Mutiny (Attack On Titan) (Rewritten version) (ON HOLD)

Chapter 52

(Gyozen)

Come, and sit with me by the fire. You seem tired, exhausted after the long journey that you endured, so let me relieve you of this exhaustion by telling you....a tale.

This...is a tale, a tale about how humanity's terrible suffering under persecution.

Long, long ago, after fifty years had passed since humanity hid within the walls, a powerful government ruled over our people with an iron fist. It claimed to be caring and compassionate, but in reality; it was no different than any scheming demon.

These were the dark ages. Food was scarce, and the waters were even unclean, and many poor people were left to rot on the streets; to be left to a fate more saddening and painful than death.

In those times, even a painless death was preferable to living in these horrid conditions.

One village, however; suffered the most under the regime's rule. It was a big village, filled with people who were loyal to their own clans, but nevertheless cooperated with each other.

It was an orientalist village, and the clans that led its people were four.

Sakai, Yarikawa, Shimura, and Adachi.

This village, ruled by these four powerful clans, enjoyed many blessings from the kami himself. They had the best blacksmiths of the walls, and the most skilled fighters known to whatever remained of the history of mankind.

Samurai, they were called, and with them....they carried a sharp, steel blade that can cut through anything.

The village suffered terribly under exploitation and persecution. The tyrannical government, majorly ruled by Military Police and its sympathizers, often stole their precious food, and their resources....they often even kidnapped some of their worthy blacksmiths for them to do their bidding, forcing them to work in horrible conditions.

The continued persecution caused tension to rise within the village, voices began to shout and call for justice, justice for every wrong that this regime had done against their own citizen's rights. They suffered for far too long, and everyone began to wonder when will the straw finally break the camel's back.

One day, however; lit the spark to a great revolution.

Samurai, under orders from the Elders of the clans, launched a surprise attack on the unsuspecting Military Police. They stormed the castles of Wall Sina and held hostage the many dictators who were architects of their own suffering. Some of them were killed, others were jailed indefinitely.

The government, in one night, was easily overthrown by the clans of that big village. However, the fighting was not meant to end there.

One warlord, who goes by the name of Herold the Butcher, gathered as many Military Police units as he could, and even forced some from the Garrison and Scouting regiments, to fight the Samurai-led government. Herold enjoyed his previous power, and he would not dare to allow some petty peasants to wrestle it away from him.

Humanity within the walls suffered a catastrophic civil war that lasted for ten years. Fighting spread all over the walls, those who were allied with the Samurai fought Herold's own allies, who were made up of peasants forced to do his bidding, or were bought off with promises of food and shelter, and rich men who would never even think about changing from their old ways.

The Samurai were overwhelmed by Herold's powers, and in the end; they were defeated. Herold, being the evil butcher he was, razed and massacred the village the Samurai clans cared for.

And as a consequence, many of the great Samurai clans fell.

Clan Adachi fell.

Clan Yarikawa fell.

And all what remained was Clan Sakai and Clan Shimura, and even they were remnants, a shadow of their former selves.

After the failed rebellion, which claimed thousands upon thousands of lives, Herold resumed total control over the walls. His rule was far more tyrannical, and the citizens suffered more under his rule, the orientalist village burdened the heaviest amount of persecution.

However, as five years came to pass, one legendary commander of the Survey Corps, whose name remains shrouded in mystery, put a stop to Herold's tyranny.

He allied with the Military Police and the Garrison, and he stormed the castles of Wall Sina, just as the Samurai did before him. They overthrew Herold, and silenced whatever voice that supported him, and they hung him for the public to see.

A new era, shouted humanity, a new era of prosperity and peace had come upon us.

But....Jealousy and envy were always the greatest architects of betrayal.

The Survey Corp's commander's closest friend sneaked into his house, with his hand he yielded a sharp blade.

And with a swift strike, he murdered his friend in cold-blood.

Not even a month has passed after this great commander's victory, and his life was unjustly taken away from him by his closest friend.

His traitor placed the blame on an insane peasant, and they were gullible to believe this lie; since they found his blade, the traitor's blade, lying beside the peasant.

Shortly after, his traitor eventually gained all the power for himself, but he was not a fool like Herold before him, or the government that the Samurai before him overthrew. He allowed a certain degree of justice, and he provided the citizens the needs that they deserved.

All what he needed to win over the citizen's loyalty was to deliver on his promises of food, shelter, and water.

However, corruption was still rife in the land; and until this day, the orientalist village suffers.

This....is how the rest of our history played out, but now....as I see the events that are unfolding, I truly wonder.....

Will this actually bring change for the better? Or will we just repeat that same, miserable history?

(End of Gyozen's Tale)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gyozen, Sakai, Yarikawa and Adachi belong to Sucker Punch, producer of Ghost of Tsushima.