Declaration of War (Chapter)

"As ambassador for the Marleyan Government, I, Willy Tybur...!! ... Wish for world peace!! And so I proclaim on this day!! To the enemy forces on Paradis!! This is a declaration of war!!"

- Willy declares war on Paradis

Declaration of War (宣戦布告) is the 2nd chapter of the 25th volume and the 100th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
Before the festival in Liberio, Willy Tybur and Theo Magath suspect their enemies are already hidden within Marley. Willy intends to use the festival to draw them out by using himself as bait. Magath is concerned that he will be unable to protect Willy, but Willy emphasizes the importance of having the Eldians of the internment zone become tragic victims, including himself.

In the present, Willy continues his story about how the Tyburs sided with Karl Fritz and sold out the other Eldians to Marley. Meanwhile, Magath is informed about the disappearance of the Warriors and deploys a search party. As Willy warns of the danger posed by Eren Yeager and the Colossus Titans contained inside the Walls of Paradis, Eren tells Reiner Braun that he now understands what Reiner went through while living with the enemy, but Reiner does not want any excuses and accepts responsibility for what he did. Eren offers him a hand, but as Willy calls on the nations of the world to join his fight, Eren transforms into the Attack Titan. He emerges from the building behind Willy and then crushes him with his hand.

Summary
Some time before the festival, Willy Tybur discusses with Theo Magath about the possibility that Willy will be attacked during the event. Willy explains that the Tybur family has been making efforts to improve the social standing of Eldians around the world while focusing their attention on movements on the island of Paradis, but they realized too late that their enemies had crossed the ocean and arrived at Liberio. He suspects that there are conspirators aligned with Paradis; although their identities are still unknown.

He explains his plan for using himself and the Marleyan military leadership as a bait to lure their enemies out during his speech in the internment zone. Magath is concerned about the magnitude of the bait and the number of lives that will be lost if the plan is enacted, but Willy replies that they will be mostly Eldians and if Magath is concerned he can put the useless Marleyan officers in the danger zone in order to minimize the damage for Marley. Willy questions Magath's sudden concern about the lives of the "descendants of Devils" given that the commander has sent countless more to their deaths in battle.

Magath is still hesitant about risking such an important asset as Willy, but Willy points out that if he does not go out there and speak, there will be no gathering of militaries, journalists, and ambassadors from various countries. He adds that it is important that Eldians, including himself, assume the role of victims of an "unseen attack" in order to gain the sympathy of the rest of the world. With this, they shake hands and agree to the plan.

In the present, Willy continues his speech, revealing how the Tybur family sided with Karl Fritz and sold the Eldians to Marley in exchange for their own assured safety and a life of respect and freedom from persecution despite being Eldians themselves. He admits that when he learned this truth after becoming the head of the Tybur family, he was sent reeling at the realization that the Tybur family are nothing but petty thieves growing fat on unearned honor.

Meanwhile, Magath is informed about the disappearance of the Warriors, and orders his men to go search for them as he tells to himself that the attack has begun.

Trapped underground, Pieck and Galliard evaluate their situation. Thanks to landing in a pile of straw, they only broke a few bones from their fall, and they are already healing. The pit they find themselves in appears to have been designed to confine Warriors, as it is too narrow to allow a Titan transformation. Some provisions were also left at their disposal, including food and water. Galliard wonders about the intentions of the soldier who led them to the trap, and Pieck reiterates that she has seen him somewhere before.

Willy tells the crowd that he is parting with his false glory because he understands the dangerous state the world is in due to the threat posed by the tens of millions of Colossus Titans contained in the three Walls of Paradis. Even though the Fritz family cannot use the Founding Titan due to Karl Fritz's vow, he discloses Reiner Braun's report that the current holder of the Founding Titan, Eren Yeager, can activate that power despite his unclear relation to the royal bloodline.

As Willy says this, Eren, Reiner and Falco Grice listen to his speech from the basement; with Falco perplexed after learning Kruger's true identity and that he was tricked by him. Eren apologizes for this and confesses that the letters supposedly sent to his family were in reality for his friends. While Willy expounds on the danger of the Colossus Titans, a still confused Falco believes that regardless of what is happening, this is his and Reiner's best chance to retrieve the Founding Titan now that they have the holder right in front of them.

However, he is once again left astonished when Eren claims that Willy's words are correct and that he is the "bad guy"; however, he also remarks that he once viewed the Warriors as the bad guys too. He remembers the time when Reiner, Bertolt Hoover and Annie Leonhart breached Wall Maria, causing his mother's death along with the deaths and suffering of many other people. He questions Reiner about his reasons, and Reiner reveals that it was in order to infiltrate the Walls by taking advantage of the chaos. Reiner wanted to see what the King of the Walls would do next, and ultimately retake the Founder to save the world.

Eren seemingly agrees with his reasoning, and Reiner reminds him of the day Eren said he would make it his mission to see the Warriors "die the most excruciating death possible." Reiner wonders whether Eren has come to fulfill that vow, but Eren denies this and states that he now understands Reiner's stance after crossing the ocean and living with the enemy just as Reiner had done. He has seen that are good and bad people both within the Walls and across the ocean. They are all the same. But Reiner was raised by ignorant adults who said the people within the Walls were demons and the enemies of everyone. Eren does not blame Reiner, because he was a child when all that was beaten into him.

However, Reiner breaks down and exclaims that Eren is wrong. He accepts responsibility for having forced Bertolt and Annie to continue with their mission after they wanted to retreat following Marcel Galliard's death; all because he wanted to be respected and be seen as a hero. He accepts that he was wrong and pleads with Eren to kill him since he cannot stand living anymore, admitting that he was ultimately the one responsible for the death of Eren's mother.

Meanwhile, Willy continues explaining that the world is in danger because of the Eldians' existence. He admits that he resented his own blood and hoped for the extinction of the Eldians, but conversely, he does not want to die, and encourages anyone who does not want to die as well to join him in fight against the Eldians of Paradis.

Hearing this, Eren stands up and holds out his wounded hand to Reiner. He asks him to stand up as well, reassuring him that they are the same. They were born this way. A surprised Reiner does as Eren says, and Eren goes on proclaiming that he will continue moving forward until all of his enemies are destroyed. As he says this, he begins his transformation into a Titan in front of the terrified Reiner.

Just as Willy shouts out his declaration of war against Paradis, Eren's Titan form emerges from the building behind him and crushes him with its hand.

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