"You're back," said Erwin Smith, his voice carrying both relief and gravity.
Lock nodded slightly, his eyes flicking to the man standing just behind Erwin. The older officer straightened under his gaze.
Erwin caught the look and sighed faintly.
"He came on his own," he explained quietly. "It wasn't my idea. But I take it your plan succeeded?"
Lock's eyes shifted toward the carriage stationed in the courtyard. Soldiers surrounded it in a tight formation, their weapons raised, their faces tense under the pale glow of the lanterns.
Erwin followed his gaze, his expression tightening. His heart, which had momentarily eased at Lock's return, clenched again with unease.
If Lock had failed tonight, if things had gone even slightly wrong, the consequences would have been catastrophic — not just for him, but for every soldier standing here. The Survey Corps would have been annihilated in a single purge.
The truth was brutal: the Military Police and Garrison could barely defend against a single Titan, let alone the growing threats within and beyond the Walls. If their fragile unity were shattered now, humanity inside the Walls would collapse.
Erwin knew all of this.
And he had wagered everything — his career, his life, his ideals — on one man.
Lock met his eyes and said calmly,
"Fortunately… I fulfilled my mission."
The words were simple, but to Erwin, they landed like the sound of a lock turning on destiny itself.
"Deputy Captain Lock," came another voice — steady, formal, and unmistakable.
Darius Zackly, the President of the three military branches, stepped forward. His white uniform gleamed under the torchlight.
"It seems you've succeeded," Zackly said, studying Lock carefully.
Lock's smile thinned.
"I wonder," he said, "what exactly does the President mean by that?"
Zackly's gaze shifted to the carriage.
"Rod Reiss," he said quietly.
At once, the surrounding soldiers stiffened. Every hand tightened around a rifle or a blade. The tension was palpable.
Even now, Zackly could feel the balance of power had shifted — and not in his favor. A single wrong move, and nearly a hundred armed soldiers would cut him down before he took another breath.
Lock gestured lightly toward the carriage.
"He's inside," he said evenly. "Would you like to see him, Mr. President?"
Zackly adjusted his glasses, expression unreadable.
"Yes," he said. "I believe I should."
Lock raised a hand, signaling two soldiers forward.
"Escort the President," he said smoothly.
The soldiers obeyed, "guiding" Zackly toward the carriage. He didn't resist. The moment felt too controlled, too deliberate — like a chess move long anticipated by both sides.
Lock watched him go, expression calm, but his mind churned. Zackly's silence, his composure — it made Lock uneasy.
Before he could dwell on it, Erwin's quiet voice drew him back.
"The chamber's ready. Let's talk inside. This isn't the place for it."
Lock gave a small nod.
"Agreed."
He turned to Levi, standing nearby, arms crossed as always, sharp-eyed and unreadable.
"Captain," Lock said, "your uncle and I… have been working together."
Levi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yeah," he replied, his tone flat. "I figured."
He gave a curt nod. There was no surprise — only a cool, silent understanding.
Lock motioned for Petra Rall and Ymir to stay behind and keep watch over Rod and Zackly. Meanwhile, Grisha Yeager, still holding the barely conscious Dina Fritz, slipped away toward the inner castle, seeking whatever medical aid could be found.
Inside the candlelit strategy chamber, the three men sat — Erwin, Levi, and Lock. The air was heavy with unspoken truths.
Erwin leaned forward, fingers steepled.
"What's next?" he asked directly.
Lock considered before answering.
"Initially, I planned to seize power outright. With what we have now — soldiers, control, and leverage — we could easily take the government."
He paused, his tone lowering.
"But after meeting Zackly tonight… I changed my mind."
Levi arched a brow.
"Oh?"
Lock exhaled slowly.
"He's cautious, calculating — but not corrupt like the others were. If we can use his authority rather than replace it, we can stabilize the transition. I don't intend to rule. Not yet."
Erwin nodded thoughtfully.
"You want him to remain the figurehead."
"Exactly," Lock said. "If he agrees to cooperate, I'll let him keep his position and lead the reforms from the front. The public trusts him — or at least fears him. We can use that."
Levi crossed his arms.
"He'll agree," he said flatly. "If he didn't, he wouldn't be here tonight. He'd already be hiding in the Underground."
Lock's lips curved slightly.
"That makes sense."
He knew the place Levi referred to — the old, lawless world beneath the capital, where those who fled the sun went to rot. Zackly had chosen not to run. That meant he still believed cooperation was possible.
"Do you think he's trustworthy?" Lock asked quietly.
Erwin answered without hesitation.
"Yes. If the royal government ever had one man who could be reasoned with, it's Darius Zackly."
He met Lock's eyes.
"He's pragmatic — like us. And he's willing to stain his hands if it means saving the Walls."
Lock nodded slowly.
"Then we'll keep him where he is. For now."
Erwin's expression softened slightly — the faintest flicker of approval.
"Then let's discuss your next move."
Lock smiled faintly.
"I have a plan, but I'll need your insight, Commander. It's not something I can perfect alone."
"You'll have it," Erwin said simply.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps interrupted them. A knock came at the chamber door.
"Commander," said a soldier from outside, "the President requests to enter."
Erwin looked to Lock, who gave a subtle nod.
"Let him in."
The door creaked open. Darius Zackly stepped inside, the faint scent of smoke clinging to his coat. He adjusted his glasses and exhaled, as if shedding the weight of what he'd just seen.
Lock rose slightly, smiling.
"I take it your discussion with Rod Reiss went… well?"
Zackly sighed.
"He confessed to everything. Or rather — he broke. He has no right to continue leading anyone."
Then, with a faint, almost rueful smile, he added,
"Deputy Captain Lock… you are an exceptional man."
Lock tilted his head.
"And you, Mr. President, are a very perceptive one."
They exchanged knowing smiles — neither trusting the other, yet both understanding they needed each other.
Zackly's expression sobered as he adjusted his spectacles again.
"I'll cooperate," he said finally, his tone firm. "On one condition: that whatever we build next will not harm this nation or its people. Everything — must be for them."
Lock straightened, voice calm but resolute.
"Of course. Everything is for the people."
The corners of Zackly's mouth twitched upward in a wry grin.
"You lie well, Lock. I'll give you that. Maybe even better than me."
Lock blinked once, then smirked.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
For a moment, all three — Erwin, Zackly, and Lock — shared a rare silence. Behind every calm word lay a shared understanding: they were building something new on the ashes of deceit.
The royal bloodline was broken. The false king's rule had ended. But what came next would demand far more sacrifice.
The night stretched on without rest.
Rod Reiss was secured. His family line — once the shadow monarchy that ruled from the dark — was finished. To most within the Walls, nothing had changed. But those who understood the truth knew the foundations of their world had been quietly rewritten.
By dawn, Lock and Erwin stepped out from the secret chamber. The faint golden light of morning spilled across the courtyard, touching the faces of exhausted soldiers who had stood guard through the night.
Erwin glanced toward the horizon. His voice was soft but steady.
"A new day begins."
Lock nodded.
"And with it… a new order."
Both men understood the cost of what they had done.
And both knew — there was no turning back.
---
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