Yelena, who entered the main hall, ignored Nacke and the other Imperial Faction members, instead staring straight at Arno, who was still holding the syringe.
"Arno-san, what are you still hesitating for? The power of the Founder Ymir is right in front of you." Yelena tempted Arno like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.
But Arno lowered his head, looked at the syringe in his hand, then at the tearful Historia. He gave a bitter smile.
"For me, it doesn't seem to matter anymore. I… don't seem to worry about these things anymore. Historia… no, sister… I'm sorry."
After speaking, Arno smashed the syringe in his hand onto the ground in front of everyone. Bang! The glass shattered into pieces, and the Titan serum inside spilled all over the floor.
"No!!" Nacke looked at the puddle of serum on the ground in despair. He knew everything was over. All the Imperial Faction's plans had turned into nothing. The dream of the Eldian Restorationists had shattered along with the syringe.
Arno closed his eyes and shouted loudly at the coup Military Police: "It's all over. I'm sorry. I dragged everyone down with me. I'll go to hell together with all of you."
The coup Military Police looked at each other in confusion. This… it just ended like this? In such a short moment, everything was over? Was this coup nothing but a farce?
Clatter—along with the sound of a rifle dropping, the pale-faced Military Police began putting down their weapons one after another. No matter what, Arno had chosen to give up, and their defeat was already sealed.
But among the Imperial Faction, some were still unwilling to accept it. Hermann's face twisted in fury. He couldn't accept this outcome!
"Arno! You bastard! Do you know how much hope we placed in you!? You deserve to die!" Filled with grief and rage, Hermann decisively raised his pistol. He was going to send this useless Arno to hell first.
Bang!!
With a crisp gunshot, the one who fell was Hermann, his face still full of unwillingness. Blood flowed from the hole in his forehead as his body collapsed limply to the ground.
Yelena calmly put away her pistol. She had been the one to fire first. But weren't they the ones who had once cooperated with the Imperial Faction?
As the coup Military Police resigned themselves, Carla also broke free from their control, and Eren was released as well. The moment she regained her freedom, Carla rushed toward Eren.
"Eren! Eren! My child, are you alright? Wuu…" Carla hugged Eren tightly, tears streaming down her face, but Eren's attention was drawn to someone else.
Disheveled all over, with a scruffy, worn-out beard on his face, Zeke walked over to Eren and his mother. Since Eren was still tied up, he couldn't do anything, but seeing Zeke approach, Eren twisted his body desperately, signaling his mother to get away.
Yago had warned Eren many times about how dangerous Zeke was—especially after learning about Zeke's almost insane Eldian euthanasia plan. Wouldn't such a plan mean the end of all Eldians' future?
Eren could never accept Zeke's plan. But Yago had also entrusted him with something before, so for the sake of Paradis Island's operation, Eren had pretended to cooperate with Zeke. Poor Zeke had naively believed that his younger brother truly supported his euthanasia plan, even feeling ecstatic about it.
But Zeke wasn't a fool either. If Eren truly supported him, things wouldn't have turned out like this. That was why Zeke had mocked himself as a clown in front of Yelena.
Zeke crouched down and looked at Carla, speaking softly,
"You must be Eren's mother? Judging by your appearance, you must have once been a beautiful lady—just as beautiful as my mother. No wonder my father, Grisha, rebuilt a family on this island and had Eren."
Carla's mind was entirely focused on Eren as she struggled to untie the ropes binding him. She didn't clearly hear Zeke's words, but she did catch her husband's name, which made her freeze.
"Y-you… what did you say? You know Grisha? Who are you?"
Eren's face flushed red as he struggled to spit out the gag in his mouth, then roared at Zeke:
"Zeke! Don't spout nonsense! Mom! Get away! It's dangerous here!"
But Zeke only smiled faintly at his agitated younger brother, then spoke like a devil:
"My name is Zeke Yeager. My father is Grisha Yeager. My mother is Dina Fritz. I am Eren Yeager's half-brother. Now, madam… do you know who I am?"
Boom!!
Carla felt as if struck by lightning. She froze in place, her pupils shrinking violently. Zeke's words had clearly shaken her to the core.
"Zeke!!" Seeing his mother like that, Eren became incomparably furious. He roared and lunged toward Zeke, but bound as he was, he couldn't even touch him. Seeing his brother and Carla like this, Zeke laughed—but his laughter was filled with bitterness, mixed with a trace of vindictive satisfaction.
Deep inside, Zeke had always harbored resentment toward his father, Grisha. As a child, he had barely felt any fatherly love. Instead, it was Mr. Ksaver who gave him warmth like a father.
When he learned that his father hadn't died, and had even started a new family on the distant Paradis Island, Zeke's resentment only grew. But at the same time, after learning of Eren's existence, that longing for family deep in his heart also began to sprout.
"Zeke, hurry up. The suppression forces from Paradis Island could arrive at any moment!" Yelena reminded him seriously.
The situation had already stabilized. The coup Military Police had given up resistance along with Arno. Queen Historia, along with the surviving instructors and guards, were treating the wounded. The Marleyan Volunteer Army that arrived with Yelena was also helping—especially Onyankopon, whose methods were extremely professional.
Historia, of course, recognized Zeke. But given the current actions of the Marleyan Volunteer Army, she couldn't tell whether Zeke was friend or foe.
...
At that moment, more commotion came from outside the main hall. A large number of fully armed soldiers flooded in.
"Historia! Where are you? Are you alright? Damn it! How could there be such a ridiculous coup—did those idiots get kicked in the head?" Ymir practically flew into the hall. Upon learning that a coup had occurred in the royal capital, she had been the most anxious.
After entering the capital, Ymir led a large force of soldiers straight to the royal palace without hesitation, arriving here first. Close behind were Mikasa, Yago, the Squad Leader, and Commander Randy.
The moment Yago arrived at the palace, he saw Zeke beside Eren. Instantly, his pupils shrank as a strong sense of foreboding enveloped him.
"Zeke!"
Without hesitation, Yago pulled the trigger. The Vertical Maneuvering Equipment propelled him forward like lightning toward Zeke.
At the same time, Mikasa rushed toward Eren at full speed.
But Zeke also saw the two rushing at him. In response, he smiled slightly. Under Yago's furious gaze, Zeke reached out and pressed his hand directly onto Eren's head.
The noisy world instantly fell into complete silence.