"Whoosh!"
The intense wind created by the appearance of the Colossal Titan sent everyone on the city wall tumbling to the ground. Rayan, being prepared, quickly deployed the grappling hooks of his vertical maneuvering equipment, securing them to the wall to steady himself.
"Boom!"
Another deafening sound reverberated through the air. Rayan knew that the gate of the wall had been destroyed. His eyes shifted toward the distance, where he spotted the Survey Corps soldiers racing back at high speed!
Good, he thought. As long as the main force of the Survey Corps was here, the casualties would be reduced significantly. But the key point was still Eren.
His gaze moved to Eren, who had just been blasted off the wall by the steam. Eren was already climbing back up, his face twisted with hatred and anger.
"Target: Colossal Titan!" Erwin shouted, raising his blade. His eyes were filled with neither fear nor hesitation. Levi followed beside him, coldly commenting, "That bastard... can appear out of nowhere."
"That's right! It was the same five years ago!" Hange murmured as she thought aloud. "Such a huge presence, every move it makes should create a massive commotion! But we didn't hear or see anything just now. The surviving Garrison soldiers from Wall Maria five years ago reported that they were on guard duty when the Colossal Titan suddenly appeared right in front of them! After destroying the wall, it vanished again."
"Seriously, appearing and disappearing without a trace, does this guy know some kind of magic?" Levi said, drawing his twin blades. "However, cutting its neck should still kill it, right?"
"Levi, be careful," Erwin said calmly, before dropping a bombshell. "I suspect the Colossal Titan has intelligence. We must deal with it carefully."
"Intelligence, huh..." Levi murmured, this was troubling news.
At that moment, Eren launched an attack, and the Colossal Titan, after emitting steam, disappeared in an instant, as if it had never been there.
"Damn it!" Eren cursed as he returned to the wall. "Just like five years ago, this guy shows up and then vanishes in the blink of an eye!"
"Prepare for battle," Rayan ordered, his voice firm. Everyone followed his gaze and saw the Survey Corps rushing toward them in the distance, with the titans close behind.
"It's the Survey Corps!"
"They came back so quickly!"
"Damn it! The titans are behind them too. We can't let them reach the wall!"
The Garrison Regiment soldiers had arrived as well, their faces grim as they spoke to the group. "You few, the operation to deal with the Colossal Titan is starting. You need to head back to headquarters immediately!"
"Yes!" came the unified reply.
The battle could not afford to be chaotic. The Garrison Regiment's duty was to carry out protection operations after the wall was breached. This responsibility fell to the advance team. Others, like Rayan and the other trainees, were tasked with heading to headquarters to receive commands and carry out operations.
"Let's go," Rayan said, leaping down from the wall. He shot toward headquarters with a burst of gas, propelling himself forward.
The Survey Corps had now arrived on the wall.
"It disappeared again?" Erwin looked at the large hole in the wall, then shouted, "Everyone, hold the line here! We absolutely cannot let Wall Rose fall!"
"Yes!" the soldiers of the Survey Corps responded in unison. After tying up their horses, they rushed onto the wall, their spirits lifted by the arrival of reinforcements. The advance team of the Garrison Regiment was equally excited to see them.
"Commander Erwin! It's great that you were able to return in time. We couldn't have held off those titans on our own!"
"Immediately set up the interception net and move all the fixed cannons down from the wall!"
"Move them down from the wall?!" The Garrison soldiers were stunned. "Aren't the fixed cannons used to block..."
"The attacks that are like a drop in the bucket won't have much effect," Erwin explained. "Move all the fixed cannons down and place them behind the interception net as a barricade. Their weight can slow the titans' advance for a while."
"Yes, yes!"
Erwin observed the soldiers hastily carrying out the orders, but his expression remained grim. Although he had just told them to intercept the titans, he knew in his heart that if they couldn't block that massive hole, even doubling the number of Survey Corps soldiers wouldn't stop the fall of Trost District. They might only be able to delay the inevitable.
And the Armored Titan hadn't appeared yet. Would it show up?
Erwin couldn't shake his doubts, but as the commander, he had no choice but to remain resolute.
"Hange," Erwin said, "The most urgent task is not fighting, but finding a way to block the hole in the wall. Head to headquarters immediately, report this, and demand that the Garrison Regiment abandon all other operations to prioritize moving heavy objects to the gate. Be quick. Once a large number of titans enter the wall..."
"I understand!" Hange nodded and left immediately.
"Levi."
"Ah, I know," Levi replied, drawing his blades. His cold gaze fell on the rapidly approaching titans in the distance. "Anyway, we just need to kill as many of them as possible, right?"
"Yes, but be careful," Erwin cautioned. "The Colossal Titan might reappear."
"Dong…dong…"
The tolling of the bell symbolizing destruction echoed throughout the area. People began to flee in a panic. Although they hadn't seen the tragic state of Shiganshina District, they could imagine it. They didn't want to experience the same hell.
"Don't carry too much property!"
"Don't crowd!"
The Garrison Regiment soldiers responsible for evacuation shouted desperately, but under the threat of death, no one heeded the orders. People scrambled forward with the frantic mentality of "better you die than me." Before the titans could even cause casualties, dozens had already been trampled to death.
Rayan leapt from house to house, watching the scene below with a grim expression. He had hoped that the Survey Corps would be able to intercept a large number of titans. But if that hole wasn't blocked, all their efforts would be in vain.
After all, the number of titans was enormous. Even ten Levis wouldn't be enough to stop them. Would they have to rely on Eren?
Rayan's thoughts turned inward as he stared at his own hand.
I am also someone who possesses... one-third of the power of a titan.
Can I lift that rock?
He shook his head immediately.
No, it's impossible.
Even with all of the titan's power, it wouldn't be enough. After all, the strength of the titan he possessed was only from an 8-meter-class mindless titan, which wasn't particularly strong. Eren's Attack Titan, after transformation, stood 15 meters tall, and even with that power, lifting the massive rock had drained his energy, causing him to collapse afterward.
If Eren struggled with it, Rayan knew he couldn't do it either.
Operations Headquarters.
The Garrison Regiment squad leader quickly assigned tasks. Given the urgency of the operation, all Garrison Regiment members, along with the newly graduated trainees, would be involved. However, considering the trainees' relatively weaker strength and psychological endurance, most were assigned to the middle and rear guard units. The vanguard unit, which would face the titans head-on and had the highest mortality rate, was largely composed of Garrison Regiment soldiers.
Once the assignments were made, all the soldiers began organizing their equipment. Blades and gas canisters, the essential tools of battle, had to be thoroughly checked.
"Armin, are you alright?!"
Eren's voice rang out. Rayan glanced over and saw Eren comforting a trembling Armin, who shook his head.
"I'm alright... but, Eren, this is really bad... We don't have the resources to block that 8-meter-high hole, and we can't even move that large rock near the gate!"
He said in despair, "If we can't block this hole, we'll have to abandon the town! They can destroy us whenever they want!"
"Armin!" Eren scolded, grabbing his shoulders. "Calm down! Humanity is different now. The Survey Corps is back. They're on the wall right now! We won't lose to the titans again!"
"...Sorry."
As the two conversed, Rayan had already gathered his equipment and left the room. Outside, he was surprised to see Hange in a heated argument with Captain Kitz.
"What did you say?! You want all of us to abandon the fight and move the cannons from the warehouse?"
Kitz's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is this how the Survey Corps operates? Aren't you supposed to fight the titans to the bitter end?!"
"Meaningless bloodshed isn't useful!" Hange said calmly. "We need to find a way to block the hole in the wall first. This is Commander Erwin's order!"
"Erwin has no right to order me!" Kitz snapped. "As captain of the Garrison Regiment, I am only accountable to Commander Pyxis. What needs to be done now is for all soldiers to fight the titans and eliminate them!"
"You're sending them to their deaths!" Hange grabbed Kitz by the collar, and the soldiers behind him immediately raised their spears at her. "Let go of our captain!"
"..."
Hange gritted her teeth and let go, her expression hardening as she stared at Kitz's face. After a brief silence, she suddenly smiled.
"I see."
"What...?"
"So Captain Kitz is a coward," Hange said coolly. "So afraid he's given up thinking."
Kitz was stunned, then roared, "What did you say?! You—"
Before he could finish, Hange had already turned and walked away.
Rayan watched as the smile on her face faded, replaced by a look of helplessness and deep despair.
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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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