Chapter Summaries

Over the year, Bai Yu helped Historia reform Eldia’s government and led rapid scientific and industrial development while the Survey Corps nearly cleared the island of Titans. After three months of exhausting work at the Science Institute, Bai Yu declared himself done and tried to leave, but Nadina clung to him and begged him to stay.

• Bai Yu reorganized Eldia’s government with Historia and Erwin’s support, curbing the Military Police Brigade and Garrison Regiment and establishing new ministerial posts.
• Historia’s influence grew as Eldia focused on reclaiming land within Wall Maria and increasing the population, while the Science Department developed generators, industrial facilities, and weapons.
• The Survey Corps nearly cleared the island of Titans, while Bai Yu spent three months working without leaving the Science Institute.
• Bai Yu scolded Nadina over a faulty component, and Xiate restrained him before he could continue lashing out.
• Bai Yu reviewed a new Coastal Cannon shell design, then told Nadina he was leaving and called for Xiate and Annie.
• Nadina grabbed Bai Yu’s leg and pleaded with him to stay, but he threw a notebook at her and tried to leave with Xiate and Annie.

Bai Yu helped Historia deal with corruption among her senior domestic affairs advisers and work through the palace’s backlog of documents. After a full day advising her, he returned to the Survey Corps, where Xiate reported that Kali had finished the personnel assignments.

• Bai Yu left his research and agreed to help Historia after Ymir said she was struggling with policy issues caused by her senior domestic affairs advisers.
• Bai Yu sent Xiate to check on Kali and Ming to check on the Survey Corps before traveling to the palace with Ymir.
• Historia told Bai Yu that the advisers had pursued their own interests, colluded with subordinate officials, and left funds unaccounted for.
• Bai Yu ordered serious offenders executed and the three senior advisers stripped of their posts, deprived of their assets, and imprisoned.
• Bai Yu spent the day processing documents and advising Historia on politics and policy, while leaving her to assess potential replacements.
• Bai Yu returned to the Survey Corps the next morning, and Xiate told him Kali had finished the personnel assignments.

Exhausted from carrying so many responsibilities, Bai Yu visited the Survey Corps, then tried to plan a way to reach Marley before deciding to focus on developing their resources at home. In the Paths, Ymir watched over him as he slept and reflected on how everyone had come to rely on Bai Yu, leaving him to shoulder their troubles.

• Bai Yu visited Levi and the Survey Corps, where Levi urged him to rest and the others wondered what had worn him down.
• Bai Yu rested on a hillside while Annie watched over him, then got up and returned to his work.
• Ming told Kali that Bai Yu had been tired even before his recent workload, and said Bai Yu understood Xiate.
• Bai Yu considered ways to reach Marley for intelligence, rejected them as impractical, and decided to focus on developing things at home.
• Bai Yu entered the Paths, where Ymir greeted him in speech and carried him to the platform as he fell asleep.
• Ymir reflected that Bai Yu had changed events and that Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Historia, Hange, Levi, Xiate, and Annie all trusted him to handle their problems.

Bai Yu questioned Ymir in Paths about why she could not control the Titans, then realized that Paths itself might be rejecting her. Unable to understand the changes, he returned to focusing on developing Paradis Island’s technology and designing an engine fueled by iceburst stone.

• Bai Yu resumed reading a book to Ymir and asked why the Titans did not obey her, but she gave him no explanation.
• After finishing the book, Bai Yu admitted that several things felt wrong, and Ymir touched the glowing tree in Paths and was thrown back by golden lightning.
• Ymir told Bai Yu that she could not control the Titans or see memories from beyond the island, deepening his confusion about Paths and the Titans.
• Bai Yu returned to his room, decided to keep advancing Paradis Island’s technology, and entered the System Training Ground.
• Bai Yu considered whether to develop airships or airplanes, then continued designing a new engine suited to iceburst stone.

Bai Yu learned that the refurbished warship was ready and set out with his companions to see it at the dock. He arrived after a long journey and saw the enormous vessel waiting in the moonlight.

• Annie gave Bai Yu the Research Institute's report announcing that the warship's refurbishment was complete and its equipment had been reinstalled.
• Bai Yu hugged Annie, then told his companions they would visit the dock after breakfast to inspect the warship.
• Bai Yu and the others rode out toward the coast, passing a Survey Corps supply station along the way.
• After nearly a full day of travel, Bai Yu and his companions reached the dock at dusk and saw the warship in the moonlight.
• Science Department personnel came over to greet Bai Yu.

Bai Yu oversaw the successful launch and testing of the new warship while Ming’s trembling and heavy drinking suggested something was wrong. Days later, Ming struggled to defend himself during training with Mikasa and was knocked to the ground.

• Bai Yu told Erwin that building more warships was impractical because they lacked manpower and materials, then went to inspect the ship.
• Ming withdrew to a tent, drank until his bottle was empty, and left to collect more liquor despite Armin trying to speak with him.
• Bai Yu and the Science Department launched the warship with help from the Colossal Titan, tested it at sea, and fired its cannons at floating targets.
• Bai Yu returned to work at the Science Institute and continued visiting Historia at the royal palace.
• During training, Mikasa knocked Ming down after he failed to block her kick, and the others rushed over in alarm.

Ming concealed his worsening condition after Mikasa struck him during training, while Bai Yu led a reconnaissance voyage toward Marley aboard the Battleship Christa. The ship set out with Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Annie, Xiate, and the others, and the calm voyage began without any sign of Marleyan ships.

• Mikasa sent Ming flying during training, and he told the others he was unwell before leaving to treat his wounded hand with liquor.
• Bai Yu decided to investigate Marley himself after no Marleyan ships appeared, and the Bai Yu Squad was assigned to lead the reconnaissance mission.
• Bai Yu named the Battleship Christa and persuaded the others to let Eren and his companions join the voyage.
• Bai Yu, Ming, Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Annie, Xiate, and the others boarded the Battleship and set course for Marley.
• Bai Yu relaxed on the deck and took the reclining chair Kali had brought, prompting Xiate to call him shameless.

On the Christa, Bai Yu revealed that he sometimes met Founder Ymir in Paths and brought her the books she read, then teased Eren and Mikasa about getting married. He privately urged Eren to be honest with Mikasa and not let his limited lifespan become an excuse to avoid their relationship.

• Eren recognized Bai Yu's book's characters as similar to the writing in a book Founder Ymir had held in Paths.
• Bai Yu said Founder Ymir was his great-grandmother and explained that he sometimes got sent to see her, where he read his books.
• Bai Yu teased Mikasa about watching Eren and then told them they should marry the year after next.
• Bai Yu took Eren into the cabin and urged him to move things forward with Mikasa despite his limited lifespan.

Bai Yu’s crew spotted Marley’s mainland and retreated until they could observe it safely in daylight. Later, Bai Yu learned more about Ming’s abusive past and confronted him about his drinking, leaving Ming’s trembling unexplained.

• Bai Yu ordered the ship to turn back from Marley’s mainland and planned to watch the nearby patrol fleets the next day.
• Bai Yu found Ming asleep on the rooftop with a liquor bottle and brought him food.
• Bai Yu asked Ming about his past, and Ming described his parents’ abuse and abandonment before he became a Cadet.
• Bai Yu saw the many scars on Ming’s arm, and Xiate said she had discovered even more scars while treating him.
• Bai Yu questioned Ming about his drinking, and Ming told him to stay out of it.
• Bai Yu asked Ming why he was shaking.

Bai Yu pressed Ming to explain his distress, but Ming deferred the conversation until they returned. Bai Yu then teased Xiate and flustered Annie before reminding them to rest for their planned scouting of the Marley Continent.

• Bai Yu held Ming's wrist and waited while Ming finished eating, then threatened to withhold liquor unless Ming explained what was wrong.
• Ming apologized for what had happened before, then promised to talk with Bai Yu when they got back.
• Bai Yu left Ming on the deck, and Ming slumped down and struggled to breathe as Bai Yu walked away.
• Xiate questioned Bai Yu about his feelings for Ming, and Bai Yu said his affection was not sexual.
• Bai Yu whispered that he liked Annie, leaving her dazed, then told Xiate to rest before their scouting trip to the Marley Continent.
• After Bai Yu and Xiate left, Annie recovered and followed in Bai Yu's direction.

Bai Yu and his companions investigated Marley’s empty coastline and approached an apparently abandoned town, where they discovered signs of a Titan attack. From a mountain overlooking the town, they saw Titans standing among the ruins and found no sign of any humans.

• Bai Yu’s group searched Marley’s coast but found no ships or patrols, while Ming sensed something strange about the continent.
• Bai Yu led Mikasa, Eren, Armin, and the others ashore near steep cliffs and guided them through the woods toward a nearby town.
• Ming warned that something felt wrong ahead, and the group spotted what appeared to be an abandoned town.
• Kali found enormous Titan footprints near a patch of water, and the group suspected Marley might be conducting Titan experiments.
• Bai Yu led the group to a nearby summit, where they saw destroyed buildings, more huge footprints, and motionless Titans throughout the town.

Bai Yu led the group away from a town overrun by Titans and tried to make sense of the Pure Titans and Colossal Titan footprints they found in Marley. As the group rested for the night, he noticed Ming acting strangely and realized he had been treating him as an object rather than a person.

• Bai Yu ordered Xiate to kill a Titan that approached while he studied the map, then led the group away from the town.
• After they left, the Titans began following them, though Ming only sensed that something was wrong.
• Bai Yu led the exhausted group across mountains and plains, where they fought several more Titans, and then stopped to rest near a forest.
• Bai Yu suggested that someone who could control the Titans inside the walls had sent the Pure Titans to attack Marley, and said the group would investigate further the next day.
• While the others slept, Bai Yu noticed Ming pretending to sleep and resolved to apologize to him when they returned.

Bai Yu led the group toward a large city, where they found countless Titans and two Colossal Titans, then ordered a retreat. A mine explosion drew the Titans after them, and the group fled through the woods using Eren and Annie’s Titan forms, only to find their path blocked by more figures.

• Bai Yu woke the group, noticed blood on Ming’s lips, and led them toward the city marked on their map.
• The group spotted a devastated city crowded with Titans and two Colossal Titans, so Bai Yu ordered everyone to retreat.
• Armin stepped on a land mine, and Bai Yu carefully disarmed it before a Titan triggered it and Ming brought the Titan down.
• The explosion drew the Colossal Titans and pure Titans after the group, forcing them to flee through dense woods.
• Bai Yu split the group between Eren’s and Annie’s Titans and helped fend off pursuing abnormal Titans with Little Fish.
• Bai Yu saw a large mass of figures blocking the group’s path and realized they were trapped again.

Ming stayed behind to hold off the Titans so Bai Yu and the others could break through the horde ahead. He fought toward the Colossal Titan despite his injuries, determined not to let it pass him.

• Ming thanked Bai Yu, kissed him, and gave Xiate the last Little Fish Launcher before telling the others to focus on escaping ahead.
• Ming leaped down from Annie and stayed behind to face the Titans, while Bai Yu turned away and ordered the others to fight through.
• Ming used his gear and blades to stop the Abnormal Titans from pursuing Bai Yu and the others.
• Ming collapsed from exhaustion, then staggered up and charged into the approaching Titans.
• Ming lost an arm while cutting free from a Titan and continued attacking an Abnormal Titan as he fixed his attention on the Colossal Titan.

Bai Yu took Ming, Xiate, Kali, and Annie to the river for a day off, though he made Kali keep training. The group relaxed by the water, and Annie learned that Ming blamed her for Moya’s death; Kali was eventually allowed to wash up.

• Bai Yu declared a day off and teased Kali by making her train while the others went fishing.
• Bai Yu and the others reached a peaceful spot by the river, where Ming attracted and played with the fish.
• Annie touched Ming’s hair and asked why he disliked her, and Ming said it was because she had gotten Moya killed.
• Annie apologized, but Ming told her to do what she was supposed to do and took a sip of alcohol.
• Bai Yu let Kali take a break and suggested she wash up nearby, while Ming solemnly promised not to look.

Ming used the last of his strength to kill the Colossal Titan, then injected the liquid Bai Yu had given him. Bai Yu and the others escaped the Titans and returned to the Christa without Ming.

• Ming, badly wounded and nearly out of gas, reached the Colossal Titan's nape and cut it down before collapsing on its burning body.
• Ming hesitated over the syringe Bai Yu had given him, then injected its contents and sent a beam of golden light into the sky.
• Bai Yu saw the golden light, fired his last Little Fish round to kill another Colossal Titan, and led the others out through the Titans.
• Annie and Eren carried the exhausted group back to the Christa, where Bai Yu walked away without answering questions about their mission.
• When the Survey Soldiers asked where Ming was, Xiate and the others stayed silent, and the soldiers understood that he had not returned.

After Ming became a Pure Titan, Bai Yu led the Christa back to Marley, where he found cities devastated by Titans and recovered two ships. He returned to Paradis and persuaded Erwin to approve an expedition to investigate Marley the following week.

• Bai Yu told Annie that Ming was not dead because he had given him the Spinal Fluid, then sent Xiate to deliver his map to Kree.
• Bai Yu ordered the Christa toward the Marley dock and found two damaged ships, Titan tracks, and much of the city flattened by the Colossal Titan.
• Bai Yu had the Survey Soldiers tow the two ships and killed two approaching Titans with the ship's guns.
• Bai Yu, Xiate, and Annie returned to Wall Maria, where Bai Yu reported that Titans had attacked Marley and several cities had fallen.
• Erwin approved an expedition to investigate Marley the following week, and Bai Yu confirmed that he intended to go.

Bai Yu and the Survey Corps set out by ship on a second expedition to the Marley Continent, aiming to rescue Ming. As the ships approached their destination, Bai Yu kept the plan to rest ashore and begin the journey at daybreak.

• The Science Department repaired the cargo ship, and Bai Yu chose the strongest fighters and logistics squads for the expedition while leaving Armin and Hange behind.
• Levi asked Bai Yu who would take Ming after the rescue, and Bai Yu said they would decide after finding him and the other intelligent Titans.
• Bai Yu's expedition departed aboard the Christa and the cargo ship, carrying horses and supplies for the journey inland.
• The Survey Soldiers enjoyed ice cream on deck while Levi, Eren, and others worried about Ming's absence.
• Xiate told Bai Yu they would reach the shore in about three hours, and Bai Yu ordered everyone to rest there until daybreak before setting out.

Bai Yu’s group rode toward a small town while searching for Ming, and they prepared to clear the Titans there. After spotting thirteen Titans, Bai Yu ordered the assault, leaving the outcome of the battle unresolved.

• Bai Yu led the group across open terrain toward the place where Ming had last held off Titans.
• Bai Yu identified a small town along their route and decided they should clear it before continuing.
• Levi killed a lone six-meter Titan while Bai Yu checked that it was not Ming.
• Bai Yu spotted about thirteen Titans in the town and warned the group to watch for hidden abnormal Titans.
• Annie and Eren transformed and charged toward the town as Bai Yu ordered the others to attack and assigned cover roles.

Bai Yu kept watch over the group at night and struggled with his grief for Ming while Annie confronted her fear that Bai Yu no longer needed her. He reaffirmed their bond, leaving Annie beside him as he prepared to continue the search for Ming.

• Bai Yu cooked stew for the group and volunteered to keep watch while Levi and the others rested.
• Bai Yu took a sip from the liquor Ming had left behind, then told himself they would find him.
• Annie approached Bai Yu and admitted she was frightened, asking why he had chosen her and never hugged her.
• Bai Yu told Annie that although he no longer needed her, nothing about their bond had changed, and reminded her of their promise.
• Annie tried to transform by biting her hand, but no golden light appeared; Bai Yu bandaged her wound and told her to either kill him or stand by him.