Power to Strive IV

The Night of the End

"It's the only way." Future-Eren said behind him, and Eren sighed in acceptance.

'Alright then.'

Jean watched her in silence. "How will you stop him?" Mikasa asked her.

"First, we need more allies. Our options depend on whom we can get." Hange told them. "But we can't do anything without you guys and more of the Nine. The old military has fallen apart, so I'm no longer your superior. But I'm asking—"

"I'll do it." Mikasa interrupted her, earning her gaze. "I won't let Eren kill any more than he has already. I have to stop him, even if he's doing it to protect us and the island."

"Mikasa..." Hange was speechless.

"Supposing that we make Eren stop, what then?" Jean expressed his doubts. "He only has the Founding Titan for four more years. What will happen after that? If we continue to be the target of the world's hatred for years to come, stopping Eren means our island will be destroyed." Jean argued.

"The way I see it, Marley thinks we'll use the rumbling as soon as we're attacked. I think they'll leave us alone, at least for the time being." She countered with odds.

"If we don't destroy the island for good, who knows when they'll destroy us. It'll stir up the world more than Willy Tybur's speech!" He reminded her, frustrated.

"You're probably right, but it should buy the island at least a few more years." Hange proposed another possibility.

Ymir crossed her arms and sighed. "And then what? We clearly saw where that got you."

"Almost nothing." Historia mumbled.

Erwin hummed in agreement. "Not this time, though. We do it different this time around."

Ymir narrowed her eyes, she had doubts about that, she looked at Eren and saw him rather emotionless sitting there. 'Hm... I don't like the look on his face...'

"We've already wasted years looking for answers, and it got us nowhere! That's why Eren decided to--!" He was interrupted by a blow to the wood.

It was Hange."Genocide is wrong!" Hange was clenching her teeth, frustrated and angry. "I'll be damned before we justify it somehow!" She flatly refused.

'But in the end, it's the only way, for you all to have a long life.' Eren thought.

Jean and Mikasa were silent, somewhat surprised by her emotional outburst. Hange regained her composure. "Sorry for raising my voice. Jean's right. My dumb, wishful thinking forced Eren to do this." She blamed herself. "And despite all my yapping, I ran away from the problem." The image focused on her cloak, the Wings of Freedom.

"Wanting to forget everything... Just wanting to live... But I'm still Commander of the Scouts." Jean listened to her in silence. "It feels like those who gave their hearts for humanity's freedom are watching me. Most of them died without even knowing humanity existed outside the walls. Yet, I'm sure none of them would be so self-centered as to say: 'As long as the island has freedom, that's all that matters.'"

While she was talking, phantoms of the deceased soldiers appeared behind Hange, surrounding her. Among those soldiers were Hannes, Mitabi Jarnach, Ian Dietrich, Moblit Berner, Mike Zacharius, Erwin Smith, Gunther Schultz, Auruo Brossard, Petra Ral, Erd Gin, Anka Rheinberger, Luke Siss, Dita Ness, Abel, Keiji and Nifa. Mike and Erwin were staring at her.

Petra suppressed a shiver when she saw herself and her Squad members.

Hange frowned at the sight of Moblit and the others from her squad. She was going to make sure they will get to know the truth this time.