"Here it comes, guys."
"I've waited a whole week for this day."
"Do you know how I survived this week? I rewatched 'Attack on Titans' twice at home. Didn't expect that, did you?"
"Another one's gone insane."
"No choice—when the old thief's works keep getting better and better, how can you not?"
"All his earlier stuff was school, workplace, and urban romance—love and hate between men and women. Honestly, those were good, but the sensory impact can't compare to these big-budget special-effects shows. Just look at the ratings and scores. It's not that these later works are always better written—'Mobile Suit Gundam SEED' doesn't even score higher than 'Hikaru no Go', but its ratings are insane. That's all about audience reach."
"True. Something like 'Hikaru no Go', the moment people hear 'professional Go drama,' they skip it. But 'Mobile Suit Gundam'? All ages. Who can resist mecha battles? Steel torrents clashing—way more hype than romance."
"Honestly, if I had the choice, I'd sacrifice not seeing my girlfriend for a month in exchange for the old thief airing 'Gundam SEED' and 'Attack on Titans' every single day."
"Now that you mention it, I'd stay single for a year if it meant getting the full set of 'Attack on Titans' and 'Mobile Suit Gundam' figures."
"Bro, if I had to guess, you've probably been single for decades already."
Before the newest episode of 'Attack on Titans' aired, the internet—forums and fan groups alike—was more lively than ever.
On many trending lists, five or six of the top ten topics were all about the latest episode.
In many neighborhoods, seven or eight out of ten households had their TVs tuned to Yunteng TV.
Though the story had only reached its midpoint, in terms of discussion and influence, this series had already become a once-in-decades phenomenon.
Merchandise value and commercial appeal might not rival 'Mobile Suit Gundam' or 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', but purely as a TV drama, 'Attack on Titans' now stood clearly above them.
Even at eleven o'clock at night, viewers' enthusiasm showed no sign of fading.
After a few minutes of a fast-paced, blood-pumping opening theme, the new episode launched straight into the story without any delay.
The recap lasted less than ten seconds, and the plot immediately picked up from the previous episode's ending.
Concerned for Reiner—still using Titan power to regenerate his head—Bertholdt didn't transform immediately. Instead, he gave Reiner time to use his last bit of willpower to control his Titan body, shielding his human form from the shockwave of the transformation.
But the time he allowed was extremely limited.
Just long enough for a final farewell with the Survey Corps.
After all, the people surrounding him were companions he had eaten, slept, and trained with for three or four years.
Bertholdt and Armin stood facing each other atop the rooftops, talking.
In reality, Armin was stalling—buying time for the Survey Corps to retreat to a safe distance and avoid the Colossal Titan's transformation heat.
At the same time, Bertholdt was also buying time, giving Reiner a chance to adjust his posture and protect himself.
This kind of scene felt incredibly satisfying to watch.
What audiences hate most is meaningless chatter before a fight. Whether villain or hero, dying because you talked too much is just irritating.
"I know it. Everything you're saying now is just to help the Survey Corps find a good position to surround me," Bertholdt said. Though his words had a purpose, his feelings toward his former comrades were genuine.
"If you've already seen through it, why keep listening?" Armin asked, looking at Bertholdt's complicated expression.
"Because I want to know… whether, facing you again, I would still waver inside, hoping for forgiveness for my past crimes. But I won't. Not anymore."
His trembling voice gradually steadied.
Being a purely good person is everyone's ideal.
But choosing to be an unwavering villain is also a choice.
What disgusts people most is doing evil while still craving redemption.
Bertholdt could now face his former companions directly—many of whose parents and families had died when he kicked down the Wall as the Colossal Titan, letting Pure Titans flood in.
He knew he was a blood-stained demon.
And even so, he would still fight them.
At that moment, the background music—what fans in Jing Yu's past life called the "Flying God Theme"—the prelude of "Apple Seed", suddenly began to play.
This emotional portrayal of Bertholdt was deeply moving.
He was no longer lost.
Regret held no meaning for crimes already committed.
"Yes. You were my most important companions. I will kill you properly. You did nothing wrong. You are not demons… but you must die."
As he spoke, he dodged Mikasa Ackerman's ambush, exchanged three clean blows with her, and kicked her away—briefly forcing back one of the strongest fighters in the entire series.
The male vocals in the background music began to chant.
Bertholdt's omni-directional mobility gear activated, launching him toward the narrow alleys inside the Walls. His eyes locked onto the tallest structure—the clock tower.
Along the way, numerous Survey Corps members tried to intercept him, but each attack was calmly neutralized.
Only then did viewers realize—
A Bertholdt without hesitation was terrifyingly cool.
Though he was an enemy, though he was one of the characters everyone believed had to die, in this moment, no one hated him.
He was simply a soldier, faithfully carrying out his orders.
Was Bertholdt a demon?
Or had the people inside the Walls committed some unforgivable sin to deserve this fate?
Neither.
The camera swept rapidly through the city. The dizzying high-speed aerial combat, the spinning perspectives, the inverted skyline—many viewers who didn't play 3D games felt physically dizzy.
And yet, no one looked away.
As the music swelled, stirring the emotion in everyone's chest, Bertholdt reached his destination.
The grappling hook latched onto the top of the clock tower, flinging him upward with terrifying speed.
Carried by momentum, he was thrown high into the sky—far above even the tallest building inside the Walls.
Below him, the city lay fully exposed.
His former comrades looked up, staring at his figure suspended briefly in the heavens.
"It feels strange. I'm not afraid. No matter how this ends, I can accept it."
"No one is wrong. Some things… simply can't be helped."
"Because this world… is cruel!!!"
Bertholdt bit down hard on his arm.
Blood spilled.
Golden light erupted across the sky.
A massive heat wave exploded outward like tens of thousands of tons of explosives igniting at once.
Firestorms surged. Buildings were torn apart. Anyone too close was instantly incinerated into blackened silhouettes.
A mushroom cloud rose into the sky, perfectly synchronized with the explosive background music.
"I'm crying, damn it!"
"This episode—this budget, this writing, this psychological depth—absolute masterpiece!"
"I kneel before the old thief! No wonder he cut it there last week—we were wrong about him!"
"This transformation… It's too insane!"
"Kneeling!"
"I think I just became a Bertholdt fan."
"The most oppressive Titan in the entire series—the Colossal Titan—has arrived."
"I can't imagine what kind of drama could ever move me again after this."
Across forums and fan groups, viewers exploded with discussion.
In just a few minutes, Bertholdt's inner struggle elevated the entire battlefield's emotional weight—bringing the tragedy of opposing ideals crashing down on everyone.
After transforming, the Colossal Titan began rampaging through the city.
But even he had weaknesses.
Unlike Eren, he couldn't transform repeatedly, abandon his Titan body, and escape.
The energy cost of the Colossal Titan was immense.
One transformation required long rest afterward, leaving him severely weakened.
That meant this transformation had to wipe everyone out.
Otherwise, once the power faded, he would be killed.
So he attacked indiscriminately—slow, but devastating.
Outside the Walls, the Beast Titan began his own performance.
Crushing prepared stones into fragments, he hurled them like a baseball pitcher.
Hundreds—thousands—of stone shards rained down like arrows.
Blood blossomed across the battlefield.
One attack wiped out more than half of the Survey Corps unit outside the Walls.
"This is dimensional suppression!"
"Stone shrapnel—like flak cannons!"
"What the hell? The Beast Titan is this broken?"
"Tens of fifteen-meter Titans guarding him, and he's sniping from over a kilometer away—how is this even playable?"
"And inside the Walls, the other unit can't do anything to the Colossal Titan either. The surrounding temperature alone is hundreds of degrees. If he releases enhanced heat, it's completely untouchable."
"Did the old thief make these two Titans unbeatable on purpose?"
"Meanwhile, the Armored Titan—the best-looking one—is lying there like a dead dog. Reiner, do something! You're a liability!"
"Reiner's basically the series's combat benchmark. Anyone who beats him is top-tier. Anyone weaker gets slaughtered."
The episode continued, switching between the two battlefields.
Different processes.
Same outcome.
Massacre.
At the end, Levi realized that if this ambush continued, the Survey Corps would be annihilated.
His proposal was simple: Erwin should escape on horseback. The rest would scatter—whoever survived, survived. Holding the line here was meaningless.
But at that moment, Erwin only thought of one thing—
The truth hidden in Eren's basement.
He had a way to deal with the Beast Titan.
But the price would likely be his own life—and the lives of everyone outside the Walls.
Lose his life, and he would never learn the truth.
Pursue the truth, and he would fail as commander.
This was the essence of Erwin Smith.
He fought not for humanity's fate—
But for his own insatiable curiosity about the world.
If he could, he would abandon everything and go straight to that basement.
But reason stopped him.
Too many lives rested on his shoulders.
He couldn't be a coward.
Then Levi chose him.
Kneeling on one knee, he pleaded:
"Give up your dream. Sacrifice yourself. Lead the recruits… straight to hell.
I will kill the Beast Titan."
The episode ended.