Chapter 118: Reiner! Ima! Koko de!
In the shadows of a city corner, the stench of decay filled the air. Bertolt, Reiner, and Annie watched the distant breach, their faces grim. The figure of Eren Jaeger was a persistent nightmare.
Reiner's heart pounded heavily. The mission was off-track. Eren had revealed immense power, holding the breach single-handedly. He was igniting hope in those "devils." Reiner could see the reignited fighting spirit in the eyes of the Garrison soldiers and his fellow cadets. This was the last thing he, in his current "Warrior" state, wanted to see.
"This is unacceptable," Reiner's voice was low and resolute. "That hope must be extinguished. The mission is to retake the Founder, not to watch him perform. If the Founder doesn't appear, the mission fails, and everything we've sacrificed will be meaningless."
He turned to Bertolt. "Bertolt, now is the perfect chance. While they're still unaware, while you can still approach them as a 'cadet'…"
Bertolt flinched. Reiner's words stabbed into his mind. Approach Eren… and then…
His heart hammered. The thought of Eren terrified him, and his sense of friendship gnawed at his will. He remembered their days in the Cadet Corps. Sweating together, eating together, the nights by the campfire. Armin, Jean, Connie… Eren. Comrades. The word was a brand on his heart.
But he was a Warrior of Marley. His mission was to retrieve the Founding Titan and eradicate the "island devils." His upbringing, his family's expectations, the hatred from the outside world—the people inside the Walls were sinners who had to be cleansed. The day Shiganshina fell, he had torn open their defenses. The steam, the collapsing gate, the flood of Titans, the shattered families, the desperate screams… it all replayed in his mind, night after night. His hands were stained with blood.
And now, Reiner wanted him… to do it to Eren and the others.
"But… Eren and Mikasa are both there, and the Garrison…" Bertolt's voice was dry, struggling. "If I transform and don't take them out in one blow, it'll be dangerous—"
"That's why it has to be a close-range surprise attack!" Reiner cut him off, his voice sharp as steel. "The explosion, the heat, the shockwave from the Colossal Titan's transformation! If you do it at point-blank range, Eren and Mikasa can't possibly dodge it. This is our only chance to cripple their strongest fighters before they can react. We'll back you up. As long as everyone on site is dealt with, the mission can still continue. We will assist you!"
Bertolt closed his eyes in agony, as if trying to convince himself. To convince himself to kill his former comrades. They are devils. They must be eliminated. They are the ones my father and everyone back home live in constant fear of. And Eren Jaeger… he's becoming the hero of these devils. A new hope.
Something must be done. As their precious comrade, the only thing I can do is give them a quick, merciful end. None of us are wrong. The world… is just this cruel. Someone has to get their hands dirty. He absolved himself by blaming the world. He was no longer running; he was choosing to bear this "necessary evil." I'm sorry, everyone. I'll make it quick.
Bertolt's eyes snapped open, his gentle nature replaced by cold resolve. "I understand."
"Reiner, are you sure? We're doing this?"
"Ima, koko de! (Here, right now!)" Reiner's mind was made up. "Yes. Here, right now!" He turned to Annie, who was lurking nearby. "Annie! Bertolt will ambush Eren and Mikasa. The moment he moves, you get on the Wall, transform, and destroy the cannons. I'll clean up the ground troops and any temporary artillery. We must ensure this area falls. Kill all witnesses! This is our last chance to go home."
Annie's face was grim. She understood what Reiner was asking. To attack the people they had lived with for three years. She thought of her father far away—her only reason. The world is cruel. She could only… nod slowly.
…
Near the breach, in the temporary rest area.
Eren and Mikasa had just finished their rotation and were resupplying. Sweat ran down Eren's face as he breathed heavily, his eyes sharp, scanning his surroundings. The 104th cadets and the Garrison soldiers—who had previously been too terrified to face the Titans—were all watching them with complex expressions: awe, amazement, disbelief, and a growing fanaticism.
"Eren! Mikasa! That was amazing!" Connie ran up, his face full of hero worship. "You finished those Titans in just a few hits!"
"Yeah," Sasha mumbled, her mouth full of stolen bread. "Seeing you two… I don't feel as scared anymore."
Jean stood a bit further off, arms crossed, frowning at Eren, his feelings complicated. He just checked his gear in silence.
Krista stood by Ymir's side, whispering, "Eren and Mikasa… they'll be okay, right?"
Ymir leaned against a wall, pockets stuffed, a cynical smile on her face, but her eyes were serious. She leaned in and pinched Krista's cheek. "Worried about them? You should be worried about yourself. 'Good girls' don't last long in a hell like this. Instead of thinking about that, why don't you marry me?"
The other soldiers were even more fervent. The breach of the Wall had shattered their complacency and their ability to think. But Eren's appearance had ignited their hope for survival. He had become a symbol. When a person becomes a symbol, all nuance is lost. For those who use the symbol, the thinking has already been done for them by the one who created it. Just as, in the beginning, they had unthinkingly, even willfully, given up thinking and just saw him as a Titan spy and an enemy of humanity.
Just then, a tall, thin figure stumbled towards them. It was Bertolt. He looked terrified, his uniform a mess, as if he'd just escaped a terrible fight. He silently drew closer.
Eren's expression changed instantly. Something's wrong. What is he trying to do? The Marley trio's original goal: make Wall Rose fall, further compressing humanity's territory, and force the Founding Titan to reveal itself. Is it because the breach didn't fall, thanks to me, that they're making a move now?
Realizing the danger, Eren roared, "EVERYONE! GET AWAY FROM HERE! NOW!!!"
The shout was like thunder. The surrounding soldiers—Connie, Sasha, Jean, even Mikasa—didn't know why, but their trust in Eren made their bodies react faster than their minds. They all instantly activated their gear, scattering in all directions. Krista was grabbed by Ymir and forcibly dragged away.
In that same instant, Bertolt raised his right hand and bit down hard! SHINK! Blood sprayed.
The next second—BOOOM!!!
Golden lightning tore the earth apart, a destructive aura erupting around Bertolt as he stood in the center. The ground cracked, and a shockwave of scalding steam and debris blasted outwards! The Colossal Titan transformation was beginning! Giant bones grew wildly, red muscle rapidly forming over them!
HOWEVER!!!
Just as the transformation began, while Bertolt's human body was still being encased, his consciousness not yet fully transferred, his power not yet focused—an afterimage broke through the steam and appeared right in front of him!
It was Eren!