Chapter 20: The Persuasion (Fourth Update, Monthly Ticket Bonus)
Armin looked at the people present, all of whom were important figures he would never normally see.
He turned to glance at Eren and Mikasa. Their expressions were calm, showing complete trust in Armin. For some reason, Armin suddenly felt like crying.
Eren nodded at Armin, signaling for him to speak.
Armin took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and raised his head, maintaining a confident posture.
Looking directly at the few people before him, Armin gave a standard military salute, forcefully pounding his fist against his chest.
"Respective Corps Commanders and Commander-in-Chief, I have something to say, on behalf of Eren Yeager. We grew up together in the same hometown. If he poses a threat to humanity, then I am equally suspect."
Darius Zackly frowned, looking somewhat displeased. Eren should be speaking for himself now, not being represented by someone else.
But recalling Eren's chaotic thoughts, his incoherent speech, and his nearly critical physical condition, Darius Zackly finally nodded.
"Eren Yeager, can he represent your will?"
"Yes."
Eren's answer was crisp and decisive, without any hesitation. Darius Zackly said nothing more.
Armin organized his thoughts and began to speak.
"We are soldiers who have already sworn to dedicate our hearts for the revival of humanity. If we can give our lives for this cause, we will do so without regret or complaint.
But if we can combine our current military strength with Eren Yeager's Titan power, retaking the entire city is not impossible.
After Eren Yeager transforms into a Titan, he is a fifteen-meter class. Based on the strength he has shown before, lifting the boulders in the town is well within his capability.
So, even if we are to die here today, for the honor of humanity, let us die gloriously in battle!"
Armin completed the above statement by shouting, simple yet impactful.
Not only Darius Zackly, but even the useless members of the Military Police Brigade were somewhat tempted, as their families were inside Wall Rose.
Su Xiao smiled as he watched Armin. This young man had a talent for speech; it was not impossible for him to become the Commander of the Survey Corps in the future.
"Truly an impressive statement. Eren Yeager, this is your intention, isn't it?"
Darius Zackly clenched his fist. As long as he could retake Wall Rose, he was willing to bear some risks. Once Wall Rose was completely breached, humanity would lose vast amounts of land. Within a week, the human population would drop by at least eighty percent, and cannibalism would become normal.
'Exchanging children for food' was not just an idiom; in times of famine, it was a pile of meat in a pot.
"Survey Corps Commander Erwin Smith, I now order you to use Eren Yeager's Titan power to retake Wall Rose. Can you do it?"
Darius Zackly's aura at this moment was at its peak.
"Whether it can be done is unclear, but until the Survey Corps is completely annihilated, this matter is the Survey Corps' mission."
"Good!"
Darius Zackly's gaze shifted to Su Xiao.
"Soldier Bai Ye, if Eren Yeager betrays humanity after transforming into a Titan, can you eliminate him immediately?"
"No problem. I was the one who dragged him out of the Titan's body before. Compared to capturing him alive, killing him is easier."
Su Xiao's clear answer gave Darius Zackly more confidence in the upcoming operation.
"However, there are three holes now. Should we block the hole that is still being defended, or the one that has already been breached?"
Darius Zackly hesitated. Blocking the hole still being defended would be faster and speed up the process of holding Wall Rose. However, the already breached hole was also urgent, but blocking it would be more difficult due to interference from Titans.
The critical moment had arrived. If Su Xiao didn't say something now, he might end up doing the work for others.
"Commander-in-Chief, I was previously guarding that already breached hole. However, due to a large-scale evacuation of personnel, that hole was eventually lost.
That hole is unusual. It is larger than the other two holes, and there are cracks in the wall inside the hole. If a support point is not established quickly, the nearby wall may collapse."
This shocking news from Su Xiao stunned everyone present. What did a wall collapse mean? If the collapse inside the hole caused the entire wall to cave in, humanity would be finished.
"Is the information accurate?"
"Accurate. I personally inspected the inner wall of the hole. There is one crack about fifty centimeters long, four cracks about thirty centimeters long, and twenty cracks about ten centimeters long."
There would indeed be cracks inside the holes. Su Xiao believed that every one of the three holes had them, but he was the only one present who had personally guarded the front of a hole.
Although Hange Zoe was also on the front line, she fought using 'Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.' It was unlikely she had entered the hole to inspect the inner wall. Even if she had, Su Xiao had even more frightening claims to make.
"Hange, what was the situation with the hole you were defending?"
Erwin would not take Su Xiao's word for it, even though Su Xiao was now a member of the Survey Corps.
"There were no obvious cracks on the outer side of the wall. The inside of the hole is unclear; I didn't go in. However, I speculate there wouldn't be too many large cracks. I suggest we first block the already breached hole to stop more Titans from entering the city. The civilian casualties are severe now."
Clearly, Hange Zoe was shaken by Su Xiao's words. If a wall construction expert were present, they would surely point out the problems in Su Xiao's statement.
But Su Xiao was certain there was no such talent present. The royal family would never allow that kind of talent to exist, because the three walls were not man-made.
"It's decided. We will first block the entrance that Bai Ye was previously guarding, and then proceed to block the other two holes."
After Darius Zackly gave the order, Su Xiao breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart. His plan was now fifty percent complete.
The reason he could achieve this was not because he was resourceful, but because he had grasped the overall trend.
After Eren's Titan identity was exposed, as long as the high-ranking officials within the walls weren't brain-dead, they would use Eren's power. The current situation was too critical.
"All Survey Corps personnel, listen up. Prepare to begin a large-scale cleanup of Titans inside the walls, making preparations for Eren Yeager to transport the boulder.
Eren Yeager, can you transform into a Titan now?"
Erwin was now appointed as the frontline commander, and he immediately took on the heavy responsibility.
"It seems not. I'm very tired now. I need at least an hour of rest before I might be able to."
Eren had already initially mastered the Titan power. Inheriting the Titan power also came with inheriting some memories of previous users, which contained the methods for using the Titan power.
"I'll give you two hours to rest. During this time, we'll clear the Titans inside the walls. Bai Ye, Eren Yeager is your responsibility. Use your own judgment at critical moments."
Actually, the best choice would have been Levi. Erwin trusted Levi more. Unfortunately, Levi was not present, so Erwin could only choose Su Xiao.
"No problem."
Su Xiao sat by the city wall, looking down at the town engulfed in smoke and flames. Now he just needed to keep an eye on 'Eren the Beast.' He felt that completing the 'Defense Mission' was not far off. For him, the world of the Titans was just beginning after completing the defense mission. Being bound by the mission now would indeed be inconvenient for his actions.
He had a bold idea afterward. If successful, the gains would be substantial.
Su Xiao took out some chocolate and handed it to Eren. This stuff could help Eren recover his stamina faster.
"Eat this; it will speed up your stamina recovery. If you can't lift that stone in two hours, you can close your eyes and wait for death."
Eren hesitated for a moment, then took the chocolate. He felt his life was in Su Xiao's hands now and didn't think Su Xiao would poison him.
He took a bite of the chocolate, and his expression wasn't good.
"It's both sweet and bitter, with a strange taste. It's terrible, and it looks like dirt."
"Stop talking nonsense. If you dare to spit it out, I'll feed you dirt directly."
ps: (Fighting for the fifth spot on the monthly ticket rankings. The opponent is strong. This kind of fair competition is really exciting. Brothers, carry me!)