Levi glared down hatefully at the blonde man in possession of the Beast Titan, thrusting his blade through the man's jaw to the point it came out just below the right eye, relishing in the pain he was causing the enemy.
It worked, though Levi hated what it cost. Erwin's plan succeeded, he was able to get in close and tear the Beast Titan to shreds. All it cost was the lives of over a hundred youths. They were all torn apart and would likely be left to rot.
Levi, with immense difficulty, stopped himself from murdering the Titan holder right on the spot. He couldn't die yet, besides being eaten by a Titan was probably more painful than being sliced apart.
So many soldiers had died in the charge, but one had to be alive. It didn't matter if their insides were scrambled, just one drop of Titan serum would be enough to fix them. And gain the Beast Titan's power for their side.
Levi's eyes went wide as he felt that familiar instinct, the very same one which kept him alive after so many battles, and turned his head to meet the hate filled eyes of a quadrupedal Titan, one with it's strangely shaped mouth wide open.
Levi was tired, there was no denying that, but he was not letting them get away with the Beast Titan. Not after all that death. So, he ripped his blade out of the blonde man's face and launched himself at his final foe.
Closing their mouth sharply, the quadrupedal Titan missed Levi by a mere hair, and in a flash it had a gaping cut across it's chest that carried enough force to throw it off balance and crash to the ground just below the Beast Titan's steaming carcass.
It immediately began to scamper to it's feet, seemingly desperate to grab the Beast Titan and escape, but Levi halted that when he landed through the nape and began to slash away like a madman, just like he'd done to the Beast Titan earlier.
With a scream filled with rage, hatred, and malice as he brutally cut through the nape and sent a black haired woman flying out, bewildered, frightened, and limbless.
Levi sneered in distain at her, roughly yanking her by the hair as he jumped down and threw her right to the Beast Titan's side. The blonde man didn't react well, openly showing extreme fear and panic as he yelled for his Titan's.
"RIP HIM TO-" He was silenced by Levi's blade. It cut brutally up his chin and out through his nose, making blood gush everywhere as he let out screams of agony at the reality of steel poking through his chin.
Levi allowed himself to give a tiny, but cruel, smirk of sadism as he taunted the other man. "What's wrong? Is it not so fun being on the other end for once, you piece of shit?"
That earned him a glare, and in return he slashed through the blonde man's other leg. Though, by that point, he was in too much pain to react with his mouth sealed shut by a blade Levi left in his mouth.
Levi took a moment to glance over the field, at the countless corpses of both men and horses, before noticing the glare the woman was sending him and regarded her coldly as he asked. "Well, are you proud of yourself? Was killing all those people fun?"
She didn't flinch at the question, only glaring harder, and Levi had to wonder just what was running through their heads as they tried to wipe out so many people. Didn't they feel an ounce of guilt, a shred of sympathy for the countless men and women they'd butchered with their actions? Even if they were enemies?
"Why wouldn't I feel good? Afterall, I just rid the world of a few worthless devils. They deserved to-" She was cut off by her own screams as Levi slashed through the rest of her legs below the thighs, blood splattering over the floor and staining the grass.
Levi didn't ask anything else after that, instead narrowing his eyes as he tied up their limbs and started to drag them away into the field of corpses they'd created. He just needed to find someone to feed the bastards to, then he could be rid of them.
In the distance, Levi was surprised to spot a jogging new recruit with someone tied up on his back. He had red hair, a tattered uniform, and their expression told a mix of trauma, fear, and desperation.
Levi vaguely recognised them, he believe the boy's name was Floch. Likely the only survivor of the suicide charge.
Floch was panting from exhaustion, but that didn't stop his from yelling out. "Captain, are those the ones who killed us all?!"
Levi scowled. "Yeah, these are the human forms of the Beast and quadrupedal Titan. I managed to take them both down."
Floch sighed, as though relieved, before dumping the human on his back down onto the ground, and Levi's eyes went wide when he saw who it was.
"The Commander is alive, but he won't stop bleeding! That serum can help him, right?!"
Levi merely nodded, holding the woman by the hair as he hastily spoke. "Take her away, you won't want to be near us for what happens next."
Floch nodded, taking the woman roughly as he began to run away as fast as he could. Meanwhile, Levi brought out the syringe as he began to prepare the injection.
Levi wasn't a doctor, so he was nervous he'd give the serum wrong, but when he turned to watch the face of his friend and superior he didn't hesitate and grabbed Erwin's arm.
The Commander's face was calm, tranquil even, but Erwin still had more work to do. He still had more sins to commit, and he still had dreams. Like that damned basement he was so obsessed with, and Levi couldn't help but wonder if he was even doing the right thing in bringing Erwin back.
Still though, they needed Erwin. The man was brilliant, ruthless, but also selfless if the situation truly came down to it. Even if he was selfish, he was also selfless. He could throw away his life just as easily as any of his men's if it came down to it.
Throwing caution to the wind, Levi placed the Beast Titan on the ground just in front of Erwin, and grabbed Erwin's arm as he emptied the contents of the syringe into his arms and proceeded to run away from his leader as fast as he could.
The blonde shifter gurgled, likely realising what was happening, and began to shake violently in a desperate attempt to survive when sparks flew off Erwin's skin and he disappeared in a violent explosion of light. Steam clouded the area, before dissolving to reveal the sight of a fifteen meter Titan with a serious expression on it's face.
Levi looked back, meeting the eyes of Erwin's Titan, and tried to push down his disturbance at how empty his Commander's eyes had become. Luckily though, he didn't need to stare down the Titan for long, it chose to ignore him in favour of the human just in front of it.
Levi didn't know what he'd feel. Vindication? Satisfaction? Justice? But, as he watched Erwin open his mouth, he found that he was unable to enjoy the sight of someone being eaten alive. No matter how much they deserved it.
Blood splattered everywhere as Erwin's Titan devoured the blonde man, and for a moment Levi was afraid that it didn't work. However, his fears were unwarranted when Erwin's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he crashed to the ground.
The breath caught in his throat as the Titan began to die, as though it's nape was cut, and when he ran over he was met with the sight of Erwin's form. Completely uninjured with marks around his eyes.
Levi grabbed Erwin and hurled the much taller man over his shoulder, and started to run back towards the new recruit who was showing visibly annoyance and anger at the hysterical woman in his grasp as he yelled. "Be quiet! He was a murdering piece of shit and he got what he deserved!"
"What the hell do you devils know about Zeke?! He was simply giving you what you deserve! Don'y you dare think you've won, we'll be back to kill all of you animals soon enough-" She was silenced when Levi had enough of her yelling, with the Captain burrowing the tip of his foot right into her skull.
"What the hell was she yelling about?"
Floch scowled, looking noticeably less naïve and terrified than before the suicide charge. "She started screaming when you turned Erwin, so I was just telling her he got what he deserved."
Levi decided not to comment on that, instead taking notice of how the Titans had started to break formation. They were wandering around like regular Titans, but they hadn't noticed the two Scouts yet.
"We need to leave. We'll reunite with Hange and the others in Shiganshina, we'll see what we can do from there."
Floch nodded, dragging the shifter with him as he followed Captain Levi, and Levi inwardly felt concern for if they'd managed to defeat the other shifters.
Inside the district of Shiganshina, Eren stared down with haunted eyes at the charred and blackened corpse of his best friend, then down at the bastard who'd taken everything away from him.
Bertolt was, without a doubt, the person Eren hated most in the world right now. He was cowardly, slimy, and he'd taken everything away from Eren. His home, his mother, his best friend, and so much more.
Bertolt spent so many years next to him, feeling sorry for him, looking down on him, and all Eren could do was think about how much the Colossal Titan had done to him. To everyone. And for what?
Eren wasn't a fool, obviously they'd been ordered by someone from outside the Walls to destroy the Walls, but that didn't change the fact it was Bertolt's face that loomed over him that day. It was Bertolt who gained his trust, smiled with him, only to stab him in the back. He was a bastard, a murdered, and he didn't care if he had the others sympathy.
He was a monster.
Eren broke focus when he heard the slightest of coughs. It was faint, almost undetectable, but it was there. And, it came from Armin.
Eren snapped his head around, momentarily forgetting about Bertolt as he crawled over to Armin's darkened body and heard it.
Breath. Armin was alive.
"Armin!" Eren called out, hardly able to believe his friend could even be alive in such a state. It was frightening and disturbing, but it let a flicker of hope blossom in his chest. Armin was alive, so if he managed to find Captain Levi and turn him into a Titan then-
"Eren!" A familiar voice called out from behind him, and Eren had to withhold a sigh of relief when he realised it was Mikasa. She was burnt in a few places, clearly the fight against Reiner had taken it's toll, yet she was alive and mostly uninjured.
Mikasa's eyes landed on Armin's roasted corpse, and she let out a disturbed cry as she spoke. "That's- that's not Armin, is it?"
Eren nodded, and her eyes became full of tears much like his own as he declared. "You stay with Armin and this piece of shit. I'll find Captain Levi. If he has that injection then Armin can be saved."
Mikasa clutched her head, but nodded with teary eyes as Eren turned around to face the Wall, only to bear witness as two figures descended down from above and opted to instead yell at the top of his own. "Captain Levi, over here!"
Levi gained a surprised expression when he landed on the rooftop, Floch right behind him, and noticed the limbless shifter and charred body laying on the rooftop. He was about to ask, only to be interrupted by Eren who yelled out with teary eyes.
"Captain! Inject Armin with the serum! We've caught Bertolt, so we can get a Titan power if we do it right here!" For a moment, Eren almost looked hopeful. As though he'd found a way for his best friend to live.
Levi's expression was stone cold, his eyes being shadowed as he placed Erwin's body down and said. "It's gone."
Eren, green eyes brimming with tears, screamed out. "What do you mean 'it's gone'?!"
"I used it on Erwin to get the Beast Titan's power, so we can't turn Armin into a Titan. I'm sorry, but there's no saving him, Eren."
Eren and Mikasa both hitched their breaths, unable to cope with the reality of the situation as they stared at Erwin in disbelief.
Staring back at his best friend Eren let out a shuddered breath as tears began to leak down his face. "No. You're lying! Armin can't- he can't die." He whispered to himself, dropping to his knees as he stared helplessly at the ground.
Mikasa, though silent, let tears flow out of her eyes as she clutched her head as though a migraine was hitting her.
Floch remained silent though, not wanting to give them piteous looks out of respect, he just stared at the ground grievously.
Meanwhile, Levi just looked at Armin and sighed with regret as he moved over to the boy's corpse and hung a cape over his body out of respect.
"Charge! There is no future in which we reclaim these lands without Eren, and there never will be! Recover Eren from the Armoured Titan and retreat!" Erwin screamed, knowing that they couldn't pass up their one chance at getting humanity's hope back.
For extra measure, Erwin strongly brought a fist over his heart and screamed. "Pledge your hearts and souls to the cause!"
Erwin's horse galloped forwards, and he allowed himself to recall every moment of his life, both good and bad. The day he rejected Marie, the day he met Levi, the day his father died. Every lie, every time he bent his morality, and all the men who'd died under his command.
Erwin let red paint his vision, using it to bolster his yell as he cast his sword aside. "ADVANCE!"
A Titan caught him in it's mouth, pulling him backwards by his right arm and right off his horse. Some of his men stopped in place, screaming his name as though it were hopeless now that he'd been caught, but he couldn't allow that. Whether it be his own personal dream or humanity's survival, everything ridded on Eren.
Rare desperation flowing into his voice, Erwin didn't allow them to stop as he yelled. "I said advance goddammit!"
Pain filled his body, but he ignored it as he thrusted his sword forward and set his blue eyes forward. "Eren is right in front of you! DO NOT FALTER!"
Erwin watched with satisfaction as most of them rode away towards the Titan horde. Most would die, but he had faith that Eren would be retrieved.
Allowing himself to grimace in pain, Erwin took his one remaining blade and pointed it to cleanly slice off his own arm.
Regardless, he needed to cut himself loose. The Titan hanging onto him could keep his arm, he only needed one to lead.
Suddenly, the scene was different. Erwin was leading a different suicide charge, but instead of him watching it from his own point of view it was from the Beast Titan's perspective. His arm was held back, ready to throw, but when it did his surrounding faded away until he was on top of Wall Maria.
Was he dead?
Erwin sensed something to his right, and turned to be greeted with the sight of the Beast Titan. Only, it wasn't quite the mighty image of the monster who'd slaughtered his arms, it's fur was burnt and blackened by blood, whilst it's skull was visible on one side of it's face.
"I suppose I'm not dead then." Erwin wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad about that fact. He was glad he'd get to learn the truth, but he was also tired in the fact he'd have to continue marching onwards much further. Still though, he'd been tired for a long time, and ever since he was a child he'd been curious about the outside world. He wanted to learn more about it, answer more of his questions, and protect the families of those who died under him.
Erwin Smith wasn't done yet. Not even close.
Erwin's eyes twitched before opening, and registered that he was staring up at nothing but the clear blue sky.
He breathed in, trying to clear his fuzzy mind, and noticed something wrong. He had his arm back. The same arm he'd sliced off months ago to ensure he didn't lose his life.
"So, you're awake." Levi commented, looking tired and battered, with humanity's strongest soldier appearing even more resigned and bitter than on a usual expedition.
Erwin nodded, noting how Sasha Braus was injured next to him, and just asked. "What happened. I remember up to the suicide charge, but everything after that is hazy. I can only assume you've made me a shifter, can you explain what happened?"
Levi sighed, standing up as he grabbed for a flare. "Fine, but the others need to be here too. I'm explaining this once, no more than that."
Erwin simply nodded, though internally blanched when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
Tied up, gagged, and missing their limbs, were three unconscious shifters. He recognised two of them, being the Armoured and Colossal Titans, but one of them had long dark hair and appeared to be a woman.
Suddenly, Erwin could imagine why Levi only wanted to recall the day's events once.
Eren rose his head high and looked down on Trost's people, who were cheering and celebrating upon the return of their supposed heroes. If he was ignorant like they were he'd have been able to enjoy the sensation of victory. But how was he meant to when all he'd learned about the world was that they hated the Walls and everyone in them.
It was bittersweet. He'd beaten the Colossal Titan, but Armin had died. He'd reclaimed his home, but he'd learned that home was in even more danger than he thought. He'd learned about the outside world, but it was nothing like Armin's book.
And, if things couldn't get any worst, he only had eight years to live.
Eren's eyes landed on Mikasa, who's expression was solemn enough to rival his own, and he felt a huge sense of loss when he realised she was the only one left who really knew him. He might have had Connie, Sasha, and Jean, but they couldn't compare to the attachment he had to Armin and Mikasa.
No, just Mikasa. Their trio had become a duo. It was just them.
Choosing to stand by her left side, Eren's eyes immediately caught the scar on her right cheek and guilt gnawed away at him. She'd always been protecting him, a fact that made him annoyed, but how could he even blame her? He was always picking fights, getting captured, always getting into trouble. Never once considered what it did to her.
When was the last time it had been the other way round? When had he been the protector?
Eren abruptly pulled an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. Mikasa was surprised by the act of physical affection, and that fact only pained him.
Eventually she reciprocated the act and pulled him into a hug, with the two of them silently crying as Eren did his best not to breakdown.
He might have lost Armin, but he still had Mikasa. He wouldn't let anything happen to her.
Ymir could tell that something had gone wrong for the Warriors. It was subtle, so much that if she weren't looking she wouldn't have noticed, but the guards who gave her meals were acting strange. They looked nervous, as though something had gone horribly wrong, so she kept her ears peeled and listened in on anything she could get.
Eventually though, she caught a few Marleyan guards speaking in private from her cell.
"You're kidding! We lost all our Titans?!"
Ymir blanched when she heard that, wondering if she'd heard them wrong, but as they continued she figured it out. Paradis had done it. They'd beaten Marley and taken all of their Titan shifters in the process. She had no idea how, hell maybe Paradis just killed the Warriors, but... something told her there was more to it than that.
"Not all of them, we've still captured that little bitch. We can feed her to a Warrior candidate, that we'll at least have a single Titan to our name. Still though, this is a mess- if the other nations found out there'd be chaos!"
Ymir sneered in distain, realising her situation had changed. She'd gone back to Marley for two reasons. One, to repay her debt to Reiner and Bertolt, and two, to ensure the safety of Historia. But... what reason did she have to die now?
Thinking about her situation, Ymir's eyes wondered to her shirt where she reached in and pulled out a key. She was a thief with light fingers, so taking it from an unsuspecting guard when she'd decided to suddenly grab him wasn't too difficult. At the time, she didn't intend to escape so that Reiner and Bertolt could live. Still though, she kept it just in case.
If Marley really lost all their other shifters to Paradis, and if Reiner and Bertolt were both dead, then she didn't have a real reason to stick around. Without any Titans Marley were done, so if she managed to get away with the Jaw...
Ymir narrowed her eyes, wondering when the ideal time for an escape was. She was a Titan, so if she was smart, then escaping was a very real possibility.
She could see Historia again.
Darius Zackly adjusted his glasses as he spoke to a number of important figures in the room. These included, Erwin Smith, Nile Dok, Dot Pixis, and all of the surviving Scouts and several other high ranking military members from all the other branches.
Their discussions were about how to move forward regarding the information they'd obtained, the powers they'd acquired, and the war they didn't know they were battling against the outside world.
The knowledge that they'd captured three different Titan shifters was a cause for celebration, with many different members immediately trying to lay claim to the powers, but ultimately it was decided that the surviving Scouts would take priority when it came to gaining the enemies abilities due to them being the ones who bled and died to capture them in the first place. The other military officers were bitter about the Scouts taking priority, but begrudgingly gave in.
It was also decided that the population would learn the full truth about the outside world and do with it what they believe. In addition, Erwin made the decision to reform their military to battle against humans instead of Titans due to the nature of their enemy changing.
Zackly then questioned. "How will we defend against Marley should they choose to attack again? Surely they intend to finish what they started, so do you think we'd stand a chance against them, Erwin."
Erwin shook his head. "I've looked through a few memories of the man who held the Beast Titan before me, Zeke, and Marley's army consists of around a million soldiers. Even with seven of the nine Titans, we would likely be crushed if they unleashed their entire might on our island."
Several soldiers grimaced at the figure, unable to hide how jarring the idea of such an army was, but Erwin wasn't finished. "However, it should be noted that the outside world isn't a single group. There are various cultures and people out there, a large number of which are Marley's bitter rivals, however they couldn't do anything to invade Marley so long as they held six of the Titan powers in their military. With the loss of the Colossal, Armoured, Female, Beast, and Cart Titans, Marley is most definitely going to be invaded in the near future by other nations."
Pixis hummed, stroking his moustache. "In other words, they'll be too busy dealing with a more immediate threat to be bothered with us. So, for the time being, we're safe from them."
Erwin nodded. "Furthermore, I've also gotten memories about my Titans abilities. The Beast Titan can turn Eldians into Pure Titan if they ingest the holders spinal fluid, so, I have the power to transform soldiers into Titans without any Titan serum. I've spoken with some of my soldiers, they're willing to become shifters."
Several soldiers looked happy with the news, but Eren noticeably was not. He'd tried to talk his friends out of it, but they all were seemingly acceptant of the burden they'd need to bear. They weren't enthusiastic, but they all accepted it as though it were duty.
Mikasa noticed this and grabbed his hand, inching herself closer to him until they were right next to each other.
"Our foremost priority is clearing out Wall Maria so we can venture beyond. Until then, we will work to master these Titan powers we've obtained whilst building up our military might. If Marley wants a fight so badly then they'll get one."
Eren took in the salty air, trying not to hop away when the water from the sea washed over his bare feet. Behind him other Scouts were laughing, roaming about, and enjoying the natural wonder they'd come across when going on the expeditions beyond Wall Maria.
It was beautiful, Eren could admit that, but it still felt hollow. It was pretty on the outside, but nothing more. He didn't feel that freedom, that vindication, or the joy he was expecting. He just felt nothing.
A yelp rung out from behind him, and when he turned he realised it came from Mikasa. She had taken off her ODM gear and boots, holding them up so that water didn't get on them, and she was moving almost as though she was afraid of the water. But, moments later, that fear turned into an expression of wonder.
The sight made his heart flutter for some reason, and the way she flushed at him made him want to hold her close. Mikasa was enjoying herself, she was happy for once since Armin's death, and her acting was enough to make his lips curl upwards.
Eren caught her eyes, and for a moment he was transfixed by the woman in front of him.
"Mikasa... do you remember back in that field. When you and the others rescued me from Reiner and Bertolt." Eren wasn't sure why he was mentioning his kidnapping at a time like this, but at the same time he felt like he needed to.
Mikasa's expression became a bit more serious as she nodded, and Eren decided to take her by the hands as he recalled the scene.
"Hannes had just died, I couldn't transform, and we were about to die... but you still smiled at me back then. You managed to look happy, your smile was so genuine. Why did you smile back then?"
Mikasa looked down, seeming hesitant to answer. "I... well I was happy that we would be together until the end. You're the most important person in the world to me, Eren. I didn't want us to die screaming and wailing, I wanted to try and enjoy the rest of the time I had with you."
Eren took her hands without thinking, suddenly it was hard for him to breathe, and tears were starting to form in his eyes. "Thank you for always being there for me. I'm sorry for all those times I yelled at you, I'm sorry for always running off on my own. I just- you're always the one who's protecting me. I always wanted to be the one protecting you, I felt like if I relied on you then I'd be weaker for it. I just... I love you so much that-"
Eren paused when he misspoke, though he couldn't find it in his heart to correct himself. It was true, it had always been Mikasa. He never stopped for a moment though, he never let himself breathe, he was so focused on where to point all the anger in his heart that he never allowed a single breathe of his to go by in the pursuit of something else.
Mikasa blushed, touching the scarf on her neck as she remained silent, but eventually she muttered. "I love you too, Eren."
Eren swallowed, knowing her was definitely blushing as hard as Mikasa was, but didn't let that stop him from smiling at her longingly.
The two of them, finally letting their feelings out, gave their first kiss with the sea swooshing gently in the background.