Reiner and Annie landed and went straight for the Warhammer Titans. The Warhammers created hammers and tridents to fight. They all swung their weapons, but the teamwork between Reiner and Annie was sublime. They evaded every attack, they both hardened their fists, and with one punch blew their heads off.
Behind them, another orb of lightning formed, and the Cart Titan appeared. Pieck landed on Reiner's shoulder and others latched their hooks on to Annie.
There were hordes of Titans in front of them. All Nine Titans of the past. Some of the Titans caught the others' attention. Porco, Marcel, and Ymir's Jaw Titans. Grisha and Kruger's Attack Titan. It was going to be hard for them to pass the barricade of Titans.
"6 Colossal Titans. There's no way we can run past that." Levi said.
"It'd be a death trap.... I've got nothing left...I don't have a plan for this." Hanji said with slight hints of distress.
That was when something hit Mikasa. Back when they attacked Liberio.
"Back in Liberio...The Cart Titan detonated itself to save the Jaw from Eren. I don't know how durable and how useful it could be, but it's worth a try." Mikasa suggested.
"That's just about what I had in mind. It should at least give us time to pass by and reach the nape." Pieck stated.
Pieck jumped off Reiner's shoulder and jumped into the horde of Titans. All the Titans instantly tried to attack her, but then an explosion set off. The explosion cleared the path, but that wasn't enough.
Pieck transformed once more and jumped at more of the Titans and detonated herself. Her effort wasn't nearly enough. Titans just kept sprouting back.
"The Cart Titan has the highest endurance out of all the Nine Titans, but I can't keep doing this forever. Eren Jaeger's power is too much for even the entire Marlyean military. I can't do this."
All the Titans closed in on Pieck and surrounded her. The massive hands of the Colossal Titans were about to grab Pieck before they all seemingly disappeared.
All of the Titans completely disintegrated as a fierce gust of wind ripped them apart. Heaps of steam obscured all their vision.
"What just happened?" Hanji questioned.
"All the Titans disappeared! But how?" Connie asked.
"Don't tell me...."Levi said.
A dark figure walked through the steam. They couldn't make out who the figure was, but they could tell it was a person. The figure walked with his hands in his pockets and was about two or three inches taller than Levi.
The steam cleared and it revealed a hooded man. The man was wearing a black hoodie with the lower half of what resembled the Survey Corps uniform. The man took off his hood and everyone's eyes widened.
"E-E-E-Eren." They saw said in unison.
This Eren looked different. He had brown hair that reached his cheekbones, seafoam green eyes with hints of blue. His eyes had a red gleam of pure hate. There was an evil smile with a sadistic undertone, and it was creepy. It gave all of them goosebumps.
"Shit...This could be bad...I'll handle him." Levi said then walked toward the Eren.
"It's been too long, Levi." The Eren said.
"Where's the respect...Eren?"
Eren laughed at the question. He put a hand to his stomach and clenched it. His laugh was terrifying.
"That isn't the Eren I know." Mikasa told the Squad.
"I could figure out that much." Jean said.
Eren had his left hand covering the left side of his face as his laughter became psychotic. After 15 seconds of laughter, he took his hand off his face and furrowed his eyebrows.
"You deserve none."
"I have to go all out. This isn't Jaeger." Levi thought.
Eren ran toward Levi without him even knowing. Levi only managed to block the attack, but even that send him back. The only thing Levi could do was go on the defensive as Eren send a flurry of different punches and kicks his way.
"What's wrong?! Are you not gonna fight back?!" Eren said with his right eye twitching.
"Tch." Levi said then saw an opening. He threw a punch and hit Eren directly in the face. Eren got sent stumbling backwards until he eventually fell on the floor.
"Now that's more like it." Eren said then sprung back up to his feet.
He charged at Levi once more and now the two began exchanging blows. Levi threw a punch and Eren blocked it. Eren spun around and kicked Levi across the face. Levi was hit the ground and the Eren threw a punch at him. Levi kicked him in the stomach then with his other foot kicked him across the face.
Eren fell over and had a line of blood coming from his nose. Levi took out of his blades and jumped at Eren who just laid down. Eren did a back-roll and Levi's blade cracked the bone they were on.
With two blades in hand, Levi swung them at Eren. Eren was unarmed so he had to either dodge or block the attacks. The others spectated the fight and followed every one of their moves. They were both quick and meticulous with their moves.
"Are you guys even following?" Connie asked the Squad, but none of them responded.
Levi did a thrust attack with one of his blades and Eren leaned back. Although Eren dodged it, the blade slit the tip of his nose in half. Eren grunted and Levi took the opening Eren left him and kicked him in the stomach as hard as he could.
Eren was sent flying back and hit the ground, but that wasn't stopping him. He kept rolling back until he was able to stop himself. There was an endless stream of blood rushing down his nose and also had line of blood coming from his mouth.
"Consider me impressed, Levi. It wasn't too long ago you were kicking my ass. How the times have changed." The Eren said with his chin up.
"How can you talk so highly when you're getting your ass handed to you once again?" Levi questioned. The Eren didn't say a word he instead furrowed his eyebrows and the red gleam of hate intensified.
Eren disappeared and appeared in front of Levi. His hand was extended ready to grab him by the face and slam him by the face. Levi grabbed his arm and slammed him on the ground. The slam was hard enough to make Eren bounce up and he spat a copious amount of blood from his mouth. Eren's back arched up and Levi kicked him in the face which sent flying back once gain.
This Eren was weaker than the Eren they all knew. Levi only got hit once out of all that. He took the chance that Eren was no near them to give them orders.
"All of you, go for the nape. I'll deal with him. Mikasa stay here." He ordered. They all nodded and took off on ODM gear. Pieck transformed into a Titan and ran as fast as she could.
Eren stood up and saw the Cart Titan going for the nape.
"Oh, no you don't." Eren said then ran toward the Cart. Levi got in his way and kicked him in the stomach. Eren stumbled back and took a knee. Mikasa just watched them from above. This wasn't the Eren she loved, but it still hurt her to see him like that.
"Get out of my way!" The Eren shouted then rushed at Levi.
Eren threw a flurry of punches and kicks again. His punches were hitting harder, but that wasn't stopping Levi; he just kept blocking all of them. Eren then kicked Levi's left hand and his blade slipped from his hand. The blade was up in the air, Eren caught it, and thrusted it at Levi.
Levi blocked the sword with his own and the two began to have another back and forth. Levi could see and feel that this Eren was getting furious.
"What's wrong, Eren? What happened to all that talk a second ago?"
"Shut up!" Eren shouted then thrusted his sword at Levi.
Levi moved out the way, grabbed Eren's arm, and drove his blade to the left side of his chest. The Eren's eyes widened, and blood streamed down his mouth. Blood seeped through the wound on his chest and onto Levi's blade and hands. Eren dropped the blade as body weakened.
Levi twisted the blade in his chest and then detached it. Eren stumbled back and fell on his knees as he bled out. Mikasa landed right beside Levi and they both just looked at this evil version of Eren.
"My whole life.... Was dictated by my hatred...After being exiled from Paradis, I only sought revenge on the people there and on all my friends who turned their back on me... But, none of that ever happened.."
"This is how I die.... By the hands of someone I used to look up to.... At least....I died..."
"Fighting."
The Ackermen just stayed quiet and looked at the now lifeless body of this Eren before it faded away with the wind. They weren't affected by the death as it wasn't their Eren.
"Let's go. We don't know if more Titans will be sprouting out this thing." Levi stated.
"Right." Mikasa said then they both took off.
-
In the Titan Realm, Zeke was sat on the sand while making sandcastles to distract himself from all the people being killed.
"I can't stand it. I can't watch this any further. I have to stop this..."
"Mr. Ksaver, the Eldian euthanization plan was a failure.... Father, Mother, maybe you were right all along. The destruction of Marley might have just been the right thing to do...Eren was truly the one and only salvation this planet has."
"Perhaps there is hope for this world..."
-
Levi and Mikasa caught up with the others and landed on the Cart.
"So, what happened? Did you kill that Eren?" Hanji questioned.
"Yeah." Levi simply said.
"Did you all see that look in his eyes?" Jean questioned as he looked down.
"Yeah..." They said except for Levi, Mikasa, and Armin.
"You shouldn't feel bad. That wasn't Eren. Not the one we know at least." Armin said.
The Squad closed in on the nape once more, but more Titans sprouted. This time they all fought. They were so close just one last push. Falco swooped in and both Gabi and Sasha sniped as many Titans as they could.
Levi was spinning with his blades and was high up in the air when he heard someone call his name.
"Levi!" the person shouted.
Levi looked in the direction of the voice and his eyes widened.
"Zeke"
Without hesitation, Levi went toward him at full speed.
"It's a beautiful day...If only I was enlightened earlier. After all the people I've killed."
And those were Zeke's final words before Levi chopped his head off.
"Erwin...I finally...fulfilled my promise."
Everything stopped. The Rumbling, the Titans below all fell dead, and only left one thing to do.
"Go!" Levi shouted at the Squad.
Jean was the closest one to the nape and went as fast as he could with his ODM gear. He reached the nape, grabbed the remote, and tightly held on to the remote with his teeth tightly gritted.
"You...dumbass."
-
Armin flew up high and landed on the tip of a bone. He watched over everything. The army of Colossal Titans were slowly disappearing and now he just waited for Jean.
"You weren't lying, Eren. This was our hardest fight yet, but we all made it out alive. This fight is now over and things in the future will change. That peace and freedom that we've both wanted is now at hands reach.... The future is bright."
There was an explosion from the nape and the head of the Founder fell. Falco swooped in and Armin watched as the Squad flew far away from the Founder. Armin jumped down and bit his hand. Sparks of lightning turned to a massive explosion that completely destroyed the Founding Titan.
"Despite me knowing you since we were merely 5 years old, I never once considered how far you've come.... No....How far we've come...You have always been strongest. You have always been the optimist. Even before I showed you those books, your eyes always gleamed with hope..."
"You truly are our last hope."