Assassin's Bullet (Chapter)

Assassin's Bullet (凶弾) is the 3rd chapter of the 26th volume and the 105th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
After Eren Yeager climbs onto the airship, he is aggressively placed under arrest by Levi. Meanwhile, the soldiers protecting the blimp prepare to board, with Jean leaving former Garrison commanding officer Lobov outside to defend the ship. In the airship, and despite taking six casualties, the Survey Corps begins celebrating the battle as a major victory for Eldia.

Falco rushes after Gabi, who chases the retreating Survey Corps. Gabi emotionally explains that she cannot forgive those who destroyed her home. Spotting Lobov outside the ship, she shoots him dead, and uses his tethered maneuvering gear to board the ship together with Falco. Gabi rolls inside the airship and fires at the celebrating soldiers, hitting Sasha in the chest. The Warrior candidates are captured and taken to a room, where they find Zeke sitting with Eren. Zeke explains his plan has been successful except for a few miscalculations. Hange expresses her disappointment in Eren for his actions that had forced the Corps to act, but Zeke argues that they now have both the Founder and a Titan of royal blood. Connie enters the room to tell them that Sasha had died. Mortified, Jean blames Eren for dragging the Survey Corps into the conflict and Eren harshly grits his teeth.

Summary
Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman climb the netting onto the airship controlled by the Survey Corps, sharing a disheartened glance with Armin Arlert, who helps Eren aboard. Insulting Eren's filthy appearance, Levi Ackerman kicks Eren before restraining him. Eren offers no resistance, explaining that everything is as he had written in his letters.

Outside, Jean Kirstein orders the soldiers defending the ship to board, and to inform the command that the enemy forces had no anti-aircraft weaponry. Former Garrison commanding officer Lobov tells Jean to also go, and is left to defend the rear. Connie Springer and Sasha Blouse help Jean up, and tell him that the Corps had suffered six fatalities. Floch tells them to compare this to the damage dealt to Marley, rousing a celebration by saying the New Eldian Empire had begun with a major victory. Jean sternly wonders how long they will have to continue fighting, but Connie comforts him, saying to Jean and Sasha that they are special to him, and that they all survived.

Gabi Braun rushes after the airship, as Falco Grice chases after her. After getting her to stop, Gabi emotionally tells Falco about the deaths of Udo, Zofia, and the two gatekeepers. She explains that being an Eldian has made people view her as worthless, the reason she had striven to improve herself and show the world that Eldians are not bad people. Gabi expresses that she is unable to forgive those that had trampled her home, and rejects Falco's notion that the enemy were acting in retaliation to being violated. As she calls them the devils threatening world peace, Falco remembers Eren's words to him - that inside and outside the Walls, they are the same. Gabi returns to chasing the airship.

As the final squad enters the airship, Lobov spots Gabi running below. Moments later, Gabi fires on him, killing him with a shot to the head. Lobov's corpse drops to the ground, though the wire from his anti-personnel vertical maneuvering equipment stays attached to the blimp. Testing the gears trigger, Gabi asks Falco to tell the others of her bravery, as she prepares to use the gear to board the airship. Colt Grice arrives, and rushes towards the two, but is unsuccessful in stopping them as Falco joins Gabi in being lifted to the airship, remembering Reiner Braun's plead to save Gabi.

As the Survey Corps finish celebrating and begin ascending the blimp, Gabi rolls onto the platform, immediately firing upon the group of soldiers. The bullet strikes Sasha's upper torso, who falls down, to the horror of Jean and Connie. Jean and Gabi take aim at one another, but Falco tackles Gabi to the floor, causing her bullet to go astray and for Jean to miss his mark. An angry group of soldiers restrain the two children as Jean and Connie rush to Sasha's side. Bleeding out and in shock, Sasha makes a delirious comment about waiting for food, ending on "meat". Floch explains to Jean how the two had made it onto the ship, and asks if he should toss them out. Jean declines, knowing that it would not stop the killing.

Commander Magath is informed by Koslow that the two candidates had rushed away. He addresses Pieck, who says that she remembers about the soldier who had trapped her and Galliard. She recognizes the bearded soldier as a lady on the first missing reconnaissance ship to Paradis, notable for being a follower of Zeke Yeager.

Inside the blimp, Levi has Yelena take off her fake beard. In the room next door, Gabi screams at the Survey Corps soldiers, cursing the "devils" whilst declaring that the will left by Warchief Zeke would be continued by the true Eldians. Tempering himself, Jean brings the two candidates to the room where Zeke sits by Eren, regenerating his limbs.

Zeke asks Gabi and Falco what they are doing on the ship. Falco questions Zeke's presence while Gabi is glad he is alive, albeit captured. Jean explains what the children had done to those in the room, causing Mikasa and Armin rush to see Sasha. Hange Zoë leaves the piloting to Onyankopon and enters the room, asking Zeke if all had gone according to plan. To the shock of the candidates, Zeke answers that it had gone correctly in essence, despite a few miscalculations - such as the candidates. Jean angrily questions Yelena about trapping the Jaw and Cart Titans, and she takes the responsibility for their escape. Levi explains that it had led to the Beast Titan throwing more stones then planned, insincerely flattering Zeke for his dramatic improvisation. Zeke jokes back that Levi must have wanted to kill him, to which Levi replies with a vague threat.

Eren conveys that the successes of the battle, including killing Marley's military elite, will have bought them time. However, Hange disagrees, finding a global offensive against them to be inevitable. Hange expresses her disappointment in Eren, for abusing his own importance to the Survey Corps to force them into action, betraying the Corps trust in the process. Zeke argues that gathering the Founding Titan with a royal blooded Titan would make all of the sacrifices worthwhile by granting freedom for Eldia. At this time, Connie comes through the door, to break the news of Sasha's death. While Mikasa and Armin cry over her body, Eren asks Connie about Sasha's final words. Being told "meat", Eren lets out an unhinged chuckle with a crestfallen look on his face. Jean blames Eren for Sasha's death, saying she died because Eren had dragged the Survey Corps into the battle. As those present watch him profusely, Eren grits his teeth, recalling Sasha's wish to recover stolen lands for livestock. The airship later prepares to fly over the island.

Navigation
Capítulo 105