“Ymir!”
Krista coughed as she saw Ymir, now back in her human form, lying not far away. Ymir’s left arm and left leg were gone, her body steaming and covered in blood. She was gravely injured.
But this wasn’t their only problem. More mindless Titans were rising from the rubble, their danger far from over.
“Damn it, what do we do now?” Connie’s face was filled with terror. Without their ODM gear, facing the mindless Titans was a death sentence.
Reiner and Bertholdt’s faces were grim as they watched the approaching Titans, hesitating.
“Whoosh…”
Suddenly, the sound of ODM gear filled the air. Two mindless Titans had their napes sliced open and fell.
“Mikasa!”
Connie was overjoyed to see Mikasa in the air. His relief was palpable.
“Is everyone okay?” Mikasa asked as she landed, followed by Eren, Armin, Sasha, and others.
“Eren.”
With Eren and the others’ arrival, the Titans quickly fell, neutralizing the immediate danger.
Ten minutes later, the group was speeding towards Wall Rose on a wagon. Eren, Reiner, and others sat in the back, with an unconscious Ymir in the middle.
“You’re saying Ymir can transform into a Titan?” Everyone looked at the unconscious Ymir, whom Krista was tending to.
“Yes, if Ymir hadn’t transformed, we’d all be dead,” Connie said solemnly.
“I see,” Armin replied, glancing at Reiner and Bertholdt, his eyes flickering with thoughts.
Meanwhile, within Wall Rose, Hange was overseeing the installation of cannons, with Erwin and Levi absent. He was watching over Zhou Wei as he remained a prime suspect.
“Here they come.”
Hange watched several wagons approach from atop Wall Rose, carrying Eren, Connie, and the others.
“It looks like they’re all okay.”
When the group ascended the wall, Hange discreetly glanced at Reiner and Bertholdt before focusing on Connie and the others.
“This time we were saved by Ymir.”
“Huh?” Hange didn’t understand at first.
“Ymir can transform into a Titan,” Connie explained, describing Ymir’s Titan form.
“Really?”
Hange’s eyes sparkled with a desire to research as she circled Ymir.
“Captain Hange, Ymir was protecting us,” Krista said, stepping protectively in front of Ymir.
“Don’t worry,” Hange replied with a laugh, changing the subject. “Let’s head inside the wall. There have been some developments in the Survey Corps.”
“What happened?” Connie asked as they followed Hange, carrying Ymir. Krista stayed close by her side.
Mikasa and Armin slowed their pace, watching Eren, Reiner, and Bertholdt from the corner of their eyes.
Reiner, his mind beginning to fracture, started speaking strangely.
“Eren, I’m the Armored Titan, and he’s the Colossal Titan. Five years ago, we breached Wall Maria. Now that we’ve confirmed Ymir is the Jaw Titan, if you come with us, we won’t need to breach Wall Rose. Not a bad proposal, right?”
Reiner spoke earnestly, his right arm still in a sling from saving Connie at Utgard Castle.
“Huh? What are you talking about, Reiner?”
Eren’s face was stiff with confusion.
“Even if you are the Armored Titan, I’m not just going to go with you,” he said.
“Is that so?”
Reiner clutched his head, his thoughts in turmoil.
“Reiner, let’s act. We need to take Ymir and Eren back to complete our mission.”
Bertholdt’s eyes were filled with anguish.
“Yes, it’s time to return home. I just remembered I’m a warrior,” Reiner said, removing his sling as steam rose from his injured arm.
“Reiner,” Eren’s expression froze. He hadn’t wanted to believe Armin’s analysis, hoping against hope that it was wrong, that Reiner and Bertholdt weren’t the Armored and Colossal Titans.
“Eren.”
Golden lightning surrounded Reiner and Bertholdt as a mighty wind whipped around them. But Mikasa was faster, slashing at their necks with her blades.
“Damn…”
Reiner and Bertholdt blocked her attack, blood spraying like a fountain.
“Reiner, now!”
Bertholdt was terrified, sensing the mortal danger.
“Crack…”
More golden lightning appeared, and as the terrifying winds howled, Mikasa, Armin, and the others were blown away.
Amid the rising steam, the Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan appeared.
“Ymir!”
Krista clung to the wall, watching as the Colossal Titan swallowed Ymir.
“Reiner, Bertholdt!”
Held in the Armored Titan’s grip, Eren was nearly breaking down. Armin had been right; Reiner was the Armored Titan, and Bertholdt was the Colossal Titan. They had destroyed Wall Maria five years ago, leading to his mother’s death.
“You traitors!” Eren’s eyes were filled with hatred as he bit his hand and transformed into the Attack Titan.
In the forest of giant trees, Tang An was practicing in his Female Titan form, attempting to master hardening. He knew his prey was on the way when he heard the distant booms.
Returning to his human form, Tang An stood atop the trees, looking toward the sounds. Though too far to see clearly, he could glimpse the occasional golden flash and hear the beastly roars.
He needed to determine the direction in which Reiner and Bertholdt would enter the forest with Eren and Ymir so he could take them all down in one sweep.
While waiting, Tang An could recover his strength. Since gaining the Female Titan’s power, he had been training to master his Titan body. Besides hardening and mastering the use of ‘Shave’ and ‘Moonwalk,’ he had achieved a level of bodily coordination matching his human form.
While Tang An waited, Erwin, Levi, and the rest of the Survey Corps were on the move, heading toward Eren.
“Boom…”
At the base of the wall, the Attack Titan and the Armored Titan clashed, while the Colossal Titan, atop the wall, fended off Armin, Connie, Hange, and others with its high-temperature steam.
“Reiner!” The Attack Titan’s Eren roared in a frenzy, delivering a powerful right hook to the Armored Titan’s face.
Bam!
The Armored Titan’s name was apt; its entire body was hardened, like a suit of armor. Blades couldn’t penetrate it, and it boasted incredible offensive power. However, it had weaknesses, such as its knee joints and back armor, which would shed during rapid movements for better mobility. Its eyes were also vulnerable.
Standing about fifteen meters tall, with white hair and a muscular build, the Armored Titan bore a striking resemblance to Reiner.
Become a Patron read up to 40 chapter ahead public release ^_^
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
