Author: Vincent Rodger | Banner: Landon Soto

One hundred years ago, they fell; the Age of Heroes ended when the Titans suddenly appeared. They devoured those that could not escape, but those that did survive the hordes built three massive walls, preserving the lives of the few thousand humans remaining.

Up until two years ago, the walls fell under siege, the small town of Mozen being lost in the chaos. The hordes poured in, eating the population like rats trapped in a cage. Those who witnessed the terror enlisted in the newly formed Scout Regiment, eventually finding a way to take back the home that they had lost.

Overcoming internal corruption and traitors in the ranks, it felt as if a new era of freedom was finally blooming. The world had been so small to them for their entire lives, now it seemed as if humanity was given a chance to flourish once more. That was, if those that watched were ready to give this world up.

Above the planet sat a colossal ship, gold in color, signifying that the warlords of Planet Mega had returned. They had waited for the age of heroes to fall and for the King of The Monsters to be destroyed; though it seemed that there was a domino effect. Once those that fought to protect the Earth had fallen to the hordes, Godzilla disappeared. The perfect chance to seize the planet as they sought fit had finally arrived, taking the planet and leaving the walls alone as they transformed the rest of the world.

One eye laid on their face, the ears much larger than our own; their skin a dark red, fingertips resembling suction cups; their clothing looking like an astronaut suit, covered in blue and purple. The warlords watched from above as they had finally done it.

“It seems that they have escaped the experiment zone.”

“I was not expecting this result. What should we do?”

“Send in Rhiahn. We have no need for Triax or Krollar for this mission. The boy will not survive our first wave.”

With a subtle push of a button, one of the Mega-Monsters was unleashed. Flying toward the planet, the green-yellow space invader prepared to fight for his master’s will. The original and their brothers had failed in taking the planet, he would not make the same mistake.

-Tokyo-

The Scout Regiment had only been around for two years, and they had already taken back the world that was lost to them, discovering a civilization forgotten by their own people. The city lay in ruin, overgrowth covering most of the buildings. In the death of civilization, the Earth made life. A rebirth.

The hero of the walls sat on his horse, deep in thought as he looked around him. Skeletons of men, women, and children paved the streets, the air stentched of death and decay. He knew what a warzone looked like, this city was the last stand against some outside force; perhaps the Wraith Titans that he had faced before or something beyond their understanding. Either way, this is where this age ended.

This place felt familiar to the young man. Something about it, made fear crawl up his spine. As if… A distant voice of the past was calling to him. He closed his eyes as a memory quickly flashed in front of him. A single man stood among the crowd, walking toward the threat that stood before him with his fellow gods. Eren could tell they were one and the same, wanting nothing more than freedom. The man charged forward as he grabbed a knife from his side and sliced his hand open, lightning surrounding him as he leaped forw-

“Eren?” The young man opened his eyes. His longtime friend and comrade, Armin, had broken his concentration on the memory, snapping him back to reality.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, you just looked like you were lost for a second.” The young hero smiled before turning away from his friend, marching forward on his horse.

“It’s nothing, I promise. Let’s move forward, I’m sure the others are going to want to make camp soon.” The pair moved forward, catching up to their allies. A small group of soldiers stayed on their horses as a large portion of the group took to the sky, using their Vertical Maneuver Gear to move around the city. They made it this far without encountering any Wraith Titans, it was best to secure the area before they were ambushed by the mutations.

Humanity had already lost so much to the abominations, the lower the casualties, the less heartbreaks. Armin jumped off his horse, walking over to something that he spotted in the distance. The young man reaching down and attempting to pick it up, only for it to not budge at all. “Come on you stupid hammer, is it stuck or something?”

“Armin lift with your legs, not your back.”

Armin turned around, seeing Eren watch as he approached. “I would like to see you try then, genius.”

The hero of the walls approached the object. Taking in a deep breath as he attempted to lift it from the crater that it sat in. The young man attempting to lift it, only for it to not budge like before. “Perhaps someday I will be like you.” Eren let go, backing away before looking at Armin.

“Eren, what the hell did you mean by that?” Eren stared at his friend as he thought about his response.

“It’s as simple as it sounds, I am not like the one before. The first host of my Titan form. This hammer, it’s the last remnant of the old gods. Warriors that fought for this very planet’s protection, but failed, and the world was consumed by the Wraith Titans.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

“Because I have the memories of the original host of the Attack Titan. He was their leader. The best of them.” Eren looked up in the starry night sky. He sensed something was on its way and that it would arrive from the heavens, from the great unknown. He didn’t know why he knew this, perhaps his memories played a factor, but he did know that he would need to put his all into stopping whatever threatened humanity.

If only he was still here. The gods had failed, but if that beast was still here, things could have ended differently.

“What happened to you, Godzilla?”

“Who or I should say, what the hell is Godzilla?”

“A reminisce of humanity’s past sins made flesh. A beast of great power, a destroyer and protector that walked this planet as the gods once did.” Armin stared at his friend, puzzled by all this information. Had Eren gone mad from the Titan’s power? Or was he telling the truth? He always had faith in Eren and he had seen things that most people wouldn’t believe either. Perhaps his friend was simply telling the story of those thought to be gods. Either way, to learn that even those with god-like power had fallen to the hordes was a disturbing thought.

“Eren.” The two turned, spotting Mikasa approach.

“Don’t tell Mikasa what I said. I’ll tell everyone when the time comes but they won’t believe me.” Armin nodded, vowing to keep the secrets of Eren’s memories.

“I’m done surveying the area. Hange and Sasha will be here any second. The city seems deserted and devoid of life. Eren, why did you want us to come here?” The young man paused his train of thought as he looked up at Mikasa. Either way, his answer was going to sound crazy. Might as well tell her a part of it before they arrive.

“Because we are going to stop the threat from above.” Eren pointed toward the sky, the hero waiting on a response. Mikasa’s eyes widened as she approached, wrapping her hands around his own.

“Are you okay, Eren?” The young man blushed as he stepped back.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I know that the answer was going to sound crazy, just… Know that we are here for a reason.” Suddenly a red flare was fired, causing alarm throughout the Scouts. Everyone looking up as the flare illuminated through the night. Their commanding officer waving her arms in the air before pointing at the sky.

“Hey! Something’s coming!” Hange yelled as a shape began to take form in the darkness. Eren grinded his teeth as anger began to build.

“Find Sasha and Hange. I will need you guys to stay back a bit while I do this. Make sure the area is secure. Who knows what will come through the night out here.” The pair of childhood friends shook their heads before taking to the sky, rendezvousing with their allies.

The beast had a garish yellow colorization to it, the three blades behind it spinning, granting the invader the ability of flight. One golden eye glowed in the darkness, multiple arms hung from his torso, each of them tipped with a single claw, and a head that looked like a flying saucer.

The second Rhiahn had arrived to Earth. Through his eye, the Megan warlord observed the situation, spotting the boy as they descended. This was the current host of the Attack Titan? Passed down from generation to generation, the power that made it possible for the Megans to create the serum for the Wraith Titans from the DNA of the Jaeger Titans. Stealing a vial of the serum from the gods themselves, dooming them in the process.

The Megan Warlord pondered for a moment before pushing a button and issued a command, “Rhiahn, destroy them all.” The Megan beast cried out in rage as it charged at Eren. The Scout Regiment not having time to absorb what was happening as worry ran through their minds.

Eren looked up as he lifted his hand to his jaws and uttered a single word: “Tatakai.” A golden flash temporarily banished the darkness. The Mega Monster screeched, blinded and covered its eye as it backed away. Smoke rose from the blast point, the hero’s form now changed. Their size grew exponentially, their skin glowing red like embers on a campfire, emitting an aura of hatred from their body. Eren stood up, cracking his neck and knuckles before getting into a fighting position. The hero of the walls taunting the alien to attack.

The Attack Titan had arrived, his eyes red with a burning rage for his enemy. Ready to kill the one responsible for destroying this world. “I will succeed where you failed… I promise.”

The Mega Monster stared down at the demon of justice as it circled around him before charging forward, preparing to kill their target.

As Rhiahn opened his jaws, the mighty defender of the Earth sprung forward and grappled his hands on the top and bottom of the creature’s jaws, forcing the maw to stay open. The Attack Titan released a roar of rage at the beast, declaring one thing…

Tonight, it dies.

The Megan beast clamped into the flesh of the heroic Titan. From inside the nape, Eren’s eyes widen as Rhiahn quickly overpowered him. The Attack Titan fell on his back, blood flying across the alien’s face and ground as Rhiahn devoured his arms in a single gulp.

This is bad. Blood flew from the freakish alien’s maw before quickly charging, the Titan rolling backward before sprinting on his feet into the ruins. He needed to let his arms regenerate before the invader gained the upper hand. He had never faced an opponent that had outclassed him so much.

Rhiahn made a sinister grin as he approached, the alien readied himself to kill his fleeing prey. The blade attached to him sawed through the buildings around him, reducing the ruins into rubble and killing those unfortunate enough to be underneath the structures.

Armin sat on a rooftop, the young man observing the situation from afar, trying to process what he was even saying. “Well… I’ll be damned. Alien life does exist.”

“I wonder what it’ll taste like cooked.” Armin turned at Sasha, a confused gaze on his face as he looked at the young woman. “What?”

“Eating it was not the first thought that came to mind when proof of extraterrestrial life appeared in front of us.”

“Do you think this will work?” The two turned, spotting their commander with a rocket launcher.

“It’s better than nothing. We need to give Eren time to heal his wounds and counterattack.” The four looked at each other, nodding in unison when they suddenly heard a scream. The small group looked down from their position to find some new arrivals…

Wraith Titans grabbed unsuspecting soldiers, opening their maws as they broke both body and spirit. Agonizing screams from the recruits filled the ears of the survivors, while the Titans’ smiles left a feeling of unease as they devoured their comrades. Blood splashed across their flesh as they swallowed their meals whole. Any other creature fought to survive, ate so that they could fight another day, but these abominations ate for another reason… One lost to time.

Mikasa sprung forward at increasing speeds, the Vertical Maneuver Gear making it so that she could keep away from the giant humanoid’s reach as she spun and sliced their nape in a single swing. Blood covered her as the corpse fell down, steam rising from the wound.

Others of their kind turned their attention toward the young woman, their hunger consuming them as they all charged forward. Mikasa gripped the handles of her blades as they approached, determination filling her mind as the giants came closer… Suddenly, one dropped to the ground mid-charge. Sasha stood over, firing arrow after arrow at the Titans. Most of them missed the napes and instead struck their shoulders or missed completely.

“Dammit! Why are these things so hard to hit!? They are gigantic walking targets.”

Mikasa took in a deep breath before taking to the sky, spinning at rapid speeds as she cut into the arm of an approaching beast before circling around and slicing their nape, dropping the monster in what seemed like an instant. Another reached out to grab her, only for the warrior to quickly dodge and then stab the mindless brute in the eyes. Mikasa quickly backed away as the humanoid swung forward, attempting to grab her in a blind rage. The young woman quickly stuck on the side of a building, looking up as Sasha fired another arrow, this time landing its mark.

“SASHA!” The huntress looked down, spotting her friend. “You need to breathe and then release. Calm your mind. It’s the same as firing a gun, just make sure you make more hits than missing the target. You will run out of arrows if you aren’t too careful.”

Sasha nodded as she grabbed another arrow, breathing slowly as she took aim before releasing, slicing into the nape of another Titan. The young woman jumped up in glee as she screamed on the top of her lungs. Mikasa smiled, not being able to hide the pride she had in her friend.

From a short distance away, Armin and Hange charged toward Rhiahn, the blonde strategist looking back at his friends fighting off the swarm. Though they were fully capable of defending themselves, he was still worried.

“Hey!” Armin turned his attention toward his commander, the weapon’s expert catching his attention. “Have faith in them. We survived Shikishima and Kubal, we can survive this.” She was right, they had faced incredibly low odds of survival before, and they survived each time.

The young tactician nodded his head before returning to the task at hand, looking past Rhiahn and spotting steam rising from behind a building.

Eren looked around the corner of his cover, spotting Rhiahn searching for him above the ruins before looking back down at his regenerating limbs. They were half way from returning, but he still needed more time. The hero of the walls began to get up when he heard the alien scream, filled with fury, as he heard the echo of an explosive burst reach his ears. The young man once again looked past his cover to see Armin and Hange distracting the invader.

“How do you like that, you perfect specimen!” Hange loaded the rocket launcher once more as she took aim and pulled the trigger. The explosive struck the monster’s body, earning a groan of annoyance as he turned his head through the smoke.

“Oh shit…”

Armin attempted to slice at the alien’s flesh as he flew by, only ending in the blades breaking in his hand. His eyes widened as one of the blades bounced back and sliced into his arm, earning a pained cry as he lost momentum and began to fall toward the ground. The anchors lost their grip, becoming entangled in the process, leaving Armin little choice… Time seemed to slow down as the young man fell thousands of feet, his life flashing before his eyes. His childhood memories with Mikasa and Eren, the attack on the walls from the Colossal Titan, the small group of friends eating at the dinner table after training. He was at least grateful for one thing… “I lived a good life.” The young man closed his eyes and smiled as he embraced his fate…

Quickly Eren leapt forward, one of his hands regenerating enough to catch his old friend. The pair looked in horror as Rhiahn lifted a claw above his head before swinging it downward, striking the building that Hange stood on…

“COMMANDER!”

Rage quickly overtook the Titan shifter, putting Armin to the side as he jumped up and chomped into one of the arms of the alien. Rhiahn shrieked before swiping one of his claws across Eren’s eye, cutting into flesh and thrown to the ground, blood falling from his body as he collapsed onto his back. Armin quickly untangled the cords and used his gear to fly through the air, going to where Hange stood. He needed to make sure she survived.

The Attack Titan screeched as he rolled to the side, aiming to dodge the extraterrestrial’s next claw swipe. The diligent warrior looked over to his other regrowing limb, the process of his healing factor was almost complete. Soon he could fight at his full strength. Eren put up his one fist as the monster charged forth, quickly ducking and, with all his strength, punched the alien’s underbelly. Rhiahn released a gigantic gasp as he felt the weight of the attack before the Titan sank his nails into the beast’s skin, keeping a grip before throwing the invader.

As the Mega Monster flew, the blades which propelled it sliced in Eren’s shoulder, earning a roar of pain from the Titan shifter. Blood covered the propeller-like blades as Eren’s falling body collapsed, with Rhiahn crashing into a decrepit skyscraper.

Steam rose from the newly made wound as his hand finally finished forming. The demon of justice stood tall, looking as the beast struggled to swat the rubble off of him. Eren scanned around the destroyed metropolis, looking for anything to find to gain an advantage when he spotted the hammer that he saw before. Perhaps he was strong enough to lift it now.

From inside the nape, the young warrior smiled as he walked over to it. Grabbing the mythic item as he approached the downed alien. Rhiahn released a roar, the sound resembling that of an ear piercing cry and an animal gurgling in blood, as he finally was able to lift off. The last of the rubble fell from his body as he shook, turning to find his enemy…

The cyclop’s one eye widened as the hammer was slammed straight into his eye, blinding the alien. Rhiahn unleashed a shrill of anguish, the cry sounding like a croaking frog. The sensitive organ was destroyed in an instant, purple blood flowing from the wound. The Attack Titan smiled as he circled around his enemy, glancing at a destroyed skyscraper.

The demon dropping the hammer before lunging for the leaning tower, he wrapped his hands around the metal and began to climb it. The alien swiped at the air in all directions, using his speed to attempt to catch his smaller adversary, only to be met with chunks of decayed concrete.

***

Armin panicked as he threw hunks of debris, attempting to find his commander and friend had only just begun, but that hope plunged for just a moment… When suddenly, he heard a thud before a scream. The blonde soldier turned around, his eyes widening as he saw his commanding officer struggling on the ground. A piece of rebar jutted from her stomach, coughing up blood as the wound oozed with ichor.

The strategist began to breathe heavily, he had never removed someone with a wound like this. “Armin, hey, hey,” the blonde young man looked down, his superior officer, breathing heavily as she tried to keep a serious face.

“I know that you are quite shocked right now, but I need you to man the hell up. You’re a soldier. You are going to see shit like this. I need you to lift me up and get this piece of metal out of me.” Armin snapped out of his trance, quickly putting his hands on her back and lifting her up. Hange cringed as the wound began to bleed, she felt the tearing of flesh before she was standing. The commander let out a gut wrenching scream as Armin kept her balance.

“I’ll go get the others. You stay here for a sec.” Armin placed her on the ground as he took off, going to grab his other fellow Scouts.

***

Eren stood on top of the skyscraper, the Titan shifter looking down on the alien. His burning red eyes of hatred scanned the beast’s position. He could feel the weight of the building giving out, he needed to make a move.

The Attack Titan jumped forward, roaring with fury as the burning embers of rage reached the surface. The rogue hero brought his elbow up as he descended, slamming his bulk into the alien’s hide as his legs were sliced off from the spinning blades. Blood sprayed across the battlefield, the Titan’s legs crashing into the streets.

Quickly, Eren wrapped his arms around the alien’s throat to keep hold, keeping a vice grip on them. The flailing alien began to slam into buildings in an attempt to free himself, suffocating from the stranglehold. The hero of the walls opened his maw and sank his teeth into the monster’s shoulder, ripping skin as if it were a pear. Purple blood oozed out from the wound, splattering against the ground like a rushing river. The alien screamed in anguish once more before managing to finally throw the attacker off with a violent heave.

Eren rolled across the ground, managing to stop himself by anchoring with his stumps. The Titan shifter glared as Rhiahn attempted to listen closely for his prey. The Attack Titan roared as he crawled at speeds that caught the alien by surprise.

The extraterrestrial swung at the direction of the roar, only to miss and strike the ground. It was no use. The Attack Titan finished his charge before leaping forward, opening his jaws before sinking his fangs into the Mega Monster’s throat.

The alien shrieked in agony as blood filled his enemy’s maw, the experimental life form swiping at his attacker with his claws. Attempting to free himself from the Titan’s grasp when Eren quickly wrapped his hands around the alien’s neck, applying pressure before using all his weight to throw them down to the ground. The pair crashed through the streets before the demon was thrown off Rhiahn’s back. Blood rushed from his face as he crashed into concrete, a large splat echoing through the area before he got onto his back. The hero stared at the wounded invader, the beast struggling to move.

The Titan crawled close before grabbing the top of his head. The hero growling as he shoved his hand through the sensitive organ, blood spraying onto Eren’s body as the dying alien let out an ear piercing cry of anguish.

The Megan Warlord slammed their fist into the side of his chair, frustrated by the fact their weapon was defeated by a much weaker foe. “My lord, what is your next order?” The alien turned toward his helpers, pondering on his next move before smiling.

“Prepare the other Mega Monsters.”

From above the battle, Mikasa, Hange, Sasha, and Armin watched as their friend began to rip through the skull, pulling out flesh and covering the streets in gore before Eren stopped. The young man rolled on his back.

“I kept my promise…” Steam rolled from his flesh as he exited the Titan’s nape, falling on the ground unconscious. Victory was his on this day, but he was lucky. And eventually… Everyone’s luck runs out.

***

-Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean-

Fish swam by a gigantic cave, minding their business as to not disturb what lied inside. A green goliath of ancient legend remained, staying within his own exile.

The world had gone to hell, but Godzilla had stayed in solitude. He was no longer the King of the Monsters, but a beast that had caused too much pain, too much suffering.

The radioactive saurian looked from inside the dark cave, his red eyes glowing through the ocean. snarling as he saw a rather large animal pass by his home. The nuclear behemoth was hungry, he needed to feed.

Quickly, the animal launched from the cave, opening his jaws as his prey took notice of his presence. Their eyes widening as the last moment of their life slowed down…

Winner: Attack Titan

A very special thanks to dopepope for some of the assets used in this banner for the K.W.C. Be sure to follow him on DeviantART, ArtStation, and Instagram.