Return to Shiganshina(7)

Levi swore he'd kill that thing. That murderous ape. He'd already lost count of how many people had died to that thing. 

He felt the surroundings explode. There was another barrage of rocks followed by mists of red. 

More dead. 

It was as they predicted, the smaller titans were bait to lure them in for the Beast Titan to wipe them out in a bombardment. 

But even with that hindsight, they still took losses. 

To his right, Marlene was breathing heavily. Blood on her face and clothes. She was probably going to run out of stamina any moment now.

"So, what's .. the plan?" Marlene asked.

"We kill the Beast Titan." Levi replied.

"How exactly?" 

"I … I don't know." He grabbed the woman and started his engine, flying to another house for shelter, back against the wall, frozen in position. 

He swore he heard a voice coming across the field, something about a 'game' .

It was an insult to injury. If he got the chance, he'd show that bastard what kind of game he deserved. One with him screaming and begging for mercy and death. None of his comrades should be dying this way.

Yet this piece of trash was reveling, taking joy in it. There was another rumble of noise - the Beast Titan was talking to itself again. He heard the word 'toys'. 

That piece of s-

"Dirk, Fall back!" 

He caught sight of the figure taking cover behind a wall not far from him. But the structure was already on the verge of breaking down. 

Bad choice. 

The ground shook amidst a heavy rumbling, and sharp rocks hurtling with lethal speed spread out all over the area. Levi hugged Marlene hard, flinching amidst the chaos of the bombardment.

When he turned to Dirk's direction, all that was left were bits and pieces of flesh and clothing. 

His comrade whom he had known for years was gone, just like that. 

If it wasn't for the fact that they were prepared for it, all the squads engaged in battle with the Titans would have been wiped out by the bombardment. The early appearance of the Beast Titan when they tried to rescue Eren had given them a good grasp of its abilities. 

But if this kept up, they would eventually all be dead. The defensive squads in the perimeter were probably at only fifty percent of their original strength. 

They had no choice but to pull further back now. 

"EVERYONE, GET BACK. NOW!"

The Beast Titan was not letting up in his bombardment. Sooner or later, the area would be flattened with nowhere for them to hide.

He made his way back to the bottom of the walls. Dodging a few more barrages of attacks with the Beast Titan's words in the distance being increasingly inaudible.

"It's the commander!"

Levi spotted Erwin landing on the ground, his expression unreadable as always. 

"What's the plan now, Erwin?" he headed over and asked.

Surely he had a plan. Erwin always had one. He was always one step ahead. Alway-

Erwin simply stared back. Levi knew what that look in his eyes meant.

This was it for them. 

Levi clicked a new set of blades into place. 

"If you don't have a plan, then let's fall back. Get Eren to carry you and whoever he can back to the walls. At the very least, some of us will live. I`ll kill the Beast Titan."

Without Erwin, the Survey Corps would have never made it this far. If there was anyone that had to live - it was the commander. His thoughts drifted for a moment to Petra, hoping that the girl would live through this. He'd already given his reply to her confession. But would they even have a future after this? 

"You won't even be able to get near him, you'll die," Erwin said.

"Most likely. But at the very least, as long as you and Eren live. There's still hope for humanity."

The ground shook and more houses exploded.

"To be honest. I doubt a single one of us here is making it back alive." Levi's tone dropped.

"That would be the case. If we truly had no means to launch a counterattack." 

His eyes widened, holding back the urge to snap at the commander.

 "Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

Erwin avoided his gaze.

"For it to succeed, it will most likely be at the cost of the lives of everyone here."

Levi thought he'd heard wrongly.

===

Erwin could feel the hesitation. 

The moment the Beast Titan appeared with his hordes of titans, he'd been devising a plan to kill him. No matter how hard he tried, there was only one way out. 

It was all coming down to this. Everything they had accomplished would be all for nought if they failed here. The opportunity for triumph had presented itself, but it was a perilous one. They had held out long enough to deplete the Beast Titan's stock of rocks to a low amount. 

More importantly, the Cart Titan had left the Beast Titan's side. If it was around, it might spot Levi approaching the Beast Titan.

Erwin would lead whichever wished to follow him in a suicidal charge. When the beast titan's attention was focused on them, Levi would make his way in by using the titans that surrounded Shiganshina.

Eren, the Special Operations and Ruth Squad were still dealing with Bertholdt and Reiner. Even if they managed to defeat them, as long as the Beast Titan was alive, they'd all still be trapped slowly to death.

The window of opportunity was closing fast.

If they waited until the Beast Titan ran out of rocks. He would immediately realize something was amiss and be able to prepare countermeasures. Strike too early and the Beast Titan would have enough rocks in reserve to finish the entire charge off. 

The timing had to be just right so that some of the soldiers joining him in the initial charge could survive - If they got lucky. 

Erwin considered himself usually a very lucky person. But he couldn't shake off the ominous feeling that loomed large over him.

Especially when he would have to take the lead. Only he could persuade the soldiers to join him in the initial, desperate charge. He would most likely die without ever knowing …

… what was in the basement.

Erwin's shoulders felt heavy. The truth of the world was right before his eyes. Yet, he would never have the privilege of grasping it. His dad got killed for the truth. He would get killed in pursuit of it. 

More houses exploded, mists of red vapor accompanying it. Chaos.

"I just …" Erwin walked wearily to a crate and sat down. "I just want to go to that basement."

Levi's eyes flickered. "Huh?"

"Everything I had done was for this. That someday I would be able to check my answers. They are now so close, close enough for me to reach out and grab." Erwin admitted.

He reached one hand into the air, staring blankly at it. Even if it meant sacrificing humanity to get to the answers, he was willing. That was just how much of a monster he was. 

"But Levi, can you see them? All of our comrades …?"

Erwin could see their ghosts, their faces all demanding an answer - whether their deaths had been in vain. The guilt, the responsibility, the burden. He was responsible. He was the one who led them to their deaths. 

Another attack struck. The houses rumbled as they erupted from impact. Soldiers screaming and ducking for cover admist the debris.

They were watching him. His comrades who perished at his command wanted to know what they were going to do with the hearts they had dedicated to the cause they so believed in. 

"Do it. Lead the Survey Corps straight into hell." Levi knelt on the ground in front of him, his eyes watery, seemingly holding back tears. "I`ll take down the beast titan."

Erwin didn't know how to describe his emotions. But the words of the captain were the ones he needed exactly to hear. 

The ones he needed to give up on his dream.

"Levi," He gave a faint smile. "Thank you."