Rain poured down on the district of Trost, the downpour drumming against shattered rooftops and pooling in the blood-soaked streets.
Amidst the chaos, the Attack Titan stood tall, its towering frame exuding an overwhelming, spine-chilling presence. Its emerald-green eyes gleamed like eerie lanterns in the gloom, their piercing glow freezing soldiers and warriors alike in place.
Marcel's breath hitched, his voice barely a whisper. "What... is that?"
Beside him, Pieck, Porco, and Bertholdt stared in stunned silence, their expressions mirroring his unease.
"AHHHHH!!!"
A guttural roar tore through the battlefield, raw and thunderous.
"Open inventory...."
In that instant, something impossible occurred—a lilac-colored scythe materialized out of thin air, its handle wrapped in glowing purple runes, pulsing like a living entity, the entire structure forming in Eren's hand.
And with one clean, effortless swing—
Every titan surrounding the cadets was severed in an instant. Their monstrous forms crumbled to the ground, split cleanly in two, steaming corpses collapsing before they even realized they were dead.
A cadet gasped, voice trembling. "W-What the hell was that?" Even among the chaos of war, this was something unnatural. Something terrifying.
From a nearby rooftop, Mikasa's darkened eyes widened in disbelief. Her tongue darted across her lips as she instinctively drew fresh blades, the sharp metal gleaming under the stormy sky.
In a blur, she lunged forward, her body cutting through the rain like a bullet—
But then—
The titan collapsed?
Just like that.
Mid-charge, Mikasa jerked herself to a stop, adjusting her maneuvering gear at the last second to land on a nearby building. Her breaths came in sharp, ragged exhales, her fingers gripping her weapons so tightly they nearly cracked.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she stared, unmoving. The titan, moments ago a force of sheer destruction, lay motionless before her.
Something was wrong.
Something was very wrong.
The rain battered the battlefield, thick sheets of water drumming against the earth as steam billowed from the fallen Attack Titan's nape. Mikasa's sharp gaze darted to the rising mist, her grip tightening on her blades—because from that cloud of vapor, two shadows were visible.
And then—
A streak of orange lightning slashed across the sky, illuminating the stormy heavens like a divine judgment. The air crackled with raw energy as another titan began to take shape. But before Mikasa could react, a familiar voice cut through the chaos—cold, steady, and razor-sharp.
"It's your turn now... Reiner..."
It was barely more than a whisper, but it carried through the battlefield like a death sentence.
Eren.
He shot his hooks backward, maneuvering away from his fallen titan with practiced ease, his boots skidding across the rain-slicked street. His piercing green eyes never wavered from the forming titan in front of him—unshaken, unreadable.
"Ereh?"
Mikasa landed beside him, her voice barely above a breath as she took in his expression. Then her gaze shifted—
A monstrous form materialized right before their eyes, the gruesome process of titanization unfolding in mere seconds. Flesh stretched and twisted, bones snapped into place, thick sinew weaving itself together with sickening speed—until at last, plates of hardened armor slammed over the monstrous figure, locking it into its final form.
And its glowing, rage-filled eyes?
Fixed solely on Eren.
"What the hell is happening?!" someone screamed.
A cacophony of voices erupted across the rooftops, soldiers gripping their weapons in shock and confusion.
"That idiot—what the hell is he doing?!" Annie whispered, her teeth sinking into her lip as her grip on her swords tightened.
Porco's breath came low and heavy, his fingers trembling as they reached for his hand. "Tch... Looks like they have to die now. What a waste."
But just as he prepared to bite down, Marcel's hand caught his wrist.
"Wait," Marcel muttered, his gaze locked on the battlefield. "Reiner can handle them. No need to waste your energy."
Thunder rumbled overhead. The storm mirrored the tension below, lightning flashing across the darkened sky.
And in the heart of it all—
Eren exhaled.
A misty breath escaped his lips as he unsheathed his blades, the metal gleaming under the fractured moonlight. Eyes darkening, tongue flickering out, saliva dripping down.
[Activating Skill: Chameleon Level 8]
[Ackerman Boost Attributes x2]
His gaze remained locked on Reiner.
"Kay then... Mikasa..." he murmured.
Beside him, Mikasa stood, her own eyes darkened with raw intent. She nodded once.
She smirked.
"Let's kill him..."
And then—
They vanished.
In a flash of wires and steel, the two shot forward, carving through the storm like twin reapers, their blades hungry for blood.
"AHHHHH!!!!"
Reiner's roar shook the battlefield, his massive frame charging forward like an unstoppable force of destruction. Each thunderous step left craters in the rain-drenched ground, the sheer weight of his rage manifesting in every movement.
With a firm grip, she seized Eren's wrist, launching him straight into the Armored Titan's path like a missile.
Reiner skidded to a halt, his armored fists clenching as he swung a devastating punch—aiming to crush Eren mid-air.
But he was too slow.
In a single heartbeat, Eren twisted his body mid-flight, his dual blades slashing downward. The steel screeched as it scraped between the gaps in Reiner's plating, slicing through exposed flesh.
Blood sprayed into the storm, steam rising as the wound struggled to regenerate.
Reiner's eyes widened.
"Tch—!"
Before he could react, Eren landed against his forearm, boots skidding along the rain-slicked surface of his armor. His momentum barely slowed as he launched himself again, this time straight for the nape.
Lightning cracked.
Her hooks fired, propelling her toward Reiner's exposed back—her eyes gleaming with nothing but the intent to kill.
"You'll have to do better than that, Mikasa..." Reiner growled, blindly swinging his arm behind him—only to hit nothing but air.
His eyes widened.
Eren had already moved. He clutched Mikasa's wrist and hurled her downward with terrifying precision. She twisted mid-air, her blades flashing as they tore through the exposed joints of Reiner's knees.
"Tch...!" A sharp grunt escaped her lips as she landed.
Eren followed through.
A deep, vicious cut severed the tendons in Reiner's other knee. His body buckled.
Reiner's legs gave out entirely, his towering form slamming into the ground with a resounding boom.
His arms twitched, trying to push himself up.
But then.
A streak of blue. A flash of red.
A burst of blood erupted from both his armpits, tendons and muscles cleaved apart.
His limbs went completely limp.
Reiner gasped, his vision blurred from the pain. But before he could process what had happened—
He felt them.
His head tilted back, and his breath hitched.
They were standing on his forehead.
Eren and Mikasa.
Their dark eyes bore into him, their breaths heavy, tongues slightly out—like hunters savoring the moment before the kill.
Reiner's gaze flickered to Mikasa, rage flickering in his veins. How? How had she gotten this strong?
Then—Eren moved.
Slowly, deliberately, he lowered himself.
His blades mercilessly plunged into Reiner's eyes.
The Armored Titan's agonized screams tore through the city, rattling the very air itself.
"Hey, Reiner... I loved listening to your lies—when I already knew the truth."
Eren's voice was cold, sharp as a blade.
Mikasa's breath hitched. A slow, creeping realization clawed at the back of her mind.
Reiner… this thing was Reiner?
It couldn't be. He was a human, not a Titan. Right?
Eren straightened, but before either of them could move, the Armored Titan lurched violently. Its half-healed joints groaned as it thrashed, trying to shake them off. The sheer force nearly sent them flying.
"Ackerman—finish him."
Eren's voice low and bored cut through her thoughts.
"I've already shattered the armor covering its nape."
Mikasa's eyes darted to his hands. They were bleeding. Deep gashes ran across his knuckles, dripping onto the ground beneath them. Just with some mere punches?
"You said he was the reason for all those loses... Then you have the right to end him. Go."
She gulped.
Eren glanced at her from the corner of his eye, tilting his head witnessing her hesitation.
"Attachment is a burden..." Eren's once said words echoed through her mind and he was right.
That was all it took.
Mikasa's jaw clenched. Her grip on her swords tightened.
She shot her hooks forward.
"I lost Eren because of him. He's gonna pay for it..."
Rage flooded her veins.
"HAAAAA!!"
Her battle cry tore through the air, blades gleaming as she swung—
And then—
The Armored Titan's eyes snapped open just immediately. And her breath hitched knowing she messed up. Advancing at top speed was a mistake. Reiner healed his legs, or they were already healed he was just waiting for the right moment. Suddenly, he sprang forward. Its jaws unhinged. It's massive body casting a gloomy shadow over her.
"MIKASA!!!"
Armin's scream from the rooftops shattered the air. She barely had time to gasp before the Titan's massive teeth came slamming shut.
CRACK.
The sickening sound rang through the battlefield.