"The titans have already broken in."
Rayan stood atop a private house, looking toward the destroyed wall in the distance. Despite the Survey Corps' efforts to defend it, the titans had still managed to breach the walls. However, compared to the original story, the time it took for the titans to enter the city had been delayed by half an hour. This meant the citizens had an additional thirty minutes to evacuate, saving many from the titans' clutches. It also meant Rayan's actions had been meaningful.
Next came the soldiers' battle.
"Marco, stay by my side later and don't run off," Rayan instructed.
"Ah? Uh, members of the same squad naturally have to stick together," Marco replied, slightly puzzled by Rayan's request. He turned to the others in the squad, asking, "Right, Reiner, Bertholdt?"
"Ah..." Reiner exchanged a glance with Bertholdt. Annie, behind them, remained silent, her eyes occasionally flickering to Rayan. It was unclear what she was thinking.
Rayan, naturally, was watching them closely. As a member of the squad, he wouldn't let the same tragedy happen again. He wouldn't give the warrior trio a chance to be alone, so they couldn't discuss any secrets, and Marco wouldn't accidentally overhear anything.
"Titans are coming!"
A 10-meter titan staggered into view. The group immediately gripped their blades and prepared for action.
"Let's go!" Marco called. As the squad leader, he took the responsibility of leading the charge. He rushed forward, with the others quickly following, attacking the titan from all directions.
"Swish!" Their bodies flew through the air. This was their first real battle, and despite the nerves, they performed as expected. Rayan, however, felt little. Having encountered titans countless times outside the walls, he had grown numb to the sight.
As the titan noticed them, it reached out to grab them. Though mindless, titans were not completely devoid of intelligence. While they couldn't catch humans flying in the air, they instinctively targeted their equipment. If it grabbed the ropes of their vertical maneuvering devices, the humans would be helpless, like kites in the titan's hands, either crushed or eaten.
"Careful!" Rayan warned Marco. Despite being seventh in the graduation rankings, Marco was still a bit nervous. But, as expected, he quickly adjusted, increasing the gas output and shifting the trajectory of his equipment just in time to avoid the titan's grasp.
Rayan seized the moment. He landed on the titan's head, stepped back, and with a powerful strike, slashed its nape.
"Pfft!"
His strength wasn't just enough for a shallow cut; he sliced through the entire nape, and with a thud, the titan's body crashed to the ground, steam rising. In moments, the titan's form disappeared completely.
"Rayan, you did great!" Marco praised, looking at the now-empty space in surprise.
It was Marco's first time seeing a titan killed, and he couldn't help but ask, "Such a large body... how is it formed, and how does it disappear...?"
That was a question Rayan himself couldn't fully answer. In the original story, the explanation was a "path," an invisible thread linking everything to the titans' flesh and bones. It was fantastical, and Rayan couldn't make sense of it.
But since the titans originated from the "Earth Devil," supernatural phenomena weren't too surprising. There were also theories that the titans were products of a lab, created by secret organizations, and that the Ackerman family was a byproduct of titan experiments. Yet, none of these theories could be verified, leaving Rayan just as confused as Marco.
While Rayan remained unfazed, the warrior trio exchanged uncomfortable glances at Marco's question.
"Titans are definitely the power of demons," Reiner said. "So, we must eliminate these demons. Right, Bertholdt?"
"Ah... yes," Bertholdt replied uneasily.
Annie, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Let's go kill the next one."
She immediately shot forward, with Reiner and Bertholdt exchanging a glance before following her.
Did they want to say something? Rayan thought to himself. But he wasn't about to let them.
"Marco, let's go!" he called, his voice firm.
"Hey, slow down!" Marco shouted, rushing to catch up. Rayan remained steadfastly behind Reiner and the others, ensuring they had no chance to be alone.
More titans continued to pour into the city, but most of the civilians had already been evacuated.
Rayan glanced back toward the inner gate, seeing orderly lines of people leaving the city, a clear sign of the Survey Corps' efforts. Though their faces were blurred, Rayan was certain the elite squad was stationed there, including Levi and his team.
Rayan knew that Erwin would be on alert for the Armored Titan's appearance. If the inner gate were destroyed, it would be a catastrophic loss. For now, the fall of Trost District was merely the loss of a town. There were four such walled cities in Wall Rose, and these cities were primarily military bases, with fewer residents. Even if Trost fell, it wouldn't devastate the royal government. But if the inner gate fell, it would be the end of Wall Rose.
The current strategy was to prioritize evacuating civilians. Once the civilians were safe, the soldiers would retreat to the inner city, abandoning Trost District.
"Hey! Look!" Marco suddenly shouted.
The others followed his gaze and saw a familiar figure being devoured by a titan. It was a trainee from the 104th Squad—Seine, perhaps?
Without hesitation, Marco rushed toward the titan, clearly intent on saving the person. But it was too late, and Marco might be in danger as well.
Rayan cast a quick glance at the warrior trio, who were deliberately lagging behind. He knew they wanted to talk in private, so he simply allowed it and quickly chased after Marco.
"Phew, finally we can say something," Reiner muttered, watching Rayan's figure disappear into the distance. His expression darkened. "That guy's been following us, and he's really getting in the way."
"I think so too... He seems particularly concerned about us," Bertholdt added, shaking his head. "But maybe I'm just overthinking it."
"It better be," Reiner snapped. "If he suspects anything, we'll have to deal with him immediately. But his hand-to-hand combat skills are strong. In human form, we might..."
"Reiner, what are you talking about?" Annie interrupted.
"...About our enemies," Reiner said, furrowing his brow as he looked at her. "Annie, why are you acting like this?"
Annie's expression turned grim, her voice cold. "I just don't want to take rash actions and reveal our identities based on pointless speculation."
Reiner studied her for a long moment before speaking. "You better think carefully. Annie, don't forget who we are and what our purpose is here."
"I know that without you reminding me," Annie replied sharply, her eyes flashing with cold determination. "Speaking of which, why don't you go destroy the inner gate? Are you afraid the Survey Corps might suddenly show up and station themselves there?"
"Hey! Reiner, Annie, what are you arguing about?!" Bertholdt cut in anxiously. "This isn't the time for this!"
Reiner sighed but didn't respond. He gave Annie a look of dismissal and turned to follow Rayan and Marco.
Bertholdt offered a strained smile to Annie. "Um... don't mind him. Reiner just has a very serious personality. I think the reason he's not going to destroy the inner gate right now isn't because he's afraid of the Survey Corps. It's probably because it would reveal our identities... After all, we're all acting together as a squad right now. If someone suddenly disappears and the Armored Titan shows up at the same time... Marco and Rayan would definitely start connecting the dots."
"I know all that," Annie said, glancing at Bertholdt. She paused, then asked, "So, do you think it's alright?"
"What?" Bertholdt asked, confused.
"Destroy the walls?" Annie finished.
"Of course not," Bertholdt said firmly. "Those inside are all devils."
"Yeah." Annie nodded, her expression hardening as she prepared to leave.
With a swift motion, she activated her vertical maneuvering equipment and shot into the air. Bertholdt watched her depart, admiration flashing in his eyes before he quickly shook it off. He steeled himself, thoughts of returning home flooding his mind.
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Need More Chapters
Every 300 Power Stones
2 Bonus chapter
Every 500 Power Stones
4 Bonus chapter.
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