The battlefield was wrapped in storm-dark clouds, the wind howling like a beast in pain as Eren's voice cut through it all, low and cold. "Idiot." His murmur, thick with restrained fury, echoed beneath the looming mass of the Armored Titan. In that instant, his gaze held a promise—a promise soaked in blood and vengeance.
Then, with a deafening crack, a bolt of lightning tore open the sky. Eren vanished, and in his place stood the monstrous...
Berserk Form, veiled in steam, primal and relentless.
His roar rumbled like thunder across the land, making the earth beneath tremble, every breath drawn by friend and foe alike faltering.
Its eyes burned a sharp azure, veins pulsing with molten red beneath skin stretched taut over sinew and muscle, its face twisted with savage intent. Long hair cascaded down its shoulders, framing jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth that gleamed in the fractured light.
With a guttural, bone-chilling bellow, the Berserk Form lunged. Its massive fist tore through the air, slicing through the storm. When it connected with Reiner's chin, the force was cataclysmic—shattering the crystalline armor and sending a shockwave through the atmosphere so powerful it split the clouds overhead.
"What…?" Reiner whispered, a fleeting glimpse of terror washing over him before the impact. In one brutal strike, Eren reduced the Armored Titan's face to shattered fragments, flesh and bone dissolving into a bloody haze.
"Eren!!" Mikasa's voice cracked, her cry lost amid the chaos as she watched him, tears slipping free, witnessing him become that beast once again. Oblvious of the fact this time, Eren's eyes remained sharp with control, his rage focused and honed.
Eren took a deep breath and just as suddenly as he had transformed, the berserk traits receded, and Eren returned to his Attack Titan form, saving his strength for what lay ahead.
Levi didn't miss a beat. In a flash, his figure blurred through the air, blades poised and gleaming as he saw Reiner vulnerable, his head obliterated and body stumbling once again. But Reiner's mild conscious body triggered his transformation once more.
A second lightning bolt tore through the sky, crashing onto the fallen titan just beside Levi, forcing him to retreat, barely dodging the blast as heat and light exploded around him.
But in the chaotic brilliance of the strike, Eren was already in motion. Pouring every ounce of power into his fist, he slammed into Reiner's partially transformed form, throwing him off balance.
"Shit!" Eren cursed as Reiner, refusing to fall alone, seized him by the arm and dragged him down. Together, the two Titans plummeted from the Wall.
Reiner's mouth twisted in a half-mad and half-impressed grin as his full crystalline armor solidified. Eren, undeterred, retaliated with another punch to Reiner's face mid air, the impact powerful enough to send a shockwave through the air.
But the blow only served to make Reiner stagger, while Eren's right arm shattered under the force, flesh and bone splintering like fragile glass.
Within a glimpse the brutal descent of over 70 meters ended with a ground-shaking crash, their massive forms creating craters in the earth where they lay in a twisted heap, titanic prints embedded into the blood-streaked earth below.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Scouts were locked in a desperate struggle against the Colossal Titan, who unleashed searing clouds of thick steam, making the air itself a weapon.
The oppressive heat stung their skin, burning through layers of resolve and stamina, as they struggled to find any opening to strike.
Amidst the sweltering chaos, Hange broke free, her eyes widening at the sight of Eren and Reiner in the distance, battered and locked in brutal combat. The reality of the Scouts' predicament hit her like a weight—their strength was faltering.
Back on the ground, Eren poured every last shred of power into his limbs, pinning Reiner against the dirt, their massive fingers interlocked in a merciless grip.
Eren's leg pressed viciously into Reiner's torso, his other leg bracing against the ground, muscles taut as he fought to rip Reiner's limbs from their joints.
But Reiner, gritting his teeth, hardened his armor, the crystalline plates grinding against Eren's hands until he could feel his palms cracking under the brutal pressure.
Eren roared, his fury a raw, guttural sound. The pain was white-hot, but he refused to yield. Instead, he lifted his leg, ramming his foot into Reiner's face with relentless force, each kick a thunderous blow that reverberated through the air. The assault didn't stop until Reiner finally let go, forced to recoil from the unrelenting barrage.
Seizing the moment, Eren pushed himself to his feet, taking a few steps back to catch his breath, his emerald eyes blazing as they locked onto Reiner, who was now struggling to rise, a trickle of blood trailing from his mouth.
The storm-dark sky above them churned, and the howling wind whipped around their massive forms, as both Titans prepared to collide once more.
Eren's eyes remained locked on Reiner as the world swayed around him, his vision dimming, breaths ragged. The weight of the Berserk form was unbearable; even the mere seconds he'd spent in it drained his strength beyond measure.
His legs buckled, and he collapsed onto his knees, every muscle screaming for relief. Still, he bit down against the pain, refusing to let Reiner see him falter. Not now.
Suddenly, both Levi and Mikasa rushed to his side, their expressions tense as they watched Reiner close in, each thunderous step closing the hundred-yard gap between them. "Eren! Eren! Get up!" Mikasa's voice cut through the fog, anchoring him to the present.
"Man.... Why do you always have to wake me up like that...." he muttered through gritted teeth as the nape of his Titan's neck opened, hot steam escaping as he emerged from the sinewy tendrils. He was barely conscious, his face sticky with blood and raw muscle exposed to the biting wind.
Levi's hand landed on his shoulder, a rare flicker of concern passing over his face. "Oi… Eren. You alright?"
"I'm… fine," Eren managed, his voice rough. His gaze fell on Mikasa, who knelt close, her hand gripping his. "Mikasa… What the hell are you doing here? Take Armin and run away…. Hurry."
But she pulled him closer, her tear-streaked face pressed into his hair, voice barely above a whisper. "I've told you countless times… I won't leave until I know you're safe, Eren. I can't…"
Eren felt her tremble, but there wasn't time to get lost in sentiment. Reiner was closing in, his monstrous form looming against the swirling clouds.
Mikasa's fear wasn't unfounded—this was an enemy unlike any they'd faced, stronger, more relentless than even Annie at her peak. And Eren, barely standing, knew it would be a brutal fight.
"Fine… Go check on Armin then. Levi and I will handle Reiner." He pulled back, reaching for a blade from her gear. She hesitated, a question in her eyes, but before she could protest, Eren gripped the blade and drove it into his own thigh, twisting the steel to jolt his senses awake.
"Uggh…" he groaned, clenching his fist as blood poured from the wound. "Ere....." Mikasa muttered, gritting his teeth, he gripped her wrist, his gaze sharp and unwavering eyes fixed at her charocal-blues that were tearing up. "Listen… I won't say it again. Leave!"
There was a fire in his voice that allowed no argument. He knew what he was asking—it was for her own good. He could feel every beat of his pulse echoing through the battleground, but he needed her safe. They all needed to survive this, and Eren would make sure of it—even if it meant enduring hell.
"Idiot....We don't have time for this… get as far away as you can," Levi growled, his voice a steely command as he drew his blades. The Armored Titan was closing in, each step shaking the ground beneath them.
Mikasa shot a final glance at Eren, her heart heavy with worry as she maneuvered away her movements showing her reluctance.
"Let's finish this, shall we?" Levi's voice was calm but charged with resolve as he held his blades in a reverse grip, launching himself toward Reiner. The Armored Titan had picked up speed, his massive form hurtling toward Eren with merciless intent.
Levi moved with lethal grace, spiraling through the air as his blades clashed against Reiner's hardened plates. But the gaps in the armor were filled with blue, diamond-like crystals, leaving no exposed flesh to target. He knew his strikes wouldn't wound Reiner—not yet. This was all about distraction, buying them a sliver of time.
But Reiner barely faltered, his low voice carrying a dark promise. "Eren… just come along quietly. Don't make this harder than it has to be. Just die… without all this suffering." Without paying any attention to Levi he hardened his fist sending it flying towards Eren.
But the threat didn't go unanswered. Eren's gaze sharpened, and with a defiant snarl, he bit into his hand while lowering himself doging the attack.
Suddenly a crackling bolt of crimson lightning split the air, illuminating the battlefield in a fiery blaze as the Berserk Form appeared again, its feral eyes burning with fury.
Before Reiner could brace himself, a massive flaming fist collided with his face, the impact like a hammer shattering steel. "Urk…" Reiner's hardened face barely held under the strike, but even his crystallized defenses couldn't keep him grounded.
The blow sent his armored form careening through the air, hundreds of meters back again. The sheer force left him dazed, a momentary blackout swallowing his senses.
A billow of steam surged from Eren, and the Attack Titan appeared once more as the Berserk form faded. But this transformation had drained him deeply.
Eren dropped to his knees once more, blood trickling down his chin in thin, red rivulets, his body wavering under the strain. His eyes burned with fading light, fighting against the pull of unconsciousness.
Even through the haze of pain, his leg throbbed—a harsh, grounding reminder. The agony kept him focused, kept him fighting. This wasn't over yet. He would endure, no matter the cost.
Finally, Hange appeared with Armin and Mikasa beside her, their faces set in grim determination, leaving the Colossal Titan to Nifa, a trusted, crimson-haired soldier. "Eren! You alright" Hange asked, her voice urgent as her gaze fell on Eren's burned, searing figure.
"Eren?" Armin whispered, reaching out, but quickly pulled his hand back as Eren's overheated skin sizzled against his touch. "Get out of the Titan's body; it's eating you alive!" Hange's command echoed, but Eren's consciousness was slipping, his gaze transfixed on Reiner's fallen form.
Levi landed nearby, assessing the battered situation, his eyes narrowing as he took in the armored figure.
"Tch… it's no use, Eren," Levi muttered, his tone edged with urgency. "The bastard's sealed himself in those damn crystals; we can't reach him. We should retreat while we can." His gaze flicked to the walls, a trace of relief crossing his face as he saw Petra positioned safely in the distance, blade at the ready.
Eren's weary eyes shifted to Armin and then to Mikasa, managing a faint smile, reassured they were alright. "I'll… hold him off… Take the scouts, inform Erwin…" he whispered, his voice faltering as his body threatened to give out.
But Hange's hand struck his face, the impact jolting him back to the moment. "Shut up and listen!" she snapped, her voice uncharacteristically sharp. "We have no idea what they're after—why they want you, why they took Ymir. We'd be doomed if they got their hands on you. You're humanity's last hope. We can't let them have you."
Eren's fists clenched, frustration tightening his jaw as his gaze flickered back to Reiner, who was slowly rising to his feet, steam spiraling from his head, his expression dark with fury. "Alright… now I'm pissed," Reiner muttered, his composure twisted with rage.
Though Eren was slipping from his Titan form, he still commanded its movements. With a faint groan, he raised his Titan's massive hand, preparing to unleash his fury.
"Are you some sort of idiot, transforming again? Seriously?" Hange chided, gripping his shaky hand, drawing it away from his mouth, her other hand pressing over her eyes in mock exasperation. "Oh god, please, knock some sense into this fool," she muttered, her tone teasing but edged with genuine concern.
Suddenly, Mikasa knelt down behind Eren, her soft hands gliding gently over his burned skin. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed herself close, grounding him in her warmth, her voice barely a whisper.
"Don't… please… don't do this to me again," she murmured, a fragile plea that only he could hear. The words weighed on him, and his resistance softened, sinking under her gentle hold.
"You… you still haven't fulfilled that promise of yours." she whispered, her breath warm against his scorched nape, her lips brushing it in a touch both tender and desperate.
Eren's cheeks flushed, a mixture of embarrassment and something deeper catching him off guard. "I… I know that…" he stammered, voice tight.
"But you… you need to stay away from the fight… I don't want to see you in danger…" He spoke fast, words tumbling out in a rush as he took a steadying breath, his determination rekindling.
Eren's gaze then shifted at Reiner who was ready from the next round.
"Alright, body, just cope with me a little longer…" Eren murmured, pushing down the lingering pain. As Hange, Armin, and Mikasa launched their ODM gear to a safer distance, and just then an idea sparked in Eren's mind—a glimmer of hope, a strategy, a way to finally defeat Reiner.