrel was about to land, and was starting to glow.

Thinking quickly, he soared back, put himself between the imminent explosion and the Scouts closest to him, and bit his hand.

Eren managed to finish transforming right before the God of destruction was reborn.

The enormous explosion blasted everything apart, vaporizing anything that had the misfortune of being too close and sending debris flying everywhere. It released a rush of wind so powerful that Erwin could feel it even from where he was.

Erwin frowned grimly.

They got us.

Mikasa looked up, and saw Eren's Titan, as well as a small crystal dome enveloping her almost completely except for a small entrance that was facing away from the direction of the Colossal Titan's explosion.

She looked around, and saw that Levi, Petra, Nanaba, and Nifa had also been enveloped by the crystal dome. All of them looked slightly dazed but otherwise fine.

The front of the Titan's neck shattered and Eren fell out. Mikasa rushed forward to catch him.

"Eren!" She cried. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, a trail of blood leaking from his nose. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He looked at Levi apologetically. "Sorry for transforming without permission."

Levi shook his head. "You just saved our lives. I think that's an acceptable excuse."

"But…what about the others?" Nifa asked hesitantly.

They crawled toward the entrance, peered out, and saw the scorched and ruined landscape, with the Colossal Titan crouched at the center of the destruction.

Nifa looked up at it in horror. "Are we…the only ones who survived?"

The Colossal Titan stood up and began to slowly walk toward the inner gate.

Levi looked at them seriously. "We can mourn the others later. Right now we need to focus on what we're going to do next. Based on what little we know about the Titans, a battle of attrition is our best chance of taking down the Colossal Titan. We need to keep our distance. We should seek out Erwin's orders."

"Wait a minute sir." Nanaba interjected. "We can't let the Colossal Titan get near the wall. If he does, he could toss burning houses over the other side, and trap our comrades between the flames and the Titans."

Levi's eyes widened, quickly realizing that she was right.

Petra looked at the ground apprehensively. "So then…do we have to take out the Colossal Titan right now? With just the six of us here?"

On the other side of the wall, most of the regular Titans had been taken care of by the Scouts with minimal casualties.

Zeke watched them thoughtfully. "Hmm. Fascinating. These soldiers have actually managed to take down most of my Titans. And remarkably efficiently too. But no matter."

Kenny stared down at the disintegrating body of the Titan he'd just killed unenthusiastically.

Tch. These Titans have been rather disappointing. I was hoping for a good challenge. That explosion just now…that must have been the Colossal Titan. It looks like if I want a good challenge, I'd better head over to the other side of the wall.

He looked up and saw that the other Scouts were close to finishing off the Titans, and the only Titans left were up near the front.

A fair distance away the Beast Titan sat, merely watching the battle instead of participating.

That bestial Titan, though, it looks like it's intelligent. Perhaps it could give me a good fight. But instead it's just been sitting there the entire time.

Kenny frowned. Hang on, there are several rocks right next to it. What are those for?

As he pondered this, he saw the Beast Titan begin to stand up, and all at once he realized what the rocks were for.

He fired an emergency smoke signal at the Beast Titan to get the attention of the Scouts near the front.

"OI! LOOK OUT!" He bellowed.

The Scouts looked up, and saw what the Beast Titan was about to do. They hastily fled to cover, and some of them made it.

But for many it was too late.

The Beast Titan hurled the crushed rocks, killing both its own Titans and the Scouts that had been fighting them, leaving bloody remains and a red mist behind, as well as destroying the houses that had been too close to the battle.

The Beast Titan frowned. "Hmm. That smoke signal concerns me. Pieck!"

She dashed forward. "Yes sir?"

"They might be signaling for reinforcements. Keep an eye to the north, I'll take care of these guys."

"Understood."

Pieck left to keep an eye on the lands to the north, while the Beast Titan continued his deadly barrage.

"INCOMING!" Erwin bellowed. "FRONTAL BOMBARDMENT!"

Kenny retreated, a grim frown on his face.

Shit. That was a damn clever strategy. And if he keeps throwing those rocks, soon there won't be any place left for us to hide. If only there was a way for us to reach him.

Kenny looked over at the Titans that were lined up, forming a half circle that was clearly intended to trap them there, and all at once a crazy idea came to him.

Kenny looked back and forth between the Titans and the wall, his resolve strengthening.

Well, I did come here looking for a good fight, and it looks like if I want one, I'm going to have to go and get it. Besides…I know I'm trash. Levi and Mikasa, they turned out better than I did. As long as they make it, I know our clan will endure.

After taking note of the fact that the Beast Titan appeared to be right handed, he approached the line of Titans from the right, the Beast Titan's left, and began to cut them down one by one, slowly but surely getting closer and closer to his real target.

Erwin watched him in shock.

What is he doing? There's no way that will work…although…it looks like the Beast Titan is focused on mowing the rest of us down. Maybe…

The Beast Titan continued to hurl rocks, gradually destroying the houses, and didn't notice anything was wrong until it was too late.

As he picked up another boulder, he suddenly noticed something strange to his left.

Huh? My Titans have fallen?

Then, without warning, a wire shot through the steam and hooked into the Beast Titan's shoulder.

Kenny grinned widely. "Howdy! My name is Kenny the Ripper, it's nice to meet ya!"

He then proceeded to slice up the Beast Titan, and even sliced up parts of Zeke's real body, causing him to cry out in pain. Zeke tried to fight back, but the Ripper was too fast, and kept slashing, laughing the whole time.

Zeke gasped in pain. He's too fast. But wait…since he's so fast…if he wanted me dead, I'd already be dead. Is he…toying with me?

Kenny scoffed as the Beast Titan was brought to its knees. "Is that seriously all you've got? I was expecting better from an intelligent Titan."

"WARCHIEF!"

The Cart Titan rushed up and snapped at Kenny. Kenny tried to dodge but was just a little too slow, and the Cart Titan bit both of his legs off.

Kenny managed to keep grinning despite the enormous amount of pain he was suddenly in. "NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!"

Despite the loss of his legs he still managed to swoop forward, and expertly used the ODM gear to cut off all of the Cart Titan's limbs, causing it to crash to the ground. He then landed on her nape and pulled a wire in his uniform, activating a modified cluster of thunder spears he'd been wearing like a vest.

Kenny kept grinning but closed his eyes. "See you in hell, sweetheart."

Goodbye Levi. I'm coming Uri…

Pieck froze. No way, he can't-

The modified thunder spears exploded, killing Kenny and Pieck instantly.

Zeke emerged from the nape, though still remained attached to the Beast Titan, and stared at the limp Cart Titan in horror.

"Pieck? PIECK! ANSWER ME!"

A moment later, the Beast Titan roared, and the rest of the Titans that had been standing in the half circle retreated to his side.

Erwin frowned. Well, that was quite the bold and insane maneuver, but it seems to have paid off. The frontal bombardment has stopped, and the enemy formation is in tatters. But we're not out of the woods yet. If the Beast Titan recovers, he could resume that deadly barrage. And on top of that, we still have the Colossal Titan to contend with.

He looked back, and could see that the Colossal Titan was still marching.

While the Colossal Titan continued to head for the inner gate, Eren, Levi, and Mikasa were approaching it from the front, while Petra, Nanaba, and Nifa were approaching it from the rear.


After realizing that they would need to take down the Colossal Titan by themselves, Eren suddenly had an idea.

He looked at them nervously. "Wait. I…I have an idea. I know it's going to sound crazy, but hear me out."

Levi gestured at him to continue. "Okay."

Eren looked down at his hands. "I don't think I have enough strength for another full transformation. I think all I can manage is a partial transformation."

Nanaba scowled. "And what good would a partial transformation do us?"

"I'm getting to that." Eren said patiently. "Now, when I transform, my human body and my Titan body are fused together. When I concentrate, I can harden my Titan body into a solid shell, like this one here."

He tapped the hardened shell they were standing in.

"So, in theory, it might be possible for me to fuse my Titan body with another Titan body. If that is the case, then when I harden my Titan body, the hardening should spread to the other Titan body as well."

Petra frowned. "So…what's your plan?"

"I think that if I can pull off a partial transformation close to the Colossal Titan, I can fuse the incomplete Titan body to the Colossal Titan's body, and then when I harden my Titan body it will also harden the Colossal Titan's body, freezing it in place and leaving the shifter vulnerable. Of course, this is all just theory. I don't know if it would actually work, and even if it does work it would use up the rest of my strength, and I would be left defenseless."

Levi looked at him seriously. "You're right. That is a crazy idea. But…this whole world has been crazy ever since the Titans crawled up out of whatever hell hole they came from. I think it's worth a shot. Alright. Mikasa and I will escort Eren so that he can intercept the Colossal Titan, while you three follow it from behind. I want all of you to keep brainstorming, and try to think of contingency plans if this doesn't work. If it does work, then it will be up to you three to kill the Colossal Titan. Meanwhile, Mikasa and I will keep Eren safe. And don't forget, even if we take down the Colossal Titan, the Jaw Titan is still lurking around here somewhere, so stay alert. Let's go."


As Eren, Levi, and Mikasa neared the Colossal Titan, Eren found himself glaring up at it.

This…all of this…it all started the day you appeared, the day you destroyed the wall. The day you ravaged my home. The day you killed my mother. I don't know who you really are, and I don't care. I'm bringing you down you monster.

Eren rushed forward, bit his hand, and transformed.

Bertolt was startled by the sudden explosion of light near his feet.

Huh? Is that Eren?

Eren's Titan materialized out of nowhere, but only part of the body appeared. Its hands were missing, as was everything below the ribs. But it was enough.

The Attack Titan quickly fused itself to the Colossal Titan's leg, melding their flesh together. The Attack Titan then roared before abruptly hardening. And as Eren had thought, the hardening continued and spread.

Bertolt looked down in alarm. What the hell?! He hardened his Titan body, and the hardening is spreading to my Titan body?! I didn't even know that was possible!

Levi looked in awe as the Colossal Titan's body swiftly changed from a dark red to a bright blue. "It worked."

"Eren." Mikasa said softly.

As the hardening reached the Colossal Titan's neck and head, Bertolt partially emerged from the nape, afraid that if he didn't he would end up trapped inside of the hardened Titan body.

But as he did so, he suddenly became aware of just how high up he was.

"AHH!"

But before he could contemplate his fear of falling to his death, Petra swooped toward him, her expression hard.

Now you pay for all the lives you've taken.

Petra raised her blades…

"WAIT!" Bertolt cried.

Petra froze as he held up his hand, begging her to stop. In that moment, she didn't see the Colossal Titan, all she saw was a frightened kid.

Bertolt belatedly remembered that he wasn't completely defenseless, pulled a gun out of his pocket, and took aim at Petra.

Now it was Petra's turn to look frightened, and Bertolt's turn to hesitate, his hand shaking badly.

As they stared at each other, the same thought crossed their minds.

What the hell are we doing?

Before he could pull the trigger, Nifa soared up and sliced off his hand, and less than a second later Nanaba sliced off his head, killing the Colossal Titan.

Petra rested against the hardened Colossal Titan body, looking shaken.

"Petra, you okay?" Nifa asked in concern.

Nanaba was more blunt. "Why did you hesitate?"

"A kid." Petra whispered. "It was just…a kid…"

"A kid who slaughtered countless numbers of our comrades and was seconds away from killing you too." Nanaba said harshly. "I know it's tough, but we can't afford to show mercy, because they sure as hell haven't. And we're not done yet. Don't hesitate again, that's an order."

Petra still looked shaken, but nodded. "Understood."

Erwin stared at the hardened Colossal Titan, feeling both surprised and impressed.

Perhaps we still have a shot at success.

Eren partially emerged from the nape of his Titan, and true to his word was out cold, his strength spent.

Mikasa stepped forward to pull him out.

"Wait."

Mikasa turned around, and saw what had Levi concerned.

The Jaw Titan had appeared a fair distance away, and was rushing toward them.

Levi readied his blades. "There he is. We can't let him get near Eren. Let's go."

The two Ackermans rushed toward the Jaw Titan, while the Jaw Titan rushed toward them.

Levi glanced at Mikasa. "We kill his mobility first, then we kill him. Go for the limbs."

"Right."

The Jaw Titan leaped at them with its mouth opened wide.

They swooped in, and skillfully lopped all of the Jaw Titan's limbs off.

But the Jaw Titan didn't even try to fight back. Instead, Marcel used the steam from his Titan form to violently eject his real body out of the nape and through the open mouth of his Titan. He flew through the air at high speed away from them and toward the hardened bodies of the Attack and Colossal Titans.

Levi and Mikasa watched in shock as he soared away, and the next second the Jaw Titan appeared again, wrapping itself around Marcel's airborne body.

The Jaw Titan rushed forward toward Eren, who was still out cold.

"NO!" Mikasa shrieked.

Mikasa and Levi immediately turned back, but it was too late.

The Jaw Titan leaped forward, its maw opened wide, and clamped down on Eren's immobile body, eating him and consuming his power.

Marcel's eyes lit up. I did it. I have the Founding Titan's power.

"EERRRRRREEEEEENNNN!"

Mikasa's scream was so loud that Erwin was able to hear it despite being so far away.

"No." Petra whispered.

Nifa paled. "We failed."

Erwin's face fell. Damn it.

His task completed, the Jaw Titan immediately made a beeline for Wall Maria, roaring as loud as he could.

Erwin stared at the Jaw Titan in confusion. What is he doing?

He turned around, and saw that the remaining Titans under the Beast Titan's control had begun to rush toward Wall Maria as well.

What? The Titans are attacking? The Beast Titan is still there, but it's not moving. What are they doing?

Erwin raised his voice. "SOLDIERS! GET READY!"

Near the center of the horde, a Titan was carefully holding Zeke in his hands.

Zeke was staring at the wall desperately. "That was the second signal from Marcel. He's done it. All we need to do is to make physical contact, and victory is ours. Hopefully that shell of my Titan will keep them from realizing what's really going on until it's too late."

While the Jaw Titan was rushing toward Wall Maria, Mikasa and Levi were in hot pursuit.

"GET BACK HERE!"

"MIKASA, CALM DOWN!"

The Titan horde reached Wall Maria but completely ignored the Scouts, much to their confusion, and before long they were right at the base of the wall.

"TOSS ME!" Zeke shouted.

They obeyed, and immediately tossed him up onto the top of the wall.

He landed only a few yards away from Erwin.

Erwin looked at him in shock, utterly startled. "What the hell?"

"MARCEL!"

Hearing Zeke's bellow, the Jaw Titan pushed himself to move even faster, and made it to the base of the wall.

Mikasa was right behind him, and swung her blades at the nape.

But before she could kill him, Marcel used the same trick again, and propelled himself through the Jaw Titan's mouth, hurling himself through the air and onto the wall.

"NO!"

Marcel rushed forward, and he and Zeke clasped hands, sparks emanating from the point of contact.


Author's Note: Bet you didn't see that coming, did ya?

As I was planning out this story, I realized that, when it came to the power of the Founding Titan, and thus the ultimate resolution of the plot, I had two choices. I could either have some long and complicated solution that ran the risk of being contrived or being too close to canon...

Or I could have Marcel eat Eren.

And once that option occurred to me, I just had to do it. Not only does it make the story simpler, but it's also such a bold choice that nobody would see it coming. Though I think it fits. After all, in this story Marcel is the main character, not Eren.

I hope this doesn't upset people too much, though I'm sorry if it does. I tried to counterbalance the fact that Eren gets eaten with the fact that the Warrior's victory was extremely costly.

I apologize for not getting this chapter out sooner, I've been having some difficulties in my personal life, and I'm still working through them, so for that reason I'm not sure when the next (and final) chapter will be out. Hopefully it won't be too long, but I make no promises.

Anyways, be sure to leave a review and let me know what you thought.