"Clack, clack."
Inside the inner city's equipment depot, everyone was organizing their gear. Gas canisters and blades were replaced with new ones. Since the operation wasn't over yet, after a joint mobilization by Survey Corps Commander Erwin and Commander Pyxis earlier, the wall retaking operation would officially begin in one hour. To encourage the soldiers to muster the courage to fight, they also mentioned Eren's situation. Of course, the explanation was still "the military's secret weapon."
"I heard that our trainee squads will be reorganized later," Krista said, organizing her equipment beside him, her tone somewhat sad. "It's probably because too many of our classmates were sacrificed."
"Yeah."
Trainees with no actual combat experience were immediately thrown into such an intense battlefield. Naturally, they couldn't handle it, and heavy casualties were normal. However, in Rayan's opinion, this reorganization of squads was probably just a smokescreen. Erwin might have already made some detailed deductions at this moment. Eren's appearance had undeniably proved that the Colossal and Armored Titans were intelligent titans. So, their true locations were Erwin's top priority. Combining this with the fact that the Colossal Titan deliberately waited for the Survey Corps to leave the city before attacking, and the chaos after the wall was breached five years ago, there was reason to deduce that the intelligent titans' human forms had mixed into the walls during that chaos and were very likely within the military.
If that was the case, then the reorganization of squads was probably to count the remaining number of trainees... On the wall, only the Survey Corps soldiers were stationed here now. Erwin and a few of his confidants were sitting together, and the former was also conducting his analysis.
Erwin: "Currently, we can tentatively identify four intelligent titans that have appeared."
"Four?"
"The Colossal Titan, the Armored Titan, Eren, and... the titan we saw running in the distance behind us when we were returning from outside the wall." Erwin recalled for a moment and continued, "Although it was very far away at the time, we could still see that the running posture that titan adopted was a human posture. Just like Eren's 'straight punch,' I believe ordinary titans wouldn't make such a movement."
Levi, Hange, and Mike all frowned, trying to remember. They had also turned their heads to look at the time, but they hadn't observed as carefully as Erwin.
"Erwin, if that was also an intelligent titan, why didn't it enter the city?" Mike asked.
"Entering the city would be meaningless. Based on Eren's situation, we've deduced that 'intelligent titans will be prioritized for attack by ordinary titans, with the priority sometimes even exceeding that of humans.' So, it's very dangerous for intelligent titans to enter the city, and they probably know this themselves. And it's also unnecessary; as long as they break the city gate, ordinary titans are enough to wipe out humanity."
As Erwin spoke, he paused and placed his finger on the map spread out on the ground, pointing to the southern region of Wall Maria, the Shiganshina District.
"Five years ago, Shiganshina District was destroyed by the Colossal Titan, and then the Armored Titan destroyed the inner gate, leading to the fall of the entire Wall Maria. Five years later, Trost District was destroyed... can you see the connection between them?"
Hange looked at the map. "They're both in the southern region?"
"That's right." Erwin drew a line with his finger, connecting the two points. "Both Shiganshina and Trost, these two walled cities, are located in the south. So, if we make a bold judgment, it's that the intelligent titans come from the south outside the walls."
"This..."
"I know there's no supporting evidence for this deduction, but we can't consider so much right now." As Erwin spoke, his eyes weren't focused on the map, as if he were simulating some scene. "Five years ago, three intelligent titans divided the work. The Colossal Titan was responsible for destroying the outer wall, the Armored Titan for destroying the inner wall. And that running titan... using the characteristic that ordinary titans prioritize attacking intelligent titans, it gathered the titans wandering outside the wall and then quickly led them into the breached wall."
The few who heard this felt a chill down their spines. If the facts were really as Erwin deduced, then this was a complete plan to exterminate all of humanity.
"But why didn't the Colossal Titan destroy the inner wall?" Mike asked. "With its size, it could probably do it easily."
"Too slow," Levi suddenly said. "According to the information, that bastard moves very slowly."
Erwin: "That's right. If the Colossal Titan appeared inside the wall, even if it destroyed the wall, it would be difficult for it to escape. If, like Eren, there was a human inside its body, then surrounded by layers of soldiers, it wouldn't be able to escape. But the Armored Titan's defense and speed can ignore this. Of course, elites like Levi still wouldn't be ignored."
Silence descended for a moment.
The few of them didn't know what to say. If the enemy really had three intelligent titans, then humanity had reached a precarious state. After all, intelligent titans were far more powerful than any number of cannons.
"Erwin, what do we do now?" Levi asked.
The current situation was dangerous, and everyone's eyes were focused on Erwin. The latter bore this pressure but showed no anxiety or tension, his expression as calm as ever.
"The top priority right now is naturally to block the wall. As for the enemy, they might be hiding among us. Therefore, we must ensure that all soldiers are under surveillance—and this surveillance will be carried out through the shuffled squad members."
"...You suspect the enemy is within the military?"
"Maybe not all of them, but at least one," Erwin said with certainty. "They need information."
"Secondly, there's the issue of motive." Erwin thought for a moment. "If the enemy is like Eren, then they are also human. What benefit would the destruction of the walls and the extinction of humanity bring them? Why would they, as humans, want to exterminate humanity? Unless we understand this question, we won't know who the real enemy is."
"Yeah, we have to capture one alive and ask."
...
Before the operation began, the squad assignments for the trainees and even the Garrison Regiment soldiers were all adjusted. The original squads were broken up, and new combinations were formed, the reason given being the casualties. This wouldn't arouse suspicion, and even the warrior trio wouldn't be able to connect this to Erwin already suspecting enemies within. Only someone like Rayan, who already knew, could deduce this.
Soon, without much rest time, the operation began. Pyxis and Erwin specifically gave a speech before it started, portraying Eren as the military's secret weapon and explaining the operation plan in detail. The soldiers were naturally skeptical, but the presence of the Survey Corps served as a strong morale booster, so no one caused trouble, and the operation officially began.
The operation itself was very simple, consisting of only two parts. One part was responsible for attracting the titans' attention, without needing to fight them, just keeping them occupied. The other part was to have some elite soldiers protect Eren, because at this moment, new titans were constantly entering from outside the wall. If Eren was to block the gate, he would inevitably be the first to face them, so the cover of elite soldiers was crucial. And naturally, these elite troops were composed of the Survey Corps, with the elite squads led by Levi and Mike providing escort, while a few elites were also selected from the Garrison Regiment. As for the 104th Squad, only Mikasa was selected. Her previous performance had been too dazzling, attracting the attention of both the Garrison Regiment and the Survey Corps.
As for Rayan's squad, they were assigned to stand still on a rooftop at the edge of the wall—to attract titans.
"This works too."
Rayan himself didn't particularly like fighting. Moreover, his strength was indeed average, a bit short of "elite," so he was happy to have some leisure time at this moment. Anyway, with Levi and Mike escorting him, Eren's safety was definitely guaranteed. Of course, if the warrior trio caused trouble, it would be a different story, but they wouldn't rashly make a move in this situation, as that would instantly reveal their identities.
Sitting on the rooftop, looking at the broken outer wall gate, he thought that the warrior trio was quite clever to destroy the gate instead of the wall. Otherwise, if the titans inside ran out, he didn't know if the "Vow Renouncing War" would still be effective.
However, Marley didn't know at this point that the power of the king had already been taken by Eren—a non-royal taking the power of the Founding Titan couldn't activate the Coordinate on their own; they had to make contact with someone of royal blood to do so. But there was also one advantage: a non-royal who obtained this power wouldn't be brainwashed by the "Vow Renouncing War."
So, this power falling into the hands of the most hawkish Eren was also Marley's misfortune.
"Roar—!"
Accompanied by a flash of strong light, Eren successfully transformed into a titan. The few soldiers in Rayan's squad watched in fear and trepidation, with more fear than anticipation in their eyes. Clearly, for most people, the idea of "using the power of titans to fight" was something they couldn't accept in the short term.
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Three days passed. In the underground city of Wall Sina, Rayan arrived in front of a tavern, paused for a moment, and pushed open the door to enter. Inside, the noise was palpable, but as soon as he stepped in, many people cast strange glances at him, filled with varying emotions.
"Yo, a fresh face, little brother," a woman in her thirties, well-preserved and confident, leaned in and casually placed her hand on his shoulder, her finger tracing small circles. "Need something?"
"No." Rayan calmly removed her hand from his shoulder and scanned the room. He spotted a man sitting at the east table, waving at him. "Here!"
The sudden call startled everyone, and the attention shifted from Rayan to the man who had spoken, a touch of wariness in their gazes as they sized him up. The woman who had approached him earlier gave a dry chuckle.
"You know Klaus? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Ignoring her, Rayan walked straight over and took a seat at the table.
"I haven't seen you in three years. You've grown taller," the man said. Klaus, around thirty years old with blond hair and blue eyes, was handsome—though his missing ear left a stark mark on his appearance.
"You haven't changed much either, Klaus," Rayan replied.
"I'm getting old. What's there to change?" Klaus waved toward the bar. "Didn't you see my friend arrived? Get us some drinks!"
"Got it!"
A bartender quickly approached, poured a glass of rice wine for Rayan, and gave Klaus a fawning smile before retreating.
"Come on, let's have a toast," Klaus said.
"Clink."
The two clinked glasses and drank. The alcohol content was low, as there was no purification technology inside the walls yet. Rayan barely felt it. He set his glass down and glanced around.
"Haven't seen you in three years. You're doing well for yourself."
"Haha, so-so," Klaus sighed. "I used to be scared of everything, just knowing how to work for others. After going outside the walls and coming back, I'm not afraid anymore. You just have to do it, damn it." He smiled faintly and held up three fingers. "I've wiped out the three local gangs. How's that?"
"Impressive."
"It's nothing," Klaus waved it off. "The real deal is that the people who came back with me were all willing to follow me. They escaped death in the titans' jaws, so they're not afraid of dying anymore. Naturally, the useless guys couldn't beat us. Of course, many family members of those who didn't return also joined us. They had nowhere else to go."
Rayan listened quietly.
"Speaking of which, I still don't get why you joined the army. Everyone was willing to follow you back then, but now…" Klaus's expression turned serious. "If you come over, my position is yours anytime."
Rayan shook his head. "No, this is all you've fought for. I haven't contributed."
"Bullshit!" Klaus glared, tapping his missing ear. "If it wasn't for you back then, I would've lost more than just an ear!"
Indeed, Rayan remembered the time when Klaus was about to be swallowed whole by a titan. Rayan fired his gun at random, hoping for a miracle, and, luckily, he struck the titan in the eye, causing it to slip. Klaus was saved. But despite that, only seven people survived, including Rayan and Klaus. Out of the 250,000 who had ventured out, the group Rayan encountered was just a small fraction. Some had larger numbers, but they were still scattered.
A pang of sadness settled in Rayan's chest as he recalled the loss. He had promised to bring everyone home, but no one expected to be ambushed by titans. In that moment, he had felt utterly helpless, unable to save anyone—he even had been eaten by a titan once. Shaking his head, Rayan pushed away the memories.
"I'm joining the Military Police," he stated flatly.
"The Military Police?" Klaus raised an eyebrow, then gave a wry smile. "We hate the Military Police the most. Last month, we stole from some nobles, and seventy or eighty Military Police came searching the underground city. Luckily, we got rid of everything quickly. If they had found it, you'd probably be seeing me on the gallows."
"I see."
The Military Police were powerful. Even if they were not particularly competent, their official status meant they couldn't be easily challenged. Most people in the underground city were criminals or outcasts, and while they were tough, they couldn't compete with regular troops.
"Then, Rayan," Klaus joked, "you, a future Military Policeman, didn't come to arrest me this time, did you?"
"I'm not here to arrest you, but I need people to arrest," Rayan replied calmly.
Klaus froze for a moment before a grin spread across his face. "I can't believe it! You actually want to become a high official. What's your goal, then? The commander of the Military Police? The president? A duke? A minister?"
Rayan didn't answer.
"Understood," Klaus said with a wicked smile. "No problem. It's all about merit, right? I've got plenty of that. Actually, I know where a murderer is hiding right now. I'll have someone keep an eye on him. When you're officially in the Military Police, you can arrest him."
"Hmm." Rayan nodded. "Once I have some power, I'll take care of the families of those brothers who died."
"Of course," Klaus agreed.
Rayan stood up to leave.
"Oh, right," Klaus called after him, suddenly remembering something. "I saw the newspaper today. They're going to interrogate that human who can turn into a titan. Is that true? I heard you were a trainee in Trost District, right? Did you see it with your own eyes?"
"Yeah, it's true," Rayan replied with a smile. "Humanity's fate rests in his hands."
"That's unpleasant, relying on a titan bastard," Klaus muttered.
Rayan shook his head. "He's a bit different from the ones outside."
Not elaborating further, Rayan waved at Klaus and turned to leave.
As he stepped out of the tavern, Rayan pulled his hat down and walked away. Klaus Bott was one of the few survivors of the retaking operation, and a man Rayan knew well. With a sharp mind and excellent leadership, Klaus quickly rose to power in the underground city. He had unified the returnees and their families, forming a powerful force. The group had wiped out the local gangs and secured a foothold in Wall Sina's underground. Now, Klaus was one of the most influential figures there.
Rayan wanted to use this power. He had decided to join the Military Police, but he wasn't content being just another soldier. He intended to rise to the top, to grasp real power in his hands.
As he walked through the streets of the underground city, Rayan stopped and turned his gaze toward the towering royal palace in the heart of Wall Sina. The people inside probably had never known true fear.
"The center, huh..." Rayan muttered, his eyes hardening. "Hmph."
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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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