Reiner blocked Eren’s punch with one hand and then delivered a powerful uppercut with his left, sending Eren flying backward. He crashed to the ground, kicking up dirt, his jaw dislocated from the impact.
In a head-to-head clash, Eren was no match for Reiner.
“Clang…”
Mikasa appeared behind the Armored Titan, attempting to slash his nape, but her blades shattered against his hardened armor.
“Damn it, it’s too hard,” she muttered, retreating to the wall and looking at her broken blades with a grim expression.
“Mikasa.”
Armin descended from the wall, seeing Eren being pummeled by Reiner, and he grew anxious.
“Armin, that guy’s armor is too tough,” Mikasa said, drawing new blades.
“Ordinary attacks can’t break through that defense,” Armin pondered. They couldn’t help Eren directly; he had to find a way. But the Armored Titan’s body had no obvious weak points, making him nearly invincible.
As Eren was sent flying again, Armin broke into a cold sweat. They needed a strategy, one that didn’t rely on brute force.
Head-to-head… That’s it, head-to-head combat.
“Use grappling techniques to restrain him. Don’t go for a direct confrontation,” Armin whispered to Eren as he climbed onto his shoulder.
Eren nodded, changing his approach.
“Armin.”
Inside the Armored Titan, Reiner saw Armin whispering and frowned.
“Whatever they try, Eren can’t beat me,” Reiner said confidently, assuming a combat stance.
The two Titans faced off, with Reiner making the first move. He threw a right hook, but Eren dodged, stepping in close and wrapping his arms around Reiner’s neck. The ground trembled as cracks spread outward.
Dust and steam rose as Eren tightened his grip, clamping his legs around Reiner’s waist and locking his arms around his throat. The armor began to crack under the pressure.
“Damn it,” Reiner grunted. Eren’s flexibility and grappling skills were overwhelming. Reiner struggled, but Eren’s legs clamped around his neck, and his hands bent Reiner’s arm.
“Crack… Crack…”
The armor on Reiner’s arm started to fracture as if it could break at any moment.
“I can do it! I can beat him!” Eren roared, finding his opponent’s weakness.
“Roar…”
Pinned to the ground, Reiner roared, trying to crawl forward.
“Reiner, it’s over. You’ve lost,” Eren shouted, trying to snap Reiner’s arm.
“Something’s not right!” Armin watched Reiner struggling towards the wall, his eyes darting to the Colossal Titan’s upper half perched on the wall.
“Oh no, retreat!”
The Colossal Titan began to tilt, and its upper body fell right where Reiner and Eren fought.
“Bertholdt!”
Reiner roared.
“Boom…”
The Colossal Titan’s upper half crashed, creating a massive explosion of dirt and debris. The ground split with deep fissures, engulfing the area with hot steam.
“Eren!” Armin, Mikasa, and Hange screamed in panic.
“Bang! Bang!”
Reiner emerged from the steam, running swiftly with Bertholdt, the unconscious Eren, and Ymir on his shoulders. The Armored Titan’s armor withstood the impact, but Eren had passed out.
The disparity in their defenses was apparent.
“Eren,” Mikasa wanted to chase after them.
“Mikasa, don’t act impulsively,” Armin warned, stopping her. The open terrain offered no cover for their ODM gear, and pursuing Reiner would be suicidal.
“Ymir.” Krista’s distress matched Mikasa’s, as she had much left unsaid to Ymir.
Ten minutes later, Erwin arrived with the Survey Corps.
“Where is Eren?” Erwin asked, frowning at Hange and Armin.
“Armin’s analysis was correct. Reiner is the Armored Titan, and Bertholdt is the Colossal Titan. They took Eren ten minutes ago. Ymir can also transform into a Titan,” Hange summarized.
“Reiner and Bertholdt must have used a lot of energy transforming. They’ll likely stop in the Forest of Giant Trees to rest,” Armin hypothesized.
“Everyone, move out. We’re retrieving Eren,” Erwin commanded decisively.
Meanwhile, Reiner was still running towards the Forest of Giant Trees. Eren and Ymir had regained consciousness but were too injured to move.
“Reiner, Bertholdt, I’ll make you suffer before you die,” Eren snarled, glaring with hatred and fury at the two.
Bertholdt remained silent.
Reiner, still in his Armored Titan form, couldn’t respond.
“Huh?”
Reiner approached the forest and noticed a Female Titan standing at the edge, seemingly waiting for them.
“Annie,” Bertholdt said, surprised and pleased.
Eren understood then why Annie had disappeared. After failing the last mission, she never returned to Wall Rose and hid in the forest.
The distance between the two parties closed rapidly.
Five steps, three steps, one step.
Without warning, the Female Titan produced a gas cylinder and swung it at Reiner.
The attack happened so quickly that Bertholdt’s expression didn’t have time to change from joy to shock.
“Boom!”
The decisive strike sent Reiner flying, the gas cylinder smashing his jaw. Bertholdt, Eren, and Ymir were all flung from his shoulders.
A deep trench was carved into the ground as the Armored Titan lay on the ground, his jaw shattered. He struggled to his feet, shaking his head to clear it.
“Cough… cough…” Ymir, closest to the Female Titan, was coughing when a large foot appeared before her.
“Annie…” Ymir’s face showed terror as the Female Titan picked her up and brought her to its mouth.
The Titan intended to eat her.
“Annie.”
Reiner, Bertholdt, and Eren were all stunned.
“Ah…”
With a scream and a spurt of blood, Ymir was chewed and swallowed.
“Y-Ymir,” Eren couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Annie, what are you doing?” Bertholdt was terrified. Their mission was to regain the Titan’s powers, but Annie had just eaten the Jaw Titan.
The Female Titan ignored their cries, examining its hands.
After devouring Ymir, Tang An felt his bite force increase and sharp bone claws grew from his fingers.
The Jaw Titan had many characteristics, including speed, agility, and powerful jaws and claws, making it a formidable offensive power.
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