Chapter 143: Crusade Against the Devils of Paradis! The Allied Forces Assemble!
Marleyan Empire, Ministry of Defense, Underground Intelligence Analysis Room.
The low hum of instruments and the flickering light of data screens filled the air. A Magical Girl stood silently in the center of the room, dressed in a special-issue dark combat uniform, her eyes covered by a black blindfold.
Her codename: "Memory-Eater." Her ability: to extract the residual memories of the dead, and even briefly manipulate their corpses.
Before her lay the bodies of the Jaegerist team members. The metal autopsy tables were ice-cold. The bodies had been processed, but the faint smell of blood and smoke still lingered.
"Report," the Minister of Defense's voice was flat, devoid of any warmth.
The Memory-Eater bowed slightly. "Extraction of residual memories from the Paradis soldiers is complete. The conclusions are consistent with cross-referenced samples." She paused, as if organizing her thoughts.
"Paradis Island has not formed a large-scale Magical Girl force. Their 'hero,' Eren Jaeger, seems to be the reason, due to his frequent suppression and elimination of Kyubey units on the island. Based on a preliminary personality profile from his memories, Eren Jaeger is aware of the consequences of Witchification. However, his personal feelings outweigh the collective interest, and have, to a certain extent, hindered its development."
"Currently, the only Magical Girl units on Paradis that pose a substantial threat to us are Eren Jaeger and the recently escaped Floch Forster. Their remaining combat power still consists of traditional Titan powers, anti-personnel ODM gear, cannons, and Thunder Spears."
Hearing this, several high-ranking Marleyan officers in the room sneered.
"What a pathetic 'hero'."
"He possesses a power that could change the world, yet he's shackled by weak, sentimental attachments."
"He gave up the chance to arm his entire island… for a few insignificant comrades?"
"Eren Jaeger… less of a leader, more of a fool held hostage by his own emotions."
"To prevent his friends from 'Witchification'? It's so naive it's laughable."
"His childish obsession is just an accelerant for Paradis Island's destruction."
The Minister of Defense took a long drag from his cigar, slowly exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. His expression, wreathed in smoke, was one of pure arrogance and disdain.
"A fool, blinded by personal feelings, deluding himself that he can protect everything on his own. One newly-contracted Magical Girl, plus a few obsolete Titans. Is that all Paradis has? What a disappointment."
"Relay my orders. The 'Extermination' operation against Paradis Island is to be fully activated. It's time for the Eldians in the internment zones to 'stretch their legs' as well. Tell them that for every one of them who steps foot on the battlefield and 'cleans up the trash' for the Empire, their families will be granted 'Honorary Marleyan' status. Let them tear their own compatriots apart for that empty 'glory'."
The Minister's voice was filled with a deep-seated contempt and manipulative mastery over the Eldians.
…
In the internment zones of Marley's major cities, cold barbed wire separated two worlds. Loudspeakers blared the Empire's latest conscription order day and night.
"All Eldian males of age, for the glory of the Empire, for the future of your families! Answer the call, join the holy war, and crush the island of devils! The immediate family of anyone who participates in the war can apply for 'Honorary Marleyan' certification! Shed your vile bloodline and become a part of the Empire's glory!"
Huge propaganda posters were put up overnight. They depicted Eldian soldiers in Marleyan uniforms, guided by the shining light of a Magical Girl, charging into a burning Paradis Island. Behind them, their families, having received their "honor," wept with joy.
An Eldian man, who had been at Gabi's speech, clutched the conscription leaflet in his hand. The edges were damp with sweat and crumpled. His eyes flickered with despair and a twisted, artificial hope. "Honorary Marleyan…" For this status, he would go and slaughter the "island devils" he had never met, but with whom he shared the same blood. Was it worth it? Of course it was. For himself, and for his family, it had to be done.
…
A few days later, in the Liberio zone, the central square that once symbolized Eldian shame was now the site of a magnificent, ornate stage. Lara Tybur, the current wielder of the War Hammer Titan, stood at the podium in a pristine white gown, the War Hammer emblem of her family pinned to her chest. She had inherited the Titan power and then made a contract with Kyubey, sublimating it into an even stronger Magical Girl form. Today, she would represent this new era, making a clean break with the past.
The square was packed. Not only with Marleyan high officials, but with ambassadors and journalists from across the globe. Lara's voice, amplified by magic, carried clearly to every corner, and via broadcast, to the entire world.
"Honored guests, friends. We gather here today for a common goal—the permanent peace of the world. However, on this path to peace, a grotesque shadow has always loomed. That is Paradis Island, and the devils that infest it!"
As she spoke, the Marleyan crowd below erupted in thunderous chants of "Death to the devils!"
Lara raised a hand, gently pressing down, and the crowd fell silent.
"They are the direct inheritors of the sinful bloodline of the Founder Ymir and the evil King Fritz! Their veins throb with the urge to destroy the world! The Rumbling! That terrifying power capable of flattening all creation could be unleashed by them at any moment!"
"The Eldians on Paradis Island are no longer human! They are a stain on our bloodline! A cancer on the world! And the Eldians outside the Walls have suffered greatly because of them! Paradis Island is our common enemy! For our children, for the future of the world, we must completely eradicate this tumor!"
"I, in the name of the Tybur family, hereby call upon all peace-loving nations of the world to form a global alliance! To jointly crusade against Paradis Island! To subjugate them is to give the good, repentant Eldians on this continent a chance at true salvation! To subjugate them is so that all of us can welcome a new age of true peace, free from fear and the threat of destruction! This is atonement! This is extermination! This is a righteous act!"
Lara spread her arms, her expression both fanatical and beatific. Under the sun, she looked like a goddess of peace.
But the true purpose of this speech, meticulously planned by Marley, was not just about Paradis. It was about depleting the military strength of other nations, dividing the world, and, ultimately, cementing Marley's own supremacy. That was the result they wanted.
…
The fleets of the new global alliance began to assemble at the designated Marleyan port. On the deck of a small nation's cruiser, a young lieutenant, Karl, leaned against the cold railing, staring at the Marleyan flagship, a veritable fortress on the sea. The wind blew his blonde hair but couldn't disperse the gloom in his eyes. His country was small and poor. Under the shadow of Marley's iron boot and its history of "submit or be destroyed," they had no right to refuse. It was called an "alliance," but it was really an "offering of fealty."
Karl gripped the hilt of his sword, his knuckles white. He feared Marley's strength, and he feared the legendary "island devils." The name "Eldian" was still a nightmare etched into their bones. After all, for the past hundred years, Marley had used Eldians-turned-Titans as their most terrifying weapon of war, trampling countless nations that dared to defy them. The hatred and fear were blood-deep.
Technology had begun to close the gap, but with the appearance of Magical Girls, the scales had tipped once again. And the mysterious Emissary of Hope, which Marley was praising, had not blessed them as it had blessed Marley.
"Karl, it's time to assemble," an old veteran said, clapping him on the shoulder, his voice hoarse. The old soldier's eyes were also filled with helplessness and a fear of the unknown.
Karl took a deep, salty breath and nodded. He didn't know what awaited them. Perhaps the glory of a hero. Or perhaps, the fate of cannon fodder.
…
A few days later, an unprecedentedly massive allied fleet sailed slowly over the gloomy sea. Hundreds of warships of all types, their cannons bristling. Above them, countless aircraft circled and roared. The flags of many nations fluttered in the wind, looking terribly out of place. Each ship carried the lives of countless soldiers, and the fate of the nations behind them.
Their target was one: Paradis Island.
However, beneath this unified banner, the unspoken suspicions and selfish calculations of the various high commands churned. The sea was calm, but the air was thick with a suffocating, oppressive weight.
The storm was about to break. Paradis Island's doomsday was at hand.