Raid on Liberio

The Battle of Liberio is an ongoing conflict between the military of Marley against the invading Attack Titan and the Survey Corps of Paradis.

Nations in decline
The unceremonious near-defeat of the Armored Titan at the hands of the Mid-East Allied Forces' anti-Titan artillery served as a grim reminder to the Marley military that the era of the Titans was coming to an end. Following Marley's victory over the Allies, the leaders of the Marley military gathered to discuss the apparent threat to their global influence. Commander Theo Magath, noting the Allies' superior navy in the recent war, was of the opinion that reliance on the power of the Titans could not guarantee victory in ground-based warfare any longer, especially given the rising advent of military aircraft which would render the Titans completely obsolete in battle.

At this time, Warchief Zeke Yeager proposed the plan to focus Marley's efforts on taking the Founding Titan in order to gain an advantage in Titan-based warfare while simultaneously making efforts to improve conventional weaponry. Since his term as the Beast Titan had approached its final year, Zeke desired to complete this objective himself in the short time he had left to live before passing his power on to Warrior cadet Colt Grice. This proposition appeased General Calvi, who assured Zeke that his plan would be passed on to the governmental party of Marley. However, there were other matters on Zeke's mind related to the imminent end of the Titan era.

Upon returning to Liberio, Zeke gathered the Warriors together to discuss the fate of the Eldian race. Given the declining practicality of Titan weaponry, this decline would inevitably apply to the Eldians who served as the basis for the Titan power. Once the Titans outlived their use, the continuing existence and guaranteed safety of the Eldian race would be at great risk in Marley and the world at large. The Tybur family, a family of Eldian aristocrats in Marley and the keepers of the War Hammer Titan, would resolve this threat by acting as the spokespeople for both Eldia and Marley. During an upcoming festival being held in Liberio, journalists and ambassadors from around the world would gather to hear the words of the Tybur family, who would mark Paradis as the greatest threat to world peace and would guarantee the island's fall within a year. With this strategy, the security of the Eldian race and Marley's continued dominance over the world would be guaranteed.

A new Helos
Soon afterwards, the Tybur family arrived in Liberio where Commander Magath met with Willy Tybur, the head of the family. Together the two discussed the declining state of their nation, comparable to the empty legend of Helos the slayer of the Devil, and the suffering of the Eldian people, both crises which the Tybur family were in some way responsible for. As Magath had suspected, the Tybur family had been acting as the true ruling head of Marley, though in matters of both Marley's military policies and the subjugation of the Eldians the Tyburs remained uninvolved observers. Wishing to right these wrongs, an alliance was struck between Commander Theo Magath and Lord Willy Tybur to save Marley and Eldia from destruction.

Throughout the next month, as preparations for the grand Liberio festival were underway, Tybur and Magath began conspiring against the top brass of the Marley military, the greatest threat to Marley's advancement and the peace of the Eldians. By Magath's investigations, the leaders of the Marley military had become "aged" like the structure of a poorly-tended home requiring large-scale demolition. Given this necessity, Commander Magath was placed in a position that would make him the general of Marley's military forces should the need arise. However, despite the military's needed demolitions, some the structure's "posts" were still usable and had informed him of rats that had infiltrated the home.

Infiltration
At some point during the Marley Mid-East War, Eren Yeager had infiltrated Commander Magath's Eldian unit disguised as a soldier named "Kruger", presumably acting on his own decisions rather than under orders from his superiors. In the initial days after the war, Eren kept a close watch on the Warriors, particularly Reiner Braun, and began took pity on the Eldians for the subjugation they faced on the mainland. After returning to Liberio, Eren faked psychological trauma and was sent to recover with other damaged soldiers in a hospital. At this hospital, Eren met Warrior cadet Falco Grice, who became his close acquaintance. Claiming to send correspondence to his family, Eren used Falco as a means to deliver messages to his allies in the Survey Corps who were searching for him. This correspondence would continue over the course of the next month leading up to the Liberio festival.

While the details of the infiltration were muddled, Commander Magath and Willy Tybur were well aware of the spies lurking in their homeland. Sensing an opportunity for Magath's rise into power, Willy suggested clustering the undesirable authorities of the Marley military together during the upcoming production to serve as bait for whatever attackers may come forth. The party of Marley would grant Magath full authority to select any officers he desired to be the authority in his newly rebuilt military. Magath was wary of the plan, noting that many innocents would die and Willy Tybur's life would be at great risk as well should the festival production come under attack. These would be necessary losses in Willy's eyes, who believed the world would not take his side if he escaped any disaster alone. With the bait set, the festival was ready to proceed.