A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to the first chapter of season four! Enjoy!

edited on june 4th, 2022 @ 5:16am

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚈-𝙾𝙽𝙴,
𝓓𝙴𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙾𝙵 𝚆𝙰𝚁.

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《 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖸𝖤𝖠𝖱: 𝟪𝟧𝟦 — 𝖫𝖨𝖡𝖤𝖱𝖨𝖮 𝖨𝖭𝖳𝖤𝖱𝖭𝖬𝖤𝖭𝖳 𝖹𝖮𝖭𝖤 》

AN OLDER SIMON STROLLED THROUGH the Liberio Internment Zone. It had been four years since the Survey Corps reclaimed Wall Maria. Simon's appearance had slightly changed. He was now 182 cm (6' 0") and his hair got longer to where he had to tie it up in a man-bun. He was also wearing a gray cloak in order to cover his black Scouts uniform underneath.

He decided to come to Liberio to scan the city for the Scouts. He only really told Levi, Oliver, and Dillon where he was going, knowing that his husband would freak if he was missing, and told Oliver and Dillon so they could bring his ODM gear.

"So this is where I'm from..."

Simon suddenly heard cheers coming from the gate. "Shit. It's the Warriors. If Reiner takes notice of me, I'm fucked." He thinks to himself.

He pulls his hood further down, covering his hair and face before he pretended he was interested in a newspaper.

Simon noticed a young boy, who looked about twelve years old, with short, shaggy light brown hair and large downward-sloped light hazel eyes with rather long eyelashes.

His outfit consisted of a light jacket and pants, along with tall combat boots. He was also wearing a yellow armband on his right shoulder, making Simon guess he was one of those warrior candidates.

He watched as the boy approach a group of men who seemed to be injured soldiers. One of them was a man with long brown hair with a missing leg and missing eye.

"Seems Eren is here after all..." Simon noted, turning away from the injured soldiers.

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The next day, Simon got up and placed his gray cloak over his Scouts uniform once more, heading out of his apartment that he was staying in.

He prayed that he wouldn't get noticed by any of the Titan shifters. Wearing his hood around town would be too suspicious, so he just had to hope he wouldn't bump into any of them.

Simon walks around towards the gate, looking up at the buildings. "These buildings are good enough for the light markers to be placed for the airship. They'll most likely be gate guards near the entrance, so Sasha can easily shoot them down with her rifle." Simon thinks to himself.

He got distracted from his thoughts as he suddenly bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry!" He immediately apologized.

"It's quite all right."

Simon glances up to see a well-groomed man, wearing an expensive, dark suit with a black tie, and smart black shoes. The man's hair was blond and straight, going down to shoulder length and styled over his right ear, but behind his left where it was shorter. He had a short beard styled as a goatee, with no mustache. His face was of an average length, with soft features, except a pronounced jawline, a relatively small nose, and dark eyes. He also had thin eyebrows, appearing to be kept this way to fit in with his well-kept appearance.

"Hm?" The man takes a closer look at Simon. "Have we met before?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm not... from here." Simon responded.

"I see. You just resemble an old acquaintance of mine. I'm Willy Tybur."

"Tybur? This is the family that Dad mentioned. Which means I can't use my last name." Simon thought.

"Matthew Edwards." Simon introduced himself, slightly cringing at the name he made up on the spot.

"Do you mind walking with me, Mr. Edwards?"

"Uh, sure..." Simon accepted. "This might be a good chance to know more about my clan."

Simon and Willy began walking through the town. "Um... you said I resembled someone you know?" Simon spoke up.

Willy nodded. "Conner Laurent. His family had protected mine for generations. They were known as our guard dogs." He explained. "I never really found out what happened to the man, however, I did heard he escaped to Paradis Island."

"How unfortunate. Was it said why he left?"

"There have been rumors that he fell in love with a Warrior. Mya Evans. She was the holder of the Crystalized Titan— A Titan with similiarites to my families Titan, the War Hammer." Willy replied.

"I see..." Simon hummed as the two continued to walk in silence.

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Night had soon fallen as everyone had gathered to hear Willy Tybur's speech. Simon stayed in the very back with his hood up as he listened in.

"Now then, the story I've told thus far is common knowledge. However, the truth is somewhat different. In passing down the War Hammer Titan, the Tybur family inherited its memories. I will now reveal the truths we learned for the first time ever." Willy continued speaking. "Some 100 years ago, it was neither Helos nor the Tyburs who ended the Great Titan War. The one who ended the fighting and saved the world... was King Fritz."

"He anguished over the Eldian Empire's vicious history, tired from the endless infighting, and above all, he was pained by the endless operation of Marley. When he inherited the Founding Titan, he schemed with the Tybur family and they fabricated a Marleyan hero. His name: Helos. The King moved as many Eldians as he could to the island and closed the gates. He claimed that if they were threatened, thousands of Titans would be unleashed as revenge. However, this was never his intention." Willy continued on.

"King Fritz made a vow renouncing war so his ideology would be inherited. Because of this, Karl Fritz's ideology has been passed down, and the Titan have never left the island to attack. That is, the one keeping our world safe is the "vile" King of the walls— Karl Fritz, and his desire for peace. Peace was all he wanted. But if Marley grew strong and came to take the Founding Titan or his life, he would accept it. He believed the sins of the Eldians were so grave, they could never be atoned for."

"'However, until that day of retribution, let me savor a brief paradise, free of conflict within the walls. That is all I ask of you.' That was his last request." Willy continued speaking. "Yes... in exchange for our safety, the Tybur family joined hands with Karl Fritz and sold out the Eldians to Marley. We're no more than traitors lavishing in crookedly earned honor. The reason I stand here and willingly part with this sham is because I know our world is in great peril."

The drums then began pounding. "Using the power of the Founding Titan, Karl Fritz erected three walls. These walls, formed by tens of millions of Colossal Titans, have served as a shield and spear, safeguarding peace. But recently, an uprising took place on Paradis Island. King Fritz's peace was undermined by a person who stole the Founding Titan. Once again, there's a threat to our world — a rebel against peace!" Willy continued once more.

"His name: Eren Yeager!"

"The threat of Paradis Island is the stampede of millions of Colossal Titans— a rumbling. As I mentioned, the vow renouncing war prevents the King's bloodline from fully using the Founding Titan. But currently, this "Eren Yeager" who possesses the Founding Titan may begin this rumbling at any moment. Once the rumbling is set into motion, there is nothing that we can do. Nothing but tremble at the footsteps of doom, fleeing in vain. All lands and civilizations will be trampled, literally razed to the ground."

"I want you to join me in the fight against the devils of Paradis Island!" Simon heard Willy's voice exclaim. "Here and now, as representative of the Marleyan government, I proclaim... to the enemy forces of Paradis— a declaration of war!"

Simon spotted Eren's Titan sprouting up from a building, letting out a battle roar.

"It's go time." Simon mumbled to himself, before walking away to meet up with Oliver and Dillon.

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A/N: The first chapter of season four is completed! Did you guys like that little interaction with Willy and Simon? Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1377 words.