Assassin's Bullet (Chapter)

"All of your precious sacrifices will bear fruit. Eldia will be free."

- Zeke Yeager to Hange Zoë

Assassin's Bullet (凶弾) is the 3rd chapter of the 26th volume and the 105th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
After Eren Yeager climbs onto the airship, he is aggressively placed under arrest by Levi. Meanwhile, the soldiers protecting the blimp prepare to board, with Jean leaving former Garrison commanding officer Lobov outside to defend the ship. In the airship, and despite taking six casualties, the Survey Corps begins celebrating the battle as a major victory for Eldia.

Falco rushes after Gabi, who chases the retreating Survey Corps. Gabi emotionally explains that she cannot forgive those who destroyed her home. Spotting Lobov outside the ship, she shoots him dead, and uses his tethered maneuvering gear to board the ship together with Falco. Gabi rolls inside the airship and fires at the celebrating soldiers, hitting Sasha in the chest. The Warrior candidates are captured and taken to a room, where they find Zeke sitting with Eren. Zeke explains his plan has been successful except for a few miscalculations. Hange expresses her disappointment in Eren for his actions that had forced the Corps to act, but Zeke argues that they now have both the Founder and a Titan of royal blood. Connie enters the room to tell them that Sasha had died. Mortified, Jean blames Eren for dragging the Survey Corps into the conflict and Eren harshly grits his teeth.

Summary
Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman climb the netting onto the airship controlled by the Survey Corps, sharing a disheartened glance with Armin Arlert, who helps Eren aboard. Insulting Eren's filthy appearance, Levi Ackerman kicks Eren before having him restrained. Eren offers no resistance, explaining that nothing he had written in his letters was wrong.

Outside, Jean Kirstein orders the soldiers defending the ship to board, and to let everyone know that their enemies have no anti-aircraft weaponry. Former Garrison commanding officer Lobov tells Jean to also go, and stays to defend the rear. Connie Springer and Sasha Blouse help Jean up, and inform him that the Corps has confirmed six fatalities. Floch tells them to compare this to the damage dealt to Marley. He leads a rousing cheer for the Survey Corps solders, saying the New Eldian Empire has had a major victory. Jean wonders how long they will have to continue fighting, but Connie comforts him, saying to Jean and Sasha that they are special to him, and that they all survived.

Gabi Braun rushes after the airship on foot, as Falco Grice chases after her. After getting her to stop, Gabi emotionally recalls the deaths of Udo, Zofia, and the two gate guards. She explains that people would spit on her just for being an Eldian, and the reason she strove to improve herself is to show the world that Eldians are not bad people. Gabi is unable to forgive those who trampled her home, and rejects Falco's notion that the enemy is acting in retaliation to a similar invasion of their land by the Marleyan Warriors. As she calls them devils threatening world peace and Falco remembers Eren's words to Reiner Braun: that inside and outside the Walls, they are the same. Gabi returns to chasing the airship.

As Squad Lima enters the airship, Lobov spots Gabi running below. Gabi shoots him with her rifle, killing him with a shot to the head. Lobov's corpse drops to the ground, though the wire from his anti-personnel vertical maneuvering equipment stays attached to the blimp. Testing the gear's trigger, Gabi asks Falco to tell the others of her bravery and prepares to board the airship. Colt Grice arrives, and rushes towards the two. Falco remembers Reiner telling him that he would have to save Gabi, and grabs on to her as she activates the maneuvering gear.

As the Survey Corps finish celebrating, Gabi rolls inside the cabin and immediately fires upon the group of soldiers. The bullet strikes Sasha's torso and she falls limply on her back, to the horror of Jean and Connie. Jean and Gabi take aim at one another, but Falco tackles Gabi to the floor, causing her bullet to go astray and for Jean to miss his mark. An angry group of soldiers restrain the two children as Jean and Connie rush to Sasha's side. Bleeding out and in shock, Sasha makes a delirious comment about whether their food is ready, ending on "meat." Floch explains to Jean how the two children made it onto the ship, and says he will toss them out. Jean rhetorically asks if it would stop the killing.

Meanwhile, Commander Theo Magath is informed by Koslow that Gabi and Falco have run away and have not returned. Magath addresses Pieck, who says that she remembers the soldier who had trapped her and Porco Galliard. She recognizes the bearded soldier as a lady on the first missing survey ship to Paradis. Pieck remembers her as a follower of Zeke Yeager.

Inside the blimp, Levi has Yelena take off her fake beard. In the room next door, Gabi screams at the Survey Corps soldiers, cursing the "devils" while declaring that they have not lost yet. Zeke's will would be continued by the true Eldians. Tempering himself, Jean brings the two candidates to the room where Zeke sits by Eren, regenerating his limbs.

Zeke asks Gabi and Falco what they are doing on the ship. Falco questions Zeke's presence while Gabi is glad he is alive, albeit captured. Jean explains what the children have done to those in the room, causing Mikasa and Armin rush out to see Sasha. Hange Zoë leaves the piloting to Onyankopon and enters the room, asking Zeke if all has gone according to plan. To the shock of the candidates, Zeke answers that it mostly done so, barring a few miscalculations, specifically the candidates. Jean angrily asks Yelena about trapping the Jaw and Cart Titans, whose escape complicated their mission, and she takes the responsibility for that. Levi explains that it led to the Beast Titan throwing more stones than planned, and insincerely flatters Zeke for his dramatic improvisation. Zeke jokes back that Levi must have wanted to kill him, to which Levi replies with a vague threat.

Eren believes that the successes of this battle, including killing Marley's military leaders, will have bought them time. However, Hange disagrees, finding it more likely that the world will unite in a global offensive against Paradis. Hange expresses disappointment in Eren, for abusing his trust in the Survey Corps to force them into action, and betraying the Corps' trust in the process. Zeke argues that gathering the Founding Titan with a royal-blooded Titan will make all of the sacrifices worthwhile by granting freedom for Eldia. At this time, Connie comes through the door to break the news of Sasha's death. While Mikasa and Armin cry over her body, Eren asks Connie about Sasha's final words. Being told "meat," Eren lets out an unhinged sob with a crestfallen look on his face. Jean blames Eren for Sasha's death, saying she died because Eren had dragged the Survey Corps into battle. As those present watch, Eren grits his teeth, with tears slowly forming, recalling Sasha's wish to recover stolen lands for livestock.

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