Puchi! Puchi! Under Levi's rapidly spinning blades, even with that strange black aura, the Skeleton Titan's nape couldn't regenerate in time.
The crack in its nape kept widening, and the ugly smile on the Skeleton Titan's face vanished. Now, its twisted expression clearly showed something like shock and rage.
Letting out a roar, the Skeleton Titan abandoned all dignity and dropped to the ground, desperately covering its split-open nape with both hands.
Levi, caught off guard for a moment, let the Skeleton Titan slip away—but in the next second, he was disgusted by its pathetic posture.
Just as he was about to finish it off, a piercing screech came from the sky. Levi frowned and instinctively covered his ears as a massive figure descended from above.
Its flesh wings stirred up violent gusts of wind. Its claws grabbed the Skeleton Titan's shoulders, then it flapped its wings and took off, rapidly fleeing the scene. The Airwing Titan's escape speed was astonishingly fast. Levi wanted to pursue, but the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment couldn't achieve true flight—he could only watch helplessly as the Skeleton Titan was carried away.
"Damn it..." Levi's gaze turned cold as he stared at the shrinking black dot in the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Countless Thunder Spears exploded against the War Hammer Titan. Massive fireballs erupted, sending scorching shockwaves outward. Dozens of Paradis soldiers, led by the veterans of Levi Squad, chased relentlessly through the streets.
Although the War Hammer Titan's skin was incredibly tough, it still couldn't withstand the terrifying power of the Thunder Spears—flesh and blood were blasted everywhere.
Lara Tybur realized she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. The War Hammer power passed down through the Tybur family for generations might end in her hands. But even if the Tybur power disappeared, the Tybur family's will must not. Her brother, Willy Tybur, was undoubtedly the most strong-willed person she had ever seen.
The Tybur family's will must be preserved by her brother and passed on forever! Thinking this, Lara's gaze hardened. Before her strength ran out, she had to cover her brother's escape!
The War Hammer Titan drew most of the Paradis soldiers' attention, and even the pursuing Eldian Revolutionary Army was slowed down by it, creating some distance.
Magath and the others, who were fleeing the venue alongside the War Hammer Titan, looked rather disheveled. Many representatives from various nations who had been running with them were separated along the way.
This couldn't continue. Magath noticed a narrow alley at a nearby corner. He remembered passing through it before—densely packed buildings made it highly concealed. More importantly, it provided a route to the train station still under Marley's control!
A pillar of golden lightning shot into the sky. Amid surging steam, the Sea-Diving Titan blocked the War Hammer Titan's path. Its long tail swayed behind it, eyes locked in hostility.
Behind them, aside from the pursuing Paradis soldiers, another roar echoed in the sky. Golden lightning flashed—
"ROAR!!!"
The Attack Titan let out a furious bellow and charged forward.
Through the War Hammer Titan's vision, Lara saw Magath leading her brother into the alley. With no more worries, the War Hammer Titan immediately stopped. She would buy her brother the last bit of time needed to escape.
"Demons of Paradis! Face the wrath of the War Hammer Titan!!"
The War Hammer Titan shouted loudly. White light gathered in its hand, and a long-handled war hammer instantly formed. It swung it in a full arc, bending its body as it prepared to strike.
Time slowly passed. At the edge of the starry sky, a faint orange-red glow appeared.
Above the vast Marleyan capital, the air was filled with the stench of blood and gunpowder.
Explosions, gunfire, and cries gradually faded with time.
Under the unease of many Marleyan nobles, the trembling of foreign representatives, and the anxiety of the common people, this agonizing night finally came to an end. Dawn slowly rose, and warm sunlight spread across the land.
Some brave Marleyan citizens opened their doors or peeked out of windows. Men told their wives and children to stay inside while they gathered their courage to go out and assess the situation.
In areas where fighting had been intense, bodies of Marleyan soldiers and Eldian Revolutionary Army soldiers were still being collected. Some Paradis soldiers had also tragically fallen, still wearing their Vertical Maneuvering Equipment combat gear.
But now, the entire Marleyan capital had effectively fallen under the control of the Eldian Revolutionary Army.
On the streets and in front of key facilities, many soldiers with red scarves tied around their arms could be seen.
Many Marleyan citizens still hadn't realized that the city was now under Eldian control. The Revolutionary Army soldiers wore no armbands, and their uniforms were still those of Marley's army—the armbands that once marked Eldians had been discarded as symbols of shame.
Some Marleyan citizens even approached them, smiling as they tried to ask what had happened the previous night. But the cold-eyed soldiers' responses caused those smiling faces to freeze before they turned and fled in terror.
Soon, a horrifying rumor spread among the citizens:
"The Marleyan capital has been occupied by Eldians! By the devils from Paradis! General Calvi is dead! Run for your lives, or the Eldians will slaughter us like their demon ancestors!"
In an instant, countless panicked citizens rushed toward the train station with their families, only to be driven back by the red-scarved Revolutionary Army guards stationed there. They fled home, locking their doors and windows, trembling as they clung to their loved ones.
Leaving aside the fear of the Marleyans, the Eldians in the Liberio internment zone were just as confused. The entire area had been in chaos the previous night—Titan roars and explosions echoed throughout.
Finally enduring until dawn, the still-dazed Eldians were suddenly startled by loud knocks on their doors.
"We're free! The Eldians are free!"
Some elderly Eldians dug at their ears and asked the younger generation,
"What are those kids saying?"
The stunned youths replied blankly, "They're saying… we Eldians are free."
"Yago, you've worked hard. We succeeded." Serena's eyes held excitement, secrecy, and relief as she took Yago's hand.
Yago smiled. "Yeah, we succeeded."
Annie: If you succeeded, then fine—but why are you holding hands?!
The hands Yago and Serena were holding were quickly pried apart by Annie.
"You're tired. You need rest!" Annie said to Yago in a tone that allowed no refusal—the kind that implied she'd beat you if you argued.
Yago: "...."
Serena covered her mouth and chuckled. This little couple was really adorable.
...
On an airship, a limbless figure emitting steam all over struggled slightly. His head was bald, his hair not yet regenerated.
"Lord Zeke? You're awake?" Onyankopon, the dark-skinned man, said in surprise. Yes, the pitiful one who had been brutally carved into a limbless torso by six Ackermans was none other than Zeke.
Though mutilated horribly, Zeke endured it. As long as the plan succeeded, it was worth it. Suppressing the pain, he confidently asked Onyankopon:
"Onyankopon, the plan went well, right? We should have successfully thrown Marley into chaos. Are we at sea now, or back on Paradis?"
Onyankopon: "Uh… Lord Zeke, things turned out a bit unexpected. The Eldians… have occupied the Marleyan capital. We're currently… floating above it."
Thud!
The limbless body, too shocked, fell flat onto the ground.