"What if Erwin ate the Colossal Titan and survived?"
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The world was in flames.
The aftermath of the battle at Shiganshina was a scorched earth of burning bodies and shattered walls. The Colossal Titan had left a wake of destruction that even now, as the night set in, continued to smolder. The thundering steps of the Titans faded into the distance, but the pain, the loss, the bloodshed lingered like a suffocating fog.
Among the smoke and ruin stood Levi, his cold eyes scanning the battlefield, and Mikasa, her fists clenched, staring down at the men they had lost. But as their gazes turned to the center of the battlefield, a decision had to be made. The bodies of Armin and Erwin lay side by side, their breaths shallow and labored.
Levi stood above them, his expression unreadable as he stared at both of his comrades. Erwin's once commanding presence was now shattered, his body crushed under a pile of rocks and debris from the battle with the Colossal Titan. Armin, on the other hand, was burned, his body seared by the devastating blast that came with the Titan's explosion. He had been a hero, but now, both of them lay at death's doorstep, caught in the decision that would alter the fate of humanity.
Levi turned his gaze to the horizon. The battle had been lost for the moment. The wall had been breached. The Titans were inside. Time was running out, and with it, the choice of who would inherit the Colossal Titan.
The decision tore at his soul. It was never supposed to be like this. Armin, the young strategist who had inspired them all with his hope, had given everything for this moment. He was the future, a beacon of a new world. Erwin, the titan of will, had led them all from the shadows of despair to the brink of victory. But Levi knew the truth: only one of them could live.
Erwin, despite the grim odds, was still breathing. His body was broken, but his spirit... his spirit was unyielding. And there, amidst the anguish and bloodshed, Levi made the choice. Armin was to die. Erwin was to live.
Levi turned to his squad. His eyes met Mikasa's, and she gave him a solemn nod. They had made their peace with the decision.
Levi's sword flashed in the dim light as he cut open Erwin's palm, the blood rushing to meet the vial containing the power of the Colossal Titan. With a deep breath, he poured the liquid into Erwin's open mouth, the ritual now set in motion. Erwin's body trembled, his lips moving in silent protest as the transformation took root.
And then, in a burst of light and heat, Erwin's body erupted.
The sheer force of the transformation sent shockwaves across the field, pushing back the debris, causing the earth to shake as if the very ground rejected the change. The towering form of the Colossal Titan began to take shape, massive and overwhelming, a being of unimaginable size. Erwin's human form had given way to the behemoth, his eyes now glinting with an intensity that was both familiar and alien.
Erwin's hands – or rather, the Titan's hands – clenched into fists, the heat radiating off his body as if the sun itself had descended to the earth. He could feel the power coursing through him, every fiber of his being alive with the energy of destruction. His senses were heightened, his vision now sharp as he surveyed the battlefield from above. He saw the faintest movements of the enemy Titans creeping through the smoke and dust.
His mind was cloudy, his thoughts momentarily disjointed, but the ever-present drive to lead, to fight, to protect, burned brighter than ever. This was not how I imagined it would be, he thought, his human mind struggling to reconcile with the monstrous form he now inhabited.
As he stood in the midst of the ruins, the world seemed so small beneath him. His massive form loomed above the others, casting a long shadow over the broken battlefield.
"Erwin?" Mikasa's voice broke through the haze. Her voice was filled with both awe and fear. "Erwin, is that... really you?"
He turned to face her. His human heart still beat within him, but the Titan's instincts—primal and brutal—surged to the forefront. He could feel the weight of the world pressing down on him, but he wasn't sure if he was the man who had led the Survey Corps or the beast he had become.
"I'm still here, Mikasa," Erwin's voice, though strained and monstrous, echoed from his Titan form. "But... this power... it's overwhelming. I don't know how much of me is left."
Levi stepped forward, his face unreadable. "Erwin, you're still our leader. This power... it's just another weapon in the war. The battle isn't over. You need to lead us, now more than ever."
Erwin's heart felt heavy. He looked at the battlefield, the destruction, the screams that echoed faintly from within the walls. His comrades had given everything for this moment. He had made the choice to live, but what did that mean for him now? Was he still the man who sought to free humanity from the walls? Or had he now become something else—something monstrous?
In the distance, he saw the remnants of the enemy Titans, their massive forms advancing toward the wall. There was no time for hesitation.
"I will lead," Erwin said, his voice resolute. The Titan's immense fists clenched, and with a roar that shook the earth, he charged forward, his massive form tearing through the landscape.
As he moved, a strange feeling began to build within him—a pull, a dark temptation. The Colossal Titan was not just power; it was a force that consumed everything in its path. The heat of his body seared the air around him, and the power that surged through his veins beckoned him to unleash destruction.
Erwin forced himself to focus. I am still human, he thought. I cannot let this power control me. I must use it to save them all.
The Titans were no longer distant threats. They were right in front of him. He could see their massive bodies, their vacant eyes. But as he advanced, Erwin understood something crucial: the Titans were not just enemies. They were a symbol of everything that had gone wrong in the world—a symbol of humanity's suffering and their own monstrous mistakes.
The Colossal Titan roared once again, this time in defiance. As Erwin prepared to face the Titans, his resolve was clear. The world may see me as a monster now, but I will use this power to protect humanity. I will carry the weight of this power and fight for our freedom.
And with that, Erwin charged into the flames of battle, a leader reborn in the body of a beast.
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