I Became the Villain of Attack on Titan

The destruction of Shiganshina District proceeded smoothly.

After Bertolt broke down the gate, he immediately reverted to his human form.

Shiniro quickly scooped him up and retreated from the scene. Mindless Titans lumbered after them, but they couldn't match the speed of the Jaw Titan.

'Reiner...'

I glanced over at Reiner in his Titan form and gave him a nod.

Recognizing the signal, Reiner fixed his gaze on the inner wall of Wall Maria. He exhaled, a cloud of white steam escaping from his mouth, and then—

Boom!

He launched forward, charging with all his might.

His target was the inner gate of Wall Maria, and the plan was for the Armored Titan to use his massive, armored body to smash through it.

From a distance, Bertolt, Annie, and I watched the scene unfold.

Thud, thud, thud!

Every step Reiner took shook the ground beneath him.

Even the cannons, which could easily blow away ordinary Titans, were ineffective against his armored body, with the shots simply deflecting off.

At first, the soldiers tried to resist, but once they saw Reiner's unscathed form, they quickly lost hope and fled in terror.

"THE CANNONS DON'T WORK!!!"

"R..RUN!!!!"

Rumble!

At last, Reiner succeeded in breaking down the inner gate of Wall Maria.

A massive hole gaped in what was once an impenetrable barrier.

The Warriors of Marley had completed their mission, but as we stood there, witnessing the destruction, none of us could find the words to speak.

Perhaps it was because we'd come so close to losing our comrades to a Titan ourselves, but even though we were taught that these were the devils of Paradis Island, watching the people get eaten alive by Titans left us feeling a strange sense of guilt.

'To think I'd witness this scene in real life...'

I watched the horrific sights with a calm detachment.

It wasn't that I enjoyed the brutality unfolding before me—far from it. I was simply doing what needed to be done, fulfilling a mission. 

'Wait, that Titan... could it be...?'

In the distance, I saw a blonde-haired Titan lifting debris and chewing through a woman.

It was Dina Fritz, Grisha Yeager's first wife, and a criminal exiled to Paradis.

The Titan form of Dina Fritz had just devoured Eren's mother and was already moving on, seeking its next prey. 

A complicated feeling stirred within me at that moment. 

'...Is this really what hell looks like?'

A woman limped, desperately trying to escape, only to be caught and crushed by a Titan.

A child, crying out for their mother, was slowly eaten, one piece at a time by a massive hand.

All around me, people ran in every direction, trying to find safety, but most became nothing more than a Titan's meal.

This world was as cruel as it could get.

'Everything was happening exactly as it did in the anime...'

From the destruction of Wall Maria to the Rumbling—this was all part of Eren's grand design.

While some claimed the true mastermind was the devil of all beginnings, the truth was, at least for now, this nightmare was orchestrated by Eren.

'Everything that has happened since Ymir, the Founding Titan, has been part of Eren's plan.'

Centuries of repeated cycles of slaughter and destruction.

And at the end of it all, it was Eren, with the power of the Founding Titan, who stood at the center.

I quietly observed the scene, piecing my thoughts together.

'Soon, I'll join the Training Corps and take back the Attack Titan and the Founding Titan for Marley.'

Of course, such a choice would come at a heavy cost, with many deaths. But it would be a better option than the Rumbling, which sought to trample all of humanity.

'And if worse comes to worst... I'll inherit the Founding Titan myself.'

'Later, I'll either collaborate with Zeke Yeager for the Paradis Island euthanasia plan… or find some other independent solution.'

For now, my top priority was infiltrating the Training Corps and reuniting with Eren. That would be the first step.

Sigh…

I was the only one in this world capable of altering the predetermined future.

I was also the only one aware of the impending apocalypse.

The weight of this knowledge made my shoulders feel heavier.

*********************

I successfully hoisted Reiner atop the wall.

The next task was to reach the evacuation zone within Wall Rose.

That responsibility fell squarely on me. My Jaw Titan was small enough to go unnoticed and fast enough to be perfect for this mission.

"I'll scout the lower area. You all rest for a bit."

While the other Warriors took a break, I scaled down the wall using my hardened claws.

Once I passed the mindless Titans heading toward Wall Maria, I arrived at a house near the gates of Shiganshina District—the very place where Eren's mother had been devoured.

Rumble

Clearing away the bloodstained rubble, I uncovered a small stone passage leading underground. I smashed the door to the basement and deactivated my Titan form before stepping inside.

"So this is it…"

The basement was old and musty. However, not a single speck of dust had settled. Not long ago, it seemed someone had used this place.

I rummaged through every drawer in the basement, gathering books into a pile.

Among them, I found a photograph—something that shouldn't exist, given the technology inside the Walls.

'This is not a drawing… It's a photograph, a technique that captures light onto paper...'

I read the inscription on the back. The image showed Zeke, Grisha, and the now-Titanized Dina Fritz.

I stared at the photo for a moment before tossing it onto the stack of books.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a match. After lighting it, I threw it onto the pile.

"...There's no turning back now."

For a brief moment, I found myself lost in thought as the flames flickered and spread.

This basement held the secrets and truths of the world beyond Paradis Island—Grisha Yeager's basement.

In the original timeline, Eren would eventually discover this place and the truth about the outside world.

He and the people of Paradis would come to understand the existence of Marley and the history of the Titans.

'But now, things have changed.'

The fire began consuming everything in the basement.

Soon, it would burn the place to ashes.

The truth—the existence of Marley and the history of the Titans—would remain hidden. At least until Eren figures out how to access the memories.

A crucial turning point in Attack on Titan had just been erased.

What the future holds now, I cannot say. What's certain is that things won't unfold as they originally did.

"...I hope my choice wasn't wrong."

I didn't know how much blood would be spilled moving forward. But for the sake of this world—and mostly for myself—I had made the best decision I could in this moment.