"Admiral look!"
The sailor pointed high in the sky, at the golden being that hovered above their city. The soldiers knew what this was, a legend that had spread amongst the population ever since the mass vision two years prior. The Eldian devils in the internment zone and across the entire planet had begun talking about an individual, one that would save them all. A being that had promised to keep them safe.
The years since had been met by increased crackdowns on Eldian gatherings, more random searches and inspections of homes. It was intended not only to find any signs of this mysterious 'saviour', but also to crush any hope that he would appear and spark a rebellion. With the disappearance and presumed deaths of not only the first warrior team, but also the following team including Zeke, tensions had boiled over between Marley and other nations, culminating in the Mid-East Alliance declaring war on Marley.
A war that had been locked in stalemate for two years.
Without the abilities of the warrior unit, Marley had been forced to rely on unguided deployments of Titans and their conventional military, the former having lost a great deal of effectiveness against modern technology. Now, their situation seemed to be getting worse. A golden beacon appearing over Liberio. A symbol of freedom, or rebellion.
"What is that thing?"
The admiral ignored the whispers and wonders of his men, looking through binoculars to confirm his fears. The golden light was indeed coming from a man. A man of golden hair, flying in the sky. It was impossible to believe, but the admiral was not gripped by fear or disbelief, he was gripped by rage.
"Contact General Magath at Liberio army headquarters, inform them of a potential uprising. Order the fleet to form a line and stand by for naval support. If the devils want to fight then we'll flatten them for their audacity."
He might get in trouble for ordering a naval bombardment of Liberio, but he would be careful not to hit too close to any Marleyan areas. Eldian casualties in this situation would not only be acceptable, but ideal. Any attempt at insurrection would be met by the full and unwavering fist of the Marleyan military. He would see them pounded into ash before he let even a single Eldian scum make a demand of Marley.
"CONTACT PORT SIDE! 4000 METRES!"
The admiral turned around, his eyes scanning the ocean for signs of ships, yet he saw nothing. Then after a few moments, he saw them. Airships cutting through the clouds, massive objects that were moving quickly towards them. They were approaching from Paradis Island, and the admiral put together their intent instantly.
This was no separate action, the Eldians had communicated with the island devils and sought to invade Marley. His hands gripped the binoculars tighter as hatred flooded his body. They wanted to unleash their monstrous forms upon his people? Upon the families of his soldiers?
"Single line formation! At 3000 metres, all mounts port side local control for engagement! Blow those ships out of the sky!"
Alarms rang out as soldiers raced across the ships. Aboard his battleship, massive guns turned and readied to fire. A mix of cannons of all sizes, alongside machine guns readied themselves as they locked sight on the airships.
They had descended from the cloud coverage too early. They must have intended to fly overhead and drop bombs on the fleet, neutralize the navy so that the Titans could have free range over the city. But of course, Eldians were stupid creatures. It was their ineptitude and Marleyan ingenuity that had cost the Eldian's their empire, and now their flailing grasp at power would fail again.
And yet, as he saw the bomb bays of the airships open thousands of metres away, he was confused. Stupid or not, even an Eldian would not prepare to drop bombs so far off target. Objects fell free from the underside of the airships, hundreds of them, then thousands. But they did not just fall, they flew, soaring towards the fleet in a cloud.
Not a cloud, but a formation.
Through his binoculars he began to recognise what they were. Not bombs or random objects, but people. Flying people. Nervousness gripped the admiral. Whatever devil powers the Eldians had, he thought he knew them, understood their limitations. This was… new.
The first battery opened fire, massive shells ripping through the air and towards their new targets. They missed, as was expected. Such a target was small, moving, and high in the air. But his fleet did not possess one battery.
Multiple destroyers, cruisers, and battleships opened fire, pouring steel into the air towards the airships and the flying Eldians. Explosions began to appear, and the admiral felt a calm come over him. It did not matter whether they could fly, there was no way they could survive a direct hit from his artillery. And yet, no bodies fell.
As smoke clouds appeared, the Eldians continued to fly through the darkness and towards them. Beams of light appeared from their hands, blowing up the shells coming towards them. The airships themselves continued through the dark clouds seeming unharmed. Had all of their fire been intercepted by the people?
The swarm continued to come closer and closer, and the fear returned whole. But what could the admiral do? He was already unleashing his entire arsenal upon the Eldian flyers, yet it seemed to do nothing. It defied all logic, all that he understood about the world, and yet it was happening right before his eyes.
When the Eldians came closer, they returned fire. Bright beams of light shot from their hands and hit his ships. Cannons were blasted apart. Gun crews were annihilated. As decks were penetrated, ammunition stockpiles were detonated, and entire ships were blown into the sky as the explosions ripped them apart.
One beam pierced through the water and down into the hull of his ship. The battleship rocked. Tens of thousands of tonnes of steel was rocked as water began to quickly fill the bottom of the ship. He felt the ship begin to list, rolling over as the ocean began to swallow his vessel.
He fell to the floor, only barely managing to control himself as others around him screamed in panic and fear. Then, a form landed in front of him. One of the Eldian flyers, wearing a military uniform that looked to be combined with martial arts clothes.
"I'm deputy commander Levi Ackerman, and you look like a man in charge. I'm here to accept your surrender."
A dozen other soldiers landed on the ship, uncaring as it continued to sink. Some of his men tried to fight, pulling out side arms and rifles to open fire on the attackers. Beams of light met them in response, and every one of them who shot was killed without taking a single enemy with them.
The enemy officer continued to loom over him, eyes narrowing in impatience.
"I'll need your answer soldier. What will it be, death? Or surrender?"
The admiral stared back at the man in stunned shock, before finally reacting. He pulled the gun from his holster and was killed before he could even raise it up to fire.
Levi turned away from the corpse and hovered slightly in the air. He'd put another hole in the ship and hastened it's sinking, and so his work here was mostly done. Some of the Marleyan sailors were racing for lifeboats and rafts, but the suddenness of their defeat and speed of the sinking ship meant very few would make it.
He had wondered before the attack whether he would care or feel any sympathy for the soldiers but wasn't surprised that he didn't. When he saw their faces, screaming in fear or anger, he remembered all the times he'd seen those expressions on the faces of his own soldiers. Men and women who had fought and died against the Titans for years, suffering to free their nation from monsters that had plagued them for a hundred years.
He felt nothing for them.
He waved over one of the soldiers with a radio on their back.
"Tell Deputy Commander Mike the navy is dealt with, we'll confirm this area is clear then move to join his forces for the second phase."
The man nodded and began to transmit his order as Levi turned his head to look at the destruction of the Marleyan navy around them. How many years of production had they just destroyed? How many lives snuffed out? The years of experience in their military? All lost within the span of a few short minutes.
How many more would it take?
Shadows raced overhead as Eldians raced through the streets. Many of them watched in awe as the Paradis Eldians flew about as if using magic, firing beams at soldiers of Marley. Word had been spread far and wide. Those who had been forewarned were more prepared, eager to move, but for the sake of secrecy many others hadn't. It was a split decision that they were all making, the chance to be free of Marleyan oppression, but leaving behind their homes to an unknown future.
Most were leaving, some were staying, and in one street a small group of people were simply watching.
"There's far more going than I expected." Zeke admitted. Dressed in casual clothes, he didn't look out of place amongst the Eldian populace, save for his lack of armband. Many of the Eldians were shedding theirs as they ran through the streets, a growing excitement and celebration in their hearts.
"I think you forgot what life was like for them." Pieck said, watching them all in curiosity. "What life was like day after day. It's very different when you're not a favourite of Marley."
"I didn't forget." Zeke sneered at her. Pieck would never have been so insubordinate before, but times had long changed for them. "I could never forget. I just… didn't think they had it in them."
"You asked for a chance to prove me wrong." Gohan stepped up beside them. Without his golden aura, none of the passing Eldian's noticed a copy of their saviour standing in their midst. "To prove to me that there can't be peace between them."
"You haven't proven me wrong, not yet."
"Not yet." Gohan agreed. Still, this was but the first stage of their task. Peace under oppression was no peace at all, and Gohan sought to change that. "But this is just the first stage."
"Whatever. Is it time to go yet?"
"Almost." Pieck took another look inside of the house they were standing by. "Mum, dad, are you two almost done?"
"Yes, yes, we're coming." Her mother and father came stumbling out of the house with their bags packed. The two immediately dropped their bags to embrace their daughter, squeezing her tight in their arms. "We're so happy to know you're safe."
"You'll be safer once you leave." Zeke interrupted. "Time for you all to go."
"He's right." Pieck put their bags back into her parents' arms. "Come on, let's go to the docks."
The trio made their way into the stream of people evacuating down the street. Though Gohan watched briefly to make sure that they were fine, Zeke turned and began to walk off immediately. They had another immediate stop before Zeke could leave as well.
Bringing the two of them over with him had been a request that had been poorly received by many on Paradis Island. However Gohan had discussed with them at length about what the surviving warriors had wanted, and found what he believed was the best way to give it to them.
In spite of his emotional turmoil, Reiner and Pieck had ultimately wanted the same thing. They wanted their families back. Zeke was a more complicated issue in wanting to prove Gohan wrong about peace being possible, and that only the deaths of all Eldians could bring about an end to the world conflict. After the rumbling had been stopped by Gohan, Zeke had been feeling defeated yet still adamant. As such, Gohan insisted on bringing Zeke and Pieck with him for his mission to evacuate the willing Eldians of Liberio.
Pieck had both been needed, and desperately wanted, for convincing her family to leave. She had known that they would believe her dead and wanted to be there in person to tell them of their plans. Reiner had wanted to do the same, but he was not stable or trusted enough to be allowed to do so. Instead, that would be Zeke's purpose.
Zeke was a recognisable face to the family and would be instrumental in convincing them to leave. It was also very valuable in having someone who knew where the family lived. They reached the footsteps of the house and knocked on the door politely in spite of the cacophony of noise happening outside.
The door opened hesitantly, and a woman's face poked out that Zeke recognised well.
"Hello Karina."
"Zeke?" The oldest woman of the Braun family looked at him in shock. "You-… I thought you were dead."
"I know Karina. Do you mind if I come in? We need to have a discussion."
"Oh, ok." She opened the door, inside Gohan could see several other people, including a small girl who looked to be dressed in something approaching a military uniform. It saddened him. That must have been the one called Gabi that Reiner had told him about. "What about Reiner, is he alive too?"
"He is." The family gasped and cried. Zeke stepped through the doorway to look at each of them. "He's alive on Paradis Island, and if you want, we're going to take you to him."
Gohan stepped away. Their discussion was going to be a long one, and Gohan was content to let them have their privacy. He was asking for a great deal of trust, so he was going to give some back in turn. Instead, his focus returned to his other copies as they continued their work.
High above the city, Gohan and his Super Saiyan form watched the situation carefully. The Eldian Military had deployed as planned and cut their way through the Marley military with ease. Now the airships were coming down to land and embark the growing crowds of people ready to leave. The airships themselves had been built with large personnel capacities in mind, but they alone would not be enough. Soldiers were setting to work at taking any ship in the Liberio harbour that could transport people and readying them for the travel to Paradis as well.
Gohan would leave the evacuation to them to handle, he entrusted them with that. His focus now was on the Marleyan response. With the Liberio Internment Zone encircled by a wall it was a simple process to know what area the soldiers needed to occupy and defend. This also made it very easy to see the soldiers of Marley grouping up and preparing for a counter offensive.
Artillery pieces were being moved into place, formations of infantry were moving to occupy the streets, and gunfire had already begun to be aimed at the Eldian soldiers. Their gunfire was of course however, futile. Every soldier he and the others had trained had now strengthened their Ki to the point of being effectively immune from any attack that could be thrown at them. His senses roamed over the city, feeling how so many were responding and acting.
Pieck and her family were making their way as promised towards the docks. There they would be met by Eldian soldiers who may despise her but would not harm her as they joined the flood of fleeing people. Mike and his detachment of soldiers were spread across the city perimeter, holding position and fighting against the few soldiers who had loosely organised a counterattack of their own.
A handful of familiar Ki's could be sensed in the engagement. Jean was leading a group of soldiers in the defence, and he could feel that Sasha and Mina were amongst them. All three had grown far stronger since their first Ki training. As had been somewhat expected as members of the top 10, Jean and Sasha had both become some of the stronger members of the army, though Mina was still very capable. With his duties now focused more on leadership than combat, Sasha was now stronger than Jean in her Ki abilities.
As he scanned the group that she was in, she was the strongest of her immediate team, but not out of all of the soldiers she was attached with. Several of the original Scout veterans were stronger than her, but the majority of the soldiers came from former Garrison positions and were lacking behind her.
The strongest Ki's came a few select individuals. Levi of course, leading the troops in the city, but most were a single clustered force. Eld, Petra, Eren, and Mikasa were moving as a team through the main city of Liberio, flying past Marleyan troops and heading towards the military headquarters. There was a small part of him that felt he should intervene, a protective instinct that wanted him to jump in before Petra came to any risk.
It was small, however. He knew Petra, trusted in her and her capabilities. He knew that it was because the last time Petra had been in a battle without him, it had been at the capital where she had nearly died. But, with a gentle breath out, he calmed. She would be fine, he knew it. But those they fought…
"Enemies flanking right!"
The soldiers cry of alarm mattered little. Despite their gunfire, the incoming Eldians didn't slow or hesitate in the slightest. Four figures burst past their defences, and beams of light hit various buildings and lines of sandbags. Soldiers were blown away and fireballs illuminated the perimeter of the headquarters. Within only a short span of time, all effective resistance had collapsed from the Marley defenders.
"I've got half a dozen personnel in the back room of the headquarters." Mikasa reported, sensing their individual power levels. It felt so bizarre to suddenly be surrounded by people so utterly disconnected from Ki. Sure, there were many in Paradis who were likewise disconnected from Ki, a majority in fact, but it felt so wrong to sense just so many people who had such little physical strength,
"A meeting of officers, or soldiers meeting in an armoury?" Eld asked, his eyes surveying the area.
"Weaker than most of the soldiers, I'd say officers."
"Well then, one way to check. Ackerman and Jaeger, go knock on the door. Petra and I will remain outside and secure the area." He pulled a microphone from the radio on his back. "Special Operations Squad has reached Marley headquarters, team 1 is breaching as team 2 secures the area."
"SOS team has reached their objectives, copy. Confirm status once contact has been made." Mike's voice was staticky as it came through the other side, but clearly recognisable. Eld watched as the battle couple moved on and turned his focus back onto Petra.
"You sense a second wave?"
"Two dozen individuals, two are moving something together, machine gun maybe. It won't matter." Petra hovered higher into the sky, seeing the soldiers moving towards her. They came to a startled and terrified halt as they saw her flying in the sky, hand glowing with energy as she prepared a Ki blast. "Drop your weapons and surrender!"
They fired, and she responded in kind. One explosion later and the soldiers were dealt with, any survivors fleeing from the two Eldians. Some she could see were running back towards the headquarters, potentially trying to get help or advice from their leaders. They wouldn't get there in time.
"The interment zone is completely lost general! All soldiers are falling back and taking heavy casualties. The fleet is confirmed to be sinking in the bay, no confirmation on casualty numbers but it appears to be total."
General Theo Magath swore, the radio operator flinching at his anger. Theo Magath was angry, unbelievably so. His city was under attack by Eldian scum, and his forces were being slaughtered.
"What of reinforcements? What's the ETA?"
"Trains are being loaded up from Derazio and Salmuo sir." Another officer spoke up, a report in his hands from his own recent inquiries. "They're bringing anti-Titan artillery and infantry divisions, but they're not expected to arrive for several hours at the earliest."
"God damn it. What about ships in the area?"
"Requested sir but rejected. The captain said that if the fleet was already annihilated in the attack, then there was no point in him risking his sailors' lives."
Theo wanted to curse back at him, to shout that he had issued an order, not a request, but the captain's reasoning was sound. What exactly could a handful of small boats do when the vast Liberian fleet had been destroyed in a near instant. The report of the destruction had only come in a short time ago, and yet he still could hardly believe it. Such a loss would be a devastating blow to their naval capability at any time, let alone in the middle of a war. The Mid-East Alliance were going to seize a terrible advantage against them now.
So distracted were his thoughts that when the wall burst open behind him, it took several moments longer than it should have to register with him. Brick and wood showered the room with its debris, and soldiers fell to the ground covering their heads. Two forms floated into the room, a boy and girl who were barely on the cusp of adulthood. Such a thing did not matter as they held up glowing orbs in their hands and aimed them around at the soldiers.
One man reached for a pistol, only for a beam to cut through the wall right by his head. His hand fell limp, and the man passed out in fear.
"Good shot Mikasa. I almost thought you hit him." The boy said.
"No need." The girl moved into the room and landed, standing over Theo with arms crossed and eyes narrowed down at him. "You must be General Theo Magath of the Marleyan Army."
She waited for his answer, and after a few moments he collected himself enough to respond. "I am. Who the hell are you to invade my city? Do you realise what you've done!?"
"Damn right I do. I'm Mikasa Ackerman of the Paradis Military, General Magath you are hereby ordered to surrender and cease all hostilities against the Eldian people."
"You-! You're kidnapping our people, taking hostage an entire city and you expect me to surrender!?"
Mikasa rolled her eyes, though it was more to force calm and hold back the anger she felt at the accusation. "Your soldiers are being slaughtered without being able to do a damn thing about it General. Call them off, and we won't press our attack. It's up to you if you want to throw their lives away."
He grit his teeth. He'd never felt such hatred before. Eldian scum standing over him to make demands as she helped an army invade and kill his countrymen? Yet… she was right. He'd heard the reports, especially those from the fleet during their brief period of engagement. Their casualties were high, approaching astronomical, and yet not a single report had mentioned any kind of enemy casualty. The opposite in fact, many reports had detailed how the enemy had simply shrugged off anything that had hit them. They were by all accounts, entirely impervious to damage. He forced himself to calm, to accept his situation. He loved his country, and he had a duty to defend it. But he had a duty to the lives of his men as well. He would not throw their lives away meaninglessly. He turned to one of his radio operators.
"Order all forces to stand down and maintain a perimeter 400 metres outside of the internment zone wall." He turned back to Mikasa. "What about the Eldians inside of the zone? Where are you taking them?"
"Only those who wish to leave are doing so. They will be coming with us to Paradis Island where they'll be safe from your oppressive regime. Our forces will be leaving with them. Anyone who wants to stay will be allowed to remain under the watchful eyes of Gohan Son." His eyes narrowed in confusion, and Mikasa's eyes gleamed viciously. "Don't worry General, you'll get to know him very soon. Gohan is going to be making sure that not one bit of unjust harm or harassment comes to those who remain in Liberio."
The boy chuckled darkly. "The world is about to change General, now you're all going to have to learn to behave peacefully. Or else."