(A/N: You're gonna see a bunch of music tracks to cue in the battle. Play them to level up the action. Just a suggestion!)
****
Gargoyles vs Attack on Titan! When two beastly saviors of mankind duke it out in an all-out battle to the death, who will win? Who will die?
*~*~*~*~*~*
Wiz: Imagine right now. What would humanity's last hope look like? A knight in shining armor mounted on a white horse? A female swordsman with unparalleled magical skill?
Boomstick: Or a freaking rampaging beast! Strap in, 'cause we're talkin' about two beastly saviors of humanity!
Wiz: Correct. Sometimes, the savior of humankind may not be a knight in shining armor, but a beast shunned by many. Like Goliath of the Manhattan Clan...
Boomstick: And Eren Yeager of the Survey Corps!
Wiz: I'm Wizard and he's Boomstick, and it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills to find out who would win a Death Battle.
*~*~*~*~*~*
GOLIATH
Boomstick: A thousand years ago, humanity was kept on its knees by superstition. It was an age of fear. It was the age...of—
Wiz: *smacks Boomstick over the head* Boomstick! Don't reuse info from the original DB! We've done that too many times already!
Boomstick: What, can YOU do a better intro?
Wiz: *groan* Gargoyles are creatures who are made flesh by night, but stone once the sun rises. They were once commonplace, and they used to be protectors of homes.
Boomstick: Now I kinda regret tossing my shotgun-toting lawn gnomes away...
Wiz: In the year 984 A.D. the gargoyles struck a deal with a clan of humans led by Prince Malcolm. In exchange for protecting them at night, the humans would protect the gargoyles during the day, as gargoyles will turn to stone.
Boomstick: The gargoyles were led by Goliath, a dude with a freaking sexy voice!
Goliath: You are trespassing.
Boomstick: But things weren't all well for Goliath and his buds. Because what would you expect humans a thousand years ago to walking, talking beasts, besides being utter racists?
Wiz: After the death of Prince Malcolm, the remaining humans plotted against the gargoyles, and like Scottish Inquisitors or something, they decimated almost all of the gargoyles. When Goliath returned, he saw that his entire clan had been murdered.
Boomstick: The ones left over? They were magically sealed in stone forever by a misinformed wizard. So what does Goliath do? Go Viking on the humans' asses, that's what!
Wiz: Ha! You wish. Plunged into grief and despair, Goliath begged the court mage to make him share his clan's fate forever. Which is what would have happened if the curse didn't have a certain condition: "They would sleep, until the castle rises above the clouds."
Boomstick: Which means literally above the clouds! Cut to 1994, where some Xenoblade billionaire decides to freaking move the castle on top of a skyscraper, which JUST SO HAPPENS to poke above the clouds!
Wiz: The condition was met, and in effect, the curse was broken. Thus, Goliath was tasked with leading his clan to adapt to the modern world...or at least as modern as the '90s can get. And Goliath adopted surprisingly fast.
Boomstick: You mean he was binge-watching blockbuster video at that time?
Wiz: Sort of...Anyway, it appears that Goliath was naturally suited to traverse the expanse of New York with the use of his wings. Let me make one thing clear, though: Goliath insists that he cannot fly, only...glide on air currents.
Boomstick: Which I insist is complete BS. What else can you call what the hell he's doing other than freakin' FLYING?
Wiz: Despite this, Goliath doesn't seem to have any problems "gliding" wherever the hell he needs to go, regardless of the direction the wind is blowing.
Boomstick: Well, it's a good thing Goliath can scale giant skyscrapers from the ground, is strong enough to lift a car, create a small earthquake, and cut through steel with his bare claws like it was butter.
Wiz: Goliath also possesses incredible durability thanks to his stony hide. He's tough enough to survive rockets, 100-foot falls, and lightning.
Boomstick: Because why not?
Wiz: '90s cartoon logic, my friend. '90s cartoon logic.
Boomstick: Goliath may look like a berserk beast, but he's actually pretty damn smart, being able to outsmart an almighty douchebag magical god. And he loves him some Shakespeare!
Wiz: However, despite being a brilliant strategist, like any other beastly warrior, Goliath's patience has been pushed to the limit. When he becomes enraged, he enters a fury state in which his strength increases. It's pretty much equivalent to an adrenaline rush.
Boomstick: Goliath is a fierce protector of humankind...for 12 hours.
Wiz: Right. The other 12, whether he likes it or not, he's a stone statue that basically screams "Hey, look at me, I'm a target!" Plus, he often has trouble taking off to "glide" from the ground, needing to be in an elevated position to do so.
Boomstick: But he's lived for a thousand years and has kicked ass ever since his awakening! Believe me, you would NOT like him when he's angry!
Goliath: Now that the existence of gargoyles has been revealed to humans, our fate hangs in the balance. Will we join together and embark on a journey of hope, or be engulfed in the flames of fear and hatred? The time has come to choose.
****
GOLIATH:
•Age: >1000 years
•Height: Around 6'
•Weight: Unspecified
Abilities:
•Superhuman Strength
•Superhuman Speed
•Superhuman Durability
•Enhanced Stamina
•Stony Hide
•Sharp Claws
•Tail
•Wings
•Night Vision
•Brilliant Strategist
•Rage Mode
Feats:
•Repeatedly defended Prince Malcolm's castle from Viking invaders
•Time-travelled to World War II...somehow
•Fought his own clone, Thaliog
•Nearly defeated Odin while donning the Eye of Odin
•After saving David Xanatos's son from Oberon and Titania, became an ally of Xanatos
•Held off the Hunters, who are specially geared to kill gargoyles
•In the future, would sacrifice his life, which would lead the UN to put the Gargoyle Minority Protection Act into motion
Weaknesses:
•Will turn to stone during the day
•Has trouble taking off of the ground
•Stone hibernation does not regenerate missing body parts or defend against bladed weapons
*~*~*~*~*~*
EREN YEAGER
Wiz: A century ago, humanity was all but wiped out by nihilistic, cannibalistic behemoths known as Titans.
Boomstick: And it gets worse. Titans don't eat humans to get filled. They eat humans just because.
Wiz: And it gets EVEN worse: even while the humans have lived in relative safety and comfort behind three immense Walls...in one fateful day, humanity received a grim reminder. A reminder of their fear of being ruled by the Titans, of the humiliation of being trapped in a cage. The Titans broke through the Wall.
Boomstick: You just had to quote that, didn't you?
Wiz: What? It's cool! Anyway, in the midst of the carnage, one Eren Yeager would witness his mother die in the maw of a Titan, and would realize that he could never come back to his devastated home.
Boomstick: Oh, you think all the sh*t stops there? You're dead wrong, bud! After a few years of training in the military to kill Titans, Eren "died" in his first official battle with the Titans. Why is the military in anime this incompetent?
Wiz: Because here's where things get better. Thanks to some serum that his father injected in him, it turns out Eren has a latent ability, one that can only be awakened by extreme physical pain and willpower...the ability to shift into a Titan.
In a flash of lightning, Eren transforms into the Rogue Titan and roars.
Wiz: From then on, life would get interesting for Eren, from finding himself enmeshed in conspiracies to battling other Titan Shifters like himself.
Boomstick: While he's really freaking powerful as a Titan, Eren's no slouch in his human form either. He's an expert at numerous martial arts, skilled with a sword, and when the need arises, he'll drop all that honor code bullsh*t—not like he has one anyway—and fight dirty.
Wiz: His combat skills on the ground are further augmented by his Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear. Designed to ensure maximum mobility in a 3D environment, the 3DMG comes equipped with grappling hooks that allow the user to reel themselves towards their destination, as well as four pairs of ultrahard steel blades, which are designed to slice through Titan skin.
Boomstick: With his skills, Eren became the fifth best graduate of his squad, and he was up and kicking Titan ass in no time.
A Titan swallows Eren whole, biting his arm off in the process.
Boomstick: So much for "kill every last one of them..."
Wiz: But wait! Eren's story doesn't end there! As we mentioned before, Eren is capable of transforming himself into the muscular Rogue Titan. Standing at 15 meters tall, Eren's Titan form boasts incredible strength, as evidenced by how he was able to carry a giant boulder without much effort.
Boomstick: He's also a goddamn trooper, able to take down TWENTY Titans in his FIRST rampage. Plus, he has a regenerative healing factor. While not as impressive as the Hulk's, it can heal entire limbs and organs, enabling Eren to fight on for an extended period of time.
Wiz: Speaking of the Hulk, much like everyone's favorite green goliath...
Boomstick: ...who got his head ripped off by Doomsday...
Wiz: ...Eren's Titan power directly correlates with his rage. Basically, the angrier he gets, the stronger he becomes. And when he breaks the limits of his unbridled wrath, he truly lives up to his title of "Berserker."
Boomstick: Stronger, faster, possessing a better healing factor, and oozing with volcanic heat, Berserker Eren can cause earthquakes with every stomp, and he was able to burn AND crush the Female Titan's face, as well as smash off the Female Titan's head with a single punch!
Wiz: In this state, Eren loses almost every single scrap of humanity he has left, and as a result, becomes a pragmatic, ruthless monster, making him an extremely dangerous force in the battlefield. However, there's one catch: this mode runs on a time limit, and if the time is exhausted, Eren will revert to his human form, near-catatonic.
Boomstick: With all of that crazy sh*t, Eren's done some pretty impressive things. He graduated as the fifth best trainee of his class, took down twenty Titans in his first rampage, clobbered the Female Titan to death, and would later take on the Armored Titan and break his, well...armor.
Wiz: But every Shonen hero has his faults, and Eren is no different. Strategizing isn't really his game, as he rushes into battle driven by impulse and emotion. Not to mention, as the Rogue Titan, his weak spot is the nape of his neck. Destroy THAT, and well...RIP Eren.
Boomstick: Last but not least, while he's a freaking trooper, his Titan form'll burn out if overexerted. But weaknesses aside, you wouldn't wanna piss off Eren Yeager. If you do...you'll find yourself at the receiving end of ALL of his vengeance against the Titans.
Eren: I'll purge this world of them...every single one of them!
****
EREN:
•Age: 15/16
•Height: 5'6'' (Human form)/15 meters (Titan form)
•Weight: 138lbs (Human form)/Unspecified (Titan form)
Abilities and Gear:
•Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear
•Ultrahard steel blades
•Peak human strength, speed, durability, and stamina
•Rogue Titan form
•Berserker Fury
•Accelerated healing factor (as both human and Titan)
Feats:
•As a nine year old, killed two thugs
•In his first rampage as the Rogue Titan, killed well over 20 Titans in under 5 minutes
•Gave humanity its first real victory over the Titans
•Beat the Female Titan to near death
•Broke the seemingly-unbreakable armor of the Armored Titan
Weaknesses:
•Brash and impulsive
•Nape of the neck is fatal
•Titan form runs on a time limit
*~*~*~*~*~*
Wiz: All right, the combatants are set. Let's end this debate once and for all! We have Goliath, the Gargoyle defender of New York; and Eren Yeager, the Rogue Titan.
Boomstick: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE...MONSTER SLUGFEST YEAH!
*~*~*~*~*~*
BATTLE
(Setting: New York, Manhattan, Night)
The Big Apple was—very, very surprisingly—completely devoid of people. The lights of New York, however, were still on.
It was thanks to their government. They had warned the populace to evacuate the city towards escape ships docked at Long Beach four days prior, for naked, humanoid creatures had swarmed America from the west coast, remorselessly devouring any living creature they saw on sight. Luckily, a mysterious group only known as the "Survey Corps" had come to the military's aid, but even as the group's numbers did not decrease, it did little to decrease the creatures' numbers, either.
It was this thought that worried a certain purple Gargoyle who had just awoken from his stony sleep. What if those creatures reached the city? Then he and his clan would be helpless.
Goliath let a soft, deep sigh out, and then turned from the edge of the roof he was perched on, hoping to find a place to contemplate on a strategy on what he and his clan would do if the creatures stepped foot on New York.
A certain FWIP! noise caught his attention. Turning his back, the Gargoyle saw a young, black-haired man, dressed in a brown military outfit of sorts, a pair of boxes on his hips, and two straight-bladed swords on each hand.
Having gone against the orders of Levi and Mikasa, Eren Yeager had set off to New York in hopes of finding a point in which to hold the line against the Titans...all while dodging Titans on the way.
The sight that greeted Eren was imposing, indeed. A man...no, a purple, well-built beast with wings. Having not seen a Gargoyle in his life, Eren gasped, his teal-green eyes widening, and on impulse, as any man would do (besides turn tail and run, of course)...
He aimed his right-hand sword at Goliath.
"You!" he demanded. "Tell me who you are and what your intentions are!"
The Gargoyle, equally surprised at this move, did not answer.
This only served to anger Eren. "Hey, I asked you a question! Tell me who you are and what you intend, right now!"
Goliath sighed, slightly annoyed. He wanted to avoid conflict as much as possible, and he tried to be as civil as he could possibly be. "...My intentions are none of your concern. Leave, child. I have nothing to say to you."
Eren would clearly have none of that. His eyes locking with Goliath's, he dropped into a combat stance. "Then I'm going to have to make you tell me."
As clouds covered the moon above them, Goliath's eyes started to glow. Thanks to his appearance, he knew Eren wasn't going to trust him so easily. "Come on, then," he challenged. "Had you left, I would have let bygones be bygones. But if this is the only way we'll be solving things, then so be it!"
Gargoyle and soldier gave each other one final look, knowing what was going to happen next.
Little did they know that they would be fighting the most difficult battle of their lives.
FIGHT!
(cue Gargoyles – Macbeth battle music)
With speed that surprised the leader of the Manhattan Clan, Eren rushed forward, right-hand blade drawn back and poised for a diagonal swing. Goliath only had time to jump back and avoid the gleaming ultrahard steel blade whizzing at his neck, and the next thing he knew, Goliath was dodging and juking each and every strikes courtesy of Eren.
Eventually, Goliath was able to exploit a slight opening, backhanding Eren as soon as the Survey Corps soldier raised both of his blades for an overhead chop. Eren gasped as he was sent flying towards his left side, but he regained his balance in time, his boots skidding against the concrete roof. Twirling his swords, Eren looked up, and saw Goliath already charging at him.
Eren so narrowly ducked a swipe from Goliath's clawed hand, and he retaliated with a stab poised to strike the Gargoyle's knee. Anticipating this, Goliath leapt back, the steel blade meeting the roof with a soft clang.
Eren immediately charged forward, swinging his swords in an X-shape in an attempt to scissor Goliath, but the Gargoyle, too late to escape, caught the blades with his bare hands. The blades cut slightly into his palms, though.
Eren's eyes widened, and the Survey Corps soldier was sent flying high above and behind Goliath as the Gargoyle threw him upwards. Eren was able to shoot a pair of cables out of his Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear, and almost instantly, he was propelled back into the roof. Swords spread out like wings, Eren let out a determined cry as he plummeted at Goliath like a falcon, his blades ready to slice the Gargoyle a new one.
The Gargoyle leapt and twisted in midair, his tail slamming against Eren's gut and forcing the wind out of the Survey Corps soldier. Before he could react, Eren gasped as Goliath grabbed onto him and with a roar, actually hucked him far from the edge of the roof like one would throw a baseball.
Regaining his composure as he began falling down the skyscraper, Eren immediately caught sight of Goliath, charging at him, his wings spread out. To prevent falling to the street below and getting turned to mush, Eren shot two cables from his 3DMG once more, the grappling hooks latching on to the building behind Goliath. Eren then reared his right-hand sword as he was propelled towards Goliath, while the Gargoyle reared his left hand for a devastating swipe.
The result of the sword and the palm meeting was the blade snapping in two, as well as Goliath pulling his hand back, wincing in pain. When Eren zoomed near the building, he immediately hung on to the edge of a window, disconnecting the cables from the wall and firing them at the building at the opposite side of the building he was hanging on to. He plummeted towards Goliath as the Gargoyle whirled in midair, prepared to charge for Eren once more.
Eren readied his left-hand sword for a jabbing strike aimed at Goliath's forehead, whereas the Gargoyle cocked his right fist back. As would be expected, Eren's blade met Goliath's fist, and while the blade sunk into Goliath's knuckles, the sheer force of the Gargoyle's jab shattered the blade like glass.
Wincing in pain, Goliath lashed out with his other fist. It was only through skill and dumb luck that Eren managed to shoot a cable to the side and swerve away from Goliath's oncoming fist. Eren dove down to the street, shooting out cables to soften his landing, and then rolled away just as Goliath dove at him, the Gargoyle's fists creating a small crater as they connected with the concrete.
Rolling for cover behind an abandoned van, Eren quickly discarded what was left of his blades and pulled a new, pristine pair from his 3DMG. This was bad...this Gargoyle creature was stronger than he expected, perfectly capable of breaking his swords.
But then he noticed something. While Goliath was successful in breaking his blades, Eren had seen that the Gargoyle wasn't unfazed at all whenever his hands connected with the swords.
Eren was running these thoughts through his mind when he heard a grunt that had to be Goliath's. The Gargoyle was actually lifting the van Eren had taken cover behind, and with a determined roar, he pushed it at Eren. The Survey Corps soldier, seeing as the van was dangerously close, rolled forwards, and opted to knock the Gargoyle off his feet with a swiping kick...
But as the sheer force of Eren's kick caused Goliath to stagger, the Survey Corps soldier hissed in pain as his toes were nearly cracked. Snarling, Eren regained his footing, twirling his swords. It was as if Goliath's hide was made of stone...if stones could be hurt by blades, that was.
Wasting no time, Eren charged forwards, his blade very narrowly missing Goliath's face. The Gargoyle was retreating towards a nearby skyscraper. Eren, not wanting to have any of that, followed suit, his swords spread out like wings.
When he was close enough, Eren lunged, swinging his blades in an X-shape. The Survey Corps soldier snarled as the blades met thin air, as Goliath had lunged for the building's wall and scaled it with surprising speed.
Eren took the appropriate response. He fired off cables at the building's wall and rocketed after Goliath, shooting grappling hook after grappling hook to catch up with the climbing Gargoyle.
Goliath, seeing that his opponent was catching up fast, leapt off the building, his kick cracking the wall's surface, and spread his wings. The Gargoyle raced towards Eren as the soldier shot off another pair of grappling hooks, and Eren only had time to aim his 3DMG to the side and fire to evade the pair of fists soaring at him.
Eren whirled and zoomed towards Goliath at incredible speeds, swinging his blade at the Gargoyle. As soon as Goliath flew back to evade, Eren began his flurry of swings. Goliath danced in midair, successfully dodging the combo but getting a few minor nicks and scratches.
One lucky strike from Eren nailed Goliath in the chest, and while the Gargoyle's stone hide softened the blow and dulled the blade, it was still enough to cut a small gash across Goliath's chest. However, this was enough to make Goliath reel back in midair and lose his bearing.
Spreading his wings before he could fall down the highway, Goliath looked up and saw Eren barreling at him, spinning fast enough to create a buzz-saw with his swords. Gliding to the side to evade the attack, Goliath realized something. This young man was easily capable of fighting on the ground, and he could prove himself more than a match in the air.
But wait! He wasn't just zooming up buildings to his leisure. It was thanks to those cables he kept shooting out of the boxes on his hips, Goliath deduced. Now, if he only went for those...
Goliath so narrowly dodged another sword swing. He'd have to leave Eren open if he wanted to snap the cables.
The Gargoyle instantly let an uppercut fly, his fist smashing against Eren's gut and forcing the wind out of the soldier. Before Eren could retaliate, Goliath was immediately on him, raining down a series of swift punches that battered every part of the soldier's body. Goliath then ended his combo by smashing at Eren's back with his fists balled together.
Goliath saw the chance he needed, and before Eren could regain his bearing, he felt himself flying towards the right. With his claws, Goliath had snapped the reinforced steel cable like nothing more than a cloth string.
Wasting no time, Goliath flew for the other and unceremoniously snapped it. Eren's eyes widened as he began his descent towards the highway...
...only for Goliath to catch him in one hand, nailing him with a swift jab to the gut. Eren could do naught as the Gargoyle punched him repeatedly, and then grabbed onto him with his free hand, aiming to piledrive him into the concrete.
And piledrive Eren he did. The impact was enough to leave a man-sized crater in the street and kick up a small dust cloud.
Brushing the dust off of his own body, Goliath turned to walk away from his battered foe. Eren spit out a tooth, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth, and with a cry of power, he charged. Goliath turned to face his shouting foe...
SCHLICK!
Goliath couldn't see it coming.
An ultrahard steel blade was protruding out of his back. The very blade which was designed to slice through the skin of Titans had pierced through his abdomen and gotten through, and the blade had sunk all the way down to its hilt.
One could only figure, however, that this move pissed Goliath off more than it hurt him.
With a roar, Goliath grabbed Eren's arm and twisted it, breaking it and earning a howl of pain from the soldier. Goliath then proceeded to impale Eren with his clawed hand, and then ripped his hand free. Goliath then pummeled Eren with yet another combo. Uncontented, the Gargoyle began smashing Eren around like a useless ragdoll. After doing so five times, he threw Eren towards the wall of an all-too-familiar toy shop, one where a wee child had busted the plans of two bumbling robbers.
Goliath wasn't finished. He proceeded to push a car at Eren, and the soldier screamed in pain as the car further crushed his broken arm. Goliath then pushed a van at the soldier, crushing his other arm and right leg.
This was, albeit narrowly, worse than losing his leg trying to save Armin, or being impaled prior to his fight with the Female Titan.
Now, Goliath could have roared in victory, but being the protector of humans that he was, he could only watch with pity as Eren looked and saw the bastard who had battered him. The sight of Goliath just looking on at his battered foe quickly overwhelmed any and all physical pain with absolute anger.
"Come on, then!" Eren screamed at his foe. "COME ON! COME OVER HERE AND FINISH ME OFF, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Eren kept insulting his foe, hurling every conceivable foul word at the Gargoyle and daring him to come over and try to kill him.
Goliath, however, simply saw the battered Eren and was filled with immediate regret. He had only hoped to knock him out, but never leave him in this state. Goliath had acted on rage, and he wished he had never done so.
With a single shaking of his head, Goliath trudged away, not minding the pain of his stomach wound. He had nothing more to do with his foe.
(stop music)
Meanwhile, Eren just witnessed his foe with absolute bafflement, confused as to why Goliath had just decided to leave him for dead.
Said confusion immediately translated into fury.
Eren had never felt this level of hatred before, even towards Reiner and Bertolt. How dare this gargoyle thing not only prevent him from completing his mission, but also maim him and leave him to die?! At this point, Eren wanted nothing else anymore. Not even the completion of his mission.
All he wanted to do...was to KILL Goliath.
Realizing that his arms were useless, Eren knew that it was time to use...it.
With a final groan of anger, Eren opened his mouth and bit on his useless right arm, spraying out blood, with only one goal in mind: to kill his adversary.
****
(Setting: New York, Brooklyn Bridge, around the same time)
Levi Ackerman had just deduced where Eren had gone, and his entire squadron had followed him, ready to help. It was impulsive of Eren to take off on his own, Squad Levi knew, and at this new, Titan-infested place at that.
"Where could Eren have possibly run off to in this giant of a city?" asked Jean Kirschtein.
"Well, if it's looking for a vantage point, there are several possible spots in the city," replied Armin Arlert.
"But how do we find him?" asked Connie Springer. "I mean, there's a TON of spots in there, and I can already tell that it's gonna be bigger on the inside—"
Before Connie could finish his sentence, a crack resounded through the night, and Squad Levi was caught by surprise as they saw the lightning bolt touch down on a spot surrounded by buildings.
"...I think we know where to find him," Jean said.
Without an order, Mikasa Ackerman tugged on the reins of the horse she was mounting, whereas the rest of Squad Levi did the same.
They knew that if Eren was forced to become that thing, then that meant he was fighting something dangerous.
****
(Setting: Where Eren is)
(cue Guren no Yumiya by Linked Horizon)
The crackle of thunder stopped Goliath in his tracks as he began to scale a building. The Gargoyle was surprised at this, and immediately felt the need to check where he had left Eren.
Then, a sight beyond all sights made Goliath's glowing eyes widened. Something was rising from where Eren fell...something big.
Seid ihr das Essen?
Nein, wir sind der Jaeger!
In a few seconds, the full form of the giant beast greeted Goliath's sight. It was easily fifteen meters tall. It was well-built like a warrior, and had wild brown hair on its head. The beast lacked lips, exposing a set of wicked teeth, and it had piercing emerald eyes that conveyed pure wrath.
Eren Yeager was gone, and in his place, his monstrous dark side was born, never breaking eye contact with the defender of Manhattan.
This...was the Rogue Titan.
In an instant, the colossal beast opened its mouth and let loose a shrill roar. It sounded very much human, but to Goliath, it felt as if every single human being was roaring at him with a collective scream of wrath.
This was enough to make Goliath feel true fear for the first time.
Fumareta hana no
namae mo shirazu ni
Before Goliath could do anything, the Titan stomped its foot forward and began a mad dash forwards, its mighty fist cocked back and prepared to crush the Gargoyle to a paste. At this, Goliath scaled the closest building he could see, up and away from the monstrous Titan. As the Titan approached the building, Goliath was already high up, near the building's roof, and using the wall as a vantage point, the Gargoyle kicked off the wall and immediately angled himself so that he would strike his foe with a dropkick.
Eren stumbled back and stopped in his tracks as Goliath's feet smashed at his forehead, but immediately retaliated with a diagonal swipe from his right hand, his palm missing Goliath but ripping a huge gash along the building.
Chi ni ochita tori wa
kaze wo machiwabiru
Cocking his other fist back, Eren let fly an uppercut...which nailed Goliath and sent him flying! Eren immediately followed suit, ramming his shoulder through the building and tearing right through it, with some difficulty. With a roar, Eren emerged out of the building, but couldn't find his opponent. Now where...?
Eren took one step backwards as Goliath slammed his fist into the Titan's chin. However, this did little to faze Eren, and the Titan immediately threw a straight jab, which the Gargoyle narrowly evaded.
Inotta tokoro de
nani mo kawaranai
Almost instantly, Eren began his vicious flurry of punches. Goliath was having a LOT of difficulty just avoiding each blow, each punch very narrowly whizzing past him.
One lucky hook nailed Goliath in the side, and the Gargoyle was sent flying down a street towards the trunk of a car. Goliath was barely able to roll to the side as Eren stomped his foot down on him, the ground shaking and the trunk of the car getting smashed flat.
Ima wo kaeru no wa
tatakau kakugo da...
With a burst of speed, Goliath dashed to the side of the street near an old apartment building, narrowly avoiding Eren's thundering foot. The resulting tremor nearly threw the Gargoyle off his feet, and he only managed to claw into the base of the apartment and scale it at a high speed when Eren's fist came whooshing at him.
Finally reaching the roof, Goliath took notice of a pile of bricks. These were probably used by that same child who stopped two escaped bandits in their tracks with elaborate use of traps...and bricks.
Meanwhile, Eren was staring up at him, fist cocked back and prepared to slug the Gargoyle.
Now, he was not one to resort to such an underhanded tactic, but right now, he had no choice. Picking up a brick, Goliath hucked it with unparalleled aim at Eren's right eye.
Shikabane fumikoete
susumi ishi wo warau buta yo
Eren stumbled back and stopped from the sudden pain in his eye as the brick smashed at it, sending an explosion of blood flying. Goliath thought that that would slow the Titan down...
...until he saw steam rise out of the wound and heal Eren's eye.
It was then that Goliath decided screw the bricks. This Titan could heal...and heal fast. Besides, if those same bricks failed to kill a certain bumbling robber (although the first brick SHOULD have killed him as the laws of physics would usually warrant), how much more could they fare against someone as massive as Eren?
Roaring, Eren grabbed onto the roof of the apartment and heaved himself upwards, the structure nearly collapsing on itself. Eyes widening, Goliath decided...it was time to flee.
Kachiku no annei ...kyogi no han'ei
...shiseru garou "Jiyuu" wo!
With a roar that Goliath perceived to scream "Oh, no, you don't!" Eren bounded the collapsed building and dashed after the flying Goliath, his every step causing the earth to shake and crushing any vehicle that was just plain unlucky to be there.
Each chance he got, Eren threw punches at Goliath, and while the Gargoyle so narrowly evaded them, Eren's fists ripped huge gashes along any structure that, like the case of the cars, just so happened to be there.
Torawareta kutsujoku wa
hangeki no Koushi da
(1 Minute Later)
The chase continued until Goliath and Eren reached the iconic Central Park, which had been a welcome place for the citizens of New York who sought breathing room from the hectic pace of the city. Like any other place in the town, not a soul was present in the park (well, if you count out Eren and Goliath).
Before Goliath could glide out of the way, Eren slammed his fist over the Gargoyle, sending him crashing towards the earth. His head still spinning, Goliath only barely rolled to the side to evade Eren's foot stomping down on him, and was tossed aside by the shockwave.
Jouheki no sono kanata
emono wo hofuru
JAEGER!
Goliath quickly scaled a nearby tree and kicked off of it, claws outstretched and aiming to rip out Eren's heart. With a roar, the Gargoyle flew towards Eren's chest, and before the Titan could perceive it...
...Goliath had burst of his back, ripping right through his hide. Eren roared in pain and lashed out with its right arm, luckily nailing Goliath with his wrist. Before he could fall, Goliath spread his wings and dashed once more, now aiming to take the Titan's heart.
One could only imagine his surprise as the hole Goliath punched through Eren's chest sealed itself up. The Rogue Titan stomped its right foot, smashing a park bench to splinters, and roared at Goliath, clearly more pissed off than hurt.
Hotobashiru Shoudou ni
sono mi wo yakinagara
Eren's mind and determination were now fixed on solely trying to destroy Goliath. Roaring, he pummeled Goliath with a vicious flurry of punches, dashing after the Gargoyle each time his punch sent him flying.
Tasogare ni hi wo ugatsu—
With an air of finality, Eren ended his vicious combo with a dropkick that sent Goliath flying towards the north edge of Central Park. Giving one last look at the crater where his battered foe was, Eren looked up at the moon and roared in victory.
Guren no yumiya
(stop music)
Goliath lay on a crater in the dirt, clearly in great pain. He had handled stronger individual blows and a bolt of lightning, sure, but he could more than just feel the sheer force of Eren's blows to the bone. Each punch Eren had thrown his way had threatened to shatter his bones.
But now Eren had pushed HIS own anger. If this was the only way to take the giant down, he would take it without hesitation. If he died here, he would...he would...
Goliath slowly stood to full height. His eyes now glowed a blinding white. Looking up at Eren's standing form, he let loose a feral roar.
(cue Fist of desperate ~ Awakening – Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works OST)
The sound of an animalistic howl had caught Eren's attention. Upon instinct, the Rogue Titan dropped into his signature combat stance...
...only to fall to a knee. With a powerful swipe at his right leg, Goliath had toppled Eren.
Roaring in frustration, Eren attempted to slam his fist down on Goliath, only for the Gargoyle to dodge the blow and immediately counter by dashing up Eren's arm and nailing the Rogue Titan with a jab to the forehead.
But his retaliatory attack didn't stop there. With a roar, Goliath slammed his fists repeatedly on the Rogue Titan's forehead, ending with a dropkick that forced the Rogue Titan to a sitting position and propelled him into the air.
His brief adrenaline rush ending, Goliath retreated further into the city, muttering, "I need time." Despite his rage, he knew that fighting the Rogue Titan in an open area could spell doom for him.
Snarling, the Rogue Titan thundered after Goliath, but try as he might, all his speed could do was keep up with the gliding Gargoyle. Eren growled as he saw that Goliath had lured him into the city once more. And there was no sign of the purple Gargoyle anywhere.
Scanning the area, Eren trudged through the path of the road before him, shooting glances at any nearby possible vantage point in hopes of finding his winged adversary. The Rogue Titan then got a feeling of bafflement as he noticed that he had set foot on...gasoline?
As if on cue, a wall of fire erupted from the street and singed Eren's foot. The Rogue Titan stumbled back in surprise as his burn healed, but said surprise was immediately replaced with determination, and his anger increased. So Goliath thought fire could stop him?
This was, however, never the case.
Goliath had only been looking for a way to distract Eren. And he had succeeded.
The Gargoyle realized he only had six seconds to exploit the opening he had created. But those six seconds would be enough.
Roaring, he kicked off from a singular building—a museum of sorts—and rammed his fist into the side of Eren's skull. The Rogue Titan stumbled back, but before he could react, Goliath slammed his free fist into his eye.
SQUELCH!
Eren howled in pain as Goliath's fist sank into his emerald eye, and roared as Goliath ripped his arm free. While the wound in Eren's eye began to close itself, the Gargoyle wasted no time and began pummeling Eren with a fierce barrage of punches.
Then, Goliath decided to give in to his animalistic instincts.
With a feral roar, the Gargoyle amplified the force and power of his blows, each punch digging deeper and deeper into the Titan's skull. Eren flailed his arms about, now pissed off beyond belief, attempting to catch Goliath.
The Gargoyle then kicked himself off Eren's face, and spread his wings, sent back by the force of Eren's ensuing roar. He then charged forward...
...and in a single swipe, he ripped the Rogue Titan's right hand off.
Eren roared in pain, stumbling back. However, the uncontented Goliath twisted himself in midair before he could fall, and then, with fierce power, he promptly tore Eren's foot off.
Falling to a seated position against the museum, Eren howled in rage and agony. How come this bastard was easily manhandling him?!?
****
(Setting: North Central Park)
Squad Levi rode as fast as they could. Through Armin's tracing of Eren's roars, they had managed to pinpoint Eren's current location. Now, they were speeding full-force towards where the suicidal blockhead that was Eren may have been.
Damn it, Eren, thought Mikasa. Why do you keep doing this?
"Armin!" yelled Jean. "How can you be sure Eren's in there?! You've switched destinations, like, twice now!"
"Eren's roars are pretty easy to recognize," replied Armin.
"Yeah, but how can you be sure—"
RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!
The entire squadron ordered their horses to stop right where they were as they heard the unmistakable roar of pain that had to be Eren's.
"I'm pretty sure," replied Armin.
The horses raced towards the location of the source once more, and immediately the squadron was greeted with a sight that surprised them: Eren's Titan form, lying on the ground, his hand and foot missing. Judging from the twitching—and from the purple winged beast ferociously beating on Eren's skull—Eren was still alive.
Not for long, in the perspective of Goliath.
With an angry roar, Goliath slammed his fists into Eren's skull, fracturing it. Deaf to the howls of pain from the Rogue Titan, the Gargoyle continued beating on the Titan's skull, each blow deforming it slowly, but surely.
Goliath then balled his fists together and slammed them at the Rogue Titan's skull, caving it in with a sickening SQUELCH!
One more slam. Then another. Then another. And then another.
With an air of finality, Goliath let loose one last slam, splitting the Rogue Titan's skull in two.
Panting and heaving, Goliath limped away from the fallen Titan. "'Tis finally over..." he mumbled, as weariness slowly began to take its toll on him...
...weariness that did not impede him from evading an arrow that sailed for him. The Gargoyle turled around and saw the group of young men and women on horseback, witnessing the culprit.
The one who had fired the arrow was a young, brunette woman wielding a bow and arrow—and a look of fearful realization, one that clearly screamed "I screwed up, didn't I?"
"I think you just pissed him off!" yelled Jean.
Goliath reared his head back, his eyes glowing a blinding white. MORE of them?! Clearly frustrated, the Gargoyle let out a fearsome roar that caused some of the horses to throw their riders off in fear. While the rest of the team shivered in fear, Levi and Mikasa only stared Goliath down, their eyes and countenances filled with determination. The pair drew their ultrahard steel blades from their gear, and dropped into combat stances, prepared to battle the Gargoyle.
Seeing all of these events pass sparked something in the depths of Eren's mind. It was bad enough that this purple bastard had toyed with and humiliated him like this, but now it had the balls to try and kill his friends?!
NO! I swore...I swore I would eradicate every single Titan in this world! I can't die in here! I can't allow my friends to die! I WON'T ALLOW IT!
Inside the sprawled-out body of the Titan, Eren's mouth contorted into a grim smile.
I'll...kill the Titans...every...last...one of them!
(cue Eren's Berserk theme)
Eren's eyes snapped wide open as he began to change. Slowly, he pushed himself up, steam pouring from his body at a rapid pace.
Goliath stopped in his tracks as he began to notice a large, imposing presence loom behind him. He turned back to where he felt it...and only saw a flaming fist as it smashed against his face.
The force of the blow sent Goliath flying far back, wracking him with immense pain. The Gargoyle spread his wings to prevent himself from falling. Goliath looked down to see his foe...and was surprised by the sight before him.
Eren was now completely different. His OWN eyes were aglow with fury, his entire body was glowing red as steam rose from scarlet cracks on his body, and his teeth were now dangerously sharp. His mouth was letting out large pants of breath, and the Rogue Titan decided to look right at Goliath and take the appropriate response.
RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Goliath flinched. That roar did not sound like the roar of a monster, but rather, the collective scream of every single human roaring at once with pure, unbridled hatred.
Eren Yeager was no longer a mere Titan. Now he was a berserker—the accursed manifestation of the collective, burning wrath of humanity.
In a huge burst of speed, the Rogue Titan took off like a rocket, his footsteps sounding like claps of thunder now. Goliath's eyes widened, and then he did only one thing...
Flee.
Turning his back on Eren, Goliath glided away...but at speeds he could never have expected the Titan to achieve, Eren was gaining on him. Leaping forward in an immense burst of speed, Eren grabbed Goliath's tail...
...and the burning pain of a million furnaces kicked in.
Goliath screamed in immense agony as he felt his tail burn away and crumble into ashes. Fire would never have hurt the Gargoyle at all, as he had taken direct hits from lightning bolts and anti-aircraft rounds, but this...this was a whole new level of horrifying agony and he had no idea why or how the Rogue Titan was doing this.
Groaning, the Gargoyle tried to spread his wings and flee, but the Titan anticipated it and grabbed onto Goliath's body.
The burning, volcanic heat leaking from the Rogue Titan's flesh forced a horrific roar of horrific pain from the throat of the leader of the Manhattan Clan of Gargoyles. Goliath could do naught but flail about wildly and blindly while Eren kept his ruthless hold on him.
Squad Levi, having regained their composures, could do naught but stand and watch as Eren, in his unbridled fury, continued to incinerate the Gargoyle in his hand.
Eren himself had all but lost his humanity. His sole focus now was to make this son of a bitch feel every single ounce of pain he could ever feel.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE, YOU SON OF A BITCH, DIE!!!!!!!!!!"
Eren slammed Goliath down the street and pinned the helpless Gargoyle to it, and then proceeded to rush his head forward. With unparalleled accuracy, the Rogue Titan bit animalistically into Goliath's right wing. The Gargoyle groaned in pain once more as Eren ripped the wing off his back and swallowed it whole.
The astronomical pain from Eren's burning flesh and having his wing ripped out finally forced Goliath to cease his struggles, but even then, EREN REFUSED TO LET GO.
At this point, even if he wanted to, Goliath could no longer struggle. The best he could do was twitch and groan in his weakened state. Uncontented, Eren set its knee on Goliath's stomach and raised its free fist before slamming it angrily into the face of the Gargoyle, intent on giving him a taste of his own medicine.
And again. And again. And again.
I'll destroy the whole world!!!!!!!
Eren never stopped punching, each of his blows deforming and melting away Goliath's otherwise-heat-resistant face further and further. He remained deaf to the cries of Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Sasha, Connie, and the others to stop. He would NEVER stop.
Right now, Eren was feeling more hatred for this purple bastard more than ANYTHING else. Not even that Smiling Titan who ate his mother.
Yes...This is freedom...!
Meanwhile, Goliath's mind was slipping out. His own face and chest were now deformed and melted beyond recognition. So this is where he would fall. At the hands of a monster.
No...This isn't a monster. This is never a monster. This creature...is the very manifestation...of the full...hatred...and fury...of humanity.
For too long...I have underestimated...humanity's own capacity for vengeance. Is this the price...that I'll pay? Receiving...full-force...the full, unbridled vengeance...and fury...of humanity...?
Those were the last horrified thoughts that ran through Goliath's mind as his head was soon splattered into a gory mess.
Even then, Eren punched and punched away at his now dead foe, completely uncaring towards the fact that the battle was won. He punched and punched...
After a few seconds, though, Eren reared his head and let out a final roar of victory that resonated across the entirety of Manhattan, letting anyone and anything still in the city that his power was unmatched, and no one could ever hope to try...before collapsing face-first, slowly beginning to burn and melt.
"EREN!!!"
Mikasa cried out in anguish as she kicked on her horse, forcing it to race towards the inferno. Frustrated, Armin followed after her, wanting to ensure that both of his best friends were safe.
Meanwhile, whilst the rest of the team stood there, shellshocked, Levi looked at the hideously deformed corpse of Goliath. He wondered exactly what the Gargoyle was, and was increasingly fascinated by the fact that there were creatures other than—and worse than—the Titans. Hanji would, without a doubt, love that, but that would mean that humanity was faced with greater danger than any of them could ever realize.
After a minute, two silhouettes soon emerged from the body of the Rogue Titan: Mikasa, who was pulling the unconscious Eren Yeager along with her before the flames could reach them. Armin soon emerged and helped in carrying his friend as the rest of the squadron ran towards Eren to see his condition.
Eren Yeager would wake up soon. But this battle had cost him much—he was slipping ever further from his humanity.
The battle might have been won, but the war was far from over.
KO!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Boomstick: *in absolute awe* ...That was...pure overkill...
Wiz: At default, Goliath did surpass Eren in terms of physicality. His "gliding" could match Eren's maneuverability with the 3DMG, he was physically stronger than human Eren, and he could take hits like a champ.
Boomstick: But human Eren did possess an edge over everyone's favorite Gargoyle: his swords! If the damn things can cut through Titan skin, they could harm Goliath, seeing as his stony hide can't do all too much against bladed weapons.
Wiz: But that doesn't mean Goliath couldn't just break the brittle swords with his superior strength. However, as mentioned before the two could run circles around each other with their "gliding" and 3DMG respectively. But Goliath possessed more advantages over base Eren, and he could have easily just overwhelmed him with blunt force alone...
Boomstick: ...but the moment Eren went Rogue Titan, he had the fight won.
Wiz: Indeed. Eren's regeneration as a Titan is surprisingly astounding, meaning he could heal from anything and everything Goliath threw at him.
Boomstick: But let's give Goliath some credit: when Eren became a Titan, Goliath became a smaller target to him, and harder to hit. Plus, while Titan Eren is stronger, Goliath is still outlandishly strong, and could, with effort, just rip off Eren's feet and hands.
Wiz: Goliath's stony hide did provide a great defense against the Rogue Titan's blows, as they are largely blunt attacks and the Gargoyle has survived worse attacks, like a round of anti-aircraft fire. However, Eren's strength is nothing to scoff at. Hell, if he wanted to, he could just rip Goliath in half.
Boomstick: But once Eren went berserk, Goliath's fate was sealed.
Wiz: True. Goliath stood very little chance as Eren's burning rage, capable of greatly hurting other Titan Shifters, could harm him. Plus, it kind of doesn't help that Goliath was stuck on the receiving end of Eren's vengeance and fury against the Titans. ALL of it.
Boomstick: Looks like Goliath couldn't handle the heat!
Wiz: The winner is Eren Yeager.
****
WINNER: EREN
+ In human form, swords could harm Goliath
+ Possessed a regenerative factor even in human form
+ Possessed determination and willpower in spades
+ Titan Form outclassed Goliath
+ Berserker Fury DESTROYED Goliath
+ Gets stronger the angrier he gets
= 3DMG matched Goliath's "gliding"
- Goliath could overwhelm him in human form
LOSER: GOLIATH
+ Physically stronger than Eren's human form
+ Durability allowed him to hang in there
+ Could have overwhelmed human Eren
+ Greater tactical intelligence
+ Sexier Voice
= "Gliding" matched 3DMG
- Would not naturally know of Titan Eren's weakness on the nape of the neck
- Had no way to heal himself outside stone hibernation
- Berserker Eren DESTROYS him
- Eren's swords could injure him
- Would eventually be overwhelmed by the Rogue Titan
****
NEXT TIME ON DEATH BATTLE:
A large turtle-like monster spins through the air, combustion blasting out of the four holes on its shell...
VS
A pale, quadrupedal monster rampages through New York, throwing the Statue of Liberty's head across the city.
(A/N: Real talk: was I antagonizing Goliath or Eren too much?)