Finale: The Pyramid

The stuffy, damp passage was pitch black. The beams of a few flashlights could barely illuminate the path ahead of Annie. Apart from the sound of their footsteps in the passage, there was also the occasional creaking and twisting of steel overhead.

The winding passage seemed endless. The group had been walking for an unknown amount of time, yet they still hadn't seen a glimpse of the exit. After some time, due to the difference in their pace, Eren, Mikasa, and Aili fell behind. Annie and the others had no choice but to stop and rest for a while, waiting for the three of them while also considering how to proceed.

Ivanor frowned deeply, gesturing incessantly with his hands and muttering something under his breath.

"That doesn't make sense... I remember it being this way, could it be... the earthquake veered off course? Hey! I've looked at that map, but wait, it seems... I took the wrong turn at that intersection?"

Seeing Ivanor like this, the others obviously lost hope in her. On the other hand, Bazel, who had little presence on the side, hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.

Bazel looked at Annie, "Well, if you're willing to trust me, please come with me."

Reiner also looked at Annie, his eyes seemingly questioning, while Porco and Pieck next to him clearly showed distrust on their faces. This was not for any other reason than that they had spent some time with Bazel when they were in the Marley Warrior Unit, so they knew Bazel's character and personality.

In Porco and Pieck's eyes, Bazel was simply a guy who always squinted, grinned, and talked a lot of flattering nonsense, and was not trustworthy at all.

Seeing Annie remain silent, Pieck couldn't help but warn him, "Annie, this guy is wicked; he never says anything serious. Don't trust him."

Upon hearing this, Bazel shrank back and chuckled awkwardly, "Well, I was just saying, please make yourselves at home."

Annie looked at Ivanor, and feeling Annie's gaze, Ivanor first gave an embarrassed smile, after all, she was the one who led everyone on such a roundabout way for nothing. But then Ivanor's expression became serious and she pointed at Bazel.

"Although Bazel is usually glib and cunning, he's not entirely unreliable. He's quite shrewd; he even saw the design blueprints for the Scarlet Base and offered some suggestions for improvement. So, Annie, and everyone else, I think we can trust Bazel this once. Nobody wants to be a tool forever. If possible, please give Bazel a chance, let him have a chance to prove himself, because deep down, Bazel definitely yearns to become a true Eldians! I'm willing to vouch for him!"

Upon hearing Ivanor's words, a hint of surprise and a barely perceptible touch of emotion flashed in Bazel's narrowed eyes. While Porco and Pieck still looked hesitant, they remained silent for a moment before saying nothing more. Annie nodded, walked up to Bazel, bowed slightly, and whispered, "Please."

Bazel waved his hand awkwardly, "Definitely! Definitely!"

Soon, Eren and his two companions, who had been lagging behind, caught up. After resting for a short while, led by Bazel, they quickened their pace. Time was of the essence; no one knew how long the two hundred nameless Restoration Army Soldiers tied down on the Marley and in the Far East could hold out. Therefore, they had to seize every minute and second.

Soon, led by Bazel, the group arrived at... well, a dead end?

"Bazel!! What are you doing! I trusted you so much and vouched for you, and you just betrayed me like this? You big bastard! When we get back, I'm going to lock you up in the Restoration Army's dark room!!" Ivanor shouted at Bazel, on the verge of tears.

But Bazel's face was serious at this moment, and his eyes, which had been squinting, were now fully open. It was only because the escape passage was dimly lit that everyone could see that Bazel actually had a pair of very beautiful violet eyes.

Bazel reached out and fumbled around in front of the "dead end," and after a moment, his pupils contracted Bazel his fist and slammed it down. Bang!! The seemingly impenetrable Concrete wall was actually cracked by his punch.

Immediately afterward, Bazel, his expression unchanged, continued to relentlessly punch along the crack. Soon, crimson blood dripped from Bazel's fists. Bang! With the final punch, a large gash appeared in the Concrete wall, revealing a somewhat rusty chain.

Bazel reached out and grabbed the chains; his fists were already a bloody mess. He squinted and turned to the crowd, saying helplessly, "Um, could anyone lend a hand? I'm too weak."

Creak! Crack! Boom!! After a few teeth-grinding sounds, a steel door suddenly arched up on the ground that was originally covered with dust and debris. Then the steel door swung open, and several figures walked out through it.

Logically, since the Scarlet Base had collapsed into ruins, the interior should have been completely paralyzed, the so-called energy system should have been useless, and the interior of the Scarlet Base should have been completely plunged into darkness. However, when Annie walked out of the escape tunnel and stepped into the Scarlet Base, the intense light made Annie, who had just emerged from the darkness, involuntarily close her eyes.

Unable to resist, she reached out to cover her eyes, slowly lifting her eyelids to adjust to the blinding light. After a while, the dilapidated Scarlet Base clearly appeared before Annie.

As expected, the scene was dilapidated. Countless Steel Buildings in the Scarlet Base had been reduced to scrap metal, the tangled pipe system was in disarray, the Concrete ground was riddled with cracks, and there were many dark red stains on the ground, which were the bloodstains of the Far East Soldiers who had once been stationed in the base.

Occasionally, one can see skeletons clad in tattered military uniforms, broken weapons, abandoned military vehicles, and the surrounding environment all revealing that a rather fierce battle once took place here.

Annie looked around, and finally couldn't help but look in a certain direction.

The Scarlet Base, built inside the mountain, receives no sunlight and relies entirely on the electric system for lighting. Yet now, the ruined Scarlet Base has not fallen into darkness, but is instead filled with light. Dazzling light refracts in every corner, and the source of all the light points in one direction—the direction Annie is looking.

In that direction, a dazzling Crystal Pyramid, tens of meters high, stood silently. The azure Crystal refracted countless rays of light. Those present were all Titan Warriors, and they all knew very well what that Crystal was—it was the Hardening of Titan Warriors. Annie stared intently at the azure, Hardening Pyramid, "Yago..."