Savagery (Chapter)

"Did you really think...that I wouldn't kill my men if you turned them into Titans? I guess you wouldn't know...just how many friends we've had to kill."

- Levi Ackerman explains to Zeke Yeager why his plan failed

Savagery (暴悪) is the 3rd chapter of the 28th volume and the 113th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
Due to Falco Grice and many soldiers being stunned, Dot Pixis and Hange Zoë both worry, realizing Zeke Yeager must have transformed a group of Titans. In the Titan Forest, Zeke bids Levi Ackerman farewell while making his escape with an escort of three Titans, and leaving Levi to face his former comrades. At first, Levi is hesitant, though he soon steels himself to sacrifice the horde and begins ripping through them. He later catches up to Zeke and forces him to become the Beast Titan; however, Levi takes advantage of the Titan Forest to defeat him. Zeke's unconscious body is dragged out of the forest.

Floch Forster and the Yeagerists bring Hange along with them to Keith Shadis, in order to seize control of the Training Corps. Through a speech and threats of imprisonment to those who do not comply, Floch convinces the trainees to join their cause and beat Shadis up for representing the old system that will lead to Eldia's defeat. On a wagon, Zeke wakes up to find himself trapped with a Thunder Spear in his stomach connected with a wire to his neck. Levi begins to chop Zeke's feet to prevent him from turning into a Titan. In intense agony, Zeke asks where his glasses are, beginning to have a memory of Tom Ksaver as he slips back into unconsciousness.

Summary
A numbing sensation ripples through several officers of the military due to Zeke Yeager's scream. It is powerful enough to cause Dot Pixis to drop his cup in bewilderment. Those affected are in both the Garrison and the Military Police Brigade. In a carriage driven by the Yeagerists, Falco Grice wakes up, saying that he feels like electricity shot through his body. Hange Zoë realizes from his words that Niccolo's suspicion about the wine is correct and that Zeke must have used his power.

In the Titan Forest, Zeke leaves Levi Ackerman behind to face the combined might of the Survey Corps soldiers who have been transformed into Titans. He taunts Levi and asks him if he would truly cut apart his own men when they have done nothing wrong. Levi realizes that Zeke's spinal fluid must have been in the wine, which his soldiers had been all too happy to drink. He also pieces together that what Zeke had told them about people becoming numb on coming into contact with his spinal fluid is also a lie.

The former soldiers move more quickly and intelligently than ordinary Titans, which Levi theorizes is probably because of Zeke's influence, and he is initially taken back by their quickness and increased ferocity. Forced to fight his subordinates in order to survive, Levi ponders if his subordinates are aware of their actions, as he is surrounded by them in mid-air.

As he departs, Zeke laments their present circumstances, which cannot be properly called a battle or a war. He states to be disappointed that he and Levi never learned to trust each other, but chalks it up to them coming from different worlds and that Levi does not truly understand what it means to have the world preparing to attack Paradis Island. Zeke lets one of the Titans carry him away as he considers how his half-brother Eren Yeager is the only person who is capable of understanding him. He wonders if Eren remembers where the two of them are supposed to meet.

However, before he can escape the forest, a bloodied and angry Levi catches up to him, now armed with Thunder Spears. Zeke uses one of his remaining Titans to attack him, but Levi slices through it. In horror to have to face Levi again, Zeke bites his hand to transform into the Beast Titan and tears apart his last remaining Titan to use pieces of its skull as ammunition to throw at Levi. Noticing that there are no more Titans around, Zeke asks Levi if he really killed all of his own men.

Levi leaps through the trees, cutting down branches far above the Beast Titan's head to use as diversion. He says that all Zeke needed to do was sit back and read, and asks him what made him think that he would not kill his own men. Levi supposes that Zeke simply has no idea how many friends the Survey Corps has had to kill just to get where they are now. He fires his Thunder Spears into the Beast Titan's nape, severely wounding Zeke and blowing him out of his Titan entirely. Levi grabs Zeke's broken body by the head and drags him away, saying that he will not kill him yet.

In Shiganshina District, Keith Shadis prepares the 109th Training Corps for a practice defense against invading Titans. However, some of the trainees find this a useless exercise given that their enemies are no longer Titans, but other humans from outside the Walls. One of them whispers to his companions that they should be training to use guns and form an Eldian army. The trainee feels that their instructor is stuck in the past. Another trainee adds that their best chance is for the Yeagerists to seize power. He feels that they should want a leader willing to make cold-hearted decisions.

Their training exercise is then interrupted by the arrival of Floch Forster and the Yeagerists, who are also leading a captive Hange with them. Floch points his gun at the group and says that they will now be following his orders. Keith tries to take him to task, but Floch fires a warning shot near his foot to shut him up. Floch explains that this has nothing to do with Keith personally, but calls on the Training Corps to join the Yeagerists. He asks them if they are willing to save Eldia and join them with Eren as their leader.

A few step forward and salute, pledging their hearts to Eldia. Floch then orders them to beat Keith until he can no longer stand, as proof of their resolve, since Keith represents the old order the Yeagerists are trying to get rid of. Anyone who does not participate will be sent to jail. Horrified, Hange tries to get him to stop, but Keith says to let it go, as he claims that the trainees will be no match for him. A short while later, Keith lies battered on the ground and Floch congratulates the Training Corps on a good job. He then tells Hange to lead them to Zeke, but notices that she is not paying attention to him.

Elsewhere, the members of the Survey Corps who were detained at the restaurant are waiting in prison. Inside a building with elegant windows, Eren takes a look outside.

Zeke wakes up to find himself lying gravely injured in a wagon with Levi sitting on a bench beside him. Levi tells him not to move and informs Zeke that the Thunder Spear impaled in his stomach is tied to a detonator around his neck. One wrong move and he will be blown in half. Zeke looks over his own body and vomits, and Levi almost pities him as he draws his blades.

He cuts off half of Zeke's foot and when Zeke screams, Levi tells him to shut up as he cuts off more chunks of his legs. Levi explains that he has to do this otherwise Zeke will turn into a Titan. In agony, Zeke asks about his now missing glasses and where they might be. Levi is unsympathetic and tells him that he no longer needs them.

As he falls unconscious, Zeke remembers when he was a boy playing catch with another Eldian, Tom Ksaver. He asked Zeke if he was going to become a pitcher when he grew up. Zeke replied that he had a mission to do.

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