Marley

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𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐘

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘

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༺༻

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𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞

𝑃𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑅𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁: 𝟴𝟰𝟱

𝗘𝗻𝗱: 𝟴𝟰𝟴

𝗘𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲: 𝟴𝟱𝟮

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𝖲𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽, 𝖨 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗈𝗇 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖿𝗎𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝖿 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝖾. 𝖮𝗋 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖿𝗅𝖾𝖼𝗍 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝖱𝖯 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾𝖿𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗂𝗍. 𝖧𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆 𝖺𝗌 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝖼𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿, 𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗈𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗉 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗍𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝗆𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖺𝗀𝖾𝗌. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖳𝗒𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝗈𝗇 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒. 𝖨’𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝖾𝖽𝗂𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝖾𝗑𝗍𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺 𝗌𝗆𝗈𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗎𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽.

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𝖠𝗅𝗅 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗌.

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹

ꕥ

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

𝖠𝗋𝗅𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖥𝖺𝗎𝗌𝗍 ꕥ

𝖲𝗈𝗎𝗅 𝖬𝗈𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋 ꕥ

𝗘𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿

𝖭𝗂𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖺𝗌 𝖢𝖺𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈 ꕥ

𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱

𝖮𝗐𝖾𝗇 𝖨𝗍𝗈 ꕥ

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁

ꕥ

𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗹

𝖫𝖾𝗈𝗇 𝖱𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗈 ꕥ

𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲

𝖨𝗋𝗂𝗌 𝖡𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗐𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 ꕥ

𝗝𝗮𝘄

𝖱𝗒𝗄𝗈𝖺 𝖥𝗋𝖺𝗌𝖾𝗋 (𝖧𝗂𝗄𝖺𝗋𝗂 𝖩𝗎𝗂𝖽𝗈) ꕥ

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𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀

𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒 is 𝖾𝗇𝗀𝖺𝗀𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖬𝗂𝖽-𝖤𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝖶𝖺𝗋 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖬𝗂𝖽-𝖤𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝖠𝗅𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾, 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗂𝗌 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝗎𝗉 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝖻𝗅𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗆𝗒 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋: 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗁𝗇𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖢𝗒𝖽𝗈𝗇𝗂𝖺, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝖿𝖾𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝖠𝖼𝖺𝖽𝗂𝖺, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗍𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝖪𝗈𝗋𝗏𝖺, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖽𝗂𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖸𝖾𝗇’𝗌𝗁𝖺 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗇𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗂𝗇𝗏𝗈𝗅𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖬𝗂𝖽-𝖤𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝖠𝗅𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾. 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝗀𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗎𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖼𝗋𝗎𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗆𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗋 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖠𝗅𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌, 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗀𝖾𝗈𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗁𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝗈𝖻𝗌𝗍𝖺𝖼𝗅𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖡𝗂𝗀 𝖥𝗈𝗎𝗋.

𝖠𝗅𝗅 𝗈𝖿 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒’𝗌 𝗍𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖥𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗒𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝖮𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖯𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝖺𝗉𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖥𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝖺𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝖺 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒𝖺𝗇 𝗌𝗎𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗆 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗈𝗅𝖽𝗂𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗉𝗂𝖾𝗌. 𝖨𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗅 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝖺 𝗋𝖾𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝖶𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗋’𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗒𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝗊𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝗂𝗇𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖼𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖥𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖯𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗌. 𝖥𝗈𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖶𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗋𝗌’ 𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖡𝖺𝗍𝗍𝗅𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖲𝗁𝗂𝗀𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝖺, 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗎𝗋𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒. 𝖧𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝖿𝖺𝗅𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖼𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖠𝗅𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾, 𝗄𝖺𝗋𝗆𝖺 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝖿𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝖺𝗍 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗆𝖾𝖾𝗍𝗌 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝖽𝖾𝗆𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝖺𝗍 𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍, 𝗉𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗋𝗈𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗈𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗉𝖾𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖻𝗈𝗍𝗁 𝖯𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽.

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𝖮𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖢𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌/𝖭𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝖮𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗇𝗌𝖾

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𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀

𝖦𝗈𝗋𝖾

𝖵𝗂𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾

𝖡𝗈𝖽𝗂𝗅𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗆

𝖬𝗂𝗅𝖽 𝖫𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗎𝖺𝗀𝖾

𝖯𝗁𝗒𝗌𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗌𝗌𝖺𝗎𝗅𝗍

𝖣𝖾𝗉𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗐𝖺𝗋

𝖴𝗌𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗆𝗌

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With Zane ing them, the vehicle had taken off. As Zane had spent his silence gazing back at the diminishing sight behind them, Iris kept her neutral gaze faced forward on the road ahead. The escort car having dropped them off, Iris and Zane were led to meet General Rache at Marley’s military headquarters.

Walking through those endless halls, Zane couldn’t help but notice how Iris was as focused as always, her black gaze always looking directly ahead. But Zane’s eyes kept wandering with the halls as they were guided by a group of four Marleyan soldiers, two in front and two behind. Though it seemed they were being escorted like criminals, this was nothing new to Zane. Actually, it felt more “normal” to him, having thought it protocol security of something of the sort for both the Warrior and the soldiers.

The two Warriors had soon arrived in a timely manner. However, they were tasked to wait outside the room due to an ongoing meeting:

”Cydonia’s aerial bombing along the Nemori eastern region has forced our forces back toward the central capital,” a member spoke with a elongated stick to follow, its end pointing to the small country in comparison to the rest of the continent’s larger nations. “It’s already proven too difficult to regain the territories we’ve lost within Nemori. Any advances along the eastern point would just risk Acadia and Cydonia crashing down on us from both sides.”

The atmosphere rather tense, the meeting focused to solve the issue of the eastern front against two of the largest nation threats to Marley. Having dominated Bulkslav through harsh trench warfare, brushed through Sauria in a week, and pressuring Nemori into surrender under a month, it seems Marley’s sudden blitz of luck and fortune had evaporated. Slamming into literal walls guarding Acadia and Cydonia’s western borders, Marley’s momentum had come to a screeching halt.

While the three nations had came to a temporary standstill, Marley had deployed Zane and Iris to Paradis to retrieve their Warrior Unit and capture or reveal the Founding if possible. However, during that time frame, Marley experienced a drastic need to retreat from enemy borders the moment Cydonia had realized the absence of their Warriors. Their military might in of technology were incomparable.

Marley had managed to only take down three single-seat flight planes, by a stroke of luck from M2 Browning machine guns that managed to pierce through the low flying aircraft before operating soldiers were blown out of commission. It was a gruesome retreat with the ever-looming enemy bombing raids that established a protective line between occupied Nemori and Cydonia’s western border.

The meeting was adjourned for a break, seeing how the Warriors had returned and seemingly triumphant in their mission to bring back the Warrior Unit and Marleyan Unit from Paradis territory.

”Female Warrior, Iris Bellwether present,” the female stated with her arrival as she gave a firm salute to the General and his familiar ring of military advisers. Other of the military having cleared for the break, General Rache’s military advisers, along with himself, had remained to hear Iris and Zane’s returning report.

Having entered the room with Iris, Zane saluted in turn after the other: “Cart Warrior, Zane Castro present.” Keeping their salutes until otherwise allowed to lower their arms, the Warrior had watched as the General approached in a rather calm but intimidating manner. He was taller than both Iris and himself, the older practically towering over them with underlying demand in his tone.

The two Warriors situated to stand in the center of the room with long tables to either side with a main one before them, General Victor Rache had rose from his middle seat on the right side of the room. “Bellwether, Castro,” he addressed the two with a calm placement of his hands behind his back. “What have you to report,” the older soldier stepped to round the table, meeting them head on as he stood before the two teenage Warriors.

”Sir,” but Zane did not flinch at that intimidation as he acknowledged the general. “We followed plans to create a distraction in the north. The Panzer and myself were successful in curving northward bound from our southern departure before parting ways with Bellwether. The two northern-most district gates were destroyed and we allowed titans to invade. The first district was abandoned as we had expected from Arleen’s reports of the fallen outermost wall. The second was not,” Zane recalled the bustling district of Utopia.

”We traveled south from within the outer wall, following the wall curve to another district. We destroyed only the outer gate before we continued to rendezvous with Bellwether.” Krolva. “However, we ran into a miscalculation. When we reached the southern most district, the inner gate had been sealed by what looked to be titan hardening.“

”Arleen’s reports had mentioned Paradis’ intention of retaking the outermost wall, Maria. But it had not stated any specific dates,” Zane smoothly added as an afterthought: “likely due to a planning process reserved only for ranked officials.” He didn’t want her to have sounded incompetent to the General. After all, it was only thanks to Arleen that Iris and himself had some preparation against Paradis’ weapons and movement.

”The Panzer and I engaged in battle with the enemy. However, they managed to damage our weapon with high velocity missiles armed and fired from sleeves on their arms.” Zane’s gaze remained on the floor as he regrettably continued, making sure to keep himself under composure:

”..And destroyed the Panzer Unit that tried to protect Ramilo from the very same weapon. We had lost one of our sub machine guns to the enemy too. Our casualties consist of the Panzer Unit and Soul Morningstar, who soon died from grave injuries after I had retrieved him.” Zane took a second to recover before he continued with his report: “After recovering Faust, we began to retreat.”

Zane’s eyes then went to the Warrior beside him. The report of her would be next. And Zane knew she would have more to add concerning their retreat. Looking back to the ground in a compliant manner, he knew she would address the Founding and his cowardice as a Warrior of Marley. Zane had been mentally preparing himself ever since they set foot back on Marley. And honestly… he wasn’t sure what was going to happen to him after this.

Among the General’s advisers, Nick was the only one to stand off to the side. Comfortably leaned against the wall with a cross of his arms and legs alike, the older brother was delighted to see the two familiar faces again. Especially his younger brother.

The black sheep kept off to the shadows of the large room’s side lines, Nick smiled to hear the Cart’s report. Although it seems they had run into some unexpected obstacles and military weaponry, it seemed an overall success in regaining their lost Warriors. Though they had yet to hear Iris’ report, Nick was quite fascinated to hear of Paradis’ weapon.

A fired missile from one’s sleeve?? God that sounded dangerously innovative! The blue eyed devil couldn’t help but hold his chin at the thought of it! And strong enough to render their artillery cannon useless, Paradis resulting in kill five of their soldiers in what sounded like a rather chaotic scuffle if the Female and Cart we’re originally supposed to rendezvous in Shiganshina, only to find the Scouts camped there. How funny fate was.. no, more like how funny time skips were.

”I see,” the General commented briefly at the Cart’s report. “Paradis has started to develop their own unique arms.” It had been less than three months and already the Panzer Unit was wiped out once more. If this was to become a habit, it was only becoming more and more painfully clear how much Marley over-relied on their Warriors and the powers of titans to dominate their enemies in war.

”Bellwether,” the General had addressed her next, ready to hear her report. Information was essential to war. He needed to hear both their separate experiences on Paradis, the information being boiled down to concise notes on the papers of a Marleyan accompanying the General and his advisers.

”Yes, General,” she acknowledged her turn, the expressionless Warrior beginning: “After parting ways with the Cart and Panzer Unit, I transformed and planned to lead titans through the southern district to the second wall. However, I was met with the same hardened seal at the outer gate. I was able to break my way through and found the Colossal fighting enemy soldiers.”

”I managed to keep them off Ramilio long enough to recover the Colossal’s ankles that had suffered enough damage to kneel. The soldiers I faced had clear experience in fighting titans and their strikes were powerful, but broke upon with my crystal,” she recalled. “Then I was met with the very same weapons Castro mentioned.”

Iris went on without a single glance to Zane as she kept her tone neutral and her face unreadable. “They proved ineffective against my crystal as well. They had clear intentions to immobilize me since they aimed for my ankles and eyes. I managed to dodge the first, but if my ankles had not been crystallized, the connecting ligaments would have likely been blown up and made it difficult to move. I did not risk testing these weapons with my hardening.”

”These weapons were limited two per soldier,” she made it important to note. “One on each arm. Judging from its speed, the force at which it’s fired could dangerously tear the shoulder. The direction in which its aimed is the same direction it’s fired. After its launch, the function seems akin to a grenade, in which a wire-attached pin is pull to detonate it. These weapons did not seem to be a mass produced weapon like the blades they carried.”

”As for the gear they carry, it seems to work more complexly than we originally thought. Despite the anchor being fired in the same direction of the facing torso, I suspect there’s a component that enables sharper and quicker turns. Fraser had returned with the very same gear.” She didn’t need to say more than that, knowing having possession of the real thing would inform them more than her verbal report.

”The first two blades soldiers I faced seemed much more combat competent compared to the later duo who used the missile weapons. They were also the only ones engaged in combat with the Colossal. From their movement, I suspect they were veteran soldiers.”

”After the enemy made a temporary retreat, I was met with Ito’s Armored in a surprise attack. Ramilo had been raining debris down on the district to divert the enemy and pure titans. It allowed me to create some distance from Ito and lure him into a trap. I was able to successfully capture him. However, I had expended almost the entirety of my titan stamina by encasing us both in crystal to succeed as swiftly as possible.”

”I maintained my stamina to a minimum as I trailed the Cart’s position. Castro succeeded in gathering all but Fraser, whom I had happened to stumble upon in the district rubble by chance. I watched the Cart fall from above the inner gate wall. It seemed our cue to regroup and retreat.”

”However,” those black eyes boring up at the General as her head maintained leveled, “on the verge of our retreat, the Founding made itself known. It had come from the top of the inner gate wall. A clear order for titans to rush me. I managed to climb the wall to safety and remained out of their reach.”

”I had planned to transform once more and capture the Founding. There was no guarantee we would get such a chance again. But Castro stopped me,” her gaze slid to the Warrior at her side at last, “and insisted that it was more important to retreat.“ Iris knew both Zane and herself were prepared for what would follow

”We regained our forces and the Founding had come out from hiding, but we were unable to confirm their identity nor capture them,” Iris summarized as she returned her neutral gaze to the General.

General Rache had fallen silent with a slight dip of his chin. His eyes wide with clear fury on his daunting face, he had centered that calm anger onto Zane. And in a leveled tone, asked in a voice capable of leaving chills: “Is that true, Castro? Did you stop Bellwether from pursuing the Founding Titan?”

Yes. The moment Iris had reported about their failure to capture the Founding despite the grand opportunity, the atmosphere had suddenly become heavy. Feeling the pressure of the General’s and advisers’ eyes on him, Zane had kept his own gaze focused on the marble floor. Surely his brother was among them, smiling to his heart’s content.

Iris finishing her report with a summary, Zane only felt that pressure rise at the General’s questioning. Zane swallowed silently, feeling his hands become clammy with dreaded apprehension. He felt his heart thumping mad in his chest, like prey shivering before a giant maw that threatened to swallow him whole. But it was somehow scarier, knowing he was willingly jumping into that abyss.

Zane took in a sharp breath, trying to keep himself composed enough to speak soundly. “Yes, it’s true.” Though Zane wasn’t looking, he didn’t need to. He knew from the rigid stance of the other that the General had reeled his head back in indignation at Zane, about to explode at this confirmation alone.

Zane attempted to explain himself, initially rushing his speech as he managed to contain his growing panic: “If I hadn’t stopped Bellwether— we would have been exposed to further threat and a retreat would’ve been close to impossible.”

Silence ensued. Zane didn’t dare look up at the General. He had been mentally prepared to face the consequences of his actions on Paradis, but standing here now… It felt like he had committed a grave offense.

The whispering and grumbling clamor from the advisers soon filled the silence from the General. Zane could feel the animosity, disdain, and outright anger from the Marleyans. “It was my mission to bring the unit back to Marley,” he stated firmly. “I couldn’t risk any more lives being lost to the enemy.”

The General had suddenly stepped forward, closing in on Zane as he drove a hard punch straight for his solar plexus, making it harshly difficult to breath.

It felt like he had been hit with a sledge hammer— Zane falling to his knees with a catch of his palms on the hard marble floor with a harsh cough out. Cradling a shaky hand to his chest, Zane’s eyes were wide as his breathing had become labored and wheezy. It felt like his chest was on fire— burning his lungs and making it difficult to breathe.

’..Fuck... I can’t breathe,’ Zane narrowed his eyes with a bead of sweat rolling down his temple as he kept his head bowed. He had anticipated this, but still… Zane had to brace himself for worse to come. He knew the weight of his actions this time was nothing compared to his previous mistakes.

”I thought you were smart, Castro,” the General remarked with venom in his tone. Standing above the fallen Warrior with a still fist, those cold grey eyes stabbed into the Eldian’s lowered head.

”Haa… haa…” Zane tried to steady his breathing, furrowing his brows at the General’s words. Nicholas Castro was unanimously known to be a sharp devil, intelligent but dangerous because of so. Whether others in the military saw even a fraction of that in Zane was debatable. The General’s words were like a backhand compliment in such regard.

“You should have known the obvious choice when it came between the Warriors or the Founding.” Rache stomped down onto Zane’s head with a grunt, seething softly in his controlled temper.

”Umph—“ a sudden weight had come crashing down onto the back of his head, smacking the side of his face onto the hard marble. ‘The.. obvious choice…’ he thought with a grimace at the harsh pressure on his head. He had barely caught those words due to the sudden clap of his head being forced onto the ground. The Warrior had clenched his teeth and fists alike as he kept still. Zane knew what the obvious choice was… and it sure as hell wasn’t the Founding.

”As long as we have the Founding, Marley can take the power of the titans all back.” He ground the heel of his shoe into Zane’s head, expressing his resentful disappointment in the Warrior.

With the heel of the General’s shoe grinding against his skull, Zane grimaced out with a soft hiss, “Ugh-..” stifling himself quiet as he began to feel himself tremble, continuing to endure. If not his brains then apparently that was his best trait. The ability to endure. If he lost that then he’d really be as worthless as he felt.

And at the General’s ruthless words, Zane mentally agreed that he knew better. But he just couldn’t do better for Marley; because there was no way he could ever abandon the Warriors to be captured by the enemy or killed by pures. Even if Marley had gotten the Founding and the power of the titans recovered, the lives of the current Warriors would have been sacrificed for such an end goal.

Zane himself would have been a victim to that plan. If Iris had really tossed them all aside to pursue the Founding… all of them would have been left to the mercy of the titan horde at the base of that wall in Shiganshina. Zane couldn’t and wouldn’t let that happen. And now he was paying the consequences of his selfish decision, having wanted them all to go home together without suffering more loss.

Iris did not move. Her poker face unflinching, she remained a neutral face as she merely stared out into the room. The faces of the advisers lined up before her, she remained a silent bystander to the scene playing out to her side. This was not the first time she had to witness Zane being beaten by the General or otherwise. Her intervention would have only made things worse. Without the need to verbally convey this, both Warriors knew this on their own accord from the last three years.

”….” He saw the soles of her combat boots. Though Iris was beside him, Zane did not even perceive her as a means of salvation. At times like these, she was nothing but another pillar in the room, present but unmoving. The number of times he had been placed in such a shameful display, having to be seen like this by Iris, the advisers, and his brother… such humiliation had become numb to him by the fifth time.

“I thought you would have known better. But I see now that you’ve still plenty to learn. All these years we’ve spent time, energy, and resources honing you into a capable Warrior…” the adult removed his shoe from atop Zane’s head.

Feeling the pressure lift from his head, Zane remained motionless on the floor. His purple eyes conveying a dull and hazy gaze as he exhaled soft, raspy breaths, his mind had begun to zone out. In a defensive mechanism for the sake of his own sanity, Zane was mentally separating himself from the situation to soften the blow of it. Marley had broken him long ago. But being unable to die, whether out of guilt for his fallen comrades, obligation to Iris, or longing to see the Warrior unit, this was the only way to survive the past three years.

The general had indeed taken his foot off the boy’s head. Only to draw out the pistol at his side as he kneeled down on a single knee before the disgrace. He gripped Zane’s scalp by his black hair. “And this,” Rache roughly pulled the Cart’s head up to look him dead in the eye as he forcefully shoved the barrel of the gun against the base of Zane’s throat, “is how you repay Marley?” The General’s wide eyes alone had radiated such outraged disbelief as the rest of his shadowed face were slack.

Zane didn’t even process how close the General was to him when the adult took a knee down. It wasn’t until he had been yanked up by his hair that he was jolted back into reality with a sharp wince. “….!” fear creeping into his expression at the chilling sight of the General’s face, Zane knew this cold anger all too well. Feeling the cold barrel of the pistol pressed at his throat, Zane could only manage out a strangled noise in the back of his throat in alarm as his gaze fell to the finger on the trigger.

”You ungrateful devil..!” Rache gnashed his teeth with such open contempt for the damned Cart. Clear anger then flashed across the General’s face as he pulled the trigger. “CHOKE ON YOUR OWN CURSED BLOOD.”

The bullet fired at point blank into his flesh, Zane felt it rip into his throat and out the other end. The loud ringing of the fired gun still in his ears, blood had come gushing out. Zane felt its warmth spilling over his chest, soiling his white shirt with his filthy Eldian blood as it pooled onto the marble.

”COUGH…!” Zane immediately surged forward in a hunch, his body involuntarily jerking as blood had flooded his throat. He twitched in spams of gurgles as he struggled to breath once more, choking on the thick blood as he held his hands over the exposed surface. “U..ugh….” Zane’s eyes dilated with building panic in them as they began to glaze with red tears.

Having been forced to cough up the blood so suddenly and repeatedly, it felt as if the back of his throat were raw and bleeding itself. Steam beginning to emit from the injury, the nasty sensation of the hole in his throat twitching and moving on its own accord in an attempt to mend itself didn’t bring Zane much relief. Being the Cart, his regeneration was painfully slow after all.

Suffocating on his own Eldian blood, perhaps the General spoke some truth about it being cursed. Zane was bound to this blood.. whether he liked it or not. The blood of a damned Eldian, subject to such treatment out of the generosity of its oppressors. The only reason they were alive at all was because of Marley’s “mercy.” And Rache had proven to the Marleyan advisers that Zane had sorely taken advantage of that.

The black-eyed female stayed her saluted position. The sight of Zane bowed over and gagging on his own blood in her peripheral, she could see the gradual spill and splatters of red painting the smooth floor. Expressionless, the Warrior came off as rather indifferent to Zane’s suffering. Not a single fraction of light reflected back in those black eyes, Iris maintained a steady stare at the line of seated advisers who watched with occasional commentary to one another. She could note their mixed reactions to the Cart’s shortcomings. Amusement. Boredom. Disappointment.

This was not something new. Zane had been beaten before for his hesitations, his choices on the battlefield, and his priorities that placed the lives of his allies over the deaths of their enemy. But in having received a chance to end the war and secure a future of peace for their people, it was as if Zane had ran away because he was too cowardly to swallow more sacrifices. That was an insult to Marley, his fallen comrades, and everyone fighting in this war.

”Tsk… filthy Eldian.” The General sneered. He didn’t so much flinch at the spilled blood, speckles of red on his face and dirtying his raised sleeve in a coated crimson before he pulled the gun back. Only to backhand Zane across the face with such force that’d turn his head as the General rose to his feet.

At the hard smack across his face, leaving his cheek a scuffed red, Zane slammed onto his side as he continued to choke and cough out blood. His fists trembling, he tried not to put more pressure on the hole in his throat. It was ironic that any attempt to stop his bleeding by placing pressure on it would just make him choke on the blood more and end up harshly coughing it out. Curling inward with a grimace at the sting on his face, Zane quietly struggled to breathe in and out of his gritted teeth. He’d just have to let himself bleed out as he slowly healed.

’Endure it.’ Iris hoped to project these thoughts to Zane, knowing he could very well do so. ‘Endure that pain.’ That loneliness, grief, inferiority, and loss of self-identity. ‘Like you’ve been doing all this time.’ Iris was someone incapable of comforting Zane. Not because she couldn’t or wouldn’t, but because she shouldn’t. For both of their sakes.

For Zane and herself, endurance was a virtue for a soldier. Iris was more cold-blooded and calculating than Zane, that much was clear to the Marleyan military. Though where she lacked comion and unity, Zane thrived. It was just unfortunate that such values served him little good as one of Marley’s weapons.

Iris knew more than the other Warriors what Zane had dealt with these past three years. How hard it was for him to fit into this role forced onto him, this role of posing as a hero, Warrior of Marley, nobly protecting the homeland as only one of two Warriors capable of doing so. But in reality, he was just a military dog, attacking and charging blindly on the orders of a puppet master. Iris was sure they would only be hailed heroes in times of war, but murderers in times of peace.

Those lucky enough to go to that island of devils would never be able to fully understand just how cruel and transactional Marley was. Showing comion or fondness for the company of another was like asking for trouble. Iris had to keep herself as closed off and indifferent as possible with her masked poker face, even toward Zane, the sole person she trusted the most on the continent. Granted it was more difficult for Zane to do the same, but this would only protect them in the long run. So they would not be each other’s source of weakness in the eyes of Marley.

But that was not the only reason Iris did not dare stop the General besides the threat of insubordination and blatant opposition toward the man. “….” her blank gaze slowly dropped down to the fresh blood on her boot. How belittling it would be for Zane if Iris tried to protect him as if he were a helpless baby. He was only 15, but he harbored pride as a male, a soldier, and a Warrior. As someone she respected and cared for beneath the hard shell she crafted for herself, Iris could never rub that salt in.

As the Female Titan, she was inherently given much more credit from Marley for wreaking havoc on enemy forces due to the nature of her titan powers. It naturally pushed her feats to the spotlight in the military and pushed Zane’s logistics and fire aside. Iris would not have been surprised if Zane harbored some kind of bitter resentment or jealousy toward her.

With so much pressure on him to be capable of high mental and physical pain endurance, Iris could tell it was as if Zane were never good enough. Comparing the Cart and Female alone, naturally people would think Iris the more potential threat. But comparing their performance as Warriors too, Iris was credited as more capable than Zane.

To receive help from someone you so despised and felt so underneath, Iris knew it would be rather condescending. And for her, out of everyone, to do that to Zane, Iris could only imagine just how crushing and humiliating that would be for him.

Zane had nothing to be humiliated about. To Iris, at least. He didn’t deserve any of this. He never asked for it in the first place. It was all because of his damned older brother and Marley pulling the strings. But this was their reality. And however much she used to hope for Zane to live a good life, those hopes had been long dead since. Neither of them were going to have good ends.

The world and Ymir herself would never allow such a whimsical dream for two genocidal Eldians. Karma was collecting its debt. Iris had opted to accept the hateful present and bleak future. As long as she had Zane and Liberio, that was all that mattered. And if it meant keeping them both safe, Iris had bowed her head and sworn her allegiance to Marley.

A shadow casting over him, Zane’s eyes darted up to the side to see the General towering over him. Fear reflected in those wide purple eyes, the black outline of the superior adult was highlighted harshly against the backlight of the window light. “We could have ended this war—“ the General pushed the sole of his shoe onto Zane’s shoulder to force him onto his back with such loathsome disgust, it was as if the Warrior were a filthy creature he could hardly bear to touch. “But your SELFISH decision has only prolonged it!” his voice boomed with the stomp of his heel into Zane’s throat, purposefully pressing down to gouge the bullet hole wider.

”Kuh..!” Zane strangled out at the sharp and digging pain, the Cart squeezing his eyes shut as his hands immediately shot up to grab the General’s lower calf in an attempt to move it. Blood coating his bottom lip and chin, it continued to drizzle out the more the General pressed. Rather than just choking on his blood, he could feel himself involuntarily guzzling the thick substance. Zane had been punished before, but not to such an extent. It was the first time he had heard such intense frustration and rumbling anger lying beneath the General’s words. But he couldn’t deny that what he did was selfish.

”You dare touch me with those dirty hands?” the hypocrite’s eye twitched at the struggling Eldian. Rache had snapped to see the usually so obedient Warrior do anything to resist, pointing his gun down at Zane once more, shooting his right wrist. The bullet pierced through. Zane sucked in a sharp breath as it had gone through to embed itself into a point between his upper chest and shoulder. “Urgh-…” Zane’s bloodied grip loosened in his right hand, shutting an eye at the pressure still placed at the base of his throat.

”The lives of your fallen comrades!” The General fired four more into Zane’s arms. “ing and protecting you! Did their sacrifices mean NOTHING to you?!” The Panzer Unit that had died in Shiganshina.. Zane clenched his teeth with a squint of his tearing eyes. He could the sight of their fatal bullet wounds.. how they screamed out in alarm when they had been obliterated fighting those two island devils.

”Soul Morningstar!” The deafening gun continued to go off with each name. And Zane could feel another sudden rip through his left forearm. “Caynore Fischer!” The bicep of his arm. “Deimos Vasilias!” Grazing his right neck side. “Nato Osmond!” His right thumb shot straight off. “Marco das Margéns!”

The gun’s magazine emptied with a final click, its last bullet tearing a line along Zane’s cheek with such a powerful trajectory that it split the flesh. The open flap oozed out gushing blood as Zane’s pained gaze only stared up at the enraged General, who had lost himself in his anger that even now he had kept pressing the trigger to no avail. The gun’s continuous click came to a slow stop. And at the following silence over the entire room, General Rache sighed deeply, raising a hand up to his face.

Those cold grey eyes glaring down at Zane through his fingers, Rache spoke once more. “Tell me, Castro. Can you face them?”

The iron taste of his blood filling his mouth. The steam emitting from his sustained injuries. Zane’s hollow gaze answered solemnly: ‘…No.’

It was as if Zane had left their deaths to be in vain. He was too ashamed to face the dead, clinging too hard onto the living. General Rache, having named his first Panzer Squad, his second had died in retrieving the Warriors on Paradis. If he kept going on like this, surely.. his next squad would die too..

The General stepped off Zane, giving a flick of his shoe in an attempt to rid himself of the filthy red liquid. “How many more of our soldiers will have to die before we win this war? Think hard about that, Castro.”

Zane’s empty eyes stared up at that dreadfully dull ceiling in silence. The rush of guilt drowning him had numbed him to the physical pain, subjecting him to emotional torment instead. The tears stinging his eyes didn’t stem from just the physical suffocation he suffered anymore. Just… how many more people did he have to lose before this war ends? Zane didn’t know. But Zane didn’t want to know. He was too afraid to know. He had just gotten the Warriors and back… he feared losing them. The thought of it was too painful to bear.

He closed his eyes, feeling a drop stream down the side of his temple. “….Yes, sir…” he struggled out in a croaking whisper. He remained lying on the hard marble floor, his wounds slowly healing up with each rising steam from every point where he had gotten shot.

Stepping back to face his advisers, the Marleyan general fixed his collar with almost a sigh of exasperation at having gotten so worked up. “Tell the other Warriors to report here,” he announced, to which a soldier standing near the door saluted and quickly took leave.

Waiting for the other Warriors to arrive, the General caught a glance of the Eldian adviser at the far end of the room, leaned up against the wall with a cross of his arms. Draped in shadow, Rache narrowed his eyes to see the wide smile on Nick’s face. Those piercing blue eyes glowing with sick entertainment…

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