Chapter 98: The Colossal Titan Kept Lifting Its Foot! Falling! Lifting! Falling!
Marleyan Empire, near Liberio Harbor.
The night was deep, the sea wind moaned. Floch hid in the shadows atop a tall building. The cold wind ruffled his hair, but he didn't feel the slightest chill. Only a searing fanaticism coursed through his veins.
He looked down. The brightly lit naval port lay dormant below like a giant steel beast. Battleships and cruisers were densely packed, a formidable sight—the maritime power the outside world prided itself on, and the noose tightening around Paradis Island's throat.
In the distance, the faint lights and sounds of the festival in Liberio Plaza could be discerned. Floch's eyes were fixed intently in that direction. He was waiting. Waiting for the signal.
"For the future of Eldia, we must become true devils!" he muttered, a twisted smile forming on his lips. The faces of his fallen comrades flashed before his eyes—Marlowe, Sandra, Gordon, and countless others devoured by Titans beneath the Walls. Their sacrifices, their suffering… would be repaid a hundredfold by these complacent enemies.
"These damned Marleyans, and those Eldian traitors—" he spat. "Today is your judgment day!"
"Eren—" he looked toward the plaza, the bright center of the coming storm. "Start it already—"
Just then—on the horizon, a blinding flash of lightning shot into the sky! The observation post beneath his feet shook violently. Immediately after, a thunderous roar rolled across the vast distance.
The signal! Eren had made his move!
Floch's pupils contracted, his smile twisting even further. "It's time!"
"TATAKAE!!!" he roared, his eyes filled with pure destructive intent. Without a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand and slashed the sharp blade across his palm. Blood welled up. He felt no pain, only the exhilarating release that was about to come.
The next second, an even larger, hotter bolt of golden lightning tore through the night sky, striking down from above with world-destroying intent. Its target—the center of the harbor, where the main warships were most densely concentrated.
BOOM—!!!
A terrifying explosion erupted. An incredibly hot fireball swelled in the heart of the port, instantly swallowing all light and illuminating the night sky as bright as day. The shockwave expanded with unstoppable force. The seawater instantly boiled and evaporated, creating massive waves. Countless smaller boats, along with the people on them, were simply vaporized.
Next were the steel behemoths. The nearest battleships and cruisers, their sturdy armor proving utterly fragile, were instantly torn apart and melted. Huge pieces of wreckage were thrown into the air, tumbling and disintegrating. Ships farther away were capsized by the massive waves, crashing into each other and bursting into flames. Steel twisted and shrieked.
Then came the docks. Solid concrete pulverized in an instant. Cranes, warehouses, and other structures were flattened. The shockwave surged onto the shore, sweeping away personnel, vehicles, facilities, and the very ground itself.
As the light and smoke cleared slightly, a massive, suffocating figure slowly became visible in the center of the boiling, burning sea. It was entirely red, skinless, revealing giant bones and dark red muscle. Terrifying heat radiated from it, keeping the surrounding water at a rolling boil, steam billowing into the sky.
The Colossal Titan. Floch.
The mere impact of his transformation had turned the core of the harbor into a burning graveyard.
But it wasn't enough. Compared to the centuries of persecution the Eldians had endured… this was far from enough. Floch wanted fear. He wanted death. He wanted utter annihilation. He would make these enemies pay the ultimate price.
The Titan's empty eye sockets turned toward the surviving ships. The next moment, jets of superheated white steam shot out, targeting the decks of the remaining vessels, the fleeing crowds on the shore, the fuel depots and ammunition stores.
Piercing screams erupted, only to be instantly consumed by the heat. People caught in the steam had no time to struggle, turning to charcoal in an instant. The fuel and ammo dumps detonated. BOOM! BOOOM! More violent chain explosions occurred, flames shooting skyward, engulfing even more areas in the wave of destruction.
Floch lifted his massive foot.
CRUNCH! It came down.
Lifted! CRUNCH! Down again!
Lift! Fall!
Lift! Fall!
Lift! Fall!
CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
The earth groaned continuously. The remaining dock ruins, the twisted railway tracks, the survivors who couldn't escape—everything was stomped into the burning rubble. He moved slowly, each step like an earthquake, crushing life and structures alike. He swung his massive arms, sweeping away remaining buildings, facilities, even a few planes desperately trying to take off, swatting them into the inferno or the boiling sea.
His giant head turned slowly, the empty sockets coldly surveying the hellscape he had created. He searched. Searched for any remaining targets worthy of destruction. Searched for any signs of life. His gaze passed over the burning harbor and settled on the panicked silhouette of the city in the distance. He would make them all see. See the "divine punishment" from Paradis Island.
The entire port was now a fiery hell. Burning fuel spread across the boiling sea surface. Thick smoke billowed, blotting out the sky, the air thick with the acrid smell of burning. Explosions continued sporadically. Everywhere lay twisted steel skeletons, shattered concrete, and the charred wreckage of ships. The naval port, once a symbol of Marleyan maritime dominance, was now a graveyard of steel.
Countless bodies floated in the boiling water, charred and incomplete. Even more were buried beneath the scalding rubble.
The surviving Marleyan soldiers descended into utter chaos and collapse. The command structure was gone. The scene before them was a nightmare beyond comprehension. The giant devil standing amidst the inferno—its very presence crushed all will to resist. Sporadic rifle and machine gun fire had no effect on the Titan. More soldiers, consumed by terror, dropped their weapons and fled, only to be quickly engulfed by the superheated steam, collapsing buildings, or the Titan's footfalls. Desperate shouts and confused orders were drowned out by the roar of explosions and flames.
If there were civilian areas nearby, the scene was even more horrific. Pure terror infected everyone. Screams, cries, wails. People ran aimlessly, with nowhere safe to go. Many died instantly, without even time to react. Those who witnessed their loved ones turned to ash suffered complete mental breakdowns. The fear of the "island devils" was no longer an empty slogan; it was this apocalyptic demon right before their eyes.
Further away, the city's inhabitants were jolted by the massive explosions and the sky-high flames from the port. When they saw the Colossal Titan, radiating destruction as it stood between heaven and earth, many collapsed to the ground, offering desperate prayers or simply screaming meaninglessly. Fear spread rapidly from the port throughout the entire city.
Floch stood amidst the ruins, continuing his advance, surveying his handiwork. There was no pity in his heart, only a twisted satisfaction. This was the proper response to the enemy. This was the necessary sacrifice for Eldia's revival.
…
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of this tragedy unfolding in Marley, the Kyubeys began their own operation. Their targets: the groups within this catastrophe who needed… "help."