Zzzt! Surging yellow electric arcs burst from Historia's entire body, refracted by the surrounding crystals, dazzling to the eye.
Terrifying shockwaves and scalding steam overturned the soldiers nearby.
Flesh and bone appeared out of thin air and tangled together. Everyone present watched helplessly as Historia gradually transformed into a Titan right before their eyes.
"Everyone fall back, get clear!" Erwin gave the order in time, and the Survey Corps immediately scattered far away.
Behind her glasses, Hange's eyes were grave yet excited.
"There's actually a potion that can turn humans into Titans? Incredible!"
"Hahaha, my mission is complete. Uri, Frieda, I'm coming to see you." Golden light shone over Rod's face. He closed his eyes calmly.
The next instant—boom! A gigantic steaming foot stomped down on Rod, and a flash of blood swept past.
"They actually turned Historia into a Titan!? What's going on?!" Jean was on the verge of collapse.
Ever since he joined the Survey Corps, everything that happened kept shattering his worldview—first Eren became a Titan, then Annie could also become a Titan, then Yago, Reiner, Bertholdt, Ymir… and now even Historia had become a Titan.
Thinking back slightly, Jean was stunned to realize that he had been living among Titans all along. That was truly one of a kind. Suddenly, he felt a bit envious of Marco lying in the hospital bed—at least he didn't have to face so many absurd things.
"Eren, watch out!" Mikasa saw the Titan Historia was becoming about to pounce on Eren. She immediately grabbed him and activated the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment to pull away.
Eren, however, was momentarily dazed. Historia had been turned into a Titan—should he let Historia eat him, thereby activating the Founding power within him?
The other recruits also followed Mikasa and temporarily distanced themselves from the Historia Titan.
Kneeling on one knee, hunched forward, her disheveled blond hair hanging loose, the massive head slightly lowered—only a single blue eye radiating savage killing intent peered through layers of blond hair at the crowd.
At this moment, standing before the Historia Titan were only Yago, Annie, and Ymir.
Yago's expression was solemn as he observed the Titan before him. Its body was slender; the height of the cavern forced the Titan to kneel and bend. Its arms hung all the way to the ground. By estimation, this Titan even reached thirty meters tall.
Streams of steam rose from the Historia Titan.
"Historia!!!" Ymir let out a cry of despair.
But Historia, having become a Pure Titan, was destined not to respond to Ymir.
"Roar!!" Beneath the blond hair, a huge mouth split open to the ears, releasing a soul-shaking roar.
Driven by the instincts of a Pure Titan, the Historia Titan shifted from kneeling on one knee to kneeling fully, lowering her body and crawling toward the three before her.
The attraction of intelligent Titan hosts to a Pure Titan was overwhelming.
"Yago, what do we do?" Annie turned to look at Yago.
"I… the Titan Historia became seems irreversible." Yago was also torn. Historia had become a mindless Pure Titan—what could be done?
Unless Historia were allowed to eat a holder of intelligent Titan power to return to human form. But did that really mean sacrificing another companion to save Historia?
"No—Ymir, what are you trying to do?!" Yago snapped back to his senses and saw Ymir charging straight toward the Historia Titan.
Ymir's face was resolute as she rushed forward without hesitation.
"Historia, let me protect you. This is the last time I'll help you!"
Thud—running Ymir was pinned down by Annie in an instant.
"Damn it, let go of me! Don't meddle!" Ymir struggled desperately, but Annie only held her down, then, at Yago's signal, pulled her back into the main Survey Corps formation.
"Annie, you're also a Titan. Can Historia still be saved?" Armin asked anxiously.
Annie fell silent for a moment, then said, "To turn Historia back into a human, the only way is to have her eat another host with intelligent Titan power, so she can inherit that Titan's power."
Eren suddenly stepped forward.
"Let Historia eat me. The Founding power in me was originally stolen from Historia's family anyway. If Historia eats me and inherits that power, maybe humanity can be saved!"
"No!!" Mikasa exploded in opposition to Eren's proposal.
Boom! Another thunderous crash. Amid blazing golden light and flashing yellow arcs, a red-eyed, fanged Titan roared as it slammed into the Historia Titan.
The Fate Titan exerted all its strength to temporarily hold back the Historia Titan.
"I'm going to help Yago!" Annie said, then leapt down.
The ring's spike pierced her skin. Wrapped in blood and flesh, the Female Titan's agile form burst through the steam and charged toward the Historia Titan.
"Commander, what do we do?"
Erwin's brow was deeply furrowed. Sacrificing Eren to save Historia—Erwin dared not gamble. The nobles had revealed that the Founding power could alter the memories of the island's people. If Historia truly could wield that power, Erwin had no confidence that she would not activate such an ability.
Yet Historia's identity was crucial. Without the royal government, they needed Historia to stabilize public sentiment. But if, as Annie the Female Titan had said, Historia could only return to human form by eating a host of an intelligent Titan…
Then what should be done? Have Annie or Yago offer up their lives? That was unrealistic. Erwin could sense that Yago's attitude now was more of treating them as allies—different from before. It was unlikely they would sacrifice their lives for humanity.
"Everyone, get out of the way!" A furious roar startled everyone. It was Ymir. Somehow she had broken free, and now there was a wound on her hand, crackling with yellow electric arcs.
"Everyone, clear out!" Hange was the first to notice and immediately issued a warning. The crowd scattered.
The electric arcs from her hand gradually spread across her entire body. Ymir sighed, took one last look at her companions, and said,
"Please take good care of Historia for me from now on. I'm counting on you all."
Boom! As the Fate Titan and the Female Titan grappled with the Historia Titan, a small-framed Jaw Titan rushed toward the Historia Titan at astonishing speed.
Inside the nape of the Fate Titan, Yago's mind was in turmoil. He wanted desperately to save Historia, but he could not bring himself to sacrifice one companion's life to save another.
Suddenly, Yago felt the Fate Titan's body lose balance and topple over.
"Ymir??"
The Jaw Titan slashed through the Achilles' heels of the Fate Titan and the Female Titan, then ran straight toward the Historia Titan.
The small Jaw Titan grabbed the Historia Titan in front of it like catching a chick. Ymir did not resist.
"Historia, let me save you."