"Sir, indeed, it's working." A soldier came to secretly inform Gale that Ymir was completing the task perfectly.
Gale then understood that his small plan had succeeded once again. He knew all of this thanks to his knowledge of the future; otherwise, he would not have known that the true final form of the Jaw Titan could destroy the hardened crystal shell where Annie was hiding.
He could have devised other methods, but with the technology here being so backward, it would have taken him a long time.
"Good, then let's go." Gale walked out of the tent, followed by Eren and the soldier who had come to inform him.
"Is this… Ymir?" Eren asked in astonishment, looking at Ymir in her Titan form.
She was almost unrecognizable as Ymir. With her powerful muscles and hardened exoskeleton, it wasn't just her body that had changed—her entire face was covered by a reinforced bone structure, as if she were wearing a fierce mask of bone.
Just standing still on the grass, one could feel the explosive power and impact of that body. The bulging muscles of her thick limbs looked like sculptures carved by a master, with well-defined edges and angles.
"This is the true form of the Jaw Titan." Gale looked at the five-meter-tall Ymir. "Eren, it was you who activated the power of the Founding Titan, allowing Ymir to fully absorb the power of the Jaw Titan."
The abilities of the Seven Titans possessed by Marley were clearly recorded in Grisha Yeager's notes.
This was no secret; Marley frequently used the power of Titans on the battlefield, which inevitably led to information leaks.
Aside from the War Hammer Titan, which rarely entered combat, Grisha's notes recorded the forms, strengths, and weaknesses of the other Titans.
The Jaw Titan is known for its extraordinary biting force and agility, and Ymir had finally managed to unleash its power.
Therefore, Annie's shell was no longer indestructible.
Gale recalled from his past life that it was theorized Ymir had not inherited all the qualities of the Jaw Titan because she had remained in her Pure Titan form for too long. As a result, when she became an intelligent Titan, she simply retained her previous Titan form.
Others said it was because she had not been trained, but Gale assumed it was due to both reasons. That was why he used Eren to activate all of Ymir's instincts and make her remember.
…
"Everyone, fall back! Make sure Dina Fritz eats the Female Titan!" Levi dispersed the crowd and rode away on horseback, allowing the soldiers stationed around him to withdraw.
For Levi, Annie was nothing more than a horrible Titan that needed to be killed.
The enemy of his people!
Hange stood at the front, holding paper and pen, eager to capture this scene with her own eyes and words.
She felt an overwhelming curiosity to understand how giants transformed into humans and what mysteries lay behind that process.
Just in case, Eren also transformed into a Titan, and it was he who tore out the wooden stakes and iron chains that restrained Dina Fritz.
Gale gestured to them from a distance. "Do it now…"
Ymir looked at the blond devil inside the crystal with mixed feelings. "It would have been much better if you had stayed asleep. Why did you have to wake up under these conditions?"
"I can only apologize for what will happen to you. Between you and us, we are the ones who are right. I'm just following orders. It's just that we hold different positions. Maybe I should be a rich girl in my next life and stop being a soldier."
After saying that, Ymir opened her enormous mouth. The muscles in her jaw tensed instantly, and her bony shell slammed against the crystal, producing a sharp, loud sound.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Each strike chilled the blood of those watching; even Hange was terrified, and for a moment forgot to write anything, staring blankly into space.
Under the powerful assault of the Jaw Titan, web-like cracks appeared on the surface of the crystal, spreading like leaf veins, while transparent fragments continuously fell away.
With a clear snap, the crystal shattered, breaking into countless fragments in an instant.
The Jaw Titan opened its jaws and slowly stepped back. Annie, who had been trapped inside the crystal for half a year without eating, took her first deep breath of fresh air and coughed violently.
Today the sun shone brightly, green grass swayed in the wind, a windmill turned in the distance, and a clear stream flowed gently, full of the vitality of spring.
Everything seemed harmonious and peaceful—except Annie, who was enveloped in an enormous shadow.
It was the shadow of a Titan.
The Titan that Eren had transformed into lifted the tent covering Dina Fritz. Planting his massive feet on the ground, he roared and grabbed the two wooden stakes embedded in Dina's abdomen with both hands.
With all his strength, he pulled them out.
At the base of the stakes, Dina's blood dripped continuously, and white steam rose from the wounds.
Eren tore off the chains and ropes that bound her, and the smiling, golden-haired Titan struggled to reach forward and crawl, while the blood pouring from her abdomen left trails across the grass.
Her limbs had recovered over the past few days.
Annie was right in front of her, and she could see nothing else.
Ymir and Eren retreated to the rear, and to prevent any unforeseen situation, they had not yet deactivated their Titan forms.
Weakened, Annie was engulfed by the Titan's shadow. She used her ring to cut her finger and attempt to transform into a Titan.
Blood flowed from her finger, and the pain stimulated her nerves, but she was unable to unleash the power of the Titan.
She was too weak; in her current state, she seemed as if she had just recovered from a severe illness. The Titan power was repairing her body and was not enough to allow her to transform.
She stood up and tried to run back, but fell to the ground. The muscles in her legs had atrophied, and she could not get up at all.
She struck the grass with her foot, leaving a mark, and finally realized one thing: she was going to die.
Ymir could not bear it and looked away.
She remembered unpleasant images; when she had turned back into a human after being a Titan, she had eaten someone…
It was like a nightmare…
Annie's throat was dry, and she could not speak. She wanted to live, but considering her feelings was useless—the Titan she had been thrown to did not understand her desires.
The Female Titan showed no emotion; it simply extended its hand, grabbed Annie, and opened its mouth.
"I don't want to…"
"I'm going to die…"
"Father…" With a snap of its enormous teeth, Dina Fritz swallowed Annie whole, along with her human fear.
Eren watched the scene without looking away, suppressing his discomfort as he processed it.
Gale's words echoed in his ears.
"Gale… is this really the right thing? The Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan destroyed the wall. The day she killed the nobles was also part of our plan. Are we really going to let a Titan eat her?" Eren asked, feeling uneasy.
Gale stroked the transparent crystal on the ground and gave Eren this answer: "Her name is Annie Leonhart. She is an Eldian from Marley. She passed Marley's selection and became the successor of the Female Titan, earning the title of Honorary Marleyan."
"She and the other warriors came to Paradis Island because the Marleyan government gave them an order: if they failed, the government would strip them of their Titan powers, and the Eldians associated with them would be exiled to Paradis under strict laws no different from slavery."
"She will die here not because she did something wrong, but simply because our positions are different."
"If we don't kill her today, she will kill us in the future. It's that simple."
"Both of us are fighting to survive."
"Yes… for survival… My hands are already stained with blood…" Gale silently watched Dina Fritz, shrouded in steam, as she was reborn.
Perhaps if his story were ever told, many would hate him, but he did not care. He hated the fact that Annie survived at the end of the events of this world, the injustice Levi felt, all the compressed pain and the ignorance of the so-called heroes of this world.
Maybe Gale did not understand the message, but it did not matter. Being here, his enemies were his enemies, and compassion was for the weak.
"I am not Armin, a foolish child who falls in love with his enemies."