Chapter 95: The Disappearance of Annie, and a New Member in the Chat Group!
The Marleyan Empire, Liberio Internment Zone.
High walls stood tall, crisscrossed with barbed wire, confining the so-called "descendants of the devil." The streets were narrow, the buildings old and dilapidated. The air was thick with poverty and oppression. Residents, wearing identifying armbands, hurried along with their heads down, their eyes numb, accustomed to the disdainful gazes of others.
Propaganda posters plastered the walls, depicting grotesque Titans and Marleyan soldiers trampling them underfoot.
"Remember history! The devils must atone!"
"Become an Honorary Marleyan! Dedicate yourself to the Empire!"
"LOYALTY!!!"
…
On the training grounds, dust filled the air.
A group of boys and girls were undergoing rigorous training. They were the Warrior candidates, the "hope" among the Eldians, selected to inherit the power of the Titans and fight for Marley. This was their only path to potentially escape the internment zone and become "Honorary Marleyans."
"Faster, Falco!" A girl with a high ponytail was leading the pack. It was Gabi, her face alight with a fanatical confidence. "You can't even keep up with this training! How are you going to inherit the Armored Titan?! How are you going to destroy those devils on Paradis Island for Marley?!"
"I know, Gabi…" Falco gritted his teeth, pushing himself to catch up. He looked at Gabi's back, wanting to say something, but held his tongue. Nearby, Udo and Zofia were also competing fiercely.
Becoming an "Honorary Marleyan." This goal was practically etched into their very bones. To achieve it, they had to work hard, be loyal, and… hate.
…
In a corner of the training ground, Reiner leaned against a wall, silently watching. He wore his Marleyan military uniform, the armband starkly visible. He was once a "hero," the wielder of the Armored Titan. But now, his face held only exhaustion and pain.
The Liberio sunlight felt harsh. The shouts from the training ground were deafening. It all made him feel dizzy, even nauseous. Fragments of memories from Paradis Island kept surfacing—Eren's furious face, Marco's eyes looking at him before he died, the Survey Corps soldiers who had died under his armor.
Who am I? A Warrior of Marley? Or a soldier from within the Walls?
Guilt gnawed at his soul. He pressed his temples hard, trying to banish the voices and images echoing in his mind.
"Mr. Reiner?" Falco ran over during a break, looking at him with concern. "Are— are you alright?"
Reiner slowly looked up and forced a painful smile. "Ah— I'm fine, Falco. Just… a little tired."
Tired… Yes, so tired. Just being alive was an agony.
…
One gloomy afternoon, Reiner was walking alone down a deserted street after his routine "psychological counseling"—just another process to confirm if he was still "usable." He dragged his heavy feet, wandering aimlessly.
Suddenly, at a street corner, he saw two familiar figures. One was a tall, blonde girl with an expressionless face. The other was an old man, walking with difficulty.
Annie?! And her father?!
Reiner's heart seized. Impossible! Isn't Annie trapped on Paradis Island?! How did she escape? And even if she did, how did she get back to Marley?! Is this a hallucination? It must be! My mental state has been terrible lately…
Reiner rubbed his eyes hard. The two figures were still clearly visible. Annie was wearing simple civilian clothes, supporting her father, her steps firm. Where were they going?
Reiner instinctively followed, keeping his distance. He saw the excitement on Annie's father's face as he whispered something. Annie just nodded occasionally, her gaze fixed straight ahead. All of this filled Reiner with a strong sense of unease.
"Annie!" He couldn't hold back anymore and hurried forward, calling her name.
The two figures stopped. Annie slowly turned around, her cold gaze landing on him. There was no surprise in her eyes, only indifference.
"Reiner," she said calmly.
"You— how are you here?!" Reiner's mind reeled with shock, suspicion, and fear. "And Mr. Leonhart… where are you going?"
"Home," Annie replied flatly. "Leaving here. Leaving Marley."
"What?! What are you talking about! No one can leave the internment zone! Are you trying to defect?! Besides, you have Titan power! Marleyans and the rest of the world will never let you go!"
Annie glanced at him as if he were an idiot. "Titan power? I don't have that anymore."
"Gone?!" Reiner was even more incredulous. "How is that possible?! Without Titan power, how are you even alive?! You must be lying! What are you planning?!" Annie lost her power? Impossible!
"Believe it or not," Annie couldn't be bothered to explain. She turned back and helped her father continue walking. "This war has nothing to do with us anymore, Reiner. You, and Marley, can stop trying to give me orders. We just want to leave this damned place."
"Stop!" Reiner instinctively chased after them. He couldn't just let her leave. She must have some secret! Or—was this a plot by Paradis Island?!
He followed them as they turned into a narrow alleyway. However—the moment he stepped into the alley, the sight before him nearly froze his blood.
Empty.
At the end of the alley, there were only mottled walls and some trash. Annie and her father—had vanished. As if they had never been there.
How?! They were right here just a second ago! He rushed to the end of the alley, looking around frantically. No trace. Impossible… absolutely impossible! How could two people just disappear into thin air in a few seconds?!
Reiner leaned against the cold wall, gasping for breath, cold sweat soaking his back. A hallucination… it really was a hallucination… Annie couldn't have come back… and she couldn't possibly be alive without her power… Is my mind… acting up again…? He covered his face and let out a choked sob. Extreme fear and self-doubt consumed him once more.
Reiner dragged his exhausted body away, utterly dejected. He forced himself to believe that what he had seen was just an illusion. Yes, it must have been.The Female Titan power was taken away, how could Annie still be alive? How could she just vanish like that? It had to be a hallucination.
However, in the following days, a rumor began to spread quietly through the internment zone. Annie's father, the old man who had desperately hoped for her return… had disappeared. Completely vanished. No one knew where he went.
When Reiner heard the news, it hit him like a lightning bolt. It wasn't a hallucination? What I saw that day… was real? Annie really came back? And she really… lost her Titan power? Then how did she disappear with her father?
A chill, deeper than any mental breakdown, crept up from the depths of Reiner's being. Those "devils" on Paradis Island… what terrifying power did they possess now? Reiner's mind became even more blurred, teetering on the edge between reality and illusion.
He reported his findings to the Marleyan high command. After a thorough investigation, they did indeed find several witnesses who claimed to have seen Annie and her father. Did Annie really… defect? This news also served as a warning bell for the Tybur family.
…
A few days later, somewhere in the Marleyan Empire, at a busy port.
Waves lapped against the docks. An inconspicuous-looking cargo ship quietly pulled alongside. The captain paid the standard docking fees. Heavy cranes began unloading cargo. Workers and sailors mingled on the docks, creating a noisy, bustling scene.
No one noticed several hooded figures silently descending the gangplank, blending into the crowd. They moved quickly, melting into the surrounding shadows. One of them lifted their head slightly. Beneath the hood, a pair of sharp, cold eyes were revealed.
Marley. The enemy nation. They had finally arrived.
Paradis Island's counterattack had quietly begun.
…
Meanwhile, in the ruins of another dimension.
Hope's Peak Academy, once a symbol of hope and the future, was now nothing but rubble. In the devastated headmaster's office, twisted metal and shattered monitor screens littered the floor. The body of a girl lay silently amidst the debris, a satisfied yet crazed smile still lingering on her face. Her life had long since ended. She was Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair. Beside her lay a stuffed bear, half black, half white.
"Puhuhu," Monokuma chuckled, its gaze falling on the girl's corpse. "Upupupupu…"
Just then, a translucent window popped up in front of it.
[System Notice: New member "Monokuma" has joined the "Non-Human Chat Group"]
[Non-Human Chat Group]
Monokuma: Upupupupu… What's this? A new stage? Looks interesting!
Monokuma: This livestream… the scent of despair is everywhere! It's just irresistible!
Tom Cat: [Cat_eyes_wide_staring_at_Monokuma_avatar.jpg]
SpongeBob SquarePants: Wow! A new friend! Hello, Monokuma! I'm SpongeBob! You look so unique! Half black and half white! Like a two-tone ice cream!!! Want me to make you one?
Squidward: [Banging_head_on_cash_register_making_loud_noise.jpg] ANOTHER WEIRDO!!!