Revenge for Liberio

"The fate of the world rests upon our shoulders now. We won't let this problem linger any longer. We must kill the Founder. We'll eat the Founder here...and put an end to a hundred years of resentment."

- General Theo Magath declares their mission to his subordinates

Marley's revenge for Liberio (レベリオの雪辱) is a counterattack launched by the Marleyan military and Warrior Unit against Paradis Island in retaliation for Eren Yeager's raid on Liberio.

Delayed preparations for the rumbling
With the Founding Titan in Eren Yeager's possession and Zeke Yeager acting as a Titan of royal blood, Paradis Island acquired full potential use for the Founding Titan to awaken the Titans within the Walls and begin the "earth-rumbling" whenever necessary as deterrence against foreign invaders. News of Eldia's victory in Liberio was quickly announced to the public, leading to much rejoicing among the civilians with particular praise going to Eren. Funerals were held for the eight Survey Corps soldiers who died in the raid on Liberio, and captives Gabi Braun and Falco Grice were made into prisoners of war, though they would quickly escape from their captivity to wander the southwestern territory of Wall Rose. After providing the Paradis military with a large supply of Titan injections stolen from Marley, Commander Dot Pixis reluctantly placed the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers under collective house arrest due to a distrust of the group - particularly regarding Zeke and Yelena. Meanwhile, Zeke remained under Captain Levi Ackerman's supervision along with a group of thirty other Survey Corps soldiers in a Titan Forest.

Eren's insubordinate behavior before and during the raid on Liberio was a cause for significant tension in the Paradis military. As punishment for insubordination, Eren was confined to indefinite underground imprisonment, though Eren claimed openly that his newly acquired abilities from the War Hammer Titan could allow for him to escape whenever he wanted. While Eren remained imprisoned, Yelena would covertly have wine laced with Zeke Yeager's spinal fluid sent from Marley to Paradis and dispersed to high-ranking military officials. This would enable them to be transformed into Titans at a moment's notice, a threat that would serve as potential blackmail if Eren and Zeke's plans were hindered.

After escaping into the wilderness, Gabi and Falco were taken in by the Blouse family in Dauper village where they posed as runaway children named "Mia" and "Ben." Despite their facade, adopted Blouse daughter Kaya overheard conversations identifying them as Marleyan Warriors, though she kept their true nature a secret. Wanting to help them, Kaya offered to take them with her family to a restaurant staffed by a fellow Marleyan who could help them return home.

Global hostility against Eldia
As Willy Tybur had hoped and planned for, the deaths of countless ambassadors present in Liberio during the raid led to many nations to see Paradis Island as a genuine threat. The major nations pledged support to Marley, forming a global military alliance that was preparing to conduct a scorched-earth operation against Paradis within six months. Despite the international support Reiner Braun felt that Zeke would not remain idle and knew that the Marleyan army would not strike back suddenly, but take their time to consolidate their forces. Reiner then proposed they strike immediately against Paradis with a surprise attack.

Despite increased global tensions against Paradis, the alliance between Eldia and Hizuru remained steadfast. Hizuru's research into previously acquired iceburst stone from Paradis culminated in a flying boat which would be used by Kiyomi Azumabito and her fellow ambassadors from Hizuru to witness the rumbling in action from a safe vantage.

Rise of the Yeagerists
Against the wishes of the Paradis military, several members of the Survey Corps leaked information of the imprisonment of Eren and the volunteers to the public, causing a significant amount of outrage in the civilian and military population alike. Opponents of Eren and the Volunteers' imprisonment criticized the military's secretive nature against the public where they had once been proponents of full disclosure. The information leaks were traced back to Survey Corps members Floch Forster, Louise, Holger, and Wim, of whom Floch expressed their collective belief that Eren Yeager should rule Eldia as the Founding Titan and bring their nation to new glory. Unrepentant of their actions, all four were then jailed for insubordination.

While public tensions rose, Dot Pixis began interrogation of Anti-Marleyan Volunteer Yelena for suspected collaboration with Eren Yeager before his departure into Marley ten months prior. She expressed her motives as being an admiration for Eren and Zeke, claiming to want Eren to pursue his ambitions freely without the restraint of military authority. Pixis was unconvinced by her case and continued to press for the truth of her motives. Meanwhile, Survey Corps Commander Hange Zoë meets with the benevolent Anti-Marleyan Volunteer Onyankopon, from whom she learned that Yelena's motives remained a mystery even to her fellow Volunteers.

Around one month after Eren's imprisonment, the highest authorities of the Paradis military arranged plans for him to be fed to a Titan to whom his Titan powers would be passed, believing Eren to be working with Zeke against Eldia's best interests. This information eventually spread to Eren's followers who then began conspiring to overthrow military authority in order for Eren to seize control of Paradis. These followers, who would gain the public moniker of "the Yeagerists," began by bombing Commander-in-Chief Darius Zackly by hiding explosives in his custom-made torture chair which he kept in his office. Zackly's death was well received by the public, who eagerly awaited Eren Yeager's rise to power.

During this time, two Warriors from Marley (Pieck and Galliard) arrived on Paradis. They both would remain undercover as scouts to observe the political tensions without interfering.

Around the time of (or shortly after) Commander-in-Chief Zackly's death, Eren made use of his newly acquired War Hammer Titan powers to escape from his underground imprisonment along with one hundred of his followers. Upon his escape, Eren and the Yeagerists began preparations to reunite with Zeke. Anticipating this reunion, the Paradis military ensured the security of Zeke as well as Queen Historia Reiss, who could act as a successor to Zeke as a Titan of royal blood. Recognizing the ability of the Yeagerists to hide within plain sight among them, Commander Pixis proposed a full surrender to the Yeagerists in order to negotiate Zeke's location and plan rumbling experiments to prevent further loss of Eldian life through prolonged rebellion.

With further suspicions as to what the ultimate long-term plan of the Yeagerists could be, Commander Hange proposed further investigation into the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, this time turning to Nicolo who had worked at a restaurant in his house arrest. Arriving at the same time as the Blouse family, Gabi and Falco met with Nicolo and explained their situation. Recognizing Gabi as the girl who murdered Sasha Blouse, Nicolo fell into a rage and attempted to strike her with a wine bottle laced with Zeke's spinal fluid; however, Falco shielded her from the blow and ended up ingesting the fluid himself. In his panic, Nicolo revealed to the Survey Corps soldiers present the truth of the laced wine.

While the soldiers attempted to rinse Falco's mouth and body of the spinal fluid, the Yeagerists led by Eren arrived at the restaurant following a tip provided by Griez, a Marleyan POW and secretly a Yeagerist. The Yeagerists detained all present members of the Survey Corps while elsewhere taking the rest of the Paradis military into their captivity. After a private conversation between Eren, Mikasa, and Armin where Eren rejected his friendship with the two, the Yeagerists left for Shiganshina District to rendezvous with Zeke.

News of the Yeagerists' control over Paradis Island was sent to Captain Levi. Rejecting Pixis's proposal of negotiations concerning Zeke, Levi prepared to capture a Yeagerist and have them eat Zeke to deny the Yeagerists of their goal. However, Zeke instead seized the opportunity to attempt an escape. With a scream, Zeke transformed the thirty soldiers with Levi who had drunk the laced wine into Titans, taking a small escort with him out of the forest while the rest attacked Levi. Zeke's Titans were quickly killed by Levi, forcing Zeke into his Beast Titan form to defend himself. Using tree branches as distraction, Levi struck Zeke's hardened nape with several Thunder Spears, dismembering him and taking him captive once more.

Placing a Thunder Spear into Zeke's abdomen, Zeke was forced to remain motionless lest he detonate the spear and kill himself. In a desperate move, Zeke detonated the spear regardless, nearly killing himself and critically injuring Levi. However, a single surviving Titan approached Zeke's body and placed it in its abdomen where by unexplained means Zeke's body slowly recovered itself.

Arriving in Shiganshina District, the captives of the Yeagerists were confined to cells beneath the district's military headquarters. Shortly afterwards, group of the Yeagerists led by Floch along with a captive Hange confronted the 109th Training Corps and Instructor Keith Shadis. Seeking further support for Eren's cause, Floch urged the trainees to reject the authorities of the military and follow Eren as their true leader. Support for Eren was overwhelming, and as initiation into the Yeagerists, Floch had the trainees beat Instructor Shadis severely before commanding Hange to lead his group to Zeke's location.

Levi and Zeke were soon found by Floch's group. Investigating Levi's wounds, Hange claimed Levi was dead due to being caught point-blank of an Thunder Spear explosion, but upon insistence of further inspection by Floch she fled into a nearby river with Levi's body. As some soldiers pursued Hange and Levi, Floch met with the newly recovered Zeke and the remaining Yeagerists prepared to rendezvous with Eren back in Shiganshina.

With the military in captivity, Yelena oversaw the categorization of those present in the city: military prisoners who had not drunk Zeke's spinal fluid-laced wine were given red armbands, military prisoners who had drunk the wine were given black armbands, and the Yeagerists were given white armbands to distinguish them from the prisoners. Yelena then visited Eren's former comrades in the Survey Corps and revealed their true goal: to have Zeke and Eren use the power of the Founding Titan to sterilize the Subjects of Ymir, beginning "Eldia's euthanasia" and letting the people of Eldia live in peace until no more are left on the earth.

First assault
In Shiganshina District, Eren Yeager began preparations to have Gabi Braun call out any infiltrators in the Walls who may desire to help her, but his plans were interrupted when he is confronted by Pieck. Knowing she would be unable to defeat Eren alone, she claimed the desire to cooperate with Eren against Marley, agreeing to point out the location of Marleyan infiltrators from the rooftop of the military headquarters in the city. As they traveled to the rooftop, Galliard awaited below disguised as a Survey Corps Yeagerist where he would strike at Eren from below. Eren anticipated the attack, losing only his legs when the Jaw Titan broke through the roof from beneath him. The Jaw Titan's ambush was accompanied by the arrival of five Marleyan airships above Shiganshina carrying the Warrior Unit and a small Marleyan strike force led by the newly promoted General Theo Magath. Additional airships were stationed south of Shiganshina awaiting Marleyan retreat.

Marleyan paratroopers equipped with new anti-Titan rifles descended on Shiganshina along with a large anti-Titan cannon for Pieck's Cart Titan. With Galliard's help, Pieck was unchained from Gabi, allowing her to transform into the Cart Titan and escape with Gabi to rendezvous with the Marleyan forces. Despite the Yeagerists urging for him to seek shelter, Eren decided to confront Marley head-on. The Attack Titan approaches the Marleyan forces and spots Reiner Braun transform into the Armored Titan as he descends. As Gabi reunited with Colt Grice, Pieck informed General Magath that approximately 800 Eldian soldiers were present in the city: 500 Yeagerists and 300 wine-marked prisoners. Concluding that Zeke must be the royal Titan needed to activate the Founding Titan, Magath declared that Marley would take the Founding Titan in that moment.

The Armored Titan and the Jaw Titan struck together against the Attack Titan, but Eren's new abilities with the War Hammer Titan prevented the two from landing any critical blows. Despite his efforts, the Cart Titan's anti-Titan cannon manned by General Magath hit its mark in the Attack Titan's brain, temporarily crippling Eren Yeager. Artillery fire from the airships over the city prevented interference from the Yeagerist soldiers equipped with Thunder Spears. The Armored and Jaw Titans and Magath's marksmanship nearly overwhelm Eren until Zeke arrives with his Beast Titan providing additional bombardment support.

The Beast Titan arrives
The Beast Titan's bombardments kept the Armored and Jaw Titans at bay and critically damaged all five Marleyan airships overhead, sending them crashing to the ground. Due to the Beast Titan's accuracy and harassment from Yeagerist soldiers led by Floch Forster, the Cart Titan's cannon was unable to retaliate against Zeke.

Despite having the opportunity to escape on the southern airships, Gabi remained with Colt, insisting that she remain to save Falco from their situation. Within the prisons, Onyankopon freed Eren's comrades in order for them to help in his defense. Despite tensions, Armin Arlert recognized Onyankopon's ideology as being contrary to Zeke's, and Armin placed his trust in him.

Trusting that Eren would not follow through with Zeke's euthanasia plan, they agreed to fight alongside the Yeagerists against Marley, freeing the remaining prisoners. Those who had not consumed the wine were equipped with vertical maneuvering equipment, while those who had would be led by Commander Pixis to assist in the fighting on the ground.

As the freed prisoners joined the battle, one of the five downed airships crashes in Shiganshina District's gate to Wall Maria. Reuniting with Gabi and his brother, Falco confessed to his role in unwittingly causing the raid on Liberio by aiding Eren and confesses his feelings for Gabi. Believing Falco's wine-marked condition may be used to prevent Zeke from screaming and transforming the 300 wine-marked prisoners in the city, the three headed to the north gate where the Beast Titan was perched.

In an attempt to strike a blow against the Beast Titan, Pieck emerged from her Cart Titan to create the appearance that she had been killed. While Zeke's guard was down, the Marleyan soldiers escorting the Cart Titan struck against their Yeagerist pursuers, and General Magath landed a critical hit against the Beast Titan, shooting Zeke through the nape and incapacitating him. In the chaos, Pieck transformed again into the Cart Titan and relocated for a better vantage point.

With Zeke on the ground, Reiner and Galliard attempted to restrain Eren to prevent him from coming into contact with Zeke. With Floch's Yeagerists in quick pursuit, Pieck and Magath were unable to provide further artillery support. Pixis's ground forces planned to strike against the Marleyan paratroopers from behind. Following Pixis's strategy, Armin proposed striking at the Cart Titan from behind to provide Eren with further assistance.

The struggle against Eren left Galliard critically injured. When Reiner attempted to assist him, the latter saw into his brother Marcel's memories, realizing that his brother purposefully promoted Reiner and belittled him to the Marleyan military in order to protect him. Recovering from his daze, Zeke prepared to summon his Titans until Colt and Falco approached, informing Zeke of Falco's situation. Despite their pleas, Zeke screamed, and the 300 soldiers who had drunk from his wine transformed into Titans under his control. Colt embraced Falco as he became a Titan, dying immediately from the proximity of the explosive transformation.

The summoning of the Titans
Having killed all their Yeagerist pursuers except for Floch, Pieck and Magath resumed their attacks against Zeke, striking him in the nape a second time. Before another blow could be struck, Armin and Mikasa ambushed the Cart Titan and the Marleyan support troops, disabling the anti-Titan cannon. Leaving the cannon behind, Pieck battled alone against Armin and Mikasa.

Zeke sent Falco's Pure Titan against Reiner to allow for Eren to break free from his restraint. Reiner nearly allowed for Falco to bite through his nape and inherit the Armored Titan until Galliard emerged wounded from his Jaw Titan. Revealing what he saw in his brother's memories, Galliard spitefully declared his superiority over Reiner before letting Falco consume him.

Taking the chance to escape, Eren hardened the Attack Titan and encased Reiner's hand in the crystal while the latter was attacking. He made a run for Zeke who had left the corpse of his Titan as Pieck had. Before Eren could come into contact with Zeke, Gabi took up Colt's anti-Titan rifle and fired at Eren, decapitating him mere feet away from his brother, though his head managed to land in Zeke's outstretched hand.

The Founder's moment
In a split second within the timeless realm of the paths, Eren was made to understand that Zeke's will as one of royal blood would overrule his own when controlling the power of the Founding Titan contrary to his expectations. Learning that Eren was opposed to his plan to euthanize the Eldian race, Zeke used the power of the Founding Titan to show Eren the memories of their father Grisha to reveal the truth of his nature. However, the glimpse into Grisha's life revealed his deep love for his new family which overcame his duty as an Eldian Restorationist, and Zeke witnessed his father's long-lasting guilt for how he mistreated him. From within the paths, it became clear to Zeke that Eren had always acted on his own will and not their father's.

From their presence in the paths, Eren was able to pass memories of the future fall of Wall Maria to Grisha by the power of the Attack Titan. Arriving at the memory of Grisha's attack on the Reiss Chapel, Eren and Zeke saw Grisha's conversation with Frieda Reiss and his hesitation to attack the Reiss family. Approaching their father, Eren demanded that his father fulfill his duty for the sake of everyone he had loved and lost, and through Eren's will Grisha chose to transform and slaughter the Reiss family. Afterwards, Grisha saw the vision of Zeke watching him in the paths and apologized for his poor treatment of him as his son. Revealing that he had seen a vision of a ghastly future yet unseen, Grisha begged for the future Zeke to stop Eren. Removing themselves from Grisha's memories, Zeke ordered Ymir to sterilize the Subjects of Ymir, and Eren broke himself free of Zeke's restrain over his will in desperation to stop her.