The conference hall was still ringing with murmurs from the previous debate. The tension had not yet settled when Zeke, standing calmly at the center, folded his arms and spoke with steady confidence.
"While I am away from Marley," he said, his tone sharp but measured, "my position can be replaced… by Lara Tybur."
The hall froze.
Lara, who had sat silently in the corner until now, blinked in surprise. She had been careful to remain inconspicuous, a shadow among Titans of authority, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She had never expected Zeke to call her name.
"Lara Tybur," Zeke continued, "the inheritor of the War Hammer Titan." His eyes gleamed behind his glasses. "At eighteen years old, she is fully capable of maintaining Marley's deterrence."
The words struck the room like a stone in a still pond. Conversations broke out instantly, swelling into heated whispers. But before anyone else could speak, a tall blond man rose to his feet. His voice cut through the noise like a blade.
"No!"
It was Willy Tybur, Lara's elder brother and the de facto head of the Tybur family. His usually refined tone carried urgency now. "Our Tybur family has always remained neutral, untouched by politics or military campaigns. We cannot—will not—be used in this way!"
"Neutral?" Zeke's voice was suddenly sharp, and his eyes locked on Willy's. "This is not politics, Willy Tybur. This is war.
You have sworn—your entire family has sworn—to defend Marley with the War Hammer Titan. Or do you mean to deny your oath?"
The accusation fell like thunder. Willy stiffened, his face pale, but Zeke pressed forward, seizing the moment.
"The War Hammer Titan," he declared, "is unique. It is the only Titan capable of forming weapons. Its strength surpasses even mine in certain aspects. If Lara Tybur assumes my role while I am away, Marley will remain strong. Our enemies will still fear us."
All eyes turned toward Lara. She sat motionless, her lips pressed into a thin line. The candlelight flickered against her pale features, making her look more like a statue than a living girl. She gave no response—silence was all she had learned to wield.
The officers erupted into chatter.
"He's right—the War Hammer Titan is unmatched."
"The Tyburs have hidden behind neutrality long enough."
"They call themselves protectors of Marley, yet what have they sacrificed? Nothing!"
"Indeed—while civilians give their children to the Warrior program, the Tyburs feast in luxury!"
The words grew crueler. Some officers sneered openly, their envy and resentment bubbling to the surface.
"For a hundred years they have sat in leisure," one muttered darkly, "while the rest of us fought for survival. It's time they bled for Marley."
The pressure mounted, the once-distant Tyburs dragged unceremoniously into the center of the stage.
For centuries, the Tybur family had occupied a strange position. Though Eldians by blood, they were Marley's nobility—bound to the throne by an ancient pact, yet kept apart from politics, their "neutrality" both shield and chain. They alone held the War Hammer Titan, inherited strictly within the family. Unlike other Titans, which were passed to carefully trained Warrior candidates, the War Hammer never left Tybur's hands. It was theirs and theirs alone.
But this privilege also stoked fear. The Tyburs had the power to rebel at any time.
They were both honored and resented, nobles whose Eldian heritage could not be erased no matter how fervently they tried to intermarry with Marleyans.
And Lara Tybur—quiet, obedient, discarded by her family from birth—was the latest pawn of that legacy. Born not out of love but out of necessity, she was destined to inherit the Titan, to serve as its vessel. To the Tybur family, she was less a daughter than a tool. To the world, she was a noble, yet in her home she was treated as little more than a maid. They had drilled the War Hammer into her, but withheld every other skill.
Now, Zeke Yeager had dragged her into the light of the hall, offering her as his replacement.
General Calvi, arms folded tightly, watched the storm unfold. He knew the Tyburs were a tempting target. Many in the officer corps would gladly use this opportunity to force their hand, to break their long "neutrality." Yet as much as Calvi disliked their aloofness, he could not fool himself. Lara Tybur, despite her Titan, was no Zeke Yeager.
He thought of Zeke's campaigns: the raining stones, the shattered fortresses, the sheer precision with which he wielded his Titan powers. He thought of the man's presence in the field, his authority that could hold an army together. Zeke was not merely a Titan. He was a commander, a strategist, a force of nature.
Could Lara Tybur, barely trained outside her family's walls, match that? Could she intimidate Marley's enemies with the same certainty? Calvi doubted it.
Still, the room clamored louder. "Yes, let the War Hammer serve Marley directly!" "The Tyburs owe us this much!" "Neutrality be damned—Marley's survival comes first!"
The tide was shifting fast, and Calvi felt control slipping from his grasp.
Finally, he raised a hand, his voice slicing across the arguments. "Enough." The room hushed. His eyes fixed on Zeke. "I have considered the proposal. And my answer is no. You cannot leave Marley."
A wave of silence followed. Some officers exchanged disappointed looks, others relief. Willy Tybur exhaled shakily, though his fists remained clenched at his sides.
But Zeke did not yield. His voice rang out, firm and unshaken. "General Calvi, with respect, I stand by my words. I am the only one capable of retrieving the Founding Titan. No one else can ensure the mission's success."
Calvi's brows furrowed. Something in Zeke's tone was different this time—an unyielding defiance he had never heard from him before. For years, Zeke had been loyal, calculated, and efficient. Never had he spoken against command so firmly.
"…Why?" Calvi asked at last, his voice low. "Why insist so strongly?"
The hall leaned forward, every ear straining.
Zeke's answer came like a blade drawn from its sheath, sharp and undeniable.
"Because I am the only descendant of the Eldian royal family in Marley."
The words exploded through the hall like a cannon shot.