Chapter 150: Multiple Playthroughs — King Eren Arc!
This was the unknown-th time. He had returned to a certain point in time again. He had no time to mourn, no time for despair. This time, he would try to solve the problem peacefully, through negotiation and a demonstration of power.
"Become King."
The moment his consciousness returned, Eren established this rule for Paradis and for himself. He would build a fortress strong enough and safe enough, and while demonstrating his power, he would also express his willingness to cooperate with the outside world. He would pull them in as allies and prevent the tragedy from reoccurring.
And so, once again, the truth was revealed, memories were altered, and fear was amplified. The island's inhabitants, terrified of the unknown outside world, had their desire for a peaceful life stoked to a fever pitch. Eren rode this wave of emotion and, with his unchallengeable power, took the throne.
Under his centralized will, Paradis Island's resources were efficiently consolidated. The "Utopian Fortress" took shape rapidly. To eradicate any internal dissent, ideological unity was paramount. Towns were rezoned, housing was standardized—everything became a symbol of pure order and absolute obedience to the Supreme Will.
Eren became that Supreme Will. He rarely appeared in public, yet he was everywhere. The patrols in their identical uniforms, their eyes burning with fanaticism, were extensions of Eren's will.
The original core members of the Survey Corps, thanks to the future technological data Eren provided, worked day and night to develop next-generation technology, desperate to achieve an equal footing with the outside world as soon as possible. But they also felt the invisible barrier around Eren. He grew more isolated, making critical decisions without consultation, his word absolute. He seemed to be desperately trying to prevent them from prying into the secrets of his power and his inner loneliness.
Paradis "opened up" rapidly, but with extreme caution and clear objectives. News of the island's radical changes spread. The outside world was shocked to learn that Paradis, the former "Devil's Nest," had given birth to an unknown power far surpassing that of the Titans. The Pure Titans there had vanished, replaced by a populace living in peace and prosperity. The island had even mastered some outside technology, though its way of life was somewhat insular and uniform. But that was all they could find out. Paradis was an iron fortress. Spies couldn't infiltrate, and intelligence channels were almost completely cut off. The few Eldian spies from the outside, sent to probe or plead for help, all vanished as if swallowed by the sea.
Panic spread quickly among those in the know. The "Rumbling" was still a threat, and now a new, mysterious one had emerged. At this point, an unexpected message came from one of the few returning spies: King Eren was willing to cooperate.
The island's overwhelming power and unbreakable, centralized government made it clear they were not to be trifled with. You want resources? Iceburst Stone? Fine. Trade us your technology and other resources for it.
Furthermore, Marley itself was surrounded by enemies. If it declared war on the formidable Paradis now, other nations might take advantage of the chaos. This cooperation was limited strictly to the high command of Paradis and Marley. Although Eren had mentioned the Eldians living in Marley, they received no better treatment. It was just a passing comment, and neither side cared much about them. Marley needed those "devils" to maintain its own sense of superiority, and Eren, busy with the island, paid them no further mind. Their situation did not change.
This blatant abandonment planted a deep seed of resentment and a feeling of betrayal in their hearts. And it was in this fertile soil of injustice and despair that Kyubey, the small white creature, silently sowed its seeds.
It only appeared on a desperate night, to a dying boy in a black market, offering a "miracle." Or to a tormented, bullied girl at her lowest point, whispering, "I can give you the chance to change your fate, to gain power."
The shocking changes in these individuals sent a massive ripple through the desperate Eldian populace. Oppressed by Marley, hated by the world, living under the curse of their bloodline, any chance to change their fate was like a life raft to a drowning man.
"That island... Eren Jaeger… he gets to be King?" In a dark Liberio basement, a few "rats," twisted by injustice and jealousy, gathered in secret. "Can't he hear our suffering? Can't he hear us calling? He abandoned us to hide in his Walls, and now he's cooperating with our oppressors?!"
Venomous whispers filled the air. "A bunch of unrepentant devil's spawn, what right do they have to live so comfortably?" They looked at the scraps of intel from Paradis, at the descriptions of a peaceful life, and their hearts burned with envy. We're all Eldians. We're the ones who even carry the 'knowledge' of our historical sins, so why do those 'ignorant' devils on the island get to be happy?
This stark contrast made them see Paradis as the root of their own suffering and the perfect outlet for their sins.
One of them, Griez, a man with a hideous scar, was a former Eldian Warrior who had been tortured by his Marleyan superiors for their sick pleasure. "The 'King' of Paradis abandons his own people! Fine! We have this 'miraculous' power now too. We'll 'liberate' Paradis ourselves. We'll show them the sins they've committed. We'll give them a taste of this living hell!"
As for Marley? Their ingrained terror of their masters meant they only dared to complain. Their servility made it impossible to resist. Paradis, their "overly-fortunate" kin, was the target they could and wanted to attack.
His pretext ignited their madness. They frantically gathered information about "miracles" and "contracts." Kyubey appeared, offering wishes for power, at the price of their souls.
"Wish for power?" A young female member, Layla, hesitated, but her desire was stronger. She yearned for revenge against the Marleyans who oppressed her family, and even more, she yearned to make those "lucky" ones on the island experience the same pain they had. As for the fact that the islanders had lived in terror of Pure Titans for a century? That didn't matter to them. What mattered was that the islanders were living well now, while they, who shared the same "sinful" blood, were not. That was the unbearable problem.
In the end, Griez, Layla, and several other twisted individuals made their wishes to the "White Emissary."
"The contract is made."
Light exploded, a mixture of agony and the ecstasy of power. They became the first "Magical Girls" born outside of Paradis, their eyes shining with a fanatical, sick, twisted light. Eren's "Utopia," this abnormally prosperous "other," became the target they had to destroy.
Eren's "Utopia," by being so happy and isolated, had ironically become the bullseye for their own people, twisted by jealousy and hatred.
The first infiltrations were silent, exploiting the few malcontents and black marketeers who festered under Paradis's high-pressure rule. But Eren swiftly crushed the invasions, his overwhelming magic easily turning the intruders to ash.
However, more and more outside Eldians, filled with hatred, joined Griez's cause. Their powers became more varied, their tactics more cunning. They exploited the hidden cracks in Paradis's seemingly perfect internal control.
The final battle erupted in a storm that engulfed the entire island. Eren, though powerful, could not be everywhere at once, unable to counter threats from all directions. He couldn't read the hearts of men. He watched as more comrades he had once trusted fell in battle, the trust in their eyes replaced by a growing fear and despair.
In the chaos, Armin tried to reason with the outside Eldians, who were blinded by jealousy. He spoke of their shared blood, of the emptiness of hatred. He was caught off guard by Griez—who had maintained a facade of civility—and was severely wounded by a storm of metal.
Eren watched it all, watched the "Utopia" he had so carefully constructed, this safe haven he had tried to build through limited diplomacy, finally begin to collapse under the combined internal and external assault.
A familiar powerlessness drowned him.
"Failed… again…"
An extreme thought flashed through Eren's mind. If all of them—the Marleyan oppressors and these twisted compatriots—if they all just… disappeared… wouldn't that solve it?
The endless loops seemed to have taught him nothing. Or perhaps this was just his way of proving he was still fighting, that he hadn't given up.
Regardless, the loop turned once more. The Soul Gem flared. Time collapsed again.
And Kyubey, that small white figure, just watched it all quietly from on high. The tragic song of the island, playing on an endless repeat.