He could never forget the disgust on Gabi's face when she saw his brother throw himself in to save her—only to be crushed into meat paste beneath the Titan's foot.
It was like she'd seen something revolting, something she wanted to avoid, something she didn't want to be anywhere near.
Yes, the scene had been drenched in blood.
But Falco couldn't understand at all—what was there about his brother that was "disgusting"?
His brother had risked his life to save Gabi, and then got stomped to death.
You could say it plainly:
His life bought hers.
And what did Gabi give back?
Disgust.
Like her conscience had been fed to a dog.
Fine. Falco could still force himself to understand that much.
Gabi had just suffered an enormous shock. She was terrified. It was an unconscious reaction—something you could explain.
But when he, in agony, went to gather his brother's remains, he saw Gabi standing there like nothing had happened, silently watching. She didn't come help. She didn't say anything meaningful. She just kept talking to herself.
"The Rumbling is about to reach Marley. Falco, we can't stop."
Gabi spoke as if she were ready to walk away.
Falco, meanwhile, knelt on the ground, silently picking up pieces of his brother, placing them carefully onto a cloth.
His hands were soaked in blood. The scene was grotesque enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
But Falco didn't feel any disgust toward his brother.
Because his brother had been the best person to him—his most important person in this life.
And now that most important person had died for Gabi—
Only to be answered with a few casual words, with no care at all.
"Will the Rumbling crush everyone?" Falco suddenly asked.
His eyes were empty, as if the world had lost all color, as if no light of hope remained.
Gabi found it strange. "What kind of stupid question is that? If the Rumbling keeps going, it'll definitely kill everyone in the world! And then everything we've done will be meaningless! So we can't stop! Falco, come with me!"
"Where?" he asked.
"To stop the Rumbling, of course!"
"But what can you and I even do?" Falco said. "Just now you were about to be crushed. If it weren't for my brother, the one turned into meat paste would be you."
"This was your brother?"
Gabi suddenly seemed to realize something. So that was why Falco had stayed here, collecting the dead soldier's remains. This was his brother. His brother had saved her.
She'd thought it was some stranger—and that Falco was picking up the body out of guilt.
"If it's your brother, then I—"
"And what?" Falco stared at her coldly. "If he weren't my brother, would you feel no gratitude at all?"
"No, that's not what I meant, I—"
"He wasn't even in your thoughts, was he?!" Falco snapped. "Because he was never part of your plan. All you think about is stopping the Rumbling no matter the cost. My brother died for you, and you think it's nothing. Is that it?!"
For a moment, Gabi looked like she'd been struck by some sudden revelation—
But she still didn't understand. She hadn't done anything wrong!
"I'm trying to save all Eldians—that's why I'm fighting this hard!" Gabi shouted, her eyes flicking toward the distant Titans. "Just because he saved me once, do I have to stop for him?! If I waste time here, those Titans will reach Marley sooner or later! And then it won't just be him who dies!"
Falco was already dead inside.
He no longer held any hope for Gabi.
Kneeling on the cold ground, he looked like a corpse. He tilted his head up, staring blankly at the sky as a swallow glided past.
"Even if everyone dies… so what?" Falco said suddenly.
"What? What do you mean?!" Gabi exploded in anger. "You want to become a devil too?! Falco! You want your family to die too? Like your brother? What are you even thinking?!"
"Of course I don't want that," Falco said quietly. "But Gabi… after the Rumbling, then what?"
"What?"
"If we succeed in stopping the Rumbling… what happens next?"
"Then of course—"
"Then we get locked up by Marleyans again," Falco cut in, voice rising. "Raised like livestock. Wagging our tails and begging them for scraps?! Do you want us to spend every day watching their faces, swallowing everything—so that even if our people are beaten to death, we don't dare talk back?!"
"What are you saying, Falco? I don't understand you at all." Gabi shook her head.
"No, Gabi. You do understand. And you want to break this situation too. It's just that both you and I were wrong.
"From a long time ago, we were fed a single idea: that only by constantly earning Marley's praise and approval could we become 'normal people,' and only then could our families and friends live normal lives.
"But have you ever thought about whether that's actually true?" Falco said. "Doing anything without thinking just to earn your master's praise—then getting rewarded and encouraged… tell me, Gabi.
"Isn't that what a dog does?
"To be blunt, from the moment Marley tied a leash around our necks, we were their—"
Thud!
Before he could finish, Falco took a punch to the face.
"I won't allow you to insult my dream, Falco!" Gabi shouted. "I know what you're thinking, but don't forget—our ancestors were guilty. They really did harm Marley. So all we can do now is atone for our ancestors' sins.
"Even if we're bullied, we can't resist. That's the lesson Uncle Reiner taught me!"
Our ancestors were guilty.
Falco had heard those words his whole life.
He didn't know whether it was true—because he had never personally witnessed the atrocities Marley's textbooks claimed their ancestors had committed.
So he let out a long sigh.
"Then if what you're saying is true… why should people like us even live, Gabi? What are you trying so hard for?"
It wasn't an angry debate.
That single sentence went straight through Gabi's heart.
For a moment, even she froze.
Because it was true: everything she had done since childhood had been full of contradictions.
On one hand, she wanted to atone for her ancestors.
On the other, she wanted to clear her people's name.
Add to that Marley's promise of "Honorary Marleyan" status—over time, she began to obey Marley unconditionally. No matter how outrageous things became, her first thought was always that she was in the wrong.
But if she didn't do that… what else could she do?
Become like Roger Eikam—escape Marley, and launch a Rumbling against the entire world?
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