Chapter 146: The End of Paradis Island
Paradis Island, Coastal Defense Line.
Smoke and magical dust intertwined. The sea breeze, thick with the stench of blood and scorching, slapped against Eren Jaeger's exhausted face. He stood like a dark reef in the tide, enduring the endless assault of the Marleyan Empire. Magical beams, artillery shells, and screaming aircraft wove a net of death around him.
Eren swung his magic-infused blade. Each slash tore through countless enemies. The sea was already stained a deep red, the beach piled high with twisted metal and shattered flesh.
His breathing was harsh. Sweat, mixed with grime, ran down from his temples. The explosive power of his attacks had already begun to wane compared to the start of the battle, but his eyes remained resolute.
Tatakae… I must keep fighting…
Paradis's flanks and rear were suffering an even more brutal slaughter. The main cannons of the Marleyan fleet roared, and beams of light swept across the island, reaping lives and carving through the inland defensive positions. One by one, the coastal artillery batteries were silenced by precise strikes, their once-furious muzzles now just mangled steel frames.
The Marleyan commander's cold gaze swept over the holographic battlefield. "The time has come. Relay the order. The elites can move. All elite combat units, commence final assault!"
The order was given. In an instant, the pressure on the Paradis coastline intensified to an unprecedented degree.
"ROOOAR—!!!"
An inhuman roar echoed along the coast. Lara Tybur's figure swelled within a flash of magical light. "Magical Titan Transformation: War Hammer!"
A colossal soldier of energy, tens of meters tall, rose from the ground. It was made of translucent white crystal and wore a white dress. In its hands, it held a giant war hammer, also made of energy. With every terrifying swing, it advanced, bearing down on Eren.
High above, Pieck's Magical "Cart" Titan circled Eren at astonishing speed and agility, constantly firing corrosive magic bolts from his blind spots, releasing special waves to disrupt his senses, trying to weaken his defense and break his rhythm.
More of Marley's elite Magical Girls formed into combat squadrons. They became hunter-killer hawks, coordinating with the capital ships' magic-artillery to form a crossfire, assailing Eren from land, sea, and air.
Eren's room to maneuver was shrinking rapidly. Every block, every dodge, became incredibly difficult. Each swing of the War Hammer forced him into a full retreat, its impact gouging massive craters in the beach. Pieck's relentless harassment made it impossible for him to focus on the main threat, and the endless barrage of magic and shells from all sides made defense impossible.
"It's not… over!" Eren gritted his teeth, an unyielding fire burning in his green eyes. He took a deep, ragged breath, and his Soul Gem flared with an unprecedented light.
"TATAKAE—!!!" He let out a heaven-shaking roar, pouring the last of his magic into his blade and striking at the oncoming War Hammer.
BOOM—!!!
The light-infused blade and the energy hammer collided with a cataclysmic sound. The shockwave was so immense it scoured the entire coastline. The War Hammer Titan's seemingly indestructible arm actually cracked under Eren's blow. Lara let out a muffled grunt, her giant energy body staggering from the impact. Even Pieck, providing support nearby, was sent tumbling by the violent backlash.
However, that single blow had consumed the last of Eren's magic. The light of his Soul Gem instantly dimmed to almost nothing. The blade of light in his hand dissipated, leaving only a normal hilt. His body swayed, every breath an agony.
"Is it over?" The War Hammer's cold voice echoed across the battlefield. She raised her damaged hammer again. At the same time, several fatal artillery beams locked onto Eren from different angles. Under the coordinated attack of Marley's elite, Eren's defense was finally torn apart.
SQUELCH—!
A thick beam of magic-artillery pierced his body. The blade in his hand flew from his grasp and stabbed into the sand nearby. He struggled, reaching out a trembling hand, grasping the cold hilt, trying to stand one last time. But his wounds and the magical exhaustion made it impossible to even lift his head.
Grisha Jaeger's Attack Titan was one of the last to fall. Its giant body was covered in scorch marks and wounds. The next moment, several beams of light from the sky locked onto its nape. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! With a series of explosions, the Attack Titan's body shuddered violently, then disintegrated in a cloud of steam.
Eren's consciousness flickered. The roar of cannon fire grew distant. But in one moment of clarity, a faint but clear connection was suddenly severed.
His bloodshot eyes snapped open. With agonizing effort, he turned his nearly broken neck to look inland. The distant horizon was blood-red from the light of explosions. He saw it. The familiar Titan signature that represented his father… had vanished completely.
"Otou-san…" Eren's lips trembled, a hoarse, barely audible whisper escaping. Why… Why did it turn out like this… I changed so much…
As Grisha's head was severed, a writhing, transparent thing suddenly appeared, radiating a bizarre aura. It twisted, as if alive.
"The Hallucigenia—"
Almost in the same instant, several small white figures appeared at the edge of the battlefield. Their bodies were small, their fur pristine white, their red eyes glowing with an inhuman, rational light in the gloom.
Kyubey.
Just then, a pink isolation field snapped into existence, containing a power of absolute suppression, and trapped the "Hallucigenia" that was trying to escape.
"What an unsurprising development," another Kyubey said, padding elegantly toward the trapped creature.
[Contract System · Incubator Platform: Special Sample "Hallucigenia" has been recovered.]
[Syncing data…]
[Sample has been auto-classified: 'First-Contact Priority Sequence.']
[Adding to 'Timeline Project Group.']
[Sub-project branches: Chaotic Timelines, Time Shield Fragments, Hallucigenia.]
The cold, methodical system notifications chimed in Kyubey's consciousness. For them, this was just a routine sample collection.
Eren witnessed it all. His father's death. The appearance and capture of the mysterious creature. Kyubey's overwhelming, incomprehensible power, and its bottomless indifference.
Eren stood on the cold shore, his body screaming, his mental dam about to break. Around him were the ruins of war, the brutal reality of his defense line shattered and his family lost.
Eren, the hope of Paradis Island, had, at this moment, reached the end of his road.