𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧|𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐱 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

13

𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞

Later on, the battle has begun and from his hiding spot, Bertholdt is aware that it has been a while since Reiner has transformed. However, Reiner has not signaled him and Bertholdt is worried about his friend's well-being, unaware that the Scout Regiment is currently cheering over having blown Reiner's head off with their Thunder Spears. The nape of the Armored Titan has been blown open with Reiner's partially decapitated body protruding from the back of its neck.

Though Jean Kirschtein nervously laughs in relief, he notices that Conny Springer and Sasha Braus have begun crying and he yells at them to try to get them to accept that they are the ones who killed Reiner. Worrying that Reiner may have survived the initial onslaught, Hange Zoë prepares the troops to get ready for another round of attack. Meanwhile, Mikasa Ackermann notices that Armin Arlelt is being quiet, and he tells her that they did not have any chance to negotiate. Their side lacks so much information and they do not have the power to capture someone who can turn into a Titan, so there was nothing they could do.

You on the other hand was still alive, thankfully, without getting capture by Reiner. You were lucky that time, but whatever comes next may not go so well, and you don't know what Levi will do after he specifically told you not to come. It was stupid yet scary at the same time because you felt like being left alone like before.

Suddenly, Reiner's Armored Titan lifts its head and lets out a roar. In a barrel on the quadruped Titan's body, Bertholdt recognizes it as the signal. The Beast Titan picks up the barrel containing Bertholdt and hurls him over the Wall into Shiganshina as Hange calls for their squad to blow Reiner's body to bits. However, Armin quickly deduces that the roar was a signal for Bertholdt and spots the incoming barrel. He warns Hange that they need to get away from Reiner before Bertholdt transforms into the Colossal Titan and blows them all away. The Scouts retreat from Reiner as Bertholdt prepares to transform, but he spots Reiner's Titan and sees that the body of his friend is exposed. Abandoning the plan, Bertholdt bursts out of the barrel and uses his ODM gear to reach Reiner, landing on the Armored Titan's shoulder. He discovers that Reiner is still alive, thanks to redistributing his consciousness from his head to Titan's body as a last resort.

Bertholdt asks Reiner to do something for him and to prepare for the worst if he is unable to comply. Then he approaches the Scouts to finish the fight. Moblit Berner calls out Bertholdt's impending arrival and Hange lays out a strategy to eliminate them both, only for Armin to approach them and ask that they try to negotiate. Armin uses his ODM to rush ahead of Hange and calls out to Bertholdt, asking that they talk this over.

In response, Bertholdt lays out the Warriors' terms. The Warriors want two things; Eren and the demise of humanity within the Walls. When Armin pushes him for who decides those conditions are necessary, Bertholdt replies that it is his own call. Armin tries to deceive Bertholdt again with a story about Annie being tortured, but this time Bertholdt refuses to listen and calls his bluff, claiming not to care about Annie's situation. Armin tries to leave, but Bertholdt lands on the roof in front of him, cutting him off.

Bertholdt asks if Armin tried talking to him about Annie again because he thought it would work a second time since Bertholdt is supposed to be meek and timid. He understands that Armin is trying to buy time, letting the Scout Regiment soldiers surround them and allowing others to finish killing Reiner. Armin asks why Bertholdt bothered talking with him if he knew what they were doing, and Bertholdt admits that he needed to know whether he would break down and start whining and begging for forgiveness if he faced his old comrades again. He discovers that he no longer feels conflicted about his duty, and tells Armin that, though he still considers the Scouts his comrades, he has no qualms about killing them all. Armin asks if Bertholdt still believes that they are the spawn of the devil, remembering their last encounter. Bertholdt acknowledges that they have done nothing wrong, and they are not devils either, but all of them still have to die.