Chapter 104: The Tide Turns! Carnage!!!
On the chaotic battlefield, new lights of contract continued to flare up, one after another.
"Dammit! At this rate—" Jean gritted his teeth, looking at the ever-increasing number of enemies surrounding them. He glanced at Connie and Sasha, then towards Mikasa and Eren, who were similarly besieged nearby. They had just crawled back from the brink of hell! They couldn't die here!
A small white figure appeared silently beside him. "Do you want the power to survive?" its empty red eyes watched him.
…
"So many enemies! We're gonna die, we're gonna die!" Connie stared at the enemies swarming from all directions, feeling like he wouldn't make it back today. Another Kyubey appeared before him. "Looks like you need help?"
…
Sasha looked at the chaos, her stomach rumbling inappropriately. "So hungry…" Beside her, another Kyubey materialized.
…
High above, Hange and Erwin also witnessed the countless lights and enemies suddenly erupting below. "That number—" Hange gasped. Erwin's face was grim as iron. No matter how fast their ODM gear was, it couldn't compare to this miraculous magic. A Kyubey appeared before both of them simultaneously.
…
On the other side of the plaza, amidst the ruins. Porco and Pieck, under Reiner's protection, were organizing the surviving soldiers and civilians for retreat. The continuous flashes of contract light in the distance stung their eyes. "What—what is that?!" Porco stammered in shock. Pieck panted, despair flickering in her eyes. "It's those little white things—they're empowering the civilians too—" A Kyubey appeared before them as well.
…
Battle erupted instantly! No probing, no hesitation! The newly born Marleyan Magical Girls, driven by hatred and despair, surged like a tide towards the surrounded members from Paradis Island! Magic beams of every color, explosions, ice, and fire rained down!
"Engage!!!" Jean roared, a brilliant yellow light exploding around him. Heavy, knight-style magical armor covered his body, and a massive energy shield and lance materialized in his hands. Magic Knight Jean!
"Whoooaaa!!" Orange light flashed around Connie as he transformed into a high-speed ninja. A tight orange magical suit clung to his body, and energy shurikens spun rapidly in each hand. Gale Rider Connie!
"Meat! Meat! Gotta live for the meat!" Sasha was enveloped in a soft green light, transforming into an agile archer. Small wings sprouted from her back, and her longbow materialized, nocked with an energy arrow. Wind Chaser Sasha!
High above, watching their subordinates instantly fall into a desperate struggle—their newfound powers, though strong, were insufficient against the overwhelming numbers—Hange and Erwin made their choice. A complex purple light flared! A purple magical battle dress, combining elements of the Survey Corps uniform and a lab coat, enveloped Hange. Special goggles automatically fitted over her eyes, and a pair of crackling energy whip-blades appeared in her hands. Seeker Hange!
A blinding golden light exploded! Erwin was covered in a majestic, golden commander's formal battle dress, sharply tailored. A pair of golden light wings, symbolizing freedom and hope, unfurled behind him, and he held an energy command sword radiating an aura of stern leadership. Commander Erwin!
The Marleyan Magical Girls continued their frenzied assault, their numbers their greatest advantage. "Kill them! Avenge our dead families!" "The devils of Paradis must die!" They attacked relentlessly.
But—[Attack their gems!!! On their chests or bodies!!!] Hange's urgent voice echoed in the minds of the Survey Corps members. She hadn't wanted to reveal this weakness, knowing it applied to Eren and the others too, but there was no choice!
[Soul Gems?! Those are the weak points?!] Jean yelled back telepathically, smashing an enemy aside with his shield.
[Idiot! Just try it!] Connie shouted, his energy shurikens slicing through the air in a tricky arc, striking the purple gem of an incoming Marleyan Magical Girl!
CRACK! The gem shattered instantly. The crazed look on the girl's face froze. Her body went rigid and collapsed, the light fading from her eyes. It worked!!!
"Sorry," Sasha's eyes turned cold. This was life or death; she had to be decisive. She drew her bowstring, and a green energy arrow shot out, piercing the blue gem on the headpiece of another Magical Girl ambushing Connie. Thwip! Another enemy down.
The members of the Survey Corps, veterans and rookies alike, had all been through hell. They might not understand magic, but they understood combat—how to kill with maximum efficiency. Their instincts were far sharper than these civilians who had just gained power. Combined with Hange and Erwin's commands from above—
"Protect your own gems!"
"Prioritize shattering the enemy's gems! Don't get bogged down!"
"Mikasa! Cover the flank!"
"Jean! Hold the front!"
"Connie! Sasha! Free attack! Eliminate threats!"
"Levi! Cut off Zeke's limbs and join the fight!"
"Hange! Find a breakthrough point ASAP!"
Erwin's orders were clear. A hunt for Soul Gems began! Thwip! Crack! Pop! The Survey Corps Magical Girls, leveraging their superior combat experience, teamwork, and targeted strikes, forcibly tore a path through the chaotic tide. The Marleyan Magical Girls, though numerous, were mostly fighting for the first time. They hadn't studied their own abilities, didn't know to protect their vital points, and only knew how to blindly unleash their power.
Again and again, Marleyan Magical Girls were cut down before their attacks could even land, their gems shattered by precise strikes from the Survey Corps members. They screamed and collapsed, lifeless. The battlefield became a brutal hunting ground. The Survey Corps members showed no mercy. This was kill or be killed. Mercy for the enemy was cruelty to themselves and their comrades. Their eyes were cold, movements swift, every strike lethal. Blades flashed, energy flew. Newly born Magical Girls were reaped like wheat.
…
"Porco! Behind you!" Pieck screamed desperately from the edge of the ruins. She saw several pure-blooded Marleyan Magical Girls, completely lost to hatred and unable to distinguish friend from foe, aiming their attacks at the Eldian civilians (on Marley's side) who were trying to retreat. At the same time, the stray energy from a Paradis Magical Girl's attack swept toward them. Chaos reigned.
Thick smoke erupted from Pieck's body! She instantly transformed, her form fusing features of the Cart Titan—incredibly fast, covered in light, white, streamlined armor. The saddle-like device on her back rapidly generated and fired several small energy cannonballs. War Chariot Pieck!
The cannonballs precisely intercepted the attacks aimed at Porco, simultaneously blasting away the Marleyan Magical Girls who had fired on their own allies in the confusion, and blocking the stray shot from the Paradis member.
Porco looked back, seeing Pieck's support and the hellish scene around them. Grief and fury surged through him. He let out a roar. These devils from Paradis!!! They've ruined everything!!!!
Shattered-looking black crystal armor rapidly covered his body, his hands transforming into razor-sharp energy claws gleaming coldly. Crystal Jaw Ripper Porco!
"You devils from Paradis!!! DIE!!!!" He directed his rage at the source of all this chaos, roaring as he charged the nearest Survey Corps member. Pieck followed close behind, providing cover fire with her energy cannons. They too joined the melee, aiming to avenge their fallen comrades and protect the remaining Marleyan soldiers as best they could.
The entire Liberio Internment Zone had utterly devolved into a hellscape of Magical Girls slaughtering each other. Blood and limbs. Hope and despair. Hatred and protection. All swirled together madly on this war-torn, scorched earth.