The Empire of Titans Chapter 56 (Warriors Amongst Devils) (Patreon)

Trost

"Stay quiet, and don't attract any attention," Zeke murmured in hushed tones as he and Pieck stealthily maneuvered through the labyrinthine maze of a bustling marketplace. The air was thick with the cacophony of myriad voices, blending into a symphony of vibrant chatter and laughter. Pieck acknowledged Zeke's words with a silent nod, her keen eyes scanning the bustling crowd that enveloped them.

The market was a pulsating hub of activity, teeming with an exuberant populace that reveled in the day's festivities. Joy seemed to radiate from every corner, infusing the atmosphere with an infectious euphoria. Merchants skillfully seized this opportunity to entice buyers and maximize their profits, their stalls brimming with an enticing array of wares.

She didn't know what kind of money they used inside the walls, but she often noticed people paying with what seemed golden coins; she quickly ignored them as she turned her attention back to the crowd around them.

Pieck's gaze swept across the bustling scene before her, captivated by the diverse tapestry of human interactions. The vibrant faces surrounding her seemed to dance with life. She observed with a sense of wonder the carefree laughter of children engaged in joyful play. A tender moment caught her eye as a loving couple embraced their precious bundle of joy, their affectionate kisses upon the baby's rosy cheeks.

Pieck's attention shifted to a heartwarming sight, a stranger extending a helping hand to an elderly woman burdened with her belongings. Yet, amidst this sea of ordinary activities, Pieck couldn't help but feel strange watching them; they all seemed very normal, and no one was doing anything out of the ordinary or trying to attack someone else in broad daylight.

"They seem... normal!" Her eyes scanned the crowd, observing the ordinary façade that cloaked the people around her. It was an uncanny sight, for the townsfolk were engrossed in their daily activities with such seamless normalcy. The vibrant colors of the market stalls teeming with an array of fresh produce and aromatic spices. Her senses were tantalized by the tantalizing scent of sizzling meat intermingling with the tantalizing aroma of other delectable delicacies, wafting through the air like a tantalizing invitation to culinary indulgence.

Amidst the hubbub, a symphony of voices filled the atmosphere, accompanied by the sweet melodies of laughter and animated chatter. Pieck's ears perked up as the enchanting sound of children's innocent pleas reached her. The young ones, their eyes wide with anticipation, tried their luck coaxing their parents into purchasing something delightful for them; Pieck felt like she was back home.

The Devils of Paradis, huh, Pieck thought, feeling a little perplexed; while she never really believed what Marley told them about the island of devils, Pieck always wondered if there was any truth to it; perhaps those from the island were very violent people, or maybe were people with little to no respect to one another, but from what Pieck could see, all of them seemed normal, all of them seemed like normal people and nothing out of the ordinary, Pieck had heard several Marley soldiers saying how those from the island of devils were deformed people, some saying they had three set of limbs, some saying the devils fight each other all the time, and eat their foes, including the babies.

Pieck's eyes darted eagerly across the rest of the small town, sweeping over the quaint houses adorned with weathered wooden planks, intricate staircases, and diligent workers bustling about with purposeful determination. The houses were in the process of being resurrected from their dilapidated states. Gaps in the roofs, balkans scattered haphazardly, and fragments of walls that seemed to have succumbed to gravity's relentless pull. Yet, amidst the remnants of destruction, some houses had managed to withstand the onslaught of chaos and stood tall.

Titans attacked this city, Pieck thought as she looked at the sea of faces around the crowd; all of them had wide smiles; she was a little perplexed by it. They all seemed so happy since the houses were still being rebuilt, and many of them were still destroyed; Pieck concluded the attack must have happened two weeks ago at the latest, so she didn't understand why everyone seemed so joyful and not mourning for all the lost loved ones.

Pieck felt her heart beating faster with growing concern, as she tried to listen to what everyone was saying around her, she knew if the fight had happened recently, after all the deaths, it would make sense for everyone to be so joyful, only if they had achieved victory somehow, and despite all the deaths, everyone was happy that they had won at least.

Annie, where are you? Pieck thought as her eyes roamed around the place. Is she safe? Is she alright? Pieck asked herself. Lost in her own world, she barely noticed the abrupt collision that abruptly jolted her back to reality, her body colliding with another unsuspecting individual. Caught completely off guard and momentarily disoriented, Pieck's delicate equilibrium was shattered, sending her sprawling onto the ground, a cloud of dirt billowing around her.

"I'm really sorry, young lady, here!" Pieck looked up to see a woman, old enough to be her mom extending her hand towards Pieck, Pieck accepted her hand. Rising from the ground, she diligently brushed off the remnants of dust that clung to her clothes. A radiant smile spread across her countenance.

"It's alright, I wasn't thinking where I was going," Pieck said dismissively, as the lady seemed relieved to hear that before a look of realization formed on her face. She quickly grasped an apple from the bag of apples she carried in her arm.

"Take this then, I gathered them for my son. I hope you like them," Pieck grasped the apple from the woman; her smile wavered, and she wondered why this woman was so kind. For a brief moment, Pieck remembered her own mother; she, too, had been kind a long time ago.

"Thank you, my lady," Pieck answered with the same smile; she felt she couldn't remove it until Zeke cleared his throat from behind the woman. The woman quickly whirled around, unaware that Zeke was behind her.

"I'm sorry my friend troubled you, good lady, but might I ask you something?" Zeke questioned with courtesy, his eyes smiling brightly, the woman smiled back in a friendly way, Pieck felt her stomach drop, she almost opened her mouth to tell Zeke to ask someone else.

"Of course,"

"Me and Pieck just arrived here from the third wall, we heard rumours, but how was the boulder placed on the hole?" Zeke questioned with a friendly smile towards the woman, his voice almost sounding genuine.

"Oh, you're from Wall Sina! Never seen one from there, and I never thought I would see two after what happened a week ago," the woman answered, her voice lowering to a whisper at the end, with a hint of fear.

One week, huh? If only we had arrived sooner, Pieck thought, waiting patiently for the woman to give answers.

"So it's true, they are not just rumors!" Zeke questioned, sounding genuinely surprised, showing a face full of fear. Pieck felt her throat dry; she didn't like his word game with the poor woman.

"Well, I wasn't here, by the time the friendly Titan showed up, we all had evacuated from the city, but my son is a cadet, he told me that a friend of his was able to turn into a titan, and save the city," the woman explained to Zeke, her words caused Pieck's eyes to widen, but Zeke didn't have the smallest reaction, if anything, his face showed relief.

"Oh, that's a relief. I'm so glad to hear we have a guardian ready to protect us," Zeke said with his hand on his chest, letting out a loud sigh of relief. Pieck was almost tempted to slap Zeke in the face while the woman showed genuine concern for Zeke.

"Indeed, I just hope they don't execute him," the woman said with a hint of concern; her words made both Zeke and Pieck freeze for a moment until Zeke got over it quickly, adjusting his glasses.

"Why would they execute him? He saved everyone inside, they should make him a hero?" Zeke questioned, sounding genuinely perplexed and concerned. Pieck rolled her eyes, but she realized something.

So their titan shifter is a male, and she said his son was a cadet. He must be young, and if whoever turned into a titan was a friend of her son, then this man must be young, Pieck quickly concluded. She didn't know how young people became cadets in this place, but she figured their age must be from ten to maybe twelve years old.

"I asked my son the same, but I'm afraid he doesn't know why either, he said that many people are afraid of him, saying he might suddenly start eating people," The woman explained. Zeke nodded along with a passive look; he was ready to open his mouth to ask another question when the woman asked something else.

"I'm sorry, from where in Wall Sina you come from, I have never heard your accent before?" The woman questioned with a friendly smile. Her words caused Pieck to stiffen up, murmuring a curse under her breath, instinctively taking a step backward from the unknown woman.

Pieck had completely forgotten that someone might become wary of them due to their strange accent.

Because the Eldia Empire had been in charge of everything for two thousand years, the majority of the world spoke the Eldian Language. Even Marley still used that language, but due to different places, the language had different accents, and the same went for those in Paradis; their accent was slightly different from those in Marley, something was quite noticeable to anyone.

"We live in a remote area of the Wall Sina," Zeke answered right away with a convincing voice; the lady seemed to believe his words and shrugged her shoulders.

"Me and Pieck have to go. Have a good day," Zeke said with a kind smile as he gestured for Pieck to follow him; the latter waved at the lady in a friendly way as they walked away, and the lady waved back at her.

"Friendly Titan," Pieck mused as she and Zeke walked forward. "Wonder who that is," Pieck wondered aloud as they walked towards the Wall, trying to avoid bumping into more people.

"She said they were going to decide whenever to execute him or not, we need to do something about it, and contact our Warriors as soon as possible," Zeke said with a hushed tone, but Pieck could tell he seemed in a rush.

"Do you think Annie, Reiner, Marcel, and Bertholdt are thinking of doing something as well? I'm sure Marcel already has a plan in mind for taking the Founding," Pieck said confidently. She knew how good Marcel was; he was one of the best warriors Marley ever had. Pieck had no doubts that if anyone could come up with a plan, it would be Marcel.

"I'm not sure the 'Friendly Titan' is the founder," Zeke suddenly claimed as they walked through the crowd; what everyone was saying around them was about the Titan that saved the Walls, some saying it was all lies, some afraid, and some praising the 'Friendly Titan.'

"Who else then? The Founder is the only Titan they have," Pieck questioned, a little confused, looking up at Zeke with a slight hint of suspicion.

"If the Founder is truly the one that blocked the gate, he could have easily used his abilities for much more than just closing a hole with a rock," Zeke explained with a passive voice. Pieck couldn't help but agree; while the Founder hadn't been used for over a century now, and Marley didn't have all the informations needed, from what Pieck had read and heard, she knew the Founder was capable of much more than just closing a gate, it was said that the Founder had control over all Subjects of Ymir, something Pieck didn't like, she didn't like the idea of a single person having so much power in their hands, having the power to manipulate an entire group of people effortlessly.

"Who then?"

"The Attack Titan, Marley lost it many years ago, is the only Titan besides the Founder that Marley doesn't have in their possession," Zeke answered right away. Pieck thought deeply before nodding along. She saw the reason, and it made sense. Everyone knew that Marley didn't have the Attack Titan, but due to being seen as not as useful as the others, Marley didn't really care much about it; when they had lost it, they tried to retrieve it, but they gave up on it within one year or so.

Unlike the other Titans, The Attack Titan held no hidden ability that made it powerful or unique from all the others; sure, it could harden his skin, but hardening the skin was an ability that every Titan possessed, even the Cart Titan had incredible endurance, but Attack Titan didn't have that either, all it had was the ability to turn into a fifteen meters titan, and no other ability as far as Marley was aware.

"Maybe, but why didn't Annie and the others intervene if the Attack Titan closed the gate? The four of them could have easily defeated him; I'm sure Reiner and Annie would have been enough, and Bertholdt could have turned and blasted all the soldiers trying to protect the 'Friendly Titan,'?" Pieck questioned, a little confused; the more she thought about the situation, the little it made sense.

One of the first things they had done was see what kind of weapons the soldiers carried around; from what they saw, they carried strange devices attached to their hips, but Pieck had seen a few of them carrying what seemed like swords, Pieck and Zeke had come to the conclusion right away that their technology in the Walls was barebones, so fighting them would be easy.

"I don't know; this is what confuses me. Where are our Warriors? Why they hadn't tried to retrieve the Titan yet?" Zeke wondered out loud as they saw a group of soldiers talking nearby near a house that was under construction. Zeke and Pieck approached them carefully not to attract any attention, and it seemed the soldiers weren't paying much attention, and were talking amongst each other about the upcoming trial.

"Where do you think the Scouts have hidden him, I really wish to see his face, and cut his head off, the Titans are not friends of ours,"

"Stop talking nonsense, he saved Trost, he sealed the Wall,"

"So what? Do you think I care, mark my words, that cadet Titan is nothing but trouble; who knows what he's capable of? I heard he likes eating raw meat,"

"That's bullshit. You are a moron, Addi; just because you are from Wall Sina doesn't mean you shouldn't care what happens to Wall Rose; what if Wall Rose had fallen, Wall Sina would have been the last Wall left. If this kid Titan is our ally, then we should be grateful,"

The other soldier scoffed. "Bahh, whatever. But what about the Colossal Titan? I was really looking forward to seeing the corpse," Addi questioned, sounding disappointed; his words caused Pieck to let out a silent gasp while Zeke remained as stoic as ever.

Colossal's corpse?!! How is this possible? Even with Marley technology, is it difficult to bring it down? As Pieck's thoughts swirled with mounting concern, a chilling sensation of unease crept over her, causing cold beads of sweat to trickle down her face. It seems Zeke saw how concerned she was getting. Reacting swiftly, he extended a firm hand and laid it upon her shoulder, pulling her out of her dark thoughts.

"Keep quiet, Pieck. We don't know yet what happened," Zeke whispered to her with a commanding voice, Pieck quickly nodded her head, she wondered if Bertholdt was captured or killed, if he was captured then they could still save him.

"There's no corpse to see, I was there when it happened. Titan's body decomposes very fast after they are killed, within minutes, there's barely any bones left."

"Huh, you were there, what did you say his name was?"

"Eren Yeager. He defeated the Armoured Titan, and the Colossal Titan all by himself,"

Pieck restrained herself from gasping once again. Instead, she looked at Zeke, and despite what they had just heard, his face showed little to no emotions; he looked as if the information he had just received barely affected him.

"Zeke, why is his last name the same as yours?" Pieck questioned with a hushed tone, no hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Who knows? The King came here with over two million Eldians; it is possible that an ancestor of mine was part of them," Zeke said with a small shrug, his face passive. Pieck tried to read his face, but Zeke was always better at hiding his emotions than her.

"Wait, you were there? Well, how many Titans were there?" His words caused both Pieck and Zeke to turn their attention back to the soldiers, especially to the blonde girl with glasses that said she had been there.

"If you're talking about the ugly ones that eat people, they were everywhere. As for the one that were people being able to turn into titans. They were five in total, the Colossal, The Armoured Titan, a Titan that could walk on her four legs she could even talk to us, a Female Titan, and Eren Yeager, the one that sealed the hole," the girl explained, her voice speaking Eren's name with more respect than the others.

"Ohh, five. Well what happened to all of them?"

"I don't know, Commander Pyxis is keeping it secret, but I figure we will learn more today during the trial," the girl said as she turned around and started walking away towards Zeke and Pieck's location, but they quickly started walking away before they were noticed.

"How is this possible? He must be the Founder; how could he defeat four Warriors all by himself?" Pieck wondered out loud, her mind going to Annie, already thinking of the worst. Pieck could almost imagine Annie sitting on a chair being tortured, the same for Marcel, Bertholdt, and Reiner.

"There's something off about what she said," Zeke suddenly said as they stopped walking; now they were behind a ruined house. Pieck turned to face Zeke, her face showing confusion.

"What is off?"

"When the girl talked about the one that walked on four legs, I figure she meant the Jaw, but she spoke of the Jaw as a 'Her' and not 'Him,'" Zeke pointed out carefully with a deep look on his face, his words caused Pieck to realize that he was right.

"Why do you think that is?"

"Either the girl was wrong, or Marcel is gone, and his power is in the hands of the devils, but nonetheless. Our warriors right now are either prisoned or killed," Zeke concluded, looking deep in thoughts, trying to come up with a way to fix all this.

Pieck couldn't help but think of Porco, if Marcel was truly gone, she didn't know how they could ever bring the news to him; he would be heartbroken. Pieck knew just how much Porco had been looking forward to reuniting with his brother, and learning that he was gone would crush him.

Pieck's mind went to Annie; she couldn't help but hope that Annie was alright. Pieck's mind went to the last time they had seen one another; they had shared a hug, and Pieck had told Annie to stay safe.

"Don't tell this to anyone, but you're the only one I consider a friend,"

Pieck wanted to see Annie return home safe and for her to smile again. She quickly looked up at Zeke, who still seemed deep in thought.

"What should we do, Zeke?" Pieck questioned with a rushed voice.

"Right now, we don't know where our warriors are, and the place is full of soldiers, and the devils possibly already have their hands on the Jaw and Attack Titan. We have two enemy shifters. I think it is time we turn some of them against them," Zeke suggested; Pieck immediately knew what he meant and nodded in agreement.

"I will deal with this, Commander Magath and the others should be ready by now. Pieck I need you to sneak inside..."

Eren Yeager

"What's the plan?" Mikasa inquired eagerly, her voice brimming with anticipation, the words barely escaping her lips as the group hastily climbed into the luxurious carriage. With a gentle nudge, the powerful steeds lunged forward, their hooves pounding against the dirt-laden road, kicking up miniature dust clouds in their wake. As the skilled rider skillfully gripped the reins, the carriage smoothly glided forward, transporting Mikasa, Eren, Levi, Hange, and Annie.

"Oh wow, you were able to wait until we reached the carriage to ask questions. I'm impressed, Ackerman," Levi couldn't resist the urge to comment towards Mikasa mockingly. In response, Mikasa's intense gaze pierced through him like a thousand fiery daggers, her clenched fists revealing an unyielding desire to tear him into tiny pieces. Meanwhile, Hange found the entire spectacle undeniably amusing, a mischievous giggle escaping their lips as they relished in the unfolding drama. And amidst this chaotic symphony of emotions, Annie, sat quietly by the carriage window, her gaze fixated on the view outside, lost in a world of her own thoughts.

"The plan is simple, we will go to the trial, if the judge sides with us, your boyfriend will keep his head for a bit longer, if not, Eren, Annie, and the ugly ass Titan will be executed, and the life will go on as normal," Levi answered casually, Hange giggled while Mikasa had a murderous look on her face, Eren placed his hand on top of hers to calm her down.

"Captain Levi is just joking, right?" Eren questioned, looking at Levi, who murmured 'kids' under his breath. Hange decided to intervene before someone decided to knock someone's teeth out.

"Don't worry, Eren. The Survey Corps and The Garrison are in your side. We will never allow you to be executed," Hange reassured, with a wide very strange grin, Annie couldn't help but shudder, she didn't feel comfortable with her inside the carriage.

"We should remember that Marley might decide to do something, it's been five years since we arrived here. I have no doubts that Marley will sent someone sooner or later," Annie pointed out with concern, as she looked mainly at Eren.

"Right now, we need to take control back from the King; once we have control of our own territory, then we will worry about the threats outside the Walls," Levi said dismissively, remembering Erwin's plan regarding how to overthrow the King.

"Right, but who will sit on the throne if we are successful? If we go by the tradition, then Eren should be King since he has the Founding Titan," Annie pointed out; her words caused Eren to look completely taken aback before looking at Levi as if waiting for him to either confirm or deny it.

"Don't look at me brat, I'm a soldier not your baby sitter, I'm not the one who will decide who should sit in that stupid chair, but if you become King, do you think you would be able to lead a country?" Levi questioned, narrowing his eyes towards Eren.

King? How can I ever become King? Eren asked himself, completely caught by surprise; he had been taught how to be a soldier, how to follow orders, and how to fight, but he had no idea how to lead a country. There were too many things needed to know to lead a country; he would need to understand economics, politics, how to read people, and countless other things. Eren knew he had no idea how to do any of that.

Before Eren could offer an answer, a sudden jolt brought the carriage to an unexpected halt. The grandeur of a lavish building loomed before them, its intricate architecture hinting at the gravity of the impending trial. A trio of soldiers materialized, forming a protective barrier before the carriage door. With a synchronized movement, they swung open the door, revealing the anticipation etched on Eren's face as he took the first step onto the hallowed ground. Behind him, Levi and the others.

"Just stay calm, Eren." Levi advised with a hushed tone as they all walked inside the building.

The main room of the Military Court, with its grandeur and commanding presence, stretched out. The Conservatives stood to the right amidst the towering pillars and intricate tapestries, a formidable faction of political members. They were the staunch defenders of the established law, unwavering in their commitment to upholding the rules imposed by the monarchy and the Royal Family.

Among their ranks, there were the figures of the Military Police, commanded by Nile Dok. Alongside these formidable enforcers, there were also some notable merchants, such as Dimo Reeves.

Yet, not just political and economic prowess found solace within the chamber's walls. For tucked away in the room's shadows were those who held a deep reverence for the wall that protected them all. They were the worshipers of the wall. At their helm stood Pastor Nick; his faith in the wall had earned him the admiration and respect of his followers.

On the left were the Scouts, with the most prominent members present being Commander Erwin, Captain Levi, Squad Leaders Hange and Mike, along with Mikasa Ackerman. There were also members of the Garrison Troop, such as Commander Pixis, Rico, and Ian.

An exquisite small ceramic podium stood in the heart of the room, encircled by an elegant wooden railing. Proudly perched atop this podium, an iron post stood tall, its purpose to serve as the solemn anchor where the accused, awaiting their impending trials, were firmly bound.

Commanding attention in front of this sacred space, a colossal desk, seemingly reaching for the heavens, stretched out with an undeniable presence. Three regal chairs adorned the desk, reserved exclusively for the esteemed judges of the court, their significance palpable in the room's hallowed atmosphere. Emblazoned above the judges' desk, four vivid emblems proudly displayed the esteemed shields of the military division. Each emblem represented the noble forces that safeguarded Humanity: The Military Police, The Garrison Troop, the Scout Corps, and the Recruit Troops.

Eren, Annie, and Ymir walked in the middle, followed by two Military Police soldiers. Once they were on the podium, everyone who didn't know them looked at them with fear.

With a resounding creak, the door adjacent to the esteemed judge's bench swung open, revealing the entrance of a distinguished figure. As the older man with a regal aura stepped into the room, a hush fell upon the previously bustling space, effectively stifling the murmurs that once permeated the air.

His silver-streaked hair and beard lent him an air of wisdom and authority, commanding the attention of all present. Adorning his resplendent coat were an array of gleaming medals, each one a testament to his illustrious career and unwavering dedication. These symbols of honor and distinction unequivocally designated him as a man of the highest echelon, occupying the pinnacle of the human army's hierarchy. Commander in Chief Darius Zackly.

With a graceful motion, the old man gracefully slipped off his tailored jacket, treating it with utmost care as he meticulously folded it. He placed it delicately upon the grand dais and settled himself into the center chair. As his gaze shifted towards Eren, Annie, and Ymir, his steely eyes bore into them, brimming with a profound seriousness. Rolling up the pristine sleeves of his crisp white shirt, he signaled his readiness.

"Okay, let's get started," the man said in a deep voice before flipping through the papers in his hand. "Your names are Eren Jaeger, Annie Leonhart, and Ymir. Soldiers who swore to give their lives for humanity, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir,"

"This is an exceptional case. As it is not contemplated in the law, we must carry out a special court martial. I will dictate the sentence. In this trial we will decide if we let you all live or kill you. Do you have any objection?"

"No, sir," Eren said in a voice that showed no fear.