Sin (Chapter)

Tsumi (罪) is the 4th and final chapter of the 15th volume and the 62nd chapter overall of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
The former monarchy has been forfeited and the officials arrested, but Erwin Smith and Darius Zackly still have doubts about their newly appointed positions. They discuss the direction humanity will take after their drastic actions and contemplate the penalty it will ensue. Hange and the new Levi squad attempt to locate Eren after he was taken to a dungeon by Rod Reiss and Kenny Ackerman, with Historia Reiss as a front. Chained up and confused, Eren is confronted by Historia and she reveals that Rod is not an enemy of humanity. Rod and Historia say that all will be explained soon enough. Hidden powers trigger a distant memory of Eren with his father, and the aftermath of his very first transformation is revealed.

Summary
The chapter begins with a public proclamation announcing that the former government was conquered by the Survey Corps and had fallen. Erwin and Darius announce this to the public on the gallows that once had been prepared for Erwin's execution. Nile Dok is questioned by the crowd about the news, and he proclaims that the Survey Corps overthrew the government because they would end up betraying their own people if it meant their own survival. Nile says that the Corps have no interest in ruling within the Walls, explaining that the Fritz family is not the true royal family, the real royalty being in hiding. Nile explains that with the situation humanity has faced, the throne was unfit for a monarchy that endangered its own people. Nile goes on to say that the military's mission is to crown, the true royal heir and restore people's trust in the government, and that the former corrupt monarchy are currently sitting in jail cells. A reporter reveals that despite the recent events being a good thing, the people have expressed mixed, uncertain emotions about the whole ordeal. The reporter says that, though the true royal heir will be crowned, within the hearts and minds of the people, the Fritz family will always be in power. This shocks Nile, with the reporter going on to explain that no one knows what to believe in any longer.

Erwin and Darius sit in a wagon strolling through the city. Erwin confesses that he believes humanity was in better hands with the old monarchy, saying that no matter how corrupt and frail it was, they were able to keep humanity extant. He says that despite their plans to abandon half of their people, it still would have resulted better than the extinction of the human race altogether. He explains that it would have been safer to entrust the former government with Eren's Titan powers, the retaking of Wall Maria and even Eren's life entirely. The best choice for humanity would have been for Erwin to abandon himself and his friends all while entrusting the government, remarking if humanity truly is more precious than individuals. Darius says that Erwin's mission is as perilous as ever, with Erwin questioning why Darius led them down such a treacherous road. Darius says that if Erwin wanted to trust the government, he should never have planned the coup with Pixis in the first place. Darius says that the reason his men pointed their guns at the government was because he never liked them in the first place, expressing that they were disgusting, pompous rulers. He was their own loyal lapdog and climbed his way into power, and laughs when thinking about how much he wanted to see them torn down. He says that he was waiting for the day to see them fall for as long as he was in their hands. Darius says that whether the revolution has a better or worse impact on humanity, it doesn't concern him, saying that the remark makes him look like the bad guy. He says that Erwin must feel the same way, and Erwin agrees. Darius says that Erwin allowed others to choose what path humanity followed, explaining that the both of them valued their own lives over the fate of mankind. Darius asks the reason Erwin did this, and Erwin says it's because of a dream he's had since he was young.

Back at the Berg Newspapers, Hange thanks Roy for distributing the papers. Hange tells him to take everyone from the paper and their families to Trost District, just like they previously had prepared. Hange and Moblit head to the rendezvous point, where they see Marlowe and Hitch. Hange and Marlowe briefly exchange code and prepare to meet the person they discussed about. The group gathers their horses and ride to the point, seeing a crowd of people, and the group is thrilled to discover their plan succeeded. Hange tells Moblit to message Erwin about the news.

Hange meets up with the Levi squad and briefly explains to a confused Mikasa that Eren will be eaten in order to have his powers stolen, based on a lead from a discussion overhead by Reiner and Bertolt. Hange says that she will explain the whole situation as they move, and the squad takes the horses towards a dark path. Hange reads from a report commissioned by Erwin about the Reiss family grounds, explaining that it is safe to assume that Eren will be taken there. Survey Corps members disguised as farmers conducted a covert survey on the grounds, with the majority of the report being about an incident that happened to the Reiss family five years ago. It reads that the Reiss family was blessed with five children, one of them being illegitimate, which came from the lord and a servant. This wasn't an unusual thing and didn't leave a bad reputation with the lord. The lord's eldest daughter, Frieda Reiss, was loved by all for her genuine character, and was known to visit the fields to personally thank the farmers for their work. You could ask anyone on those grounds and they'd tell how that she was their pride and joy. A tragedy struck the night Wall Maria fell, however, as marauding bandits who had taken advantage of the Wall's destruction raided a chapel in the village. They went unnoticed and that night, the entire Reiss family was gathered around in prayer and all of them died that night, save for Rod. This all happened days before Historia's mother was murdered by the Military Police's interior squad. After the annihilation of his family, Rod attempted to contact Historia, and ended up being the reason the interior squad surrounded Historia and her mother in the first place. Levi and Mikasa question Hange, but Hange tells them the subject is for another time. Hange moves onto why such a well structured chapel could have fell so easily as it did, and why the bandits needed to level the building anyway. Hange questions why Rod, the only one to witness the bandits, rebuilt it immediately after it fell. They wonder if Titans were involved in the situation, and say that any suspicious situation such as that is worth looking into. The team decides that they will check out the chapel, where Hange suspects Eren will be taken to be eaten. Armin recites in his head that when a Titan eats a human who can become a Titan, it gains their powers. With that in mind, he wonders where and how Eren became a Titan, and who was eaten in order for Eren to gain his abilities.

Eren awakes chained in a crystallized dungeon, mouth covered with a retractor. While Rod and Kenny are talking, Historia approaches Eren and explains that Rod is an ally of humanity, and was only previously misunderstood. She says that despite all of the people he's killed, it was all for the benefit of humanity. Rod confronts the two and tells Historia that he will explain the rest. Eren in his mind remembers the last thing seeing was the two reconciling, in his memory Rod asking for Historia's forgiveness and told her that all he did was in order to protect her and he anticipated the day would come when he'd be able to warmly hold her. Eren asks to himself how long he was gone, and where the Corps' current location is. Eren also questions what Rod has been telling Historia and why he keeps getting kidnapped. Eren remembers the dungeon he was kept in, but the thought is cut short as Rod and Historia approach him. Rod says that it's Eren's first time in the dungeon, but wouldn't be surprised if he is familiar with it. This further confuses Eren but Historia asks Rod if he will explain all this to Eren, but Rod says that he'd like to try something first. He explains that they need to touch Eren in order to resurface the memories of what happened in the dungeon. Rod and Historia slowly place their hands in sync, triggering a violent flashback. Eren is shown the memories of an unknown person entering a passageway beneath the church, transforming into a Titan Shifter, slaughtering most of the Reiss family, and then fighting at least one unknown Titan Shifter. Eren becomes horridly confused and questions what's going on, and the sight shifts to Eren in the forest from his father's point of view five years ago. Eren is injected with the serum and is struck with immense pain before transforming into a Titan for the first time. The Titan aims Eren's father and kill him, all being viewed from Grisha's perspective. The memory then shifts to the aftermath, with Eren in human form holding dead Grisha's glasses and howling in terror beside the bloody remains. In the present, Rod asks Eren if he remembers his father's sin.