"This operation cannot afford to fail."
Zeke Yeager's voice was low, steady, and edged with authority. His yellow hair glinted under the tent's dim lamplight, glasses reflecting the maps spread before him. The fatigue from weeks of war showed on his face, but his gaze remained sharp.
"The Middle Eastern Alliance grows stronger," he continued. "They're uniting their armies and pushing us harder than ever. Marley can't stay away from the frontlines for long. We must resolve the Paradis situation quickly — and decisively."
Across from him, Reiner Braun shifted uneasily. He looked gaunt — older than his years. The weight of his previous failure still clung to him like a shadow.
"Zeke…" Reiner muttered, voice heavy. "Paradis isn't weak. We underestimated them last time. We acted without understanding the enemy — and everyone paid for it."
He clenched his fists.
"I was the only one who survived."
The silence that followed was full of ghosts.
Standing on Zeke's other side was Pieck Finger, her expression weary, her posture slouched in her usual half-asleep manner. But beneath the exhaustion, her eyes were razor-sharp.
"Based on the intelligence Reiner brought back," Pieck said quietly, "the government inside the Walls barely reacted. Even when the outer gate fell… they did nothing. No Founding Titan. No royal response. It means the king either refused to act — or he's incapable of accessing the Founding Titan's true power."
She paused to catch her breath. Weeks of battle had pushed even her Titan endurance to its limits.
"So the real threat isn't their king," Pieck continued. "It's the Survey Corps. They're the ones who fight. They're the ones who adapt. If we create enough Pure Titans, and if Zeke supports us with the Beast Titan… the operation succeeds. Quickly."
Reiner swallowed.
"Pieck… we're only supposed to recover the Founding Titan. We don't need—"
Pieck cut him off, voice firm.
"Don't be naïve, Reiner. War isn't about 'need.' It's about the advantage. Victory. Anything that shortens the battle and saves Marleyan warriors is justified."
Reiner opened his mouth to argue — then closed it.
He didn't like it, but he accepted it.
Zeke straightened, voice decisive.
"Then we follow Pieck's plan."
He turned toward her, concern flickering across his face.
"Pieck, you just returned from a month-long campaign. You shifted forms repeatedly. You need rest. At least a day."
Pieck nodded weakly.
"If possible… yes. I won't be able to maintain my Titan for long otherwise. One day is enough."
Neither Zeke nor Reiner objected.
Their infiltration of Paradis Island's heart — its central district — would be treacherous. Pure Titans roamed the wilderness between Wall Maria's ruins and the inner territory. Pieck's Cart Titan was essential. Without her strength, they would never reach the target alive.
The plan was set.
The warriors would move again.
Paradis Island — Inside the Walls
Lock knew nothing of the warriors' preparations far across the sea.
His world was full — too full — with the enormous weight of rebuilding a fractured island.
At the Survey Corps headquarters, pigeon deliveries, messengers, and reports had been piling up faster than he could read them. For the first time since taking the mantle, he understood the burden Erwin had carried for years.
The Survey Corps possessed unrivaled combat strength — but its administrative backbone was thin. Too thin.
And after Erwin took a contingent of officers to seize control of the Military Police, Lock was left with even fewer hands.
So he made a difficult decision.
He dissolved his own 300-man elite squad — reinforcing the Corps with trained, disciplined soldiers who could stabilize internal operations. Only fifty remained as his personal guard; everyone else was reassigned across Headquarters.
For the first time in history, the Survey Corps felt organized.
Hange Zoë, though still officially a Corps member, had been transferred into the newly formed Science and Research Division — leading researchers, craftsmen, and engineers in reviving the sealed technologies hidden deep in the military warehouses. Some were incomplete. Some were dangerous. Some were leaps beyond anything the island currently produced.
Under Hange's guidance, everything was being repaired, redesigned, and tested for future military and civilian use.
Technological advancement had become a top priority.
So had agriculture.
Zackly was overwhelmed: reorganizing farms, assigning manpower, restoring irrigation, improving crop yields, and training new civil officials. But he worked tirelessly — burdened yet strangely joyful.
For the first time in decades, the island was moving toward progress, not stagnation.
And for the first time in years, Zackly felt hope.
The Castle — Dina Fritz's Recovery
When Lock finished his work that day, instead of returning home, he walked toward the fortress where Dina Fritz was housed.
She had awakened several days earlier. With Grisha's support and Lock's explanations, Dina had gradually accepted her circumstances — the truth about Paradis, her regained humanity, and the fight for Eldian survival.
She didn't resist her destiny.
She embraced it.
Lock knocked on the door.
"Come in," a voice answered.
Inside, Grisha and Dina stood beside the bed, speaking quietly. Both turned when Lock entered.
"You're here," Grisha said warmly.
Dina smiled gently.
"Hello, Lock."
"Hello." Lock returned the gesture, though their bond was still new — unlike the years he'd spent with Eren and Carla.
"Dina's body has fully recovered," Grisha said excitedly. "We can begin training. She's ready."
He looked as if he could already see the future — a free Eldia rising from the ashes.
Dina did not object. She nodded, her expression firm.
"I can undergo Titan transformation training anytime," she said. "I'm ready."
Lock felt a pang of guilt.
"Aunt Dina… I'm not forcing you. But right now, we have no other choice."
Dina's gentle smile softened the room.
"Don't apologize," she said. "For the Eldian race, for our freedom… I'm willing to give everything."
Lock held her gaze, respected her resolve, and nodded.
"In that case," he said quietly, "I'll make arrangements."
Dina nodded back, resolute.
Her training — and Paradis's new future — would begin soon.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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