"If someone has to atone for wrongly blaming you before… then let it be me!"
All of a sudden, amid the noisy crowd, a crisp female voice rang out.
So crisp that it made Roger think of someone familiar.
He followed the sound with his eyes, trying to see who it was.
Then the crowd parted, opening a path.
A girl in a Survey Corps uniform slowly walked up to Roger.
She had beautiful blonde hair, flowing lightly in the breeze.
Her delicate features carried a kind of refined nobility that set her apart.
She was small, yet at this moment, the look in her eyes made it impossible for anyone to ignore her.
She stared at Roger with complete seriousness and kept walking until she stood before him.
Roger finally stirred, meeting her gaze.
Hange also recognized who it was now—she simply hadn't paid much attention before, so all she managed was her name.
"Historia?"
She stared at the girl in shock.
"What are you doing here?!" she demanded.
"I came to find a way out for all humanity, too. If everyone inside the Walls is wiped out, I won't escape either," Historia said. "So I'm stepping forward—for everyone. If someone must atone for everything that happened… then let it be me. I have no family. The people I had are already dead from the last war. Even if I die, no one will be left to mourn me. I'm the most suitable choice."
"What kind of joke is this, Historia?!"
Several people burst out of the crowd and grabbed Historia by the arms.
Roger lifted his eyes and recognized them—comrades from her same training class.
Sasha.
Jean.
Connie.
They couldn't bear to let Historia sacrifice herself, so they had to drag this foolish girl back—this girl who was trying to pay for other people's sins.
But Historia had one defining trait: stubbornness. Once she decided something, she would not change it easily.
She struggled to make decisions, yes—but she wanted everything to stay on the right track. And the moment something went wrong, the first solution she could think of was always the same: sacrifice her own interests to force everything back into place, even if it cost her life.
Her comrades all knew she was that kind of hopelessly "good" person.
And they had no choice but to stop her—desperately—because they couldn't watch her ruin herself like this.
But it was already too late.
"Let go!"
Historia shouted, wrenching herself free. At the same time, she pulled a dagger from her pocket and pressed it to her own heart.
"I'm begging you, Roger," Historia pleaded, threatening her own life.
She refused to believe Roger was a human being without any feelings.
But Roger still didn't move. He simply watched her in silence.
There was no expression on his face—no way to tell whether he felt joy or grief.
Only the way she said his name made something inside him twist with sudden pain.
—If we didn't have to fight… how wonderful it would've been, if we could've stayed together forever.
The thought surged up without warning.
But he forced his emotions down again, and remained silent.
Seeing that it had come to this, Historia's hope snapped.
She raised the blade and drove it toward her heart!
The people around her rushed at her like they'd gone mad, trying to stop her from stabbing herself.
But they were a step too late—the tip still slammed into her chest.
Everyone's hearts plunged into a vast, crushing grief, and a wail of agony burst out.
It was the kind of wail you'd hear at the very end—when humanity was about to be wiped from the world, and all that remained was final despair.
But at that moment, someone lunged in and grabbed Historia's blade with a bare hand—clenched it, ripped it free, and threw it to the ground.
"You win. I don't like owing people," Roger said, blood dripping slowly from his palm.
Tears shimmered in Historia's eyes as she looked at Roger with gratitude.
But his next words made it impossible for her to feel happy.
"Historia… your father is Rod Reiss, isn't he?"
Roger looked at the blonde girl in front of him.
Historia froze as if she'd been seen through completely—wariness and fear flickering in her eyes.
Roger didn't care.
He rested a hand on the top of her head and said gently, "You don't need to hide anything for that man anymore. You are you. From now on, you have to live brightly—on your own."
As he spoke, Roger raised his hand.
Historia stared in shock. Across Roger's palm was a cut—sliced open by her blade—blood still welling out without stopping.
"You're hurt."
Historia frantically searched for something to bandage him with, but she couldn't find anything. In the end, she reached to tear her own clothes—
Roger shook his head and pressed her hand down.
"Historia. You're a good girl—but you shouldn't be a good soldier. The people inside the Walls are lucky to have you. I hope you'll keep taking care of them from now on. But a real warrior must take responsibility for the choice they make, all the way to the end." Roger's voice was steady. "Tell me—are you willing?"
"Of course."
Historia met Roger's eyes and answered solemnly.
"Then good. When this war ends… marry me," Roger said, dead serious.
"Huh?"
Historia went blank, tilting her head, her cheeks flushing slightly.
But Roger's eyes held nothing but distant seas and star-filled skies. He didn't notice her reaction at all.
"The union of royal blood with royal blood can make Titan power purer," Roger said, holding out his hand. "Our descendants will be able to protect humanity's future better. I only have thirteen years to live. Ten years from now, the Walls will have no power left to defend themselves—but if our descendants master a more complete Titan power, we can use it to deter the world. This is the best way out I can imagine—the best way to break the deadlock."
His hand remained outstretched.
"So what's your choice? A warrior's life… or a girl's life?"
Historia thought for a moment, then said firmly, "A warrior."
And she gripped Roger's hand tightly.
And at that very instant—
The winds and clouds churned. Thunder and lightning erupted!
Fine currents of electricity danced around Roger's body, crackling violently!
He said:
…
…
"THE RUMBLING!!!"
The massive Walls split apart. Amid humanity's screams, one Colossal Titan after another tore free from the fifty-meter Wall and took their first step—shattering the earth!
A thunderclap flooded the land, flipping everything in its path!
An unprecedented giant skeletal frame rose into the world!
And a searing cluster of black flame was about to burn all things to ash.
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