Time had passed, and preparations had been made. Far too few in Erwins mind. They were too limited in time, their enemy too near, and their resources too few. Erwin sat on his horse at the top of a makeshift stage flanking Premier Pixis and his Queen. The Queens wife was present as always, outwardly showing the anxiety they all felt. Around them all was the army, a congregation of every Ki trained person or other valuable person, medics, radio operators, and a motley assortment of officers.
"The Marleyan bombardment should begin soon, correct?" The Queen's voice was muted, forlorn for the losses she knew would be coming. Erwin remembered when he had first seen her, standing among the crowd of volunteers for the scouts. Small, unassuming. Royal lineage or no, Erwin would never have guessed the level of backbone she possessed. The eyes of the nation were upon her, and she stood at the front without hesitation, or fear. Head held high, with the regalness she was born to.
"Final targeting adjustments are being made, their firing should commence momentarily." Pixis had been on the radio with their impromptu allies only a short while ago, speaking with the admirals and Marleyan officers that had left their home.
Offloading of the refugees and escorting them deeper into the island had taken time, time they had used to formulate a plan of defence with the assets they had left. Eldian scouting units had detected and confirmed the path of the Titans, too numerous to hide their wakes as they swam across the ocean. They would make landfall, race towards them, and the Marley fleet would open fire as they approached. Combined with the Eldian counterattack, they would strike back with all weapons at their disposal, blunting the Titan onslaught in its tracks.
Or they would die.
The booms of the distance marked the Marley ships attack. It would do relatively little on its own, but they knew that. Seeing the explosions as shells landed in the distance, Pixis gave a nod to a nearby radio operator who quickly relayed a message.
"Are you sure these things will be of use?" Pixis couldn't help but ask Erwin. It was an unusual stubbornness for him, but Erwin regarded it as simple old age.
Erwin smiled. "These were crafted by Son Gohan himself, whom along with his partner Armin Arlert are two of the craftiest individuals I know. They'll help."
On cue, whirring engines rocketed overhead as a squadron of bombers flew by. They had been built for use by those who either could not or struggled with learning Ki, as well as a simply technological demonstration. Whilst much of the Eldian Airforce was focused on the airships which had been so vital in transporting soldiers and civilians, their bomber fleet was not to be overlooked.
They passed over the horde and began dropping bombs of their own. Direct strikes were possible and would certainly result in a kill, but they were not the main focus of the bombers attacks. The bombs they dropped exploded, steam exploding outwards as the Iceburst bombs detonated. Utilising the Iceburst stone that had once been vital in the nations ODM gear, the bombs had been modified slightly to act as exceedingly powerful explosive. Shrapnel and debris tore into Titans bodies with such force as to shred them apart, devastating their forms and crippling many.
They would recover, but with so many wounds and pieces of flesh sent flying, their recovery would be slowed incredibly. Other fighters swooped down at the horde, firing off barrages of iron rods that impaled the Titans napes and backs, blowing them to smithereens with deadly efficiency. Each plane fired a burst at a time, their wings filled with multiple rows of the weapons.
Had Ki not been available to the Eldians, these thunder spears may well have replaced parts of the ODM gear. But now, they found a new life as a weapon of the Eldian Airforce.
"Squadrons reporting successful hits on targets sir." The radio operator reported to Pixis. "They're breaking away for resupply."
"Excellent." Pixis turned towards the soldiers around them. "Men! Our first strike has been successful, and now it is time for the first wave to attack. Remember your training, remember your mission, fight carefully and pull back as ng, remember your mission, fight carefully and pull back as you need to."
Salutes were returned, and officers quickly scrambled their forces to strike as they took to the skies. This was not the full assault, these forces would be probing to confirm any weaknesses and to keep crippling the horde and making them bunch together. As such, it wasn't until after they had taken flight did Queen Historia step forwards.
She had no speech to give this time. Instead, she raised her arms to her sides as her aides began to remove aspects of her more royal clothing, stripping her down to the more practical and tougher clothing she wore beneath. It was intricately detailed, but lacking the usual decorations, marking her position of royalty but without so many useless frills that would only hinder her. These clothes instead, were made for combat.
"Erwin, I believe it's time for a speech, don't you?" Pixis muttered the words to him with a cheeky grin that didn't reach his eyes. He stepped to the side and made way for Erwin to take centre stage. With Pixis now premier, he was ill suited to leading the forces directly into combat, as such it would be Erwins task.
As it was Erwins task, it would be Erwins words that they would follow. His eyes scanned the horizon to see the horde of Titans growing, racing towards them. Innumerable in number perhaps, but familiar. Erwin turned back to the soldiers standing ready before him. His eyes scanned the crowd instinctively, recognising familiar faces.
His scouts; Petra Ral, Jean Kirstein, Sasha Braus, Mikasa Ackerman, Mike Zacharius, Ymir Reiss, Mina Carolina, Hanna Kefka, Franz Kefka. The Titan shifters of Marley; Zeke Jaeger, Dina Fritz, Pieck Finger, even Reiner Braun was present, with suspicious eyes watching him. The former Military Police soldiers who had survived the civil war; Marco Bodt, Hitch Dreyse, Marlo Freudenberg. And even surviving former Garrison soldiers; Ian Dietrich albeit missing an arm, Rico Brzenska, and even Hannes Jaeger.
There were a hundred other faces he recognised, and a thousand more that he did not see. The lost. The dead. Those who had fallen over their long journey before they could reach this difficult day. Even the best of them had passed in time. Son Gohan, Levi Ackerman, Hange Zoe…
"I'm announcing the beginning of our final operation! All troops, make ready! We will be doing a cavalry charge. Our goal, to meet the Titan threat head on and stop them here before they can reach further into our home. We will have the assistance of the Marleyan navy, our Airforce, and our Queen shall be taking to battle herself alongside every Titan shifter at our disposal."
The soldiers on their horses shifted nervously, but none of them showed true hesitation. Each and every one of them was ready, to fight and die for their homeland and their people. But still, they were afraid. He saw it especially in the eyes of the untested, the former Garrison soldiers and the new recruits. His veterans were few and far between, surrounded by fearful bodies that questioned if they would win or not. Questioned that even if they won, would they survive?
"Before me I see the brave. I see those who stand ready to fight. And I see fear. Doubt. Worry. I know what you are all thinking, the question of your own survival is one that every soldier has asked before the battle. But your own survival this day, it matters not. What matters is your task, the defence of your homeland and of your people. Everything that you thought had meaning: every hope, dream, or moment of happiness. None of it matters as you lie bleeding out on the battlefield. None of it changes what a Titan will do to your body, we all die. But does that mean our lives are meaningless? Does that mean that there was no point in our being born? Would you say that of our slain comrades? What about their lives? Were they meaningless? They were not! Their memory serves as an example to us all! The courageous fallen! The anguished fallen! Their lives have meaning because we the living refuse to forget them! And as we ride to battle, we trust our successors to do the same for us! Because my soldiers do not buckle or yield when faced with the cruelty of this world! My soldiers push forward! My soldiers scream out! My soldiers RAAAAAGE!"
His reigns snapped, and his horse leapt from the stage and onto the grass field. A roar rising behind him as the army swarmed into action. Aboard her own mighty steed, Queen Historia flanked by her personal guard let out a roar of her own. The cavalry horde raced across the open plains, a cry at the top of their lungs and Ki blasts forming in hands.
As the front row opened fire on the Titans, fliers swept the crowd to pick up their designated targets. Titan shifters were plucked from their mounts while Ymir collected her wife and rose high into the sky.
"Last chance to back out." She said, already knowing that Historia would refuse. Historia didn't even answer, simply cupping Ymir's hands gently as they held her in the air. No more words needed to pass between them, and with a final moment of silence between them, Ymir let her go.
Historia fell through the air towards the horde of Titans, clothes billowing in the wind. Her personal guard gave her a wide birth, clearing space in the skies around her. Though she had in fact received some Ki training, this was not where Historia's contribution would lie. The wedding ring on her finger had been modified based on the design worn by Annie, and a little blade flicked out. With a goal in her mind and a prick of the finger, electricity consumed her as lightning struck from the heavens and she transformed.
The largest Titan on the battlefield, dwarfed only in history by the first King, crashed down on the horde. Those crushed beneath where killed in an instant, and a shockwave ripped outwards. Many already crippled, much of the Titan onslaught was brought to a sudden halt as they were thrown from their feet, crashing down on the ground before the Eldian attack fully descended down upon them.
Ki trained soldiers blasted away, using Ki blasts or even their bare hands as they ripped through nape after nape. A ferocity only possible from one defending their homes and their loved ones. Ymir transformed into her Jaw Titan form, biting and ripping intermixed with Ki blasts from her mouth. Whilst exceptionally difficult to control, using Ki in Titan form was certainly possible, and she was making full use of it.
A barrage of boulders slammed into the horde, Zeke in his Beast Titan form hurling with pinpoint accuracy against key threats, with Pieck and her Cart Titan by his side with prepared boulder ammunition. Some of the ammo she carried included explosives, hastily prepared but nonetheless effective, those would be withheld for when truly needed.
His mother, Dina Fritz, had likewise transformed. Her Female Titan form was similar to Annie's, patches of missing skin revealing the bare muscles beneath. As she charged towards the Titan horde, crystals formed over her fingers and nape. She was not trained, not a warrior like the others… but Annie was. Muscle memory pushed her, hardened fingertips reaching out with an experience no longer lost as she ripped into the flesh of the first creature she reached. Bones were broken, muscles were torn, and napes ripped out.
The Eldian assault was brutal, a swathe of enhanced warriors cutting a bloody swathe through the tidal wave of Titans. Bodies were cut down, falling apart beneath their unstoppable counterattack. For every Titan that struck back, they were killed in a number of ways.
But as every Titan fell, there was another. As every Titan died they continued to be replaced by others. For all that the Eldian attack formed an immovable object, the Titan horde were an unstoppable force. Endless, savage, unrelenting in their attacks as they took every chance to strike and kill.
The first death came after the fighting had cut down thousands of Titans. Thousands of dead for one Eldian, but they would not be the last. Exhaustion began setting in, the tiredness of repeated energy blasts and maintaining Titan forms in combat. But the Eldians didn't give up, or relent, the battle continued as they fought tooth and nail for their home, their people.
For the memory of their saviour.
"Roh." Goku stepped forwards. The beings flinched, instinctively putting themselves closer as the Supreme Kai's eyes narrowed down at him. "My name is Son Goku, I'm looking for my son Gohan. I think he's on a planet with some kind of magic barrier that you might know about."
"Hm, perhaps I do know the planet." His voice was sneering, already tense and angry. "So what if I do?"
"Please, I just want to take my son with me. He wasn't even supposed to be here, he was fighting a creature called Cell and-"
"I know very well what happened you upstart mortal, I felt their sudden appearance into my universe the second they got here."
"You-… you know?" Goku faltered slightly, though Roh seemed either to not notice or to not care.
"Of course I know, I'm the Supreme Kai of this universe after all, and having two beings from another universe rip a hole in reality to fling themselves into mine isn't exactly hard to miss. Do you realise how wrong of an action that is? The separate universes are not playthings you can just hop between. And you!" He levelled an accusatory finger at King Kai, who shirked back on reflex. "I recognise your type. Some minor Kai encouraging all of this!? You should know better!"
"H-hey!" Goku stepped between King Kai and Roh, waving his arms to draw his attention back to him. "It's my fault, really. I made him help us. Please, I just want my son so we can go home, that's all I want. If you can just lower the barrier so I can get him, we'll be gone."
"Arrogant little mortals." Roh ground his teeth together as he glared at them all. "Only a Saiyan would be so rude. Do you think I put up these magical barriers for fun? There's a reason that barrier is up, and it's very important that it stays up. So no, I can't just lower it so you can go gallivanting around on one of my worlds. That barrier needs to stay up."
"Wh- but why!? Please, I need to reach my son!" Goku took another step forwards and the animal humanoids dropped into defensive stances, the Z warriors doing the same in response. Tense silence followed as they waited to see what he would do, but Goku's only focus was on Roh.
"Why? … Not that it's any of your business, but that planet happens to be home to a very dangerous creature, an anomaly that must be kept contained lest it be free to wreak havoc upon all of reality."
Goku shook, unable to comprehend what was being said. Was he truly not able to save his son without dooming other innocent people? But as he considered the supreme Kai's words, King Kai suddenly snapped his fingers in realisation.
"It's a time anomaly!" The eyes of all quickly moved to him, Roh's narrowing with a venomous glare. "That was a time displacement barrier, I knew it felt familiar! But wait, all time anomalies are the domain of the Supreme Kai of Time, why hasn't Chronoa dealt with it?"
"Well…" Roh suddenly looked sheepish as questioning eyes returned to him, an embarrassed blush blooming onto his face. "If you must know… she doesn't know about it, okay!?"
King Kai looked aghast. "What!? But, time anomalies are incredibly dangerous, how could you not inform her? Is it… it's because your embarrassed, isn't it!?" He hurled an accusing finger back at the Supreme Kai, who's own fury was quickly returning in full force. "Time anomalies develop when the Kai's aren't performing their duties, managing the universe within the dragon world and letting distortions grow out of control! What are you doing about the build-up of souls that are being trapped in by the barrier?"
"The what?" Piccolo turned in sudden anger towards King Kai. With his fusion with Kami, the former guardian's knowledge of the afterlife procedure had been infused with him. The others looked at him in confusion, not understanding just why the Namekian had suddenly become so enraged. "If that barrier is sealing off that world from the rest of the universe entirely, then that means no souls can leave to enter the afterlife. Every being that has died there is being kept in purgatory!"
"They have to!" Roh argued back, indigent at the continued questioning of his ruling over the universe. "That anomaly has a connection to the dead on a level that can't be controlled. If any one of those souls were allowed to leave and join the afterlife, then that would put all of them at risk, heaven and hell! The souls must not be allowed to leave!"
King Kai sputtered at the arrogance he was hearing. "But that's not a solution! You should be- AGHH!"
King Kai flinched back as the energy beam blasted towards him, only for Goku to step in between and deflect it away. Roh glared with incredible venom down at the Kai. "How dare you!? Who are you to question a Supreme Kai!? The supreme god of this universe, not yours! It is I who is in charge of this universe, and any decisions about this universe are mine and mine alone! My barrier stays in place! This anomaly will be dealt with by me, and when I choose to!"
He jumped up and down, stamping his feet as a child throwing a tantrum. In spite of their embarrassment over his behaviour, the Supreme Kai's companions stood resolutely by his side, standing in challenge against the Z warriors. The Z warriors themselves looked to Goku as he stood frozen still. Only, he wasn't frozen as they began to notice. He was shaking, trembling. With rage.
"You... you arrogant, monster! You're keeping him prisoner! Trapping him there to cover up your own mistakes! Your failure!" Cracks began to form beneath his feet, a sudden nervousness building in Roh and his entourage. "I want my son back! I will save him! You will not KEEP HIM FROM ME!"
Golden light exploded around the Saiyan father as his power swelled within him. He did not hold back, racing all the way up to Super Saiyan 2 in an instant before he exploded from the ground and delivered a punch straight into the face of the Supreme Kai. Roh was sent flying away and roared in pain, Goku not wasting a moment as he pursued. In spite of their preparations, the Universe 9 fighters were caught off guard by Goku's sudden attack, not acting until Roh screamed at them.
"Bergamo you idiot! Attack!"
"R-right!" The blue wolf like creature stepped forwards, clearly acting as the leader of them all. "Lavendar, with me! Basil, take the others and deal with the rest!"
Bergamo took flight with a gold furred creature quickly following, apparently Lavendar. In turn, the red furred Basil turned back to face the Z warriors.
"Deal with the others!" Vegeta ordered, powering up into his Super Saiyan 2 form like Goku. By his side, Trunks did the same, jacket exploding off him as the Super Saiyan form enveloped him. "I'll take the next two strongest!"
It wasn't just arrogance that drove his decision, but also simple math. There were a total of 11 of Roh's assistants, against nine Z warriors. Two had flown to fight Goku, and if Vegeta could handle two others then that left one each for the others to manage.
Each fighter sprung into action, leaping high into the sky as opponents chose each other and raced into action. The exception however was Basil and another by his side, as they stepped up with confidence to face Vegeta.
"You must have a real death wish to take the two of us on." Basil laughed, his comrade chuckling likewise, a metallic looking dragon. "Though we haven't been properly introduced, you should know the name of the one who'll beat you after all. I'm Basil the Kicker, and this is Chappil, the Iron Skin Battler."
"Pretty names for a bunch of animals." Vegeta shot back, Basil baring his teeth at the insult. "But such titles are pitiful, words you did not earn and will soon be broken." He jabbed a thumb to his chest, puffing it out with pride. "I am Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans!"
"A prince huh?" Basil sneered at him, baring his teeth and licking his lips in anticipation. "I've never humiliated royalty before, this will be a new experience for me."
Vegeta bellowed with laughter, a prideful and arrogant laugh that both angered and unsettled the two fighters. "You two are fools! I am going to crush you and throw you into the wind!"
His vicious grin invited them to strike, and after a moment's hesitation, they obliged him. Their fight began properly as Basil's leaping kick was sidestepped and Vegeta threw a haymaker into his jaw, knocking the creature out of the air and slamming into the dirt. Chappil's charge suddenly halted, his confidence fading before a laughing Vegeta struck after him as well.
Racing away from the fight, King Kai looked up at the skies of the mystical world. Everywhere he looked there was fighting. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, 17, 18, Piccolo, Trunks, Vegeta, and in the distance was Goku, each one of them fighting someone or multiple opponents. King Kai saw the Supreme Kai be blasted away, his guards struggling still to catch up the enraged father as he chased after him with unrelenting attacks.
He felt perhaps that he had made a mistake. A Kai of his station should not have done this, he was acting so far beyond his station… But then again, so was the Supreme Kai. His reaction hadn't been exaggerated; such a blatant failure of his duties was beyond comprehension. Time anomalies were like a cancer on reality, bending and tying fates together as they created branches to alternate timelines at a compounding rate. They needed to be contained by the appropriate being, the Supreme Kai of Time, and they needed to be contained quickly.
How many years had the Supreme Kai of this universe tried to handle it himself out of embarrassment? How many years of dead souls had been trapped in the realm of the world, instead of being free to return to the afterlife? So many dead… what had happened to them all?
When Gohan's eyes opened, at first all he saw was darkness. Slowly, as his eyes returned to focus, he saw a sky full of stars. He was laid on a bed of white sand, he rubbed them between his fingers in confusion. This… this was not what his father had described as the afterlife at all.
He stood and looked around his surroundings, seemingly a barren wasteland save for the stars in the sky and the sand beneath his feet. Except, it wasn't. He noticed the lines running through the sky, big white lines crisscrossing each other. And further in the distance… Titans.
He flinched, his body going ready for combat as his mind remembered his final moments. Cell. Death. Failure… But the Titans he saw were not normal Titans. They did not move; they did not have any energy he could sense. Instead, they seemed as something akin to statues. He studied them from a distance, confused about their purpose, so entranced he didn't hear the footsteps as they came closer.
When a hand touched his shoulder, he spun around with fists raised defensively. Only to freeze as he saw a familiar face.
"Eren…?"
The young man smiled, warm but sad. "Hello Gohan. Welcome to the afterlife."