Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 73: Judgement
The Wings of Crystal's final chance to stop The Rumbling has begun. The skies above were filled with airships in a V formation with the Winged Titan at the front and centre of it. So far, their plan had been playing out as Lazarus had predicted. Pieck and Galliard were successful in luring Eren out into the open. The Marleyans quickly made their move and leapt out of the back hatches of their airships, releasing their parachutes. Dozens of them land within Shiganshina and waste no time open firing on the Yeagerists.
General Magath and Willy Tybur watched from the bridge through binoculars. So far so good they thought. Just as they'd hoped, the Yeagerists all took up arms and counterattacked the Marleyans with firearm and thunder spear ODM gear.
Willy's eyes narrow as he gazes down at the Attack Titan. He has a personal grudge against Eren for killing his sister back in Liberio. Part of the reason he joined this alliance between Marley and the Wings of Crystal was so he could avenge his family as well as put an end to the threat of the Rumbling. His revenge wouldn't be complete without the death of Eren himself.
The Attack Titan continued to stand there watching the airships fly over his home district. "I can't believe Marley was desperate enough to try something like this. They're practically coming in blind. Why would they put what's left of their military at risk?"
His eyes were soon fixed on The Winged Titan. The two Titan Shifters locked eyes with such intensity, both carrying a strong desire to end the other. "Lazarus, of course you're here. Only you could talk Marley into doing something so stupid."
Eren was so focused on Lazarus that he'd almost forgotten about the Jaw Titan shielding Pieck and Gabi from the transformation shockwave. Galliard severs Pieck's hand, freeing her and Gabi from their cuffs before attacking him directly. Before Eren could even land a hit, the Jaw Titan retreated, leaping away from the castle. He was only distracting him long enough for Pieck to transform and carry Gabi to safety. Now nothing was holding Lazarus back.
"Eren!" Yelena shouts up at him, getting his attention. "Can you hear me? Abandon your Titan body immediately! We need to get you inside! You can escape underground using the Warhammer's power. You're no match for Lazarus. You'll be killed if you face him!"
The Attack Titan growls in response and walks towards the centre of Shiganshina, ignoring Yelena's warning. There was no way he was gonna retreat from the likes of him. He intends to shoot him out of the sky with the Warhammer's power, tear his wings off like how a child would an insect and lay the mother of all beatdowns upon him. He still wanted to pay him back for how he burned his face off the last time they fought here.
As he entered the streets, he noticed The Winged Titan circling back around. The massive metal box was missing. He must've dropped it off somewhere while he was distracted by Galliard. Whatever was in that box Eren knew it wasn't good. But he didn't have the freedom to go looking for it. The Winged Titan fired a bolt of lightning from its fingertips towards the Attack Titan. Eren barely dodges it. The bolt struck his left leg, forcing his Titan down on one knee.
He was more prepared for the second bolt and dodge rolls to the right, smashing through a couple of buildings in the process. As he sticks the landing Eren uses the Warhammer's power to construct a crossbow in his right hand and aims at Lazarus. He fires off a single crystallised arrow at him before he has a chance to shoot another lightning bolt.
The Winged Titan performed a barrel roll to dodge the arrow, its eyes still fixed on the Attack Titan. He anticipated it wouldn't be long until Eren had mastered the Warhammer's abilities to construct weapons.
"The Warhammer may be powerful, but its power drains a lot of the wielder's stamina. The moment he's too tired to utilise it, I'll swoop down and attack him directly." Lazarus thought to himself within his Titan's nape.
But Eren didn't stop after one arrow. To Lazarus's surprise, he started firing more arrows at a faster rate like a rapid-fire gun. The Winged Titan banked left and right to avoid them as best he could, but a couple did manage to pierce his wing flaps. He was struggling to stay airborne. The holes in his wings only grew in width the more he moved them.
Reiner, who was among the parachuters, watched his new leader begin his plummet down to earth. He wondered if he should get involved and help him out. But then he remembered the explanation behind the whole plan. His mind races back to the moment before their departure.
"As soon as Pieck and Galliard get his attention, I will drop off Erwin's unit wherever Ludwig is keeping Michael, Annie, and Bertolt. They will rescue them whilst I deal with Eren." Lazarus explained internally. "With the Warhammer under his control, he won't be easy to contend with. There's a chance he might overpower me. Should that happen, Reiner and Galliard will back me up."
Reiner gently lands in the empty streets as he just reminisces on the mission. The Winged Titan soon comes hurtling down like a falling airship. The crossbow disintegrates within Eren's grip, and both his arms are covered with hardened armour plates, ready to land the first punch on Lazarus as soon as he is in range.
The Winged Titan took advantage of his free fall and stretched its arms out, claws ready to strike Eren. Using the momentum of his fall, The Winged Titan dive-tackles The Attack Titan. It's claws digging into his sides. The two Titans tumbled back, knocking down several houses in the process. Good thing Shiganshina had been evacuated otherwise they could've had a repeat of the massacre Eren caused in Liberio or when the Warriors broke Wall Maria. The Attack Titan roars in pain feeling its back skidding across the stone ground and the Winged Titan's claws digging deeper into its sides.
They both eventually slowed to a stop and Eren grabs Lazarus's arms, trying to force him off. The Winged and Attack Titans roared in each other's faces, neither one of them intimidated by the other. Lazarus attempted to breathe fire in his face again, but Eren pushed the underside of his chin skywards, forcing his head to look up, directing the fire blast towards the sky. Once he manages to pry his claws from him, Eren kicks Lazarus off of him, creating some distance between the two shifters.
As they got back up on their feet, the world around them seemed to fade into silence. This was it. The showdown that would determine the outcome of the world. It could go one of two ways. One, Lazarus would succeed in eating Eren and taking The Founding Titan, or Eren would deliver on the vision he'd foreseen the day he kissed Historia's hand.
Despite knowing what'll happen, Lazarus remains untouched by his foresight. Anything he does he won't be able to predict. And the same goes for him too. Both combatants raise their hardened fists, taking up a fighter's stance. The Winged Titan's wings folded away into his back, they were getting in the way of his upcoming, supposedly, final fight with humanity's greatest threat. Some of Eren's arrows were sticking out of his body but he paid them no mind, too focused on ending this nightmare before it gets the chance to begin.
"Eren, I know what it is you are hoping to achieve." The Winged Titan started to speak in its demonic voice. "You wish to save your island by destroying all threats outside it. I will not allow it! I'm going to defeat you, Eren, and take The Founding Titan!"
The Attack Titan simply roared in response. Eren never drank Lazarus' spinal fluid so he cannot telepathically communicate with him. He did not need to read his mind to know what he was thinking. His actions spoke louder than words.
The Attack Titan makes the first move and charges straight for the Winged, reeling its right fist back. Lazarus raises his left wing around and hardens it, using it as a shield to block Eren's strike. With his free hand, he conjures a large crystal katana blade and swings it at Eren's neck. The Attack Titan quickly raises his other arm and blocks the blade strike with his hardened arm.
The Winged Titan undoes the hardening on its wing and smacks Eren backwards with it. He attempts to follow this up with another fire blast, but Eren activates the Warhammer's powers and summons crystal spikes out of the ground, forcing him to jump back.
Yelena orders all available units to protect Eren and help him take down Lazarus. They can't risk the albino eating him, not when Zeke's plan was so close to being executed.
Lazarus notices the approaching Yeagerists out of the corner of his eyes. They were armed with Thunder Spears, something he'd learned not to underestimate. This won't be like what happened with Miche's squad.
"This battle is between you and me." The Winged Titan uttered. Sparks of bioelectricity emitted from his fingertips. "Your "Yeagerists" will not interfere!"
He then grabbed hold of the end spikes Eren produced and channelled his lightning through them, sending it jolting from one pillar to the next like lightning rods. The conductive energy reaches the Yeagerists, shocking them to death. Those who somehow managed to shake it off met a gruesome end with their own Thunder Spears blowing up in their faces.
Eren retracts the pillars, shakes off the excess of the energy and charges for Lazarus again. But this time he wasn't going in for another punch. He instead took a page from Lazarus' book and conjured his own hardened sword. His was a broadsword.
The Winged Titan quickly picked up his katana and blocked Eren's strike. Sparks burst in between the two constructs as both sides were fighting to hold their ground against the other.
"Let's do this, Lazarus!"
Before engaging Eren in battle, Lazarus was able to pinpoint the captured Warriors' location using his Titan sense. They were located underground near the inner gate of Shiganshina. Erwin, who was looking out the small window in the box's vault-like door, recognised it as Eren Yeager's home. His son and the Warriors were being held in Grisha's basement.
"Everyone, brace for impact." He orders his new Scout recruits as he makes his way back to his chair, fastening his restraints well and tight.
The Winged Titan undoes the hardening around his hands, allowing him to loosen his grip on the chains. He didn't let go until the box was dangling a few feet above the drop point. Upon releasing his grip, The Winged Titan pulled up and began to circle back to Eren's location. The box hit the ground hard, causing debris to fly out in all directions. The soldiers inside were safely secured to their chairs though some of them did manage to swerve their heads side to side on impact, dazing them slightly.
The sound of the box's impact caught the attention of some Yeagerists who tilted their heads in confusion as to what could be inside it.
"It's a bomb! Clear the area immediately!" One of them warned the others, going off of assumptions. The others all backed away from the box in a state of panic, not even questioning if it really was a bomb.
On the inside, Erwin and the WOC Scouts had their new Cloud Zero katanas and Ace Barrel firearms drawn and ready to join the battle. Before opening the door and leading the charge, Erwin holds up an image of the Yeagerist symbol.
"Remember, only kill those who bear this emblem should they give you no other choice. Leave the rest alive. Our only objective is to storm the basement and retrieve the captured Titan Shifters. Got it?!"
The WOC Scouts all respond in sync with the Paradis military salute, showing their dedication to the cause and loyalty to the reinstated Commander Erwin. Erwin nodded and placed his hand on the valve, slowly turning it to unlock the door.
The Yeagerists remained hidden behind the houses at a safe distance, waiting for the "bomb" to go off. But nothing happened. Perhaps they misjudged the situation. If this wasn't a bomb, then what else could it be?
They got their answer when Erwin kicked the door open and charged out into the field. He had his hood up to hide his face from anyone who might recognise him. Once the fighting's over he will make his presence known to Hange and Levi if they are still alive. But until then he can't let anyone, or anything, get in the way of rescuing his son.
"All soldiers charge!" He shouts with pride as he leads the Wings of Crystal into battle. The Anti-Yeagerist Scouts all let out a unified battle cry as they followed him.
They all take to the skies instantly, surrounding the whole street. The Yeagerists, and the Volunteers loyal to Yelena, all watched them flying around on ODM gear that looked completely different to the ones the Paradis military use. The Ace Barrel squad opened fire on the ground, only targeting the Yeagerists as instructed.
"Are those… Scouts?" Onyankopon questioned. The way they flew around on their ODM gear, taking out their enemies. Those hoods. He can't help but be reminded of the Scout Regiment.
But they weren't Scouts. Their uniforms were a different colour. Red jacket, black hoods, and their symbol had a different set of wings on it. The Winged Titan's wings.
"These must be the Wings of Crystal movement Lazarus and Michael said they were forming. I didn't expect them to rally this many soldiers so quickly… Willy must've had something to do with it." Yelena thought to herself.
This didn't look good for the Yeagerists. This new fighting force caught them completely off guard, allowing them to pick some of them off with ease. Enraged at seeing so many loyal Eldians get gunned down, Floch orders those still alive to take up arms and combat the Wings of Crystal.
While the two squadrons duked it out above ground, Erwin and a handful of Cloud Zero-wielding soldiers made their way downstairs to Ludwig's lab.
A few minutes before they arrived, Annie screamed with muffled agony behind her mouth-gag as she could feel the scalpel Ludwig held dig into her stomach. Blood began to leak out from the cut, which only added to Annie's anxiety. Her body writhed against her restraints, desperate to break free and escape. Steam started seeping out of her wound, attempting to close it up, but Ludwig continued cutting into her with the scalpel.
All Michael could do was sit there helplessly and watch as the vile old man gutted her like a fish.
"Where are you, Lazarus?!" He thought.
Suddenly, the whole lab shook as the impact of the metallic troop transport box was dropped onto the ground directly above their heads. Ludwig and the other scientists all held onto something until the tremors stopped.
"What the devil was that?!" The head scientist demanded of his staff. "You, go upstairs and check the perimeter!" He ordered the guard by the stairs who obeyed and stormed the staircase, his rifle clutched tightly in his hands.
"I'm here," Lazarus replied out of nowhere, startling both Michael and Annie. "Be ready, Erwin's heading towards your location with the Wings of Crystal."
Upon hearing this Michael's face lit up with relief. He starts laughing to himself, provoking Ludwig to stop what he is doing and turn back to him. Why was he laughing? He has no reason to be cheerful at this time. And Annie, for reasons unknown stopped screaming behind her mouth gag and started breathing calmly as the new cut in her stomach closed up. This happened right after the tremors hit. In no way was that a coincidence.
"Shut up, traitor!" The Yeagerist holding Michael at gunpoint shouted.
Michael eventually toned down his cheeriness enough to unveil how screwed these bastards are gonna be.
"Oh, you're all in some real deep shit now. Hehehehaha! Guess who's here?!"
"The Winged Titan? We already knew it was a matter of time until Subject 14 would come here. It doesn't-
"Not just him. All of Marley's forces are here. The Omega Unit, and of course, the Wings of Crystal… led by my father, Erwin Smith. A man who always takes high risks and reaps the biggest rewards."
Before he could get any clarification on what he was on about, the sounds of gunfire echoed from the top of the stairs. The guard ordered to check it out came tumbling down the stairs until he came to a stop at Ludwig's feet. His head and torso were full of bullet holds. Blood leaked out of them, staining his uniform and skin.
The other two guards raised their rifles at the bottom of the staircase ready to shoot anyone who came down. But that proved to be a grave error, as they'd taken their eyes off their prisoner.
Michael kicks the joints in the back of their knees, knocking them over. He then kicks their rifles away from their reach, disarming them of their weapons. By this point three WOC soldiers stormed the lab, raising their guns at the scientists.
"Hands up!" One of them shouted. The defenceless scientists comply and raise their hands where they can see them.
Erwin then enters the lab and scans the room for Michael. He first spots Annie strapped to the operating table. He raises his katana to Ludwig.
"Drop the scalpel and back away!"
"Erwin Smith. So, the rumours are true. You are alive. Hange and Levi always spoke highly of you. How do you think they'll react when they discover you're serving Marley?" He taunted.
"My allegiance is only to my people. There is no way in hell I was going to let you murder my boy and his future niece or nephew." That statement shocked Annie, knowing he was referring to her baby. He then surprises everyone else by throwing a hard right punch across Oppenheimer's face, knocking the old man on his boney ass. "If Magath hadn't insisted on taking you alive, you'd be dead by now!"
Ludwig coughed as he used his trench coat sleeve to wipe off the blood leaking from his nose. He glares up at Erwin with a look of anger mixed with fright. Then, to Erwin's confusion, he started chuckling.
"Hahaha. The last person who ever hit me was a school bully named Timothy. His punch caused blunt-force trauma to my frontal lobe, humiliating me in front of the entire school and the boy I had strong feelings for… You wanna know what I did in response?" He asked rhetorically, not even giving Erwin the chance to answer. Unbeknownst to him and the others, he was slowly inching his right hand towards an empty beaker that had been knocked off the table during the tremor.
"I studied the limit of the human psyche to know how much one can handle mental torture before going insane. I kidnapped little Timmy, strapped him to a chair, and locked him in a dark, cold basement for three days straight with no food, water, or bathing. I forced his eyelids open with staples and subjected him to watching his family, friends, and that one girl he crushed on get mauled to death by my dogs! He watched as they devoured their remains, bathing in their blood… The result is that he is now a nonfunctioning, penalised, despairing piece of human trash who only mutters silent screams as a means of communication. I wouldn't be surprised if he took his life in the most painful way possible as a result of my actions, and I never lost a fight since… until now!"
Everyone, apart from Erwin, was stunned by the effort Ludwig went to get even with a bully, who they assumed was only a child at the time. Even his fellow scientists were haunted by his explanation. "Holy shit!" Was all Michael could think up in response to that disturbingly in-depth exposition.
"Intriguing story. Maybe I should tell it to your Marleyan superiors, give them some ideas on how they can torture the knowledge out of you." Erwin replied sternly, not at all intimidated by his threats.
"It won't come to that. Because you, Marley, and especially Subject 14 are all going to be trampled under the feet of The Rumbling. And I'm gonna get a front-row seat!"
Ludwig grabs the beaker and throws it at Erwin's face. The commander grunts in pain and stumbles backwards. The beaker's broken shards fly outwards, some of them embedding themselves in his face. Luckily his eyes were untouched.
In his moment of distraction, Ludwig gets up and punches the big red button on the wall to his left. The button activated the sprinklers embedded in the ceiling that was only meant to be used in case of a fire. Ludwig uses this distraction to grab his cane and fedora and make his way upstairs.
"Don't let him get away!" Erwin ordered.
One of the Cloud Zero-wielding soldiers ran after him up the stairs. The other scientists eventually fled as well but they were of no importance to Marley compared to Oppenheimer.
After carefully removing the tiny shards of glass from his now bleeding face, Erwin draws his katana and severs one of the cuffs keeping Annie strapped to the table, freeing her left arm. He hands her the scalpel that was almost used to kill her baby, allowing her to free herself while he releases Michael from his bonds.
With a swish of his blade, he slices through the chains holding his son captive. Michael gets up and hugs his dad who gracefully returns it.
"I can't believe you came back for me. I thought you weren't ready to face the others yet?"
"I'm not. But the world will no longer let me wait. If we're to save it, we have to act now. Where's Bertolt?" Erwin asked.
"Oh shit! They're about to feed him to a Titan! Follow me!" Michael leads Erwin down the stairs at the opposite end of the lab to the Titan transfer vault. The remaining Scouts stayed to help Annie and kept their guard up for any Yeagerists that may come down.
Bertolt only now decided to awaken from the forced sleep the Yeagerists put him under. He felt an uncomfortable pulling of the muscles in his arms, bringing about the realisation that he was being held down by chains on an altar identical to one in Marley where Titan Shifters are sacrificed to their successors.
He then noticed a Titan being chained up to the back wall in front of him. The only light source in the vault was the row of torches leading up the stairs to the altar. The Titan was almost completely engulfed in shadow, only its skinny arms and legs were visible in the light. Judging by the size of its limbs, he guessed it was a seven-meter.
But he and the Titan weren't alone. The Yeagerists that carried him down here were still inside. They appeared to be operating a pair of cranks that held the Titan's chains attached to its wrists. They noticed the Warrior was awake and began turning the crank, allowing the Titan to get closer to him.
"Wait, shouldn't we wait for Eren or Doctor Oppenheimer to arrive first?" One of the Yeagerists suddenly stopped, keeping the Pure Titan at bay.
"Didn't you hear the fighting up there? Eren's dealing with The Winged Titan, and Doctor Oppenheimer is too busy cutting that Bitch Titan open. We've wasted enough time waiting, time the enemy will have to stop us. Let's just hurry up and get this over with so we can get the Colossal Titan's power." The other one argued.
"Good point." The first one commented before resuming the turning of the crank.
The chains loosened even more, allowing the Pure Titan to start crawling out of the shadows and into the light. Until now Bertolt wasn't going to give the Yeagerists the satisfaction of hearing his screams of plea as he is about to be eaten. But his eyes widened with bewilderment as the Titan got closer to him. For some reason, this Titan looked familiar.
"That's impossible! How could-
Suddenly, the vault door is blasted off its hinges by three crystal flat-faced pillars conjured by Michael. The door smacks into the Pure Titan, sending it stumbling backwards until it can't maintain its balance and ends up falling on its back, right on top of the two Yeagerists, crushing them to death.
Michael approaches the other end of the vault to make sure they are dead whilst Erwin slices through the chains holding Bertolt's arms to the side, allowing him to flop forward and smack the ground face first. Erwin offers him a hand up which he hesitantly accepts, still convinced there was some animosity between them.
"Wha- What's going on? Why are you here?" He asked, still dazed from having his face smashed in.
"I only came to save my son. I didn't do it for you… Michael, what's wrong?"
Michael didn't respond. He was too focused on this Pure Titan. Like Bertolt, he felt a weird sense of familiarity by looking at it. But he can't figure out why. Was this Titan someone he knew or someone his grandfather knew?
Erwin raised the volume of his voice, finally getting a response out of the slack-jawed Ackerman.
"Michael!"
"Sorry, I… This Titan… It just looks-
He pauses upon noticing that nobody is manning the cranks now that the guards are dead, which means nothing was holding this Pure Titan back from reaching out for him.
"MOVE!" Erwin shouted at the top of his lungs. Michael quickly summons another crystal pillar out of the ground. It stabbed the Titan in the chest and pinned it against the stone wall. It was still alive though it was now incapable of moving from that spot. Its nape was pressed against the wall's surface so killing it wasn't an option anymore.
"Forget it, it's nothing. Let's get outta here! Lazarus will need our help if we're to stop Eren and Zeke!"
Erwin flings Bertolt's arm over his shoulder and assists him down the stairs. From there he hands him off to Michael so he can utilise his ODM gear again. Step 1 of their operation was complete. Now to move on to Step 2, help Lazarus acquire The Founding Titan before Eren can use its full power. At least that was the Wings of Crystal's objective. Michael has other plans for the Founder, one he cannot follow through until he gains access to The Paths.
The WOC soldier follows Ludwig upstairs back to the surface but ends up losing him in the chaos of the battle taking place within Shiganshina. Everywhere he looked he saw his comrades' exchanging gunfire with the Yeagerists as well as Eren and Lazarus duking it out in their Titan bodies. Oppenheimer disappeared. How he lost sight of a frail old man like that is beyond him.
He suddenly felt a hand tightly latch over his mouth and nose, cutting off his air supply, followed by a sharp pain in his back. Ludwig managed to sneak up behind and stabbed him with a knife. "Shhhh, time to sleep now." He whispered into his ear as he finished him off. The soldier's eyes close as his body goes limp in the scientist's arms. Ludwig starts to drag the dead soldier away from the lab's entrance before Erwin and the rest of his troops find him.
"Impressive ODM gear. Subject 14's handy work I assume."
As he carries the body away, he watches the fight going down between the Attack and Winged Titans. Eren seemed to be minimising his use of the Warhammer's power, probably saving it for when the other Warriors join in the fight which they both know they will.
At the moment Lazarus had the upper hand, using his crystal dual katana swords to keep Eren on the defensive. Eren kept backing up until he reached the wall.
"You're running out of wall, Eren. Please just stop." The Winged Titan uttered with its raspy voice.
The Attack Titan roars in response. Suddenly, a swarm of Yeagerists appear behind The Winged Titan. Lazarus performs a 180 turn and swats them out of the air with his wings. But doing so left him wide open for Eren to charge tackle him. Both swords fly out of his hands and Eren forces his armoured left elbow against Lazarus' throat, trying to choke him to death.
The Winged Titan attempted to push him off but was kept pinned down by Eren who picked up one of his discarded swords and thrusts it through his left wing. The recovering Yeagerists finally fire off their Thunder Spears into Lazarus's armoured mask. The explosion not only shatters it but also burns out his eyeballs, blinding him. The Winged Titan lets loose a horrifying screech that was too much for the human eardrum to handle, forcing them to cover their ears.
Eren was unaffected and used this distraction to thrust the other sword into his other wing, keeping him pinned down. The Winged Titan roared again and latched onto the sides of Eren's head, his sharp claws partially penetrating his skull. He was about to discharge another close-range fire blast to the face.
"SUBJECT 14!"
The Winged Titan suddenly stopped. The bright glow in his chest quickly faded out, cancelling the flame attack building up inside. He recognised that voice. It was Ludwig Oppenheimer, the man who made him The Winged Titan. Only he referred to him by his experiment number. Though he couldn't see right now, he could pinpoint his location with his pointed ears. He was somewhere north-east of his and Eren's position.
"My oh my. Look at you. Just look at you… Your Titan looks even more magnificent up close. There's the famous white skin and hair. The horns… And of course, the wings. Unfortunately, the person controlling it is not perfect. Nothing at all how I imagined the next Founding Titan to look. But Eren, he's everything I was hoping for."
As he spoke dramatically, he hand signals Eren to back off so he could get a better look at his creation. Not only that, but he was alerting him to Reiner's position he saw earlier when he was dragging the dead soldier out of sight. The Attack Titan turns towards the layout of houses where Ludwig pointed. He only just spotted Reiner quickly duck behind the building, hoping he didn't see him. Unfortunately for Armoured's host, he did.
The Attack Titan dashed towards him, dive-bombing onto the sets of houses. Reiner had less than a second to react and trigger his transformation. The Armoured Titan formed as he dodged out of the way, finishing the moment he stuck the landing.
Wasting no time, Reiner tackles Eren and body slams him. The full weight of his bulky build and armour crushed a few of Eren's ribs, triggering another agonising roar.
Lazarus channels his energy into his eyes, allowing them to regenerate instantly, allowing him to finally lock eyes with Ludwig who was standing atop the rooftop of a ruined house. He removed his trench coat, revealing a stolen Ace Barrel ODM gear he stripped off the dead soldier he dragged away. The Winged Titan venomously growls at him.
"Ludwig! I can't believe you survived! You were one of the few I wished had died in Odiha that day!"
"For a time, I wished I had. But all that changed the day I came here. Meeting Eren reignited my passion to begin the next era of mankind."
"By killing everyone!?" The Winged Titan roared. "Your bomb murdered innocent people! Is there no end to your blood lust?!"
"It's like I told your friend, Michael. The old world needs to be cleansed with fire and footsteps before the new one can grow from its ashes… You were supposed to be the one to carry out that dream. But instead, you became a liability. Physically and genetically, you are the strongest being in existence! But you're weak of will and character. Too deluded by your fantasies of being a hero to see the reality we face. Eren is the true Coordinate, not you!"
"You're a monster!"
"Well, at least my parents didn't raise me to be a simple-minded sociopath!"
"Don't you dare talk about them! You are not fit to speak their names!"
"I am not fit?" Ludwig sarcastically replied. "You only survived because of your mother's blood. You were nothing before I gave you your powers! Just a scared little boy, so naïve and desperate to live up to the legacy of Dante and Lydia, Marley's strongest Warriors."
As he continued to taunt and mock him, the Yeagerists continued to blow up his body with Thunder Spears, preventing Lazarus from regenerating completely and buying Eren and Zeke more time.
"You think yourself a worthy fighter? The one who will bring about the end of the Titans. What about your "friends"? Did you really think they liked you because of your friendly personality? No! They only took interest in you because of the power I gave you! It even won the heart of sweet little Annie. Would she have loved you if you never became The Winged Titan? Would anyone else see you differently? No! You'd just be another devil discriminated against and abused by the rest of the world!"
"Shut up!" Lazarus shouted, startling some of the Yeagerists.
"You think stopping The Rumbling will redeem you in the eyes of Paradis? You must be a fool if you think that! In their eyes, you will always be the monster that brought an end to their decades of peace! They will never accept you! Never call you their friend! You are, and always will be a failed experiment!"
"Shut up!"
"And once The Rumbling is done, Eren and I will make you watch as we turn your demon spawn of a baby into the progenitor of a new race of humans! They will be nothing more than a pile of comatose flesh in a test tube, subjected to endless experimentation!"
"SHUT UP!" The Winged Titan roared in anger. A massive burst of bioelectricity explodes out of his body, shooting in all directions. All the Yeagerists near him were vaporised by the blast, the Thunder Spears they left behind blowing up in the faces of whoever was left, reducing them to burnt pieces of flesh.
Ludwig manages to save himself by firing an anchor behind him, though he still gets hit in the back of the leg by the lightning. He ended up crashing through a random bedroom window and landing on the wooden floor.
It was around this time Michael, Erwin, Annie, and Bertolt emerged on the surface. They overheard some of Ludwig's rant before the explosive energy burst. Michael erects a wall in front of them, deflecting the bolt into the sky.
One of the stray bolts wound up striking Reiner in his right eye, leaving scorch marks around it. The Armoured Titan grunts in pain and is forced to back away, allowing Eren to push himself back up and land a hardened punch across his face, shattering part of his mask.
"I think now is my cue to join the fight. Dad, think you can escort these two to safety while I help out Reiner?" Michael asked.
Erwin nods and begins leading the no longer captured Warriors to the rendezvous point where General Magath is. The Cart Titan had just delivered Gabi there moments ago. He's most likely giving the young lady a hard time for sneaking aboard the enemy's airship without authorisation.
Erwin orders his men to continue battling the Yeagerists as well as capture Ludwig. By now The Cart must be equipping the new Anti-Titan cannon onto her back, something to increase their chances of success. Killing Eren wouldn't solve this conflict. It would just kick the can down the road. Whether Magath likes it or not, the world's best hope to bring an end to 2000 years of hatred was for Lazarus to eat him.
Eren continued to smash Reiner's armoured face until he was attacked from behind by The Jaw Titan. Galliard bites down on The Attack Titan's nape, attempting to rip Eren out of it. He won't eat him, but he'll make sure his body is too mutilated to allow him to conjure another Titan body.
"Now I'll make you pay for the way you trampled my home!"
Eren swings his hardened fist back, smashing the side of his head and cracking his mask again. The force behind the strike was powerful enough to send The Jaw Titan flying into the set of houses on the opposite side. Galliard crashes into a house a few blocks down from where Ludwig landed, unaware of the Marleyan scientist's presence.
"Shit, he really got me good with that one." He weakly muttered within the nape.
While his back was turned Reiner grabbed Eren's face and held him still while he used his free hand to underpunch him in the side several times. He was buying Michael time to get into position so he could transform and join the fight.
"Eren, you're not a threat to us on your own. This is the end for you! So give up already!"
The Crystal Titan emerges from the dust and smoke kicked up by its transformation. The sun's rays glisten through its crystal armour. Michael summons giant chains out of thin air and wraps them around Eren, keeping him still. As he approached the immobilised Attack Titan, he spots the Winged getting back up looking pissed.
Instead of focusing his attention on Eren, The Winged Titan appeared to be scanning the district for Ludwig. He no longer cared about what Magath said about taking him alive. He wanted to destroy the Marleyan scum who threatened his child. Thinking up various ways on how to mercilessly kill him.
"Screw taking him alive! That monster doesn't deserve to live!" He roared.
"Forget him, Laz!" Michael mentally intervened. "Eren's right here! You need to eat him now! He's already taken down Galliard! And Reiner can't hold him off forever!"
It was at this moment Eren finally utilised the Warhammer's power and unleashed a barrage of spiked pillars all around him, stabbing Reiner and Michael, skewering them on tall strong poles. The spikes also broke through the chains binding him, allowing him to break free.
The Yeagerists quickly swoop in and attempt to blast their napes while they're hanging. But Erwin and the remaining WOC were hot on their tail. Erwin slashes the Yeagerist who was moments away from discharging a Thunder Spear into his son's nape.
At the same time, Magath fires the first shot from the Anti-Titan cannon atop Pieck's back at The Attack Titan's head. The round was fired with the same amount of force behind it as the armoured trains at Fort Slava. It almost took his head clean off. The large 150mm shell passes through the side of his Titan skull and strikes the ground with a massive thud, reducing the building near the impact zone to rubble.
Yelena watched in horror at seeing one of the Yeager brothers succumb to the overwhelming might of four Titans and an anti-Titan cannon. He was severely outmatched. She doubts he'll last much longer if this keeps up.
Lazarus gazes up at The Cart Titan perched atop the wall and gives her a nod. With the Yeagerists gone, he was able to focus his energy on healing the last of his wounds. The holes in his wing flaps seal up, allowing him to flap them again.
Eren, suffering from a severe head injury, collapsed onto his knees. He couldn't fight back even if he tried. That shot to the head damaged his motor cortex. Until it heals, he's a sitting duck.
The Crystal Titan hardens its fists, adding spiked knuckles, to break free of Eren's spikes. The Winged Titan does the same with his wingtips and slices the pillar holding Reiner up. Both bulky Titans fall to the ground hard, causing a small tremor. But both individuals were fine, aside from the stab wounds in their torsos.
The WOC has managed to keep the Yeagerists pinned down behind a roof, not giving any of them even a millisecond to pop out and return fire.
"NOW, LAZARUS! DO IT NOW!" Erwin shouted from afar.
The Winged Titan nodded and approached the crippled Eren. Magath watched his approach down the sight of the gun, his fingers lightly gripping the trigger, ready to fire another round the moment The Attack Titan moved an inch.
Within his Titan's nape, Eren gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. "Move!" He mentally yelled to himself. But his Titan body wouldn't respond. The feeling had gone throughout his entire nervous system. He was completely paralysed.
Eren lets loose an internal yell and musters the last of his Titan strength to summon more spikes, pushing back Michael, Reiner, and Lazarus. Magath fires another Anti-Titan shell into his head, taking out more of his skull this time. Blood gushes out of the huge gaping hole in the side of his head where his left eye and nose used to be and splashed all over the street, painting the roads and houses red. He didn't even have a bottom jaw anymore. Words couldn't describe the details of the suffering he was enduring. Though from their perspective it was well deserved.
Still hurting from the crash, Ludwig slowly rises to his feet, using his cane to help push himself back up. The loud bang of the Anti-Titan cannon was what caused him to finally find the strength to see what was unfolding outside. His eyes widened with shock when he noticed the fleet of airships raining down machine gun fire on the Yeagerists.
"No way! I thought the Marleyan Officer Corps was nearly wiped out! How did they coordinate this attack in less than a month? If this goes on… they'll capture Eren!"
The Attack Titan was lying defeated on his front, held down by both the Armoured and Crystal, each one putting all their body weight on his back.
Even more terrifying was seeing The Winged Titan cut into the nape with its sharp claws, wrapping its fingers around Eren's actual body and ripping him out of the nape. The Winged Titan maintained a tight grip on Eren, keeping his arms to the side so he wouldn't bite his hand and transform again.
To prevent him from biting his tongue, he channels electricity into his right hand, shocking Eren. It wasn't enough to kill him but plenty to keep him stunned long enough to eat him.
"Shit, they already have!"
And he wasn't alone. Yelena was just as shocked to see Eren at the Winged Titan's mercy. She warned him he never stood a chance alone, why the hell didn't he listen?!
"Come on, Eren!" Ludwig quietly cheered him on, remembering that the Wings of Crystal were searching for him. "You're not like the rest of them, you never were. You are special. I know you can surpass Subject 14! Don't you dare prove me wrong by letting yourself get eaten!"
"He's finally worn himself out," Michael stated in his Titan's nape. "The Warhammer may be identical to my Titan, but it could never match mine in terms of endurance. You were so desperate to stop us that you've drained your strength. It's over, Eren!"
"General Magath, Lazarus's got Eren! He's about to eat him!" The Cart Titan stated excitedly, hoping that'll finally be the end of it.
"Good. But the mission's not over yet. Zeke's still out there. If he shows up now, we're in trouble… What's he doing just standing there? Hurry up and eat him already, Averbach!"
The Winged Titan held Eren up to his eye level, gazing deeply into his green eyes. His crimson glare always affected people, scaring them into looking away. But Eren was not afraid. His eyes remained fixed on The Winged Titan without a shred of fear. Even if it looked like he was gonna die he refused to give Lazarus the satisfaction of begging for his life.
Willy Tybur watched the conflict from the safety of the airship's bridge. He was pleased to see the man responsible for murdering his sister at the mercy of the result of his father's False Founder Project. It was ironic justice and he was all for it. Now Lazarus can take his place as humanity's true Helos. The hero who will save their world.
"Enough is enough, Eren. There's no point in keeping up the fight." The Winged Titan gently spoke. "You've lost, accept that! We've suffered enough... We all have. And that includes you."
Earlier on in the fight, Onyankopon feared the odds against Eren and suspected it was only a matter of time until he was overwhelmed and killed by the Omega Unit. With little to no choice, he releases Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, and Connie from their confinement and begs them to help protect Eren before it is too late.
By the time they reached the top of the castle where Yelena stood, they all froze with horror seeing Eren getting electrocuted within the Winged Titan's grasp. He was about to get eaten.
"We're too late! Lazarus is gonna eat him and take the Founder!" Onyankopon stated in fear.
It only looked worse from here as the Winged Titan was raising Eren to his face. His large Titan mouth opened wide, ready to eat Eren and bring an end to the cycle of hatred. Mikasa trembles with despair. There was nothing she could do to stop this. She was far away from them and had no ODM gear equipped. And the Yeagerists were still pinned down by the Wings of Crystal. The Crystal and Armoured Titans stood beside The Winged, guarding him while Lazarus did the deed. The Cart Titan's gun is still focused on Eren with another round ready to fire the moment he tries to transform again. There truly was no way of saving him. Marley has won. The Rumbling will never come to pass.
"EREN!"
"I remember the promise I made to you, Eren." Lazarus monologued inwardly as he brought Eren towards his mouth. "… That you would be the last friend I ever kill. Good-
Suddenly, a massive barrage of rocks comes flying out of nowhere and collides with all three Titans. Their heads were shredded by the shrapnel. They came at them so hard and fast that all three of them didn't even have time to register the impact as they all tumbled across the empty streets. Despite the surprise attack, The Winged Titan retained its grip over Eren, though his hand had been severed from his wrist by the sharp hail stones.
The back of The Winged Titan's hand broke Eren's fall. Its fingers fly open, allowing Eren to escape and quickly initiate a second transformation. The newly formed Attack Titan gazes over at the three downed Titans. Steam was already emitting out of the wounds they sustained in the collision. He directs his head in the direction of the inner gate where the shot came from. Standing atop the wall was The Beast Titan dropping his pitcher's stance and returning to a standing position.
All eyes fell on him. The invading forces were mortified to see him so soon. Whilst Yelena smiled with joy. And Ludwig wore a mix of both in his expression. He was pleased Zeke was able to save Eren at the last second, but now this means he will begin the execution of his plan. Or worse, turn the poisoned Eldians into Titans. He needed to get away before that happened. He's come too far to be devoured by a mindless Titan.
The Winged Titan's eyes narrowed at the sight of him. He should've figured it was too easy. Of course Zeke had to come along and stop him as he was moments away from victory. His former roommate always had a habit of making things difficult for him.
"There he is," Magath commented. "The boy wonder has arrived."
Michael gasped as realisation struck as hard as the rocks he'd been pummelled with. If Zeke was here, then that meant Levi and the Scouts watching him were dead. Zeke must've used his scream to turn them all into Titans. Levi would still be human, but his fate remains unknown at this point in time.
"Shit! Don't tell me Levi lost to that bearded piece of shit!"
"Damn you, Zeke!" The Winged Titan venomously muttered under its breath.
"Looks like I arrived just in time." The Beast Titan commented. "I'm later than intended, but what matters is that I showed up as promised, right?" He focuses his attention on his younger half-brother below.
"You did well holding out for this long, Eren… Now let your big brother take care of the rest."
To Be Continued