Let's talk (part one)

"Ah, Armin..."

Upon hearing that familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Armin's body trembled uncontrollably. His eyes widened as he watched the figure stagger out from the shattered, Hardening fragments.

In that instant, Armin's mind went blank, completely blank, and then only one thought remained: Bertholdt was going to escape! Right here! Right now!

Bertholdt actually escaped from Hardening!? This guy, who possesses the Colossal Titan, if he were to transform here, it would cause irreparable damage to the entire Trost District!

Instinctively, Armin took a few steps back, wanting to alert the Soldiers on guard outside that the Colossal Titan had escaped.

But Bertholdt seemed to notice Armin's subtle movements and said softly, "Armin, don't be nervous, I won't transform into the Colossal Titan. Relax."

Armin remained on edge, his nerves on edge. He couldn't believe Bertholdt's words; anyone would be nervous facing a Colossal Titan that could transform at any moment.

Bertholdt, who had just broken free of the Hardening constraints, stretched for the first time in a long time, then plopped down, his face still showing signs of exhaustion.

Seeing Armin still silently and warily guarding him, Bertholdt grinned and said, "Armin, look how weak I am right now. Do you think I even have the strength to transform? Don't be nervous, relax, let's talk."

However, Armin, who always claimed to be a good talker, hesitated when faced with Bertholdt's request to talk. After thinking for a long time, Armin mustered up his courage and sat down opposite Bertholdt. No matter what, if Bertholdt really transformed, he probably wouldn't be able to escape either. So, Armin decided to calm down and have a good talk with Bertholdt.

"Bertholdt, you..." Armin was about to speak when Bertholdt interrupted him, "Don't ask me why I escaped from the Hardening, I don't know why either, the Hardening just suddenly collapsed."

Armin was taken aback, but that wasn't his focus right now. So he asked decisively, "Bertholdt, do you still want to be our enemy? Do you still want to become the Colossal Titan?"

Bertholdt paused for a second, then tilted his head and said, "You didn't ask that before. Didn't you advise me to help Paradis Island? You even said we used to be good friends. Speaking of which, Armin, you're really being a bit cheesy. If I were a girl, I might have been moved to tears and offered myself to you."

Bertholdt's teasing made Armin blush slightly. "That was before. Before, you were being controlled, so I wanted to persuade you. But now that you're free, I understand I might not be able to convince you. So now I just want one answer: Bertholdt, are you an enemy or a friend?"

"Friends?" Bertholdt murmured the word, a bitter taste rising in his mouth. He thought of Reiner, Annie, and Pieck —were they friends? And what had become of them all these years?

"Back in the Training Corps, I was your friend, but I'm truly sorry, our experiences are ultimately different. Being enemies was a choice I had, but now I realize I'm nothing..."

Armin's pupils contracted slightly. He could detect a hint of regret in Bertholdt's words, so there was still hope of persuading Bertholdt!

Some may wonder, since Bertholdt was trapped in the Hardening, how did Bertholdt communicate with him during his Armin efforts? And how did Bertholdt respond to Armin?

This brings us to Yago's actions before leaving Paradis Island. Before Paradis Island, he left a small empty space in Bertholdt's Hardening, just big enough to hold half of Bertholdt's finger. So, Armin and Bertholdt communicated through this space. Generally, Armin would ask Bertholdt if he was willing to surrender; if he was, he would move one finger, and if he wasn't, he would move two.

In reality, Bertholdt barely paid any attention to Armin, responding only with silence.

"Bertholdt, actually, it's still possible for us to be friends again. We need your help right now, so..."

Bertholdt: "Need my help? You should be asking for the Colossal Titan within me, right? Armin, you don't need to lie to me. Otherwise, can you tell me why you came here today? Are you really here to persuade me?"

Armin remained silent. Indeed, he had come today to deliver bad news to Bertholdt. After a resolution, the Parliament had decided to forcibly strip Bertholdt of his Colossal Titan. Hearing this news, Armin felt conflicted, but he had nothing to say. He simply wanted to inform Bertholdt today, as a way of saying goodbye to his old friend.

Bertholdt suddenly laughed, but it was a somewhat forced laugh. "Hahaha, Armin, it's really funny how you're silent right now. You used to be like a girl, but now you're like a child who hasn't grown up, hahaha, cough cough cough, cough cough."

After laughing, perhaps because the air was a bit dry, Bertholdt suddenly started coughing violently, coughing so hard it was heart-wrenching.

Seeing this, Armin handed Berthold's water bottle to Bertholdt without hesitation. Bertholdt accepted it and drank from it, downing half the bottle in one gulp before showing a satisfied expression.

"I haven't had water in three years, it tastes so sweet, Armin. Is there anything to eat?"

Armin handed Bertholdt a packet of biscuits, which Bertholdt tore open and eagerly stuffed into his mouth.

With the help of the Hizuru, Paradis Island can now mass-produce various convenience foods from a simple packet of biscuits. With the support of various resources, Paradis Island is no longer threatened by famine, and the Soldiers of the various legions have even begun to get tired of these ready-to-eat biscuits.

But for Bertholdt, who hadn't eaten for three years, the biscuits were truly delicious.

Bertholdt only looked satisfied after showing off the whole bag of cookies and the remaining water in the bottle.

"Armin, do you know? Possessing the Colossal Titan isn't something to be happy about. The Colossal Titan is like a curse, a curse that fills you with guilt. If I had a choice, I truly wish the Titan Power had never existed in the world."