"What are you hiding?"
Zeke almost laughed. The words, sharp and innocent, pierced deeper than any blade.
Heh. How ironic.
After being reborn into this world, he had secretly wished that Eren would remain innocent, happy, untouched by the cruelty of war.
Yet now, that same innocence was accusing him, demanding truth that could not be spoken.
"You… really want me to defeat that Armored Titan?" Zeke asked, a bitter smile curling his lips.
Eren's eyes burned, fierce and unyielding. "Since you have the power to defeat everything—why won't you use it? If I were you, I wouldn't waste it!"
"Even if I became a monster?" Zeke's voice dropped lower.
"...?" Eren blinked, stunned by the sudden shift.
"I mean…" Zeke tilted his head slightly, watching the boy's face carefully. "If I became a giant—would you still call me 'brother'?"
The question froze Eren where he stood. His mouth opened, closed. He had no answer.
Zeke didn't need one.
He saw it in hesitation, in the flicker of fear that crossed the boy's eyes.
The most untrustworthy thing in this world… was human nature.
He had seen it countless times. Even blood ties couldn't withstand betrayal or fear. If this new Eren never turned into a Titan again, then one day… they would be strangers.
He would never recognize Zeke as his elder brother.
But Zeke forced a grin and waved the tension away. "I'm just joking. How could a human turn into something like that? I still have eleven bullets.
And I'll change the world—so you can see it with your own eyes."
Eren exhaled, some of his tension breaking.
But Zeke wasn't finished.
He crouched down suddenly, gripping the boy's shoulders tightly, his gaze heavy. "But you have to promise me something. Don't ever hurt your mother. If I'm not here—and you do—then all my efforts, all my change, will mean nothing."
Eren's face twisted in confusion. "Hurt my mother? Why would I do that?"
Zeke only smiled, a thin, tired smile.
Why indeed…?
But he pushed the thought away. For now, he could only hope this child, in this timeline, would not follow the path he remembered.
"Go," Zeke said, nodding toward the fleeing crowd.
"Yeah!" Eren nodded quickly, relief softening his face. He turned, ran a few steps, then looked back—one last glance.
That glance, full of warmth, made Zeke's heart twist. It was enough to give him strength. Enough to remind him why he had chosen this path.
Unlike the past life, unlike the lies, this bond felt… real.
Zeke watched him disappear into the crowd, reluctant yet resolute.
Would you still call me brother, when I return?
There was no point dwelling on it. The battlefield left no time for sentiment.
He turned, muscles coiling, and sprinted toward the thunder that shook the ground.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The Armored Titan charged again, relentless, barreling toward the gate of Wall Maria.
"You never learn." Zeke raised his rifle, preparing to cripple him again, then climb onto his back and tear Reiner from the nape.
But—
A collapsed house lay in the street ahead, rubble choking the road. The falling debris had blocked his line of sight.
No angle, no shot.
"Tch…" His jaw tightened. There was only one option left. Transform.
He raised his hand to his mouth.
"No way to snipe, huh?"
A voice cut through his focus.
Zeke's eyes widened. Hannes.
Before Zeke could react, the man grabbed him by the arm, the cables of his ODM gear hissing as they launched them upward.
Together they soared onto the roof, giving Zeke a clear view once more.
"Now you can see, right? Let's defeat that big guy!" Hannes shouted, excitement quivering in his voice.
Zeke: "…"
Thank you.
Without hesitation, he aimed and fired.
Bang!
The shot shattered Reiner's ankle again. The Titan toppled with another thunderous crash.
"Why does his leg keep breaking?!" Hannes shouted, half-crazed.
"This gun can only break his legs," Zeke muttered flatly. This was Marleyan equipment—meant for hunting fodder, not killing warriors.
Did Hannes really think Marley would hand him a weapon capable of killing the Armored Titan outright?
The plan to kill Reiner outright had failed. But at least, thanks to Hannes, the inner gate was safe—for now.
Still, suspicion burned. "Why are you here?" Zeke asked sharply.
He remembered clearly: Hannes had carried Carla forward, always ahead of the crowd. Why had he returned?
Zeke glanced down.
The crowd still surged toward the docks, blind to the struggle above them. To them, he was the "Sniper God," still protecting them from the shadows.
But there—Carla, Mikasa, and Eren had stopped. They were watching.
Zeke: "…"
So, they wanted to see everything.
Hannes panted, then explained, "Carla saw Eren but not you. She begged me to go back and look. When I returned—I saw this. If I hadn't, the gate would already be gone!"
Zeke rubbed his temple. "…"
Thank you so much.
"Let's fight together! I'll find you the best sniper positions. We'll kill him!" Hannes said eagerly, the thought of joining history brightening his eyes.
Zeke's scowl deepened. "What about the people?"
"The most urgent thing is killing that monster!" Hannes barked.
"Bang!" Zeke shot another Titan lunging at the crowd. Its head burst, gore spraying.
The people screamed and stumbled faster toward the docks.
Zeke swung the rifle back over his shoulder. "If my family dies because I leave them, then my change means nothing." He turned toward the retreating masses.
"Wait!" Hannes leapt down, blocking him. At last, he understood.
On one side—the Armored Titan.
On the other—Carla and her children.
Hannes's voice shook, but it was filled with newfound clarity. "I understand now! I'll protect Eren and the others. You… fight that monster."
"Just you?" Zeke sneered.
"Yes—me!" Hannes barked, forcing steel into his tone.
To prove it, he launched his ODM gear, blades flashing as he dove toward a Titan near the civilians.
"I'll… protect everyone!"
His words were brave, but his heart was not. As he closed in, the Titan turned, its grotesque grin widening, saliva dripping from its jaws.
Fear seized him. His chest locked. His hands trembled. How could we ever kill such things…?
The Titan lunged.
Hannes's mind went white.
Then—
Bang!
The Titan's head exploded.
Blood and bone sprayed across Hannes's body. The momentum of his flight carried him crashing into a tower.
His gear snagged, leaving him dangling mid-air.
Zeke watched, unamused.
"I'm sorry…" Hannes whispered, tears burning his eyes. The boy's earlier disdain echoed in his head: Just you?
He had been right.
Cowardly.
Lame.
But Hannes wasn't finished. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "Please—don't waste any more bullets on me! I'm not worth it. But I promise you this—no matter how pathetic I am, I'll protect your family! Even if it costs me my life!"
He slammed a trembling fist against his chest. His voice cracked, raw but loud:
"I give you my heart! Please—guard the Wall Maria gate!"
Zeke froze.
He had never expected this. A trembling soldier, offering his life like a true comrade.
Down below—
"Brother Zeke!" Eren shouted, his small voice breaking through the chaos.
Zeke's chest tightened.
What else could he do? He had been called brother.
"Then go be bait, soldier!" Zeke growled, turning his back. He sprinted toward the Armored Titan, never looking back.
Hannes watched him go, a smile breaking through the tears. He retracted his gear, landing near Carla and the children. It was his turn to keep the promise.
Then—
BOOM!
A golden lightning bolt split the night sky.
...
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