"Well.... Guess I've got no other choice..."
Levi descended like a whirlwind of death, his blades a blur of silver in the dim light. Bertholdt sensing him dove for cover, slipping into the protective cage of Reiner's massive palms, but Ymir wasn't as lucky.
Before she could react, Levi was upon her. His swords cut through her Titan form with such precision and ferocity that it barely had time to let out a guttural roar. Her grasp at Reiner's back loosened as her frame fell on the muddy ground painted in crimson.
Limbs were severed, bones shattered, teeth ripped away. Steam and blood erupted from the monstrous corpse as it collapsed into the dirt.
Levi stood atop the ruined carcass, his cold eyes fixed on the limp form of Ymir herself. Gripping her by the neck with one arm, he yanked her from the steaming remains of her Titan body.
"Captain..." Ymir croaked, barely conscious.
Without a word, Levi slapped her across the face with brutal force, snapping her out of her daze. Her head lolled back as her consciousness slipped away, and Levi muttered, his voice low and venomous, "Petra."
As if summoned, Petra appeared, her movements swift and composed as she took Ymir from Levi's grasp. Levi wasted no time, mounting his horse with practiced ease, his gaze fixed on the Armored Titan in the distance.
Darkness clouded his expression, and his voice, low and cold, cut through the tension like a blade. "Stay out of danger or just die right now."
His gaze flicked briefly to Mikasa, who sat frozen, anger flashing in her eyes.
"Don't test me," Levi snarled, his fury evident. "If this mission fails because of you, I won't hold back. You're just another useless piece of trash tied to Eren."
Before Mikasa could retort, Levi's hooks fired, the sharp grapples digging into the ground near Reiner's massive legs.
"Reiner, watch out!" Bertholdt shouted from the safety of Reiner's cupped hands.
Reiner instinctively hardened the exposed joints of his Titan form—his calves, armpits, anywhere Levi might target. But Levi was always two steps ahead.
It was a feint.
Levi's tongue flicked across his teeth as he launched himself skyward with a sudden burst of speed. Blades spun in his hands as he hurled them straight into Reiner's face, blinding him.
The Armored Titan staggered with a guttural roar, the impact shaking the ground. Levi didn't stop. His body twisted midair as he spun toward Reiner's ear, driving both blades deep into the Titan's auditory canal.
Reiner's howl of pain echoed across the battlefield.
"Now, Erwin..." Levi whispered, his voice sharp and commanding as he leapt from the Titan's shoulder, landing smoothly on the blood-soaked ground.
Erwin Smith and his squad surged forward like a tidal wave from front. Titans followed in their wake, an unstoppable tide of monstrous flesh.
"Disperse!" Erwin's voice rang through the air, sharp and authoritative. The squad split into two groups, veering off to either side. The Titans chasing them stumbled forward, colliding directly into the blinded Armored Titan with earth-shaking force.
The battlefield descended into chaos, steam and blood mingling in the air as Levi landed among his comrades, his fury unquenched.
"What the hell is happening?!" Reiner grunted, his massive hands clawing at his Titan's face as he struggled to regenerate his blinded eyes. He couldn't see, couldn't hear—the world around him was chaos.
Before he could regain his senses, a thunderous impact rocked him. A wave of Titans, snarling and screeching against his armored body. Reiner stumbled, his knees buckling under the weight of the horde.
"Shit!" he growled, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of roars and shattering bones.
From a distance, the Scouts huddled their resolve firm, their silhouettes stark against the storm of Titans and blood. Erwin's voice boomed across the battlefield, sharp and commanding.
"Scouts! Without Eren Yeager, there's no future for these lands. Recover him at all costs! Dedicate your hearts to the cause!"
The rallying cry cut through the chaos like lightning. With a powerful kick to his horse's flank, Erwin led the charge, his squad scattering into the storm. But... Suddenly a titan lunged forward it's massive jaws closing around Erwin's arms scooping him away...
"Erwin!!" Levi panicked, eyes widened teeth clenched as he shot his hooks towards the titans while the scouts advanced forward with heavy heart.
The battlefield erupted anew, aberrant Titans crushing horses and Scouts alike in a frenzy of destruction.
Reiner groaned as his vision finally began to return, his regenerative powers knitting his sight back together. What he saw chilled even his hardened resolve—Titans clawing at his armored body, their teeth screeching against the impenetrable plates.
"What the hell?!" he shouted, his arms straining as he tried to push the swarm off.
"Bertholdt! What do I do?!" Reiner roared, his voice desperate. "I need my arms free!"
Bertholdt, perched vulnerably on Reiner's caged neck "I... I don't know!"
The moment Reiner moved to free his arms, the vulnerability exposed Bertholdt to the chaos below.
"GIVE HIM BACK!" Mikasa's voice cut through the mayhem like a blade. She emerged from the carnage, her eyes burning with fury, her blades drawn and gleaming.
Bertholdt barely had time to flinch quickly bending down as her swords sliced through the air, whispering mere inches from his head.
But her charge was cut short.
"Huh?" Mikasa whispered her gaze falling on one of the titan pinning Reiner....
"ARGHHH!" Mikasa screamed, her body suddenly seized by the Titan's massive claws. The creature's grip tightened around her torso, ribs cracking audibly under the pressure.
"Idiot!" Levi's voice snarled as he shot past, his blades slashing clean through the Titan's wrist. The severed hand fell away, Mikasa tumbling free but battered and bleeding.
The battle blurred into chaos. Amidst the carnage, Erwin—despite his severed arm—charged through, his sword gleaming as he struck from behind.
The blade pierced straight through Bertholdt's heart, the tip emerging on the other side from Eren's chest. Bertholdt gasped, his body crumpling as unconsciousness claimed him.
Mikasa, bloodied and broken, maneuvered desperately through the chaos. Her arms outstretched, she caught Eren's limp, bleeding form as Erwin severed the bindings that had tethered him to Bertholdt.
But her strength gave out.
Mikasa's battered body collapsed, and Eren fell with her. The two tumbled to the ground, landing in a heap amidst the blood-soaked grass.
"Er...en.." A faint, strained voice escaped through Mikasa's mouth, her pale face, marred by streaks of blood, crimson droplets trailing from the corner of her mouth and falling onto Eren's pale skin.
Eren groaned, pain radiating from the gaping wound in his chest. His mind swam, consciousness flickering as he opened his eyes to the sight of Mikasa above him.
Her hands trembled as they clung to him, her bloodied lips moving weakly. "E... Eren..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. Crimson dripped from her mouth onto Eren's pale face.
"Mikasa?" Eren rasped, his own voice weak. His eyes fluttered, catching the dying light of the sun as it painted the battlefield in hues of orange and crimson.
"Ugh..." A sharp sting in his chest jolted him back to reality. His gaze darted around the battlefield, taking in the chaos, the bodies, the Titans.
"Eren... We have to..."
Mikasa's voice broke through his spiraling thoughts. Her bloody palm shakily reached up to his face, her fingers brushing against his cheek. Her dark, pain-filled eyes searched his, as if fighting to convey something that words couldn't.
"Mikasa? You... what the heck is happening..." Eren whispered, his voice trembling as she cupped her hand against his face.
She didn't answer. Her lips parted as though to speak, but all that came was another faint whisper of his name.
Her grip on his shirt tightened weakly before faltering. His eyes darted downward, and his stomach churned. Her hand pressed against her abdomen—not bleeding, but her labored breaths and the agonizing tension in her body told him what she couldn't.
Her ribs were broken, fractured under the pressure of whatever battle had brought them here.
"Grab on... I'll get us out of here..." Eren's voice cracked, panic washing over him as tears welled in her eyes. Her teeth clenched against the pain, a muffled yelp escaping her lips. He moved to say something, anything, but a distant sound—a low, earth-shaking rumble—froze him in place.
And then there it was—her.
His breath caught as his gaze locked on the towering figure in the distance.
The sun framed the colossal form of the Smiling Titan, its massive face twisted into that awful, mocking grin. Its eyes gleamed with dark glee as it gazed down at him, its steps shaking the earth with every thunderous stride.
Eren's heart stopped.
The memories came flooding back—his mother's screams, the crushing rubble, the moment his world fell apart. This was the monster that had stolen everything from him.
His rage surged, overpowering his pain. His fists clenched, his teeth gritted, and his eyes burned with fury as he stared at the source of his torment.
The battlefield stilled in his mind, the cacophony of war fading to a distant hum. Only the Smiling Titan remained.