CHAPTER 33: THE PRICE OF POWER
Three days passed since Sukuna touched the Founding Titan.
Three days of silence. Three days of waiting.
He didn't speak. He barely ate. He just sat on the roof, staring at the walls.
Mikasa watched him from below.
"He's different," she told Armin.
"He's seen something. Something we can't understand."
"He said he might not come back."
Armin was quiet.
"Then we make sure he does."
On the fourth day, Sukuna finally spoke.
"I know what I have to do."
He gathered everyone in the abandoned storage room.
Mikasa. Armin. Jean. Connie. Sasha. Hange.
Even Reiner.
"The Founding Titan showed me the truth. The whole truth."
"The walls aren't just walls. They're a prison. Not for us. For the Titans inside them."
"Thousands of them. Trapped. Sleeping. Waiting."
"And I can free them."
"Free them to do what?" Jean asked.
"Free them to choose. To fight. To die. To live."
"But if I free them, the walls will fall. All of them."
Silence.
"Wall Maria. Wall Rose. Wall Sheena. Everything."
"The people inside will see the truth for the first time. No more lies. No more cages."
"And Marley will see us. All of us. No more hiding."
Connie's face was white.
"That's insane. Everyone will die."
"Everyone is already dying. Just slowly."
Hange stepped forward.
"What about Zeke? What about his plan?"
"His plan dies with the walls. The euthanasia. The sterilization. All of it."
"I'm not going to end our race. I'm going to free it."
Reiner spoke.
"And Marley? They won't just watch. They'll attack."
"Let them."
Sukuna looked at each of them.
"I've fought armies before. I've destroyed worlds before. Marley is nothing."
"But I can't do it alone."
Mikasa stood.
"You won't be alone."
Armin stood.
"I'm with you."
Jean stood.
"Someone has to keep you from getting yourself killed."
Connie and Sasha stood together.
"We're in."
Hange nodded.
"I've been waiting for this my whole life."
Reiner was the last.
He stood slowly.
"I betrayed my nation. I betrayed my friends. I betrayed myself."
"Let me betray Marley one more time."
That night, Sukuna sat with Mikasa on the roof.
"You're really going to do this."
"Yes."
"And if you don't come back?"
"Then you lead them."
"I can't lead anyone."
"You can. You just don't know it yet."
She leaned against him.
"I'm scared, Sukuna."
"So am I."
"The King of Curses? Scared?"
"The King of Curses has never had anything to lose. Until now."
The next morning, a scout arrived.
"The fleet! Marley's fleet! It's here!"
"Weeks early."
Shadis ran to the wall.
Sukuna followed.
From the top of Wall Rose, they saw them.
Ships. Dozens of ships. Black sails. Iron hulls.
And on the shore...
Titans.
The ones Zeke had gathered. But now they were moving. Marching toward the wall.
"Zeke betrayed us," Armin said.
"No," Sukuna replied. "He's just out of time."
Sukuna climbed to the edge of the wall.
"What are you doing?" Mikasa shouted.
"Ending this."
He closed his eyes.
And reached out to the Founding Titan.
"I am Sukuna. King of Curses. Wielder of the Founder."
"I command the Titans within the walls."
"Wake up."
The ground shook.
The walls cracked.
And from inside them...
Thousands of Titans emerged.
They stood in a line. Silent. Waiting.
Sukuna opened his eyes.
"Today, we fight."
He raised his hand.
"Today, we free ourselves."
The Titans roared.
And the battle for Paradis began.
END OF CHAPTER 33