Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 44: Thunder Spears
The final battle against the Scouts and the Warriors has officially begun. Both sides within both fields of battle have launched their attack. Each one is equally determined to win this war once and for all. Michael and the rest of the Warriors were battling it out against the entirety of the Survey Corps.
Lazarus was forced to fight the combined forces of the Garrison and Military Police Regiments alone, whilst keeping Annie safe. It was one against a hundred. But the odds were still in his favour.
"They'll most likely use their blades to take out my wings to keep me grounded. It's the only part of me they can cut. The rest of my body is covered in hardened skin and armoured plates. How exactly do they plan to take me down?" He wondered.
"Fire!" Miche signals the cannon brigade behind the Winged Titan.
All the cannons fire relentlessly into his back. Lazarus instantly responds by covering his nape with his hands. He performs a quick turn and dashes for the soldiers. He kicks their cannons into the air, destroying them and some of the soldiers manning them with ease.
The rest of the soldiers start flying around him, trying to get his attention. Forcing the Winged Titan to swat at them like a swarm of flies. Many soldiers attempted to strike at his nape, but a lot of them didn't get the memo that he was covered head to toe in hardened skin. Their blades broke on contact.
Lazarus extends his wings and spins around, smacking them out of the air like the annoying insects they were to him.
"His wings are exposed! Take 'em out!" Miche ordered as he led the second strike.
He and Rico were able to slash the left-wing flaps. The only parts of his body that weren't protected by hardened skin. Three more soldiers carve up the right wings until both of them are shredded and leaking gallons of blood.
The Winged Titan grunts in pain as it performs another spin to get them to back off. He glances back at his precious wings and attempts to flap them, only to feel an intense pain with every movement. He can no longer fly. He is grounded until his wings can heal.
"They're being careful with me. They know I can't use my fire breath without getting Annie involved. And I can't just construct weapons and start swinging either. There's a chance I might accidentally hit her if I do. This village is too crowded." He looks over at the big open fields a few feet away from him. "I have to lure them out into the open so that I can take them all out as quickly as possible. I promised the others I'd be back in time to help them."
The Winged Titan folds his wings into his back and begins dashing the open fields.
"He's getting away!" Rico stated obviously.
"He won't get far," Miche reassured her. "Soldiers! Secure the Female Titan! Locate and terminate!"
The Winged Titan comes to a screeching halt in response to Miche's change in orders. He glances around his right shoulder and looks back at the ambush squad. He was shocked to see them raiding the empty houses, searching for Annie instead of chasing him. Miche was just standing there angrily staring at him as if he was saying "What's it gonna be? Your life, or hers?"
The Winged Titan growled in response. "I see what this is. They knew I could take them out immediately if Annie was out of harm's way. Instead of chasing me, they decided to attack her, expecting me to come back and defend her. But if I do, I'll still be forced to hold back… Well thought out, Lieutenant. I underestimated you. I see now why Erwin put you in charge of this mission. You're not even giving me enough time to think here."
The Winged Titan quickly turns around and races back to the village on all fours, hoping to not only get to Annie first but to also catch them off guard and take out as many of them as he can.
He leaps up into the air like a cheetah lunging at its prey, ready to pounce on the soldiers and kill as many of them as he can.
"He's coming! Fall back!" Rico quickly warned them.
Unfortunately, a lot of them didn't have much time to react as the Winged Titan crashed down on their location and started swiping at them with its sharp claws, shredding them to bloody pieces, and reducing them to flying limbs raining down on the area.
One unlucky soldier ended up getting impaled on one of his horns trying to get away from him via ODM gear. Lazarus callously shakes him off until his body gets thrown through one of the windows of a random house.
"That was cruel what you did. Using Annie to bait me into staying here. You must be really desperate to deploy tactics like that, ey Lieutenant?" Lazarus uttered in his Titan's voice.
"Not as cruel as the deception you and your allies put up the whole time you were one of us," Miche replied sternly. "We Scouts aren't fooled so easily. Yet you were able to convince us you were good people. As if you believed it yourselves."
"There are no genuine good people in this world. All of us have a monster within us. A monster we're forced to let out when fighting a war. You see us as the bad guys who came here and destroyed your home for no reason. But where we come from, we were taught you were the bad guys. That killing some of you in the process of our objective was justified. I know now that they were wrong… In the end, we're all just people fighting for a just cause." Lazarus responded, attempting again to get them to listen to reason. He knows it was pointless, but it at least bought him time to prepare a countermeasure.
"Heh. You almost did it again." Miche chuckled. He continued before Lazarus could clarify what he meant. "For a brief moment, I almost believed you were telling the truth. How do you expect any of us to trust a word you say after all you've done? Even if you were being truthful, it doesn't change anything. We still need to defeat you if we are to secure any hope for a future beyond the walls. Right now, you are the biggest obstacle in our way."
"As are you." The Winged Titan muttered under his breath.
He then launches a surprise attack by stomping the ground. Dozens of crystal spikes erupt out of the ground and make a beeline for the soldiers' locations.
"LOOK OUT!" Rico warned them as she dashed out of their path with Miche.
Many of the soldiers were able to escape by anchoring up to the rooftops of the buildings furthest away from the Winged Titan. But just as many of them didn't move fast enough and ended up horrifically mutilated by the spikes. Many of them are left empaled through the sharp ends and simply stay there. Their blood leaked out of the gaping wound through their bodies, staining the crystals and giving them a red glow.
Lazarus uses this temporary distraction to try and extract Annie and make a run for it.
"Now's the time. Ready the Thunder Spears." Miche ordered.
Rico and the others rush into the building they're standing atop and unveil the many Thunder Spears they've stashed away in the wine cellar of the house. They detach their blades and replace them with long, sleek missiles, and burst out of the windows.
The Winged Titan responds with a 180 turn and fires crystal projectiles out of his fingertips. Some of them got hit and killed on impact, while others were able to dodge around them and close in on their target.
"Why are they attacking me directly? Their blades have no effect on- He then realises that they're no longer equipped with blades. They have been replaced by some strange-looking golden-tipped harpoon. One in each hand.
"What are those supposed to be? They planning on taking my eyes out with harpoons? If so, why not stick with the blades? They're just as efficient".
Before Lazarus could speculate any further on what these new weapons were for, he ended up getting both his eyes gouged out by them. The soldiers pull back on the cables, triggering their explosion within his sockets.
The Winged Titan roars in agony. The burning sensation within his eyes was too much for his mind to handle. Providing the others, the perfect opportunity to take him down.
"What the hell was that?! My eyes! They burn! I can't see!"
The soldiers move down to his limbs and fire off a Thunder Spear into both elbows and back knees. They all explode simultaneously, forcing the Winged Titan to let out another pain-induced roar and collapse onto his knees. Both his arms go limp, leaving him almost completely immobile.
"Argh! My arms and legs! I can't move them!"
"What's wrong? Don't have anything witty to say this time?!" Rico taunted him as she fired off her first Thunder Spear right into the front of his neck, obliterating the nerves that kept his head upright.
The Winged Titan's throat was blown open as its head flops forward, leaving his nape exposed for the enemy to attack him. He was unable to speak or make a single sound in response to his vocal cords being completely obliterated.
Annie watched in horror from the basement window. She was holding Lazarus's hat close to her chest. She had no idea the Scouts were capable of developing a weapon strong enough to pierce hardened armour. Even though she knows Lazarus cannot die, it doesn't change the fact that he is suffering within his Titan body, writhing in excruciating pain.
"Lazarus…" She muttered in despair, worried for the man she loved. If only she wasn't too weak to fight. She hated herself for feeling so powerless to help.
She closes her eyes and focuses all her energy on recovering her stamina. The sooner she's back up to full strength, the better.
As for Lazarus, all he could do now was just sit there immobilised. With his eyes gone, he put all his focus on his hearing and listened for any incoming soldiers.
Once a soldier, or two, attempted to strike, he defended himself by using his wings as a shield. Though they too ended up getting greatly damaged by the explosive Thunder Spears.
"This is very bad! If these soldiers possess a weapon powerful enough to shatter Titan crystal, then there's no doubt the Scouts have it too. If they use them, not even Michael's hardening will be strong enough to protect himself and the others!" Lazarus theorised inwardly.
Miche then appears behind him and fires both his Thunder Spears at the joints of his wings connected to his back. The blast was powerful enough to completely sever them from the body. The Winged Titan only managed to let out a small, scratchy gasp in response due to his throat being blown open.
"His wings have been clipped! Go for the nape now!"
Rico and a handful of soldiers all close in on the Winged Titan's nape and fire off a Thunder Spear into its hardened flesh. Each of them still has one left in case the first batch wasn't enough to finish him off for good.
Within his Titan's nape, Lazarus's eyes widened in terror at the number of spears embedded in his Titan body. All of them start glowing in sync with one another as the soldiers all pull back on their cords.
"Shit! It can't end like this! Not after I just saved her! I promised Michael and the others I'd be there for them! I PROMISED! AHHHHHH!"
All of the Thunder Spears go off simultaneously, tearing the Winged Titan's back open like a pack of dynamite ripping through tons of granite. Everyone turns away from the explosion, trying to avoid getting blinded by the sudden brightness, bursts of heat, and the shrapnel of hardened armour blasted outwards in all directions.
A huge cloud of smoke erupted out of the Winged Titan's back, hiding what remained of Lazarus's body from view. Once it cleared up, everyone was able to get a good look at their incapacitated foe.
His Titan body was completely mangled. His wings were severed. His nape had been completely opened up down to his upper back, exposing his insides to them. Lazarus's human body was still attached to the Winged Titan, though his head had been completely obliterated. His Scout jacket and shirt had been incinerated, leaving only scraps of cloth clinging to his exposed body. His wing-shaped burn scar was also visible to them.
The soldiers let out a victorious cheer as they raise their remaining Thunder Spears high. At last, they have destroyed humanity's greatest enemy.
Miche and Rico, however, didn't take part in the momentary celebration. They still had Annie Leonhart to deal with. Until they get word back from the Scout Regiment, now wasn't the time to assume they've won.
Back in Shiganshina, The Warriors were forced to reveal themselves and be the first to launch an attack against the Survey Corps. Levi, Armin, and the others on the side of the wall facing the district rejoin the majority of their forces atop it. They all stare down at the Beast Titan and his army.
The Armoured Titan was still inside Shiganshina, but it didn't attempt an attack of its own. He was waiting for the Beast to give it the signal to attack.
Michael and Bertolt were still hiding in their spots waiting for their moment to strike. Both of them acted as a secondary attack force, only to appear if the Scouts gained the upper hand.
Both sides stared down at each other with pure intent on winning this war for good. Neither one was prepared to back down. Both sides were constantly debating what their next move should be. One wrong decision would be the definition of life and death. And unlike the Warriors, the Scouts had a lot to lose. Even though there were only six of them, the Warriors had the power of an army within them while they only had Eren. And if the Winged Titan shows up, it's game over.
"Commander, he's about to climb," Levi warned Erwin, talking about the Armoured Titan who was climbing up the wall by hardening his fingers and toes.
"Soldiers! You are not yet to engage the Armoured Titan! Maintain a safe distance!"
"YES SIR!" The soldiers obeyed with intense devotion.
Eren, Mikasa, and the other 104th members with Hange wondered why they were deciding not to attack. Hange responded by telling them that Erwin was watching their movements rather than blindly charging at them and losing many lives at the very start. The best way for them to defeat their powerful foes is to understand their strategy and come up with their own to counterattack.
Erwin inevitably notices the Cart Titan standing a few feet behind the Beast. It was different from the others. Not just because it was a quadruped, but because of the cargo it carried on its back.
"That Titan's got some kind of cargo on its back. Which tells me that it didn't transform just now. It's also likely that this was the enemy's scout. They must've brought it in to surprise us, thinking we'd be expecting Lazarus to be their scout… But for it to take notice of our approach and relay that information to Michael, that must mean-
Erwin shares his speculations with Levi and Armin. "They've got one more intelligent Titan in their ranks. It's that quadruped Titan over there. Though, there may well be others."
Armin gets a little closer to the edge to get a good look, or as good as he could get, at the Cart Titan. He began to wonder what it was it was carrying on its back. He suspected it might either be some new kind of advanced weapon or maybe… It could be the other three Shifters who hadn't shown themselves yet.
Whatever it was, he didn't have the time to speculate. The Beast Titan was reeling its left arm back. The Scouts quickly began to take cover, expecting it to through another rock. But instead, the Beast slams his fist down with a mighty roar, smashing the ground beneath its fist.
The many 2–3-meter Titans all began sprinting towards the small village on their side of the wall. They were going after the unit with the horses, hoping to kill them all and destroy any chance of retreat.
"Get ready! Multiple two to three meters approaching!" Hange warned.
"This is just like the siege at Utgard Castle." Erwin thought. "They'll start by targeting the horses. Their primary objective is still to capture Eren. But towards that end, they intend to eliminate our only chance of escape… As of five years ago, Wall Maria's perimeter is deep in Titan territory. So, if they do wipe out our horses, we'll have no means of getting back. Not only will this block our escape route, but it'll also cut off our supply lines. It might take a week or a month, but there will come a point at which none of us can move. They'll forgo the risks of a proper battle and opt instead to take Eren when he's too weak to resist. I'm sure of it now. The proof is in the fact that those large Titans are still standing in formation. Their only purpose is to prevent our retreat."
As he deducted the enemy's strategy, he started to think about Michael again. He wasn't sure if it was his plan, Lazarus's, or whoever controlled the Beast Titan. But he had a feeling his son had played a big part in coming up with a strategy that didn't involve a proper battle. It made the most sense to him. Had the roles been reversed, that's exactly what he would've done as well.
"Michael… Deep down I know he doesn't want to kill me, or any of the others. That must be why he hasn't shown himself yet. But when he does, I can't afford to let my emotions cloud my judgment. My dream. My father's dream to see the world beyond the walls must come before all else… Even him."
"Sir! The Armoured Titan is almost up!" Armin warned him, snapping him out of his train of thought.
"I'm well aware." He replied calmly. "Bertolt and Michael haven't revealed themselves yet, but they must be nearby."
"What about Lazarus?" Levi stepped in. "If he uses the same blast he unleashed before, it'll be all over for us."
"Indeed. But my gut tells me he isn't among them."
"Then where else would he be?" Levi curiously asked.
Erwin turns to face him before giving his answer. "In Stohess District, trying to save Annie Leonhart."
Armin, Levi, and the others all turn to Erwin in surprise. To some of them, they couldn't understand why he'd risk the capture of Eren over saving one ally. But those who knew Lazarus within the 104th knew exactly why. It was because of his love for her.
"Huh… I guess the horned bastard does have a heart." Jean idly commented.
"Lazarus is the most powerful enemy humanity has ever encountered. "Erwin continues. "But even he has a weakness. His feelings for Annie are what'll give us an edge in this battle. That's why I had Miche stay behind and form a squad of his own. To defeat Annie and Lazarus and ensure they never return to turn the tides of the battle in their favour."
"Interesting plan. But Michael and Bertolt are still very powerful enemies. Even without the Winged Titan, the enemy still has an advantage against us." Armin reminded him.
Erwin looks back at the Armoured Titan who was getting closer to the top of the wall. Then he glances over at the Beast Titan and his formation. Between the two of them, there wasn't much they could do except defend the horses from Reiner and be ready for whenever Michael and Bertolt appeared.
"You finally ready to say something, Erwin? Been waiting so long I could've made breakfast." Levi joked in his usual deadpan manner.
Erwin takes a deep breath before issuing his next orders. It won't be enough to guarantee an advantage, but it'll at least buy them some time and hopefully draw out the second and third-strongest enemy Titan Shifters.
"Dirk Squad and Marlene Squad, join Clause Squad and protect the horses at the gate!" He faces Levi and Hange's squad. "Levi Squad and Hange Squad, I need you to take down the Armoured Titan! Employ the Thunder Spears at your discretion. Do whatever it takes to complete your objective. This is our moment! Our chance to strike! The fate of humankind depends on this battle! Lay down your hearts and lives! ONE FINAL TIME FOR HUMANITY!"
"YES SIR!" With the speech done, the aforementioned squads leap off the wall and go to their assigned posts to carry out their objectives.
Just as Levi and Armin are gonna join the others in Shiganshina, Erwin halts them. He still had more to say to those two specifically. He had special tasks that required their expertise.
For Levi, it was to strike down the Beast Titan when the chance arose. He was the only one he trusted, and skilled enough to kill him. Levi gratefully accepted. Though a part of him wanted to take on the Winged Titan single-handedly, he had no problem giving it to the furry bastard first. He can atone for his slip-up with Reiner by taking the Beast Titan's head.
As for Armin, he discussed his plan for the Armoured and Crystal Titans. They needed to win on two fronts if they were to secure victory. One of them he can handle. But the other he needed to give to him and Hange.
As soon as they both leave, the Armoured Titan finally reaches the top of the wall. He was able to get a good view of everything that was happening on the inner side of Wall Maria. It didn't take long for him to find the horses all gathered together.
"Good. They've gathered all the horses in one place. I should be able to kill them all and make a break for it." Reiner thought to himself. "No matter how strong Captain Levi is, he's no match for our War Chief… Still, how did they even think to check inside the walls? It doesn't matter now. Once this is done, and Lazarus returns with Annie, our long journey will reach its end."
Reiner then notices Erwin standing a few feet to the left of him. He was just staring at him. He wasn't sure as to why, but he couldn't let him distract him from his goal.
Erwin may not have been enough of a distraction for him, but the sudden burst of lighting striking the centre of Shiganshina was.
He knew immediately that it was Eren in his Attack Titan form. The Coordinate they've fought tooth and claw to capture since the first time they saw him burst out of his Titan's nape.
"Eren? Why would he show up when he doesn't have to? They should be painfully aware that abducting him is our objective. What is he thinking?"
He was even more confused at the fact that Eren was now running in the opposite direction of the inner gate. He estimated that he was trying to climb up and over the walls and try and escape to Trost in Titan form. Or maybe he was planning on attacking Zeke from behind and breaking his formation. Either way, if Eren were to escape alone, then there was no point in staying here and fighting the Scouts.
"This is bad! With Michael's spinal fluid in his system, Eren was able to master hardening in two months. If he escapes and manages to control the full power of the Coordinate, we're finished! Not even Lazarus would be able to stop him!" Reiner started to panic internally. But he quickly calms himself down upon realising one crucial flaw.
"No. If Eren's goal was to escape he could've used ODM gear to scale over the wall and then transformed. But he transformed right in front of me, and right above Michael… I get it now. He's a diversion. They're trying to change my target from the horses to Eren." He glances over at Erwin again. "Hehehe, good try, Commander, you clever bastard. But there's one thing you didn't account for in your plan… Your son."
As Eren was closing in on the outer gate, a sudden eruption of crystal pillars appeared all around him, trapping him in a cage. Hange and the others halt their approach as they notice a hole opening up within Shiganshina's road.
Out from that hole, a long, blue, crystal-covered, arm rises out of it. Its sharp claws bury themselves within the concrete. A second arm appears and copies the actions of the other, allowing the Crystal Titan to pull itself out of the hole and stand before them. The hole quickly closes itself and the road is restored along with it, as if it hadn't been disturbed at all.
Hange and the others were shocked by the sudden appearance of Michael's Crystal Titan. Erwin was also surprised to see his son again, though he knew it was only a matter of time until he did.
"Sorry, Eren. But I can't let you leave." The Crystal Titan glances up at the Armoured's position and gives it a thumbs up.
Reiner's Titan nodded in response and began making its descent down the other side of the wall.
"Now that Michaels got Eren pinned, I can continue my task undisturbed."
As he is about to make his way down, Levi suddenly appears in front of him and closes in on Reiner's arms. His body was rapidly spinning, turning him into a human buzzsaw. He slices the inside of his elbows where he wasn't covered in armour, causing the Armoured Titan to lose its grip on the wall and plummet down to the other side within Shiganshina.
Reiner lands hard on his back yet again. The weight of his body impacting the ground caused a huge tremor to spread throughout Shiganshina, shattering some of the houses close to him.
The shockwave inevitably reaches the crystal pillars Eren's trapped inside of and causes the ones facing it to crack. Eren takes advantage of it and forms hardened brass knuckles on his fists. He manages to shatter the brittle crystals with an enhanced, well-placed punch and escape the cage.
He and the Crystal Titan stare down at each other in rage. The last time the two of them were in Titan form together they were fighting on the same side. Now they'll be fighting against each other.
"It's the exact opposite of our last encounter." Michael mentally commented to himself. "It's ironic now that I have to defend the enemy side from you. I didn't want it to come to this. But the Founding Titan cannot stay with you. If you were able to harness its full power, then there's a chance all the hard work my grandfather and I endured to break the Ackerman curse will be undone… I can't go back! I WON'T go back!"
The Crystal Titan lets out a roar of determination as it takes up its fighting stance. The Attack Titan responds with its roar and also takes up a fighting stance with his fists still hardened.
"I see the spinal fluid that you stole from me has been used to your advantage. You can probably land a devastating blow on me and Reiner now. But no matter how skilled at hardening you get, yours will never be equal to mine!" Michael mentally declared, even though he knew he couldn't hear him. "I'm not fighting for Marley or the Warriors. I have my own reasons for stopping you, Eren. Reasons you, or Lazarus, could never comprehend."
The two Titan Shifters begin circling each other within the centre of Shiganshina. The last time they fought, Eren was able to incapacitate Reiner. But then Lazarus came in with a surprise attack and pushed Bertolt over the side, obliterating him, and making them their captive.
Eren learned from his mistake and made it his mission to ensure they were nowhere near the wall this time.
"I know I'm not as good at hand-to-hand combat as you or Annie, Michael. I also know that your hardening powers are much greater than my own." Eren monologues as he continues to circle Michael. "But I've seen you fight. And I'm much stronger now. In a battle of hardening alone, I stand no chance. But one on one with our fists alone, I know I can win."
Unlike his battle with Reiner, Eren was much more focused this time. Something Michael picked up on from the way he was moving. With his great power, he knows he can beat Eren.
"Why isn't he coming at me?" Michael wondered. Eren was still a few feet away from him. As if he was waiting for him to attack first. "I see what you're trying to do. You want me to come at you first so you can perform the same takedown move you learned from Annie. Nice try!"
The Crystal Titan suddenly leaps backwards, and more crystal pillars erupt out of the ground upon landing. Eren's Titan dodges left and right to avoid them.
"Even with my spinal fluid, your hardening is the same as Annie's. It can only be used to protect your body. You're Titan's only at its strongest in close-quarters combat. But when it comes to long-range attacks, I'm the master at it!"
The Crystal Titan follows up his first attack by summoning a crystallised whip in its right hand and unleashes it at Eren. The whip wraps itself around his left ankle just as he lands another jump. Michael pulls on the whip, tripping him up.
Now he decided to charge in. He manifests a huge double-bladed axe in his other hand while holding Eren down with the whip in his other. He roars as he swings the axe down on him.
Eren instinctively brings his hardened arms up to block the incoming strike. The clash of their hardened crystals let out a loud ringing sound that echoed throughout the town. Hange and the others were forced to cover their ears in response to avoid going deaf. It was the same kind of ringing one hears when a firearm is set off next to your ear in an enclosed space. It was downright unbearable.
The Attack Titan uses both its feet to kick the Crystal back far enough for him to get back up again. He grabs the whip and manages to pull it out of Michael's grasp before getting it off his leg.
In a furious rage, he charges Michael and smacks him several times with the whip, keeping him in a defensive position. Michael swings the axe, trying to slice his head from his body, but Eren doesn't give him the chance.
He sidesteps out of the path of Michael's right fist and manages to get underneath him and uppercut him in the jaw with his hardened fist. The crystal armour shatters upon contact as the Crystal Titan ends up falling flat on its ass.
But Eren wasn't finished with him yet. He takes hold of the whip and starts wrapping it around Michael's neck. He pulls on it with all his strength whilst pushing his body down with his left foot. The Crystal Titan struggles to break free as he clings to the part of the whip wrapped around the underside of his throat.
Hange and the others watched from a distance. They were amazed at how Eren was able to gain the upper hand so quickly. All the training has paid off, Hange thought.
Sasha, however, was in a state of despair and complexity. She didn't know how she should feel right now. Should she be happy Eren is winning? Or should she be sad that Michael was losing? Regardless of what everyone else thought, she still viewed Michael as someone she cherishes as much as she does food, her family, and her comrades.
"Shit! Eren's serious about finishing me off! When I fought Lazarus, he hesitated. But Eren, he's acting as if everything we've been through up until my betrayal doesn't matter anymore… You may see it that way. But I don't."
The Crystal Titan's eyes start glowing blue. The huge crystal spikes in its back extend at high speed, stabbing the Attack Titan in the chest, and forcing it to let go. Eren's Titan roared in response to the sudden pain. Michael quickly retracts his crystals and backhands Eren in the side of the head with a closed fist, sending him stumbling back.
The Attack Titan tumbles backwards, crashing into several houses before coming to a complete stop in the town square. The Crystal Titan picks up its discarded axe and slowly approaches him.
Eren struggles to get back onto his feet again after that lethal blow. He glances over at the approaching Michael and growls with frustration and hate.
"Damn you, Michael! Do you have any idea where we're standing right now?!" Eren's mind flashes back to the day Shiganshina fell at the hands of Lazarus and his Warriors. The day Titans came in and destroyed his home. The day he watched his mother get eaten alive. "This place… was my home!"
He then briefly remembers his first encounter with Michael when they were kids. It was back when he and Mikasa chased off those bullies and defended Armin. Michael was standing at the bottom of the stairs that day while he looked down on him.
But now it was Michael who was looking down at him as he struggled to get back up. Shiganshina was his home too. He remembered him agreeing with one another that they would one day take it back and avenge those who had died during its fall.
"It was OUR home! But you chose to turn your back on it! You chose to side with the monster who stole it from us!" The Attack Titan finally manages to stand back up and raise its hardened fists for another attack. "Well guess what, traitor?! We're taking it back! You! Reiner! Bertolt! … And Lazarus! You'll all pay for taking everything away from me! WE'LL SLAUGHTER YOU ALL LIKE THE MONSTERS YOU ARE!
Eren let out another roar as he was about to charge tackle Michael. Only to be immediately restrained by the Armoured Titan who'd just gotten back up. He grabs Eren from behind and puts his Titan in a chokehold while also restraining his arms, preventing him from lashing out.
"Sorry, Eren, but now it's your turn to be on the receiving end of this hold… Hurry up and finish him, Michael".
Eren fought and struggled, but he wasn't strong enough to break out of Reiner's hold. He was left completely at Michael's mercy. Michael raises both arms back, readying the axe for another swing. This time he was determined to sever Eren's head from his body. Then Reiner will be free to tear him out of the nape.
"It's over, Eren. You've lost. Don't take it too hard. You should've realised that you couldn't take both me and Reiner in a fight." The Crystal Titan looks up at the wall at Erwin who had been watching their battle this whole time. Though he was too far away to tell, he knew that he was disappointed in him.
"Dad… I hope one day you can understand why my way is the only way to save the world. I don't care about Marley or the Warrior's mission. I just wanna make the world a safer place for all kinds of people, and that includes everyone on this island. Countless times I've tried to help you see things my way. Tried to help you see the world as I see it. But your devotion to the Scouts, whilst admirable, is blinding you to my point of view… That is why I must help them capture Eren. But I promise you. Once we leave here, I'm taking you with me. Whether you want to or not. You may hate me for it, but I can't live in a world without you in it. You and Lazarus are all I have left."
"Don't do it!"
The Crystal Titan suddenly stops in its tracks in response to a familiar voice calling out to him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. It was the air-headed, potato-eating girl from the 104th that he grew closer to more than any of the others. Sasha Braus.
She appeared before him atop a random rooftop northwest of his position. Like the others, she came equipped with Thunder Spears. But Michael was too focused on her to question them. He slowly lowers his axe and turns his head in her direction.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Reiner mentally questioned. His grip on Eren stayed strong despite his comrade's questionable motives.
"Michael, please don't kill Eren! You're not a bad guy! You're my comrade. My friend. My…" She hesitates to form the last part of her sentence, realising that it wasn't necessary to bring it up right now. "Whatever. The point is you don't have to do this!"
"What the hell is she doing? Is she trying to reason with him?" Eren speculated. It was all he could do at this moment.
"Don't you remember all the good times we've had together in the Cadet Corps? You were the second coolest hunter I've ever met. My first is my dad, but that's not important… Look, Michael. I didn't come here to convince you to change sides again. I may be slow and in denial about all of this, but I'm smart enough to know you've made up your mind. Even before you betrayed us, I could never know what kind of person you were. Maybe I don't know the real you at all…But still, I never imagined you to be the type of person who'd feel no regret for killing his friends. Everyone else thinks you, Lazarus, Reiner, and Bertolt are evil. But I don't buy it!"
Those words caused both Michael and Reiner's Titan eyes to widen with shock. Even Eren and the others couldn't believe what she'd just said. Has she grown delusional to the point that she believes apologising and forgiving will magically make it all go away? Jean, Mikasa, and Hange seemed to think so. But others, mostly Connie, wanted to believe it.
"I'm not gonna ask you and Reiner to give up. I just wanna know why. You at least owe us an explanation. Help us understand why you chose to join them and turn your back on us! On me!" Her voice gradually grew in desperation with every look she gave him. "Please! Tell me why you chose this over me?!"
While Sasha was keeping the two Warriors distracted, Hange hand signals the others to get around them and box them into a corner. Sasha's eyes filled with tears as she pleaded with Michael to tell her why he betrayed them.
Within his Titan's nape, Michael's eyes screwed shut as he bares his teeth in guilt and sorrow. This was all he wanted to hear since he joined the side of the enemy of the walls. Someone, other than Erwin, to ask him why? Ever since he left with the Warriors, he was immediately treated as an enemy. Even when he saved their lives in the crystal caverns, Levi didn't hesitate to cut him down the first chance he got. Despite this, Michael didn't hold it against him.
"Now I understand what it must've been like for you, Lazarus. The pain of hiding your true self from others. The guilt of having to kill them just to accomplish a mission… I don't know how you do it."
Michael attempted to speak to Sasha and tell her everything. He wanted to explain his actions to the others. But they'll never give him the time or satisfaction of defending himself. Even if they did hear him, it wouldn't change their beliefs, just as how the years he spent living here without his memories hadn't changed his. His goals since the day he inherited the Crystal Titan still linger in his mind just itching to be completed. Just the same as Lazarus and his goal to erase the power of the Titans from existence.
"… Sasha." The Crystal Titan attempted to speak but wasn't capable of a proper speech pattern like the Beast, Cart, and Winged. "I… wish… you… could… understand."
Sasha inches closer to the roof trying to get as close as she can to Michael without falling off. Her eyes were still full of tears as she once again pleaded with him. She didn't want to kill, or even hurt, him, Reiner, or the others. She could tell he didn't want that either.
"Don't do this… please, Michael".
"It's… the… only…way." The Crystal Titan attempted to respond.
He slowly turns his attention back to Eren and raises his axe back and prepares to swing it as hard as he can at the Attack Titan's neck.
"Now!"
As he was bringing his arms down, a Thunder Spear flew down and embedded itself into his elbow, causing Michael to stop and glance over what it was that caused the pin-sized poke in his arm.
"The hell? It felt like someone injected a needle in my arm. What is causing-
The Thunder Spear goes off as he is in the middle of processing what happened. The resulting explosion was powerful enough to break apart his crystal armour and greatly injure his right arm. The crystal axe drops to the ground beside him.
"What the?! What did that?!" He panicked, startled by the suddenness of it all.
He then looks back at Sasha who was now flying alongside the others, who're all attempting to surround him and Reiner, prepping their Thunder Spears for another strike. He did see Sasha carrying two of the new strange-looking weapons, but he was too focused on what she said to question them.
"Hange must've developed new Titan slaying weapons powerful enough to break through my crystals! But if these things can harm me, then that means…"
He quickly turned around to Reiner's position. Hange and Mikasa were going after him next. If the Thunder Spears could damage him, then they'll definitely be able to break through his armour.
The Crystal Titan attempts to charge at them and defend the Armoured, but he is struck by two more Thunder Spears in the back of both knees, causing him to stumble and skid across the ground. He glances back and is shocked to see that it was Sasha and Connie who'd fired them. Despite the regrettable looks on their faces, they did not hesitate to strike him down.
As for Reiner, he ended up getting two spears exploding in his eyes, viciously blinding him. Eren breaks free of his grasp and unleashes several hardened punches to his chest, shattering its armour plating.
"It worked!" Hange declared proudly. "The Thunder Spears are powerful enough to break through Michael and Reiner's armour." She calls out to the others. "Go now! Finish them off while they're down!"
The combined members of Hange and Levi Squad unleash their Thunder Spears directly at Michael and Reiner's napes. Each one of them had a total of four deeply plunged into their napes. So far in that, both Warrior's human bodies could see the pointy ends of them. There was nothing they could do to stop it. Is this it for them?
"NO! I don't wanna die!" Reiner started to panic, unsure of what he should do.
The Thunder Spears all go off in unison, greatly damaging both Titan's napes, forcing them to let out a loud agonising cry. Reiner was on his knees whilst Michael was lying on his front. Both of them were unable to move.
"Whoa. It really worked?" Connie asked, dumbfounded by it all.
"Do it again!" Hange instructed the cadets. "You each still have a Thunder Spear. Use them to end this!"
Sasha and Connie froze in response to the order. They both look back at the downed Reiner and Michael. Both of them were still hesitant to kill them. Most of all Sasha. Even striking him the first time caused her to almost have a mental breakdown.
"But… It's Michael and Reiner… They're our friends." Sasha hesitantly replied, worried about what the others' response would be.
"Come on, guys." Jean decided to step in. "We said we'd do it if it came down to this! So, let's go!"
Although hesitant at first, Connie nods and decides to end this. But Sasha was still frozen in place. Her hands were shaking, rattling her last Thunder Spear.
"What're you waiting for?!" Jean shouted back at her as he and Connie we about to leap off the roof. "Move your ass!"
"I… can't!"
"What did you say?" Jean asked her.
"I can't do it!" She shouted back at him.
"Can't? Or won't?" Mikasa bluntly asked with a slight hint of anger in her tone of voice. She's been through this before with Historia when she begged her not to kill Ymir. Her opinion on the traitors hadn't changed then and it still didn't now.
Sasha started feeling completely overwhelmed with fear at the sight of Mikasa's threatening glare. It was a look that said she would kill her without hesitation if she detected the slightest hint of betrayal. There were very few people she cared about, and at this moment, neither she nor Michael, aren't one of them.
Before Sasha could give her a response, Mikasa stripped her of her last Thunder Spear and attached it to her own ODM gear, giving her two once again.
"You may not have what it takes to kill him, but I do. I don't care what feelings you have for him. He'll pay for choosing them over us!"
Mikasa then leaves Sasha hanging on the roof without any weapons. She rejoins the others as they unleash a second barrage of Thunder Spears into the Crystal and Armoured Titan's napes.
"You're a disgrace to the Ackerman name, Michael!" Mikasa spitefully thinks aloud. "You don't deserve this power! As soon as you're done, I will take the Crystal Titan for myself. I will use it to kill Lazarus and the others and protect Eren from all who stand between us!"
With that final thought, she fires both her Thunder Spears right in the centre of Michael's nape, determined to finish him off for good.
"No! It's not supposed to end this way! Not now! I still have a purpose to fulfil!" The Crystal Titan then reaches its arm up at the wall where Erwin is still standing. "Is this what you wanted, Dad?! To have me die before that purpose has been fulfilled?! What about the dream we shared? We could've accomplished it together."
His life started to flash before his eyes as the Thunder Spears started glowing. He saw images of Noah passing the Crystal Titan down to him. Him living happily with his mother, father, aunt, and uncle. Him meeting Freida and breaking free of his curse. Him meeting Erwin for the first time. Him meeting Sasha for the first time… And perhaps his most treasured memory of all. The day he gave the sword necklace to his best friend, Lazarus, officially bonding them as brothers.
"Lazarus. I hope he's not in the same predicament as me and Reiner. He's our only hope of ending this nightmare! The world will never be at peace without him!"
The Crystal Titan attempts to reach out to the Armoured as the Thunder Spears detonated within his nape. Both Titans roar in pain as their napes are completely obliterated with them inside.
"I'm sorry, Lazarus… I'm sorry, Dad… And I'm sorry, Sasha. I never intended it to end like this. I only wanted to make everyone happy."
The Crystal Titan's body goes limp as the explosion dissipates, indicating that there are no signs of life. Sasha drops to her knees and begins to break down crying.
"No, Michael… I failed again. Why couldn't I have just told you how I really felt!" She wallowed in pity.
Back atop the wall, Erwin notices the downed Crystal Titan succumb to its wounds and drop dead. Though he tried his best to keep his emotions in check, they eventually got the best of him. He lets loose a single tear from both eyes. No matter what decision Michael had made. Even if he was an enemy of humanity, he would never deny that he still loved him like he was his own flesh and blood. And now that he's gone, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, causing him to move his only arm to his chest. To him, it was as though a small part of him had died alongside his son.
To Be Continued