"Ahhhh..." Eren's voice barely escaped his lips as his gaze locked on the ominous light above. Time seemed to slow down, the world narrowing to that single moment of impending chaos.
"Watch out, Eren!" Levi's voice, sharp and commanding, pierced the tension as he sensed the threat at the same time. His experienced eyes caught the massive figure forming within the light, too familiar and too dangerous to ignore.
Before Eren could react further, the colossal figure of the Armored Titan materialized out of the blinding explosion of light. The thunderbolt's energy surged, and in an instant, Reiner's Armored Titan, clad in its impenetrable plating, came crashing down with the force of a meteor. His colossal frame plummeted toward the earth, aimed directly at Eren, the Attack Titan, and the female titan, intent on crushing them all under its massive weight.
The impact was cataclysmic. The Armored Titan's fall shattered the ground beneath him, sending tremors rippling through the battlefield. Dirt, debris, and blood exploded into the air as the earth cracked and cratered from the sheer force. Eren, though quick to react, was caught off guard by the unexpected assault. He in an instant deployed his gear towards the Levi squad, and that's where Jean Kristine came in. The explosion that followed engulfed Annie and Eren's decomposing attack titan, sending a shockwave that threw scouts off their feet and splintered the trees around them.
The explosion roared like a thunderclap, a devastating burst of energy that swept across the land. Everyone felt the heat and pressure crashing into them, their body jarred by the intensity of the blast. Their legs buckled momentarily as the explosion tore through the ground beneath them. Though the scouts managed to stay standing, the damage had been done. Dust clouded the air, debris rained down, and the ominous figure of the Armored Titan loomed above them all.
The battlefield was plunged into chaos. The scouts scattered, struggling to regain their footing as the ground itself seemed to rebel against them. And at the center of it all, Reiner's Armored Titan stood like an unstoppable juggernaut, having disrupted the carefully laid plans with a single devastating move.
Suddenly, Levi's commanding voice cut through the chaos like a knife. "Squad Levi, retreat! Protect Eren at all costs!" His tone was sharp, calm, and full of urgency, snapping his squad back to focus. "Swap...." Eren whispered in Jean's ears as he exchanged positions with him.
"Sir!" The Levi squad responded in unison, determination seeping through their voices as they quickly maneuvered amidst the swirling chaos. In the midst of this, Jean Kirstein stepped up as the decoy, cleverly disguising himself as Eren Yeager, blending seamlessly with the squad. He knew full well that the enemy's gaze would soon fall upon him. His role as bait was vital; it was a calculated move, a necessary deception.
Eren, however, couldn't help but turn his attention towards the Armored Titan, the familiar hulking figure that had returned to wreak havoc once more. His eyes narrowed, a flicker of rage sparking within him. But something else caught his eye—a figure cloaked in a hood, swiftly maneuvering through the trees, heading toward the unknown.
"Don't let her get away!" Erwin's voice bellowed across the field, the urgency in his tone propelling the scouts into action. They immediately shifted direction, chasing after the elusive figure. The wind whipped around them as they launched their ODM gear, their blades gleaming in the scattered sunlight. Meanwhile, the Levi squad took off in the opposite direction, leading the charge with the decoy Eren advancing towards the other side of forest where scouts waited with cannons loaded as a backup. If they're unable to capture the wielders it'd be better to kill them.
As the tension mounted, Eren and Levi stood their ground, waiting for the inevitable clash. Levi's eyes were razor-sharp, always calculating, while Eren's fists clenched tightly at his sides. The Armored Titan loomed in the distance, but Reiner hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting between the scouts and the figure he believed to be Eren. Something was off.
"Hey there... ready for more?" Eren taunted, his voice laced with venom as he stepped forward. Levi stood beside him, ever the silent shadow, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Reiner's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait… if he's here, then who's with them?" The realization struck him like a hammer—this was another trap. His mind raced, doubt creeping in of decoy Eren.
Levi and Eren stood tall, unwavering, though both knew the female titan wasn't easily fooled. She would soon realize that her target, the real Eren, wasn't with the Levi squad, and that her primary goal would be to eliminate them all including Jean. Despite the doubt that clouded their minds, Levi and Eren had faith in their squad. But faith didn't erase the gnawing fear that came with the uncertainty of battle. Every decision, every move was now a game of life and death.
"Go..." Eren whispered fiercely approaching the armoured with Levi, biting down on his hand as the partial transformation began, steam erupting around him like a volcanic eruption. His titan form surged forth, the raw power emanating from him palpable in the charged air.
"Wait, where are they...?" Reiner muttered, his attention caught in a vice grip by the billowing steam. But as he grappled with his confusion, he felt the searing pain coursing through the flesh between his armored plates, each cut a reminder of his vulnerability. "Fuck you both... Why won't you leave a single exposed area?" Panic clawed at him as he realized the situation was slipping away.
In that moment, Eren and Levi executed their plan flawlessly, launching a relentless assault on Reiner's form. They targeted the joints, their blades cutting deep, methodically dismantling the titan's defenses. With a final, devastating strike, the massive armored body crashed to the ground, its face pressed against the earth in defeat.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed that luck had favored Reiner once again. How could Eren replicate the same technique if he couldn't penetrate the body to strike at its nape? But then, clarity sparked in his mind—a plan began to take shape, a desperate hope igniting.
Eren, with an air of menace, whispered, "Don't move... Plus, your armor isn't as strong as that bitch's, right?" With that, he maneuvered vertically, soaring into the air as Levi provided cover, their movements synchronized, a testament to their bond as warriors. The onlookers, both allies and enemies, were left in awe, their eyes glued to the unfolding spectacle, while some scouts continued their relentless pursuit of Annie.
"One more transformation, then I'm done..." Eren thought, the weight of the battle pressing heavily on his shoulders. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes once more and bit into his hand. The titan form surged forth mid-air, powerful and determined.
"Hopefully this works..." Erwin whispered under his breath, a mixture of anxiety and hope swirling within him. Eren clenched his massive fist, the moment of truth arriving. With perfect timing, he struck Reiner on the nape, the impact reverberating through the air like thunder, sending shockwaves rippling outward. The force was immense, enough to send several scouts tumbling through the air, caught in the aftermath of the devastating blow.
Reiner felt the shockeaves coursing through his nape, overwhelming his senses until everything faded into darkness. Eren quickly abandoned the titan form, his focus shifting to the true enemy—the wielder of the Armored Titan lay right there.
The armoured plates that protected his nape shattered into smithereens. However, as the battle raged on, it became clear that this confrontation was far from over. The fight had more layers than either of them anticipated, and with each passing second, the stakes climbed higher.
"Sorry, but I'll be taking it from here, little brother…" a heavy voice echoed through the darkness, accompanied by the ominous glow of two crimson orbs flickering ominously in the distance. Eren's heart sank as confusion gripped him. "What… the hell?"