Chapter 337: The Third Garden War Part 5 (1/2)
From the rubble and dust, Zinnia began coughing, throwing up feeling sick to the core. Pulling herself up slowly, she began stumbling around, hearing the screams of innocent bystanders' edge into her mind. She wanted to help, but her body wouldn't budge as she fell to her knees, struggling. From the dust, Chloe flew out, crashing into a burrow as Alton was taking on both Sub Stages at the same time. Pushed back, he kicked his leg up as fire separated him from Eren.
All she could do was watch in pain falling to her stomach. Then, feeling someone help her, she expected to see Alice only to be shocked overseeing Lucas pulling her up. ”Can you stand Zinnia?”
”You, why are you helping me?”
”I didn't want any of this…. But, you're right, Zinnia, there is always a choice. No one had to die today.” He whispered, helping her away. ”That can't be Alton…. I refuse to admit it.”
Zinnia held her head, struggling to remember. ”Alton? I can't quite remember. We had just stopped Hans? No wait, that was before…. My head!”
”Easy, easy. You're lucky to be alive after that worm got into your head…. Can you stop him?”
”What, but why would I?”
Lucas began tearing up, begging her. ”Please, Zinnia! He's going to kill everyone I care about.”
”Just like how the Garden did to us,” Alice whispered, looking ahead watching. ”What gives you the right to question what we do? You killed everyone I ever loved. An eye for an eye.”
Eren was knocked back as he fell to the ground holding his stomach in pain. Looking up, he flinched, seeing Alton standing over him. Sending serval blades around him, Eren desperately struck. The moment he did, Alton's pocket watch fell from his pocket, hanging from his hand by the chain as it froze over. The blades froze on the spot alongside everyone else. Alice and Zinnia found themselves unable to move as Zinnia flinched. ”What's going on?!”
”Why has Alton frozen us? He only freezes people he sees as an enemy!” Alice whispered in a daze. ”No way….”
Eren kept staring, horrified as nothing could save him. Finally, raising his hand, Eren was lifted into the air with Alton's telekinesis holding him in place. Slowly crushing his hand, Eren struggled, feeling a built-up amount of pain rip through his body as his stage was being torn from his body. Lucas could only watch, glued to the scene, unable to look away whispering. ”Stop it…. Please stop. No, don't take him from me. ALTON, STOP!”
Alton pivoted his head towards Lucas, staring him dead in the eye. This was the first time both saw each other directly in over 400 years. While it was hurting, Lucas Alton didn't seem to care or even acknowledge the boy. He turned back to Eren, squeezing his hand together pulling back. Before Lucas could scream out again in desperation, Alton tore the bud right from Eren's body, his eyes widening before he fell limp. Throwing him aside, the bud fell into Alton's palm as he absorbed it into his chest, allowing the power to overpower him. Roaring back, he fell to his knees as scars began appearing across his face. Taking serval deep breaths, his eyes flashed yellow as the Stage of Pain was finally his.
Time resumed as everyone was able to move. Lucas fell to his knees, giving up on helping Zinnia as he stared at Eren's body, crying out, running to him. Alton simply watched before turning to Alice and Zinnia. ”We're leaving. Do you know where to meet Alice? Alice!”
Snapping from her trance, she nodded. ”Yes! The trunk of the first Titan.”
”Good, take Zinnia. I'll meet up with Gemini. I'll see you all flipside.”
The three dispersed before Bargaining could come in. He looked around at the destroyed village, pissed off to lose. ”Damn it, Alton, you bastard….”
Turning his gaze, he saw Lucas sobbing over Eren's body, his handshaking. ”No, no, you can't leave me. You promised we would see the sky…. Please Eren…. Dad. Please.”
”We played right into his hand…. That wasn't Alton. Not in the slightest.” Bargaining muttered, dropping his sword. ”Just how far will you go to achieve your own goal, Ten?”
****
Having made his escape, Alton pivoted around where the first Titan once stood. The masses had fled the area while the Stages cleaned up the mess. Waiting for him was Gemini, who had cut her black hair to her ears with purple dye at the end. Seeing Alton, she let out a sigh of relief. ”Alton, I'm glad you are alright. Zinnia and Alice?”
”They made it out, yes. You saved us back there, so thank you.”
”It was nothing really. I'm just glad we got Zinnia; when you told me what happened, I was devasted. I couldn't let another friend fall to the Garden. Not her. Not Zinnia.” Gemini muttered, struggling to keep her smile. ”Did my attack kill anybody?”
”Quite a few civilians. It also assisted in taking down the Stage of Pain.” Alton coldly claimed.
”Oh, I see.” She whispered, looking troubled by this. ”I guess I was hoping this would bring a bit of justice for what happened to Goro but…. This wasn't justice. It was murder. We killed them in cold blood. So no one had to die today, Alton.”