The scene shifts back to a few minutes earlier, to the moment when the Beast Titan transformed.
On a vast plain, the wall of Maria’s outer gate was barely visible in the distance. Erwin Smith and the Survey Corps led the charge on horseback.
“There’s a Titan,” someone shouted.
As they galloped forward, everyone looked up at Wall Maria. The blinding golden lightning in the sky signalled a Titan transformation.
“Who could it be?” Connie asked, his face grim.
“Reiner?” Jean guessed first.
“It could also be the Female Titan,” someone else added.
“Or even the Beast Titan,” Armin said, his face pale. Their mission was to seal the outer gate of Wall Maria, reclaim it, and then head to Eren’s basement. But judging by the direction, the enemy had been waiting for them.
“This plays into our hands,” Eren said. Though his eyes still held hatred, he also felt a mix of complex emotions—helplessness, despair, regret, and anticipation. The memories in his mind and Mikasa’s death had matured him greatly. The burdens he carried weighed him down, yet he knew he had to move forward.
As they drew closer to the wall, a second golden lightning bolt appeared. They could finally see what was happening on the wall.
“It’s the Beast Titan.”
“And the Armored Titan.”
“It’s Reiner; he really didn’t die.”
“Something’s wrong. Reiner is attacking the Beast Titan.”
“They’re jumping to the other side of the wall.”
“Hurry, this fight might be to our advantage.”
“Yes!”
Riding on his horse, Zhou Wei watched the clash between the Beast Titan and the Armored Titan with a grim expression. He knew the plot. If Reiner were still the Armored Titan, he wouldn’t be fighting the Beast Titan. This situation could only mean one thing: Reiner had been eaten, and the power of the Armored Titan had been taken. But by whom? The Dark One, perhaps?
“Eren, follow the plan. Harden the outer gate of Wall Maria,” Armin instructed, looking earnestly at Eren.
Eren nodded without saying a word. When they used their vertical manoeuvring gear to reach the wall, they saw the whole situation.
In the distance, on the plain, the Armored Titan was chasing the Beast Titan, both engaged in a fierce battle.
“Is that the body of the Cart Titan?” Armin asked, looking at the smouldering remains on the wall. The Cart Titan was now just a skeleton with weapon attachments and a melted lower half of a human body, leaving only a bloodied leg. The leg, before melting, appeared long and perfect, suggesting it belonged to a woman.
“This must be an intelligent Titan. The body was cut in half, leaving only the lower half, with the upper body nowhere in sight,” Connie and Jean said, their faces grim. They were used to such gruesome scenes after seeing many comrades fall since joining the Survey Corps.
Erwin, Eren, and Zhou Wei glanced at the Cart Titan’s remains before focusing on the battle between the Armored Titan and the Beast Titan on the plain.
“Boom…”
The Beast Titan’s hardened arms crossed to block an attack but shattered moments later, sending the massive body flying. Tang An kicked the Beast Titan away but didn’t press the attack, instead looking toward the distant wall. He hadn’t expected the Survey Corps to arrive at this moment.
If Zhou Wei weren’t on the wall, Tang An would have killed the Beast Titan. But now he needed to reassess. He was cautious. While he could ignore the entire Survey Corps and even Eren, he couldn’t overlook Zhou Wei because he didn’t know what tricks this enigma might have up his sleeve.
Decisively, Tang An retreated, letting the Beast Titan go. The Beast Titan, initially terrified, sighed in relief when Tang An left. He hesitated but then left as well.
“They’re leaving. Is it because of us?” Hanji asked, adjusting her glasses as she watched the Titans retreat.
“Commander, should we pursue?” someone asked.
“No… Our goal is to reclaim Wall Maria and uncover the truth of the world. Letting those two Titans leave works in our favor,” Erwin said, his gaze deep and contemplative, though he felt a pang of regret and concern. He hadn’t expected the Armored Titan to retreat so decisively. Was it to avoid a pyrrhic victory?
Erwin’s instincts told him this enemy was formidable.
Meanwhile, Tang An could see the forest of giant trees. Glancing back in the direction the Beast Titan had fled, he saw it was out of sight. Entering the forest, Tang An emerged from the nape of the Armored Titan, letting its massive body crash to the ground as he used Moon Walk to pursue the Beast Titan stealthily. He hadn’t really given up on the Beast Titan.
“Eren, let’s begin!”
Half an hour later, once it was confident the Armored Titan and Beast Titan wouldn’t return, Erwin and his group turned to Eren.
“Alright.”
Eren jumped from the wall, biting his right hand in mid-air. Accompanied by golden lightning, he transformed into the Attack Titan upon landing. Using hardening, he sealed the outer gate of Wall Maria with crystal structures, blocking the entrance and preventing mindless Titans from entering. This allowed them to clear the Titans within Wall Maria and reclaim it.
Once the gate was sealed, the Survey Corps checked inside and outside the wall, confirming the success and celebrating.
“Leave a squad to guard, and the rest head to Eren’s basement,” Erwin ordered, his face calm but his heart pounding with anticipation. The truth of the world he had long sought was within reach.
In the original story, Erwin would die fighting the Beast Titan. But because of Tang An, the plot had changed. Levi and Mikasa had died early, but Erwin was still alive.
“Damn it, who is that guy?” Zeke thought as the salty sea breeze hit him, the sound of waves faintly audible. The Beast Titan crested a hill and reached the shore. He planned to return to the Marley Empire. Paradis Island was now beyond his control. A mysterious Eldian had taken the Armored Titan and Cart Titan, and even the Colossal Titan, Jaw Titan, and Female Titan might be…
The plan to reclaim the Founding Titan had failed disastrously. They had lost several Titans and soldiers. Now, Marley had only the War Hammer Titan and his Beast Titan. The Attack Titan and Founding Titan were in the hands of that mysterious individual. He had lost control of the situation.
“Swish… swish…”
The sound of air being torn came from behind. At first, Zeke thought it was the sea wind, but as the noise grew closer, he turned and saw Tang An approaching, seemingly stepping on air. His eyes widened in terror. The man was jumping through the air without any apparent equipment.
Become a Patron read up to 40 chapter ahead public release ^_^
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
