Chapter 81: The Fate of the Colossal Titan
Wall Rose, Inner District.
The returning soldiers' footsteps were heavy as they passed through the deathly silent streets. The cold sunlight illuminated their exhausted faces and the emptiness deep in their eyes.
Only a handful had survived.
The joy of victory? That had been completely devoured by the bone-chilling truth they discovered in the basement. They had retaken Wall Maria, only to find themselves standing in opposition to the entire world.
"Descendants of the devil."
The knowledge was like an invisible shackle, tormenting every one of their souls.
…
High Command Headquarters, Conference Room.
Heavy curtains blocked the outside light, with only a few oil lamps casting a dim, yellow glow. The figures at the apex of power within the Walls all wore grave expressions. Their initial disbelief had turned to panic, which had finally solidified into a numb resolve.
Commander Erwin sat there. Though his injuries had just healed, his body was still weak, but his eyes were unnervingly calm. He had just finished explaining, in the most concise terms possible, everything they had found in the basement.
The world outside the Walls. The true identity of the Eldians. The hostility of the Marleyan Empire. And the betrayal of King Fritz.
Levi stood behind him, arms crossed, his gaze lowered so no one could read his expression. Hange added the information about the appearance of "magic" and "contracts," describing how Eren and Levi had instantly healed their dying comrades and their unbelievable transformation process. What should have been a hopeful development now only added a bizarre and unsettling atmosphere to the oppressive meeting. An unknown power had descended upon their island, which was already in a desperate situation. Was this salvation, or another, deeper abyss?
"Eldians… devils…" the Commander-in-Chief's voice was dry. He rubbed his forehead, trying to process the cruel information that overturned everything they knew. "The entire world… sees us as…"
Panic spread silently through the room. But soon, the instinct for survival overrode everything else. Despair often gives birth to a reckless madness.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die!"
"It doesn't matter what we are! We have to survive!"
"That's right! At any cost!"
"We'll use every power we have!"
"Even if it means making a deal with a real devil!"
"Intel! We need more intel!"
A consensus was quickly reached in the cold, resolute atmosphere. Survive. Even if it meant bearing the name "devil." Even if it meant making an enemy of the entire world.
…
Deep underground, in a dark and damp cell.
Bertolt was bound to a cold wall with heavy iron chains. His limbs, regenerating with Titan power, constantly steamed as they tried to regrow, only to be mercilessly cut off again and again. His head hung low, his messy hair obscuring his face, revealing only pale, chapped lips.
The interrogation had been going on for some time. Every method had been used, but he remained silent. His eyes were empty, his soul seemingly detached from his body. When he occasionally looked up at his interrogators, his gaze held only fear of the "devils" and an unyielding refusal to submit.
"He's not going to say anything," the soldier in charge of the interrogation reported to his superior, his voice filled with exhaustion and frustration.
Levi stood outside the cell, his face half-hidden in shadow. He silently watched his former comrade, now his enemy. There was no anger, no pity. His heart was a cold, desolate wasteland. Since they couldn't get any valuable information from him, he had only one last use.
The Colossal Titan. That terrifying power, capable of incinerating everything, had to be in the hands of "one of their own."
"Prepare for it," Levi's voice was flat, as if he were announcing the most mundane of matters. "Since he has no more intelligence value, proceed with the succession ceremony."
…
Conference Room.
With Bertolt providing no intel, the next problem was choosing a successor. Who would inherit this power?
"The Colossal Titan… we must keep this power firmly in our hands." The Commander-in-Chief's gaze subconsciously fell on Erwin. He was the hope of the Survey Corps, perhaps the hope of all humanity within the Walls.
But Erwin just shook his head slightly, his voice calm. "My duty is to command, to plan for the future of those within the Walls. This weapon is not suited for me." His body had just been repaired by that unknown magic; it was still uncertain if there were any hidden dangers. More importantly, his value lay in his mind, not in sheer destructive power.
"Then what about Armin? His mind is also—"
"No," Erwin cut him off. "Armin's strategic value is irreplaceable, especially now that we know the truth of the world. Making him the Colossal Titan would be like turning our sharpest spear into the most obvious target on the battlefield. It's too risky." Besides, Armin had also been resurrected by magic; his physical condition was an unknown.
With the two most brilliant minds within the Walls ruled out, the range of choices narrowed considerably. Their gazes swept over the surviving soldiers. This person needed to be absolutely loyal, strong enough, and most importantly, have the resolve to bear the heavy burden that came with such destructive power.
"What about Jean? He's been through multiple battles, he's loyal enough, and he's relatively—"
"Relatively rational?" another officer interjected. "It was his hesitation that let the Armored Titan escape! To control the Colossal Titan, you need absolute will, an unwavering determination when facing the enemy. The slightest hesitation could lead to devastating consequences. Jean… is probably not ready."
The room fell silent again. Jean's hesitation in that battle, in the face of the terrible price paid at Wall Maria, had become an unforgivable "weakness."
Just then, a guard hurried in and whispered a report to the Commander-in-Chief. It was about Floch, the only recruit who had survived the hellish charge. Upon learning that Bertolt's fate was about to be decided, he had been making some extremely radical statements.
"Let him in," the Commander-in-Chief said grimly.
A moment later, Floch was brought into the room. His uniform was still stained, his face gaunt from the battle, but his eyes burned with a fanatical fire. He no longer had the timid, shrinking demeanor he used to have in front of his superiors. His gaze swept over everyone in the room, finally landing on the Commander-in-Chief. This is it. The place where my fate, and the fate of this island, will be decided.
"Commander! Sirs! I heard about the discussion concerning the successor to the Colossal Titan! Please, give that power to me!" he declared, his voice ringing with a desperate conviction.
"I know what you're worried about! Are you afraid the successor won't be ruthless enough? Not decisive enough? Or that they'll hesitate at a critical moment? I know that right now, you're all looking at me like I'm a madman, a stray dog who got lucky. And you're right, I am! But even a stray dog has its use!"
He took a deep breath, his voice rising, filled with a twisted pride and a bone-deep pain. "Jean is a good person, but he is not suited for this power! His hesitation has already cost us the chance to capture the Armored Titan! All our comrades who died at Wall Maria! Did they sacrifice themselves just so a so-called 'good person' could continue to hesitate?!"
"But I'm different! Marlowe… Sandra… and so many others whose names I don't even know… I can see their faces right now! They just… vanished! I think, in their final moments, they must have been filled with regret. They died so that people like me, cowards, wouldn't get in the way anymore. I will carry the meaning of their deaths. Even if I die for it, that is the only reason I am still alive!"
"For Paradis Island! So that the Eldian people can survive, I am willing to give up everything! My conscience! My humanity! Even my own life! We are now facing the malice of the entire world! A person who can't sacrifice anything, can't change anything!"
"For the future of Eldia, I will dedicate my heart!!! I am willing to become the devil in the eyes of the world! I will bear the sin of all the killing! As long as I can protect this island, that is the only meaning my life has left!"
"Give me the Colossal Titan! I will not hesitate! I will not show mercy! I will become the sharpest blade in your hands, the most absolute weapon of destruction! I will make our enemies understand the consequences of angering us!"
Floch's words exploded like a thunderclap in the oppressive conference room. The fanaticism he radiated was unsettling, but his words struck at the deepest fears and desires of the high command.
In their desperation, they needed power. And the power of the Colossal Titan was destined to be accompanied by endless slaughter. They needed an executioner who could bear that heavy sin.
The high-ranking officers exchanged glances, seeing the confirmation in each other's eyes, and slowly nodded.
"—Approved."
Bertolt's fate was sealed. The succession ceremony would begin. And the birth of a new "devil" would require the flesh and blood of his own people as sustenance.
The people within the Walls had no path of retreat left.