Back in the flying boat, everyone is having a gloomy mood, when Onyankopon tells them that Liberio is already destroyed, Annie is now depressed.
"Then... now... there's no point in me staying here..." Annie frowns. "I'm leaving..."
"Even if I stop and stand my ground, Marley and Eldian's destruction is inevitable. Magath and Galliard knew about this, but they risked their lives to save all of you. This isn't about Liberio or Marley anymore. It's about saving the lives of people you don't know, and they entrust you with this..."
At the same time, the Global Allied Fleet makes a stand against the approaching Wall Titans in Port Acrifa. "We have the world's largest cannons on the planet... I gathered it here. Humanity's hopes are aiming toward the same goals. This massive fleet can't be stopped. If we can't stop this... humanity will cease to exist. Employ ground forces!"
The ships are shooting cannons at the Colossal Titans approaching through swimming, but none of the cannons are working, and the Titans can scorch a ship's crew to death by swimming underneath it so that the heat of their bodies turns the water around the ship to steam.
On land, soldiers attempt a similar futile artillery barrage from the harbor before retreating to higher ground. Then not just the soldiers, but the people that welcomed Eren and the others back in the refuge camp, all of them are being trampled by the Rumbling. People are crying as some of them are still running, while some of them hug and wait for their doom.
Armin is sitting on the plane as he has been wondering what Eren said. "The world was right to hate us, to them, we will never stop being devils that can kill them all at any time! If I don't unleash the Rumblilng, you're going to be the ones to die next!"
Then he also remembers what Mikasa and Historia said. "If we let you stop the Rumbling, Paradis Island will sink into the sea of blood. The world will take vengeance on us, our people's parents, brothers, sisters, and children, they are going to be slaughtered. Maybe after a few years, you will gather all the alliance and declare war on Paradis, just like what Willy Tybur does."
"There are so many lives that I care about. And our enemies made deciding that easy 10 years ago. So... you're mistaken to seek any compassion from me. Because I'm out of room in my heart to care."
Armin holds his head and says, "Damn it... not just Eren... Historia and Mikasa as well... why would they..."
Annie comes and says, "Mind if I sit here?"
Armin nods, and Annie sits beside Armin. "I realized that I hadn't thank you yet."
"Huh?" Armin asks.
"For coming to talk to me over all those years. Thank you." Annie says.
"Oh, yeah." Armin replies.
"I was so lonely, I thought I was gonna lose my mind. The only thing I had to look forward to was listening to you and Hitch."
"Oh, Annie..." Armin sighs.
"Tell me... Why? Why bother talking to a rock that couldn't so much as grunt a response back?"
"Huh?" Armin is confused.
"I mean, there must've been girls out there more fun and cheerful than me, right?"
"That... no. Annie, I did it because... because I... I missed you." Armin frowns.
"Why?" Annie asks.
"Do you really not get it? Even after Hitch teased me so much?"
Annie has tears in her eyes as she says, "I don't..." She sighs and says, "What are we doing here? Right now, hundreds of millions of people are being trampled around the world... and us, what are we doing?"
"Yeah..." Armin says.
"Now I get it, you're a good person. So you're even willing to talk to an enemy like me, right? It's why you won't give up on trying to reason with Eren and the queen. Why you visited with the terrible female titan who could wake up at any moment? Anything to avoid conflict... right?"
Annie decides to leave, but Armin grabs her hand and says, "Sit back down. And... I know I've told you this before. But I've decided I really don't like being called a good person. I've killed a lot of people, not just soldiers... regular people... children... and now, I've made the choice to betray everyone living on the island where I was born and raised. I've been a terrible monster myself for a long time. Somewhere in my mind, there was a promise that I made to Eren, that we'd travel the unknown, outside world. I thought it would come true."
"The unknown... it wasn't all it was cracked up to be, was it?"
"No, it wasn't the world we'd dreamed of... but, I want to believe that there's still a place we know nothing about, somewhere... "beyond the walls." Armin says.
At the same time on another side of the flying boat, Falco is screaming and muttering, "All of them are dead already? Our entire family?"
Colt frowns and says, "The Rumbling already flattened most of the Marleyan continent...there's nothing we can do..."
Gabi says, "Before Eren does the Rumbling, I've heard some of the conversations that he said back then... none of them wanted the Rumbling to happen... but the world decided to refuse peace. Falco... back then, you told me that the reason our home was trampled was that their home was trampled and this was revenge... I finally realized what it meant..."
"Gabi..." Falco is surprised.
And at another side of the room, Levi is trying to walk, and Connie says, "Captain, you still need to rest!"
"You want me asleep in bed? You're going to forget I even exist if I rest any longer." Levi says. "My goal is to kill Zeke, and that doesn't even change a thing."
"But Zeke is already dead. You should've known that." Jean says.
"No, I refuse to believe he died that easily. He must be somewhere on Paradis Island." Levi replies.
In the dungeon, Zeke finally opens his eyes as he looks around, he realizes that he's in the dungeon, and he hears a voice, "So you're awake."
He sees Eren standing in front of him, and he's holding a baby in his arms. Zeke is confused and he asks, "Eren? What? But..."
"Zeke, you want me to euthanize every Eldian... there's no way in hell I'd ever go along with a plan that messed up. Sorry, but I just played along this whole time."
"But Eren, so long as there are Eldians, this hell will never end! If you don't do it here, this bloodshed will never stop. What we've done so many times will only continue for eternity. So why?"
"Because we're born into this world." Eren says, "I want you to meet my daughter, Ymir."
"Ymir?" Zeke is surprised as he stares at the blonde-haired girl in Eren's arms. "She used to be the Founder, trapped in the paths, wandering for eternity as a slave. But I've freed her four years ago, and she decided to become my daughter. Needing the Titan of Royal Blood to use the Founding Titan, you also forgot one thing. The Yeager Family is also the Royal Blood, and since I also have the Attack Titan, the vow was broken four years ago."
Zeke can only stare at Eren with shock, and Eren continues, "My father never brainwashed me, from my old man's memories, I've learned how he treated you. If you don't believe me, why don't I show you instead?"
Then Eren turns and brings Ymir to a soldier, then he uses the Attack Titan's powers to bring Zeke into Grisha's memories.
At the same time, Floch and the others are having a meeting, and Floch asks, "Your highness, why didn't you stop those people from leaving the island and stop the Rumbling?"
Historia says, "There is no amount of talking that will change their minds. They've already made their decision. They are also willing to sacrifice two of their comrades just to do such a thing. But the Rumbling is not that easy to stop."
"That might be true. But where is Eren?" Peter asks.
"Since Zeke has woken up, Eren is having a meeting with him. Although I am not sure bringing Ymir with him is a good idea..." Mikasa frowns a little.
"Nobody can know Zeke is still alive this whole time, or else chaos will continue." Gloria says. "That's why we lied to everyone that Zeke is dead, at least it will buy them some peace."
"Indeed. By the way, Mikasa, I heard that you're pregnant, congratulations." Sasha says.
"Uh... thanks..." Mikasa says with a slight blush. "So what are you going to name your children?" Aya asks.
"We thought that if it was a boy, then we'll name it Erich. If it was a girl, then we'll name it Carla." Mikasa says.
"Those are some good names." Gloria says, "And I have to assume that the female one is to memorate Eren's mother?"
Mikasa nods, and Historia says, "Now we should begin our meeting without Eren."
When Eren is showing Zeke his father's memories, they see the moment when Eren is born, and both Grisha and Carla are happy about it.
"How happy he looks considering he's living his life after sending his friends and his "old" family straight to hell."
"So? What are you going to do?" Eren asks.
"I'll make you understand just how Grisha Yeager brainwashed his son and planted those seeds of nationalism into you for as long as it takes." Then he turns to Grisha and says, "Isn't that great, Grisha? No one will cast blame on you here for forgetting everything about your first family, to enjoy this happy life. Even if you forgot everything about the son you once had."
Then when they go into the memory where he's taking care of one of the royalty, Zeke says, "Look, Eren. This is who he truly is. He used his position as a doctor to nestle up to those with power inside the walls. All to pin down their king and steal the Founding Titan. Of course, if he messed up, his wife and son wouldn't get off scot-free. Yet he continues to take these risks. Do you understand why?"
"Because my shitty old man was such a big piece of shit that he'd throw his wife and kids into a pile of shit if it meant restoring Eldia." Eren says. "I see now, I was wrong, I never should have been born. I'm no longer brainwashed." Eren decides to say in a boring matter.
"We have all the time in the world. No need to rush." But just as they go through the memories, they also see how Grisha finds where the Founding Titan is located.
"What is this place?" Zeke asks.
"This is the king of the walls' base." Eren says, but then as Zeke watches, he gasps, "Impossible. Grisha should have stolen the founder the day the walls were destroyed. That's years from now."
Then they see Grisha leave without doing anything, and he also goes back home and hugs the baby Eren. "I see... it seems he did love his second son, enough to put his mission from the restorationists aside. It's almost nothing like what happened to me. It does seem he'd learn from his "past mistakes". But now you do exactly as he wanted. You've lost your true self. You'll see that soon enough."
Just then, he hears Grisha, who is nearly sleeping. "Zeke... I'm so sorry..."
Zeke flinches a little, and Grisha opens his eyes and mutters, "Zeke? Is that you there?"
After staying silent for a while, Grisha holds his head and says, "Heh... don't be ridiculous. Why would that bearded old man be Zeke? It's just a dream."
"What..." Zeke is confused, Eren says, "You'll know what's going on. Let's go to the next memory."
And here is a new chapter, surprise? Zeke is actually not dead yet. I decide to have Eren talk with Zeke and I hope you like this chapter.