Poof!
Seeing the opponent go up in a cloud of smoke, Levi was stunned.
'He … Just?' his eyes darted around in all directions. Nothing. Time elapsed and there was no follow-up attack, neither could the enemy be spotted.
He simply …. 'Disappeared'. The man thought, dropping his combat stance. Noting he truly wasn't here any longer, Levi turned his attention to his team.
Gunther, Eld, Petra, Oluo. The first three were still on the roof. Oluo on the other hand, had fallen off.
Firing his Grappling Lines, he glided down to the floor, appearing before Oluo's fallen body.
He was alright. Thankfully.
The nineteen-year-old still had a pulse. 'Nevertheless, he'll definitely break a few things from that fall'.
Levi frowned.
The Special Operations squad were the best of the best in The Survey Corps. By extension, the best in The Entire Paradis Military. The fight barely lasted Twenty seconds, and they were all like this.
Not even he could …. The difference in strength seemed so obvious.
'Just what are you?'
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Maneuver Gear in Usage. The next moment, several human figures rushed over from a distance.
"Dammit! Who The hell did this ... Oh? Captain Levi …" The man at the forefront exclaimed in surprise.
Levi clicked his tongue. "Took you all long enough." "However, you're too late. The enemy already left."
The Garrison soldiers all exchanged looks with each other.
"Um … Captain Levi, what happened here?"
"What does it look like you idiots?" Levi muttered, his irritation nearly breaking into his demeanor.
"An Enemy appeared in Trost. The soldiers stationed here have all been slaughtered. .."
He said, rising to his feet, his gaze locking onto The female soldier still standing there in a daze. "All except one that Is."
'He killed The Military Police, yet chose to leave one alive? Why? What exactly did he do to her that she's In this state?'
The man's brows furrowed even more. Turning his gaze from the unresponsive Female soldier to the warehouse door half opened. Just from the opening, he could see more bodies inside.
"You ..." He pointed at one of them. "Locate Commander Erwin and Pixis and report this immediately."
"Huh? ... Um ... yes sir ..." The soldier answered before firing his gear and flying away.
-----
-----
Trost District Hospital.
The corridor smelled of antiseptic and damp wood. A stark contrast to the streets outside. It was quiet, save for the occasional groan of a recovering patient and the soft creaking of boots against the floor.
Inside one of the rooms, a handful of officers stood around Hannes, who shifted uncomfortably under their collective scrutiny.
Erwin Smith stood in the center, hands folded his hands behind his back, his unreadable gaze fixed on the unconscious girl lying on the hospital bed. Hange Zoe, ever the curious one, had positioned herself at the foot of the bed, watching with an unsettling gleam in her eye.
"…. In the distance, we saw her being chased by several Titans. I used my gear to climb down and order them to open the gate".
Hannes explained, recounting the Incident. "We pulled her in right after." He finished.
The tension in the room was almost palpable.
"… And you have no idea what happened to her?" Erwin's voice, calm yet commanding, cut through the silence.
Hannes swallowed, shifting his weight uneasily. "Uh… no, sir. I gave her some water when she suddenly fell asleep."
"I see". His answer didn't satisfy Erwin, but it was all he had.
The blond commander turned his gaze elsewhere.
"How long do we have to wait before she wakes up?"
The group had arrived not long ago. Questioning Hannes who had brought Ilse to the hospital.
Hannes had told them everything he knew. As for Ilse, she was still asleep. Non-responsive.
Hence, Erwin asked the only person who could give him answers to his question.
The Doctor. Edna Kreutz. A middle-aged woman with short, neatly cut auburn hair and sharp gray eyes that held the weight of experience.
She wore standard clothing common to housewives in Trost along with a thick coat on top of it.
Aside from ODM gear, Paradis was still medieval—doctors didn't even have medical coats yet."
In response to his question, Doctor Kreutz shook her head and pushed her glasses.
"... From what you told me, she's been through a lot of Trauma. Which is why she passed out as soon as she reached safety. It's not an uncommon response. The exhaustion has probably been unbearable, and although her physical condition isn't too worrying, …".
Her gaze moved to the unconscious Ilse Langnar.
"… It may not be the same up here. Her mental state is fragile, and she's unresponsive to external stimuli. It could take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days before she wakes."
Erwin nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on Ilse's pale face.
"I see." He turned to the doctor. "Thank you for your service Doctor. Inform me the moment she regains consciousness."
Dr. Kreutz dipped her head. "Of course, Commander."
The group stepped out of the room, leaving the unconscious Ilse behind.
Outside, Pixis remained leaning against the wall, his flask hanging loosely in his grip. He took a swig, then smirked as he eyed Erwin.
"Poor girl," he mused. "Must have been through an ordeal."
Erwin remained silent, his mind already working through the implications.
Pixis chuckled, amused by the younger commander's deep contemplation. "Patience, Erwin. You'll get your answers soon enough."
"Indeed."
Erwin's gaze flickered to Hange. "We'll be staying in Trost a little longer."
Hange's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "You think she has something valuable?"
"She survived outside the walls for an entire day after the expedition ended. That alone is remarkable," Erwin said. "More than that, she had something urgent to say before she passed out. Whatever she knows, it's important."
Hange grinned. "This just keeps getting more interesting."
Erwin turned to Hannes, his expression softer than before. "Thank you, Captain Hannes. Your actions have possibly given humanity a much-needed advantage."
The man stiffened. "O-Oh, it was nothing, sir! Just doing what I should!"
"It is. I will remember this. Permit me to ask, Is there anything else you recall that might be of use?"
".... Well, I doubt I could be of more help commander. I only saw her running towards the walls …". Hannes uttered scratching his head. Then, suddenly remembered something.
"Also, she had this book on her".
He uttered, reaching into his chest pocket and taking out a small journal.
Erwin picked it up, opening it as his eyes scanned the contents.
Immediately, his eyebrows narrowed.
"Oh? Did you find something?" Pixis was the first to notice his abnormal reaction.
"Indeed. It's her journal, documenting everything she experienced while outside the walls".
Everyone let out a breath. Hange's eyes glowed with interest as she reached for the book.
"Well? What does it say?"
Erwin didn't answer as he flipped the pages.
The further he read, the deeper the crease in his brow became.
Time elapsed, and five minutes later …. He stopped.
For a long moment, he didn't move.
The room held its breath.
Then, finally, Erwin closed the journal.
He turned to everyone.
"It seems, I may have underestimated the significance of her findings …".
His words stunned everyone present. Erwin closed his eyes and took a breath, before handing the Journal to Pixis near the final pages.
The old commander read quickly, quickly becoming engrossed as well.
"… Um, sir?"
Behind him, one of his two escorts, Anka Rheinberger called out.
It was the first time she had witnessed her Commander carry such a stern expression. Quite contrary to his usual upbeat, and cheerful smile.
"Erwin, do you understand ... What this means?"
Pixis asked solemnly as he drew his gaze away.
"I do". Erwin replied. "If the contents in this book are true, then mankind it shows just how little mankind truly knows about the Titans …".
The Journal was handed to Hange.
Hange, snatched the book impatiently. Her expressions growing even more exaggerated than theirs as she read.
"Oh my gosh. This …. This changes Everything …". She said, her eyes glowing with fervor.
"Commander, we need to …".
"Commander Erwin. Commander Pixis".
It happened then. Loud shouts resounded in the hallway. Following which, a Garrison soldier appeared from the corridor and rushed towards them.
Pixis raised an eyebrow. 'Another urgent report?'
The soldiers rushed in, breathless with sweat dripping from their foreheads.
"Urgent message".
"An accident has happened near The slums".
Pixis straightened, his drunken ease vanishing in an instant. "What?" His grip tightened around his flask.
"Several Military Police Officers From The Interior have been slaughtered while guarding a warehouse…".
-----
Saria's POV
-----
Saria ran.
Her breath came in short, sharp bursts as she darted through the shadowed alleys of Trost, her heart pounding in her chest.
The sounds of Gunfire from The Warehouse has long ceased. Meaning everyone inside was dead.
"Dammit! This isn't good …" The female cursed under her breath as he picked up the pace.
It wasn't supposed to happen like this. One more day and they could have all gone home freely.
Now, everyone else was most likely gone. Worst, she had no idea what happened.
'Just what was that anyway?'
The scene was still fresh in her memory. Her teammates had been killed in seconds. If she hadn't left before it happened, most likely she would have died like them.
The thought left her heart pounding.
She didn't know who or what had attacked, but she knew one thing: It was over.
Her boots splashed through the shallow puddles lining the uneven streets as she took turn after turn, instinct guiding her toward the safehouse.
Even now, her job wasn't done yet. She still needed to report this to warn the noble's agents. Just a little further. Almost there.
Saria forced herself forward, ignoring the burning in her legs, the way her stomach twisted in knots.
Finally, she reached an old, unassuming building nestled between two others in a forgotten part of Trost. It looked abandoned—crumbling stone, boarded-up windows, an entrance half-hidden by debris.
But she knew better.
Saria hurried to the side entrance, knocking twice, pausing, then knocking once more.
A brief silence. Then, the door cracked open.
"Oh? It's you …" A pair of sharp eyes studied her before the figure stepped aside.
The safehouse interior was dimly lit, sparsely furnished. A few wooden crates, a table, and some scattered documents.
"I remember. Saria right? ..." Just as she stepped in, she noticed a person coming from down the stairs. Inside the room, Two men sat inside, playing card game.
Closing the door, all four eyes fixed on her.
"Amy problems? ..." The man coming down the stairs asked.
Saria wasted no time.
"The warehouse has been compromised." Instantly, all of them frowned. "What do you mean? How? .."
Letting out a breath, she continued. "The entire team… They're dead."
The room went silent.
One of the men, older with graying hair, leaned forward. "Explain."
Saria swallowed, straightening. "The warehouse was attacked. A single individual, he quickly killed the guards on sentry and infiltrated the warehouse. I was lucky enough to be preoccupied outside when he arrived, so I was missed."
"Who was the attacker? Did he come from the military?" The thought of a single person exterminating a Team of MPs alone would sound absurd to some.
However, people existed who could do it. Like Kenny The Ripper back then, and a few highly skilled soldiers.
The Survey Corps had such men and women. Especially Levi Ackerman, Humanity's strongest soldier. The vast Majority of the MPs, though graduating top of their class had very little battle experience.
The scenario would be even more likely if they were caught off guard. Hence, the next question wasn't aimed at disbelief but the identity of the attacker.
"…" Saria paused for a second. "No."
"No?"
"It was dark, and the attacker wore dark clothing. I didn't want to be noticed, so I didn't stay long, but he wore no uniform."
"And you're sure none of your Teammates survived?" He asked again.
"… I can't guarantee it. But it's highly unlikely."
"I see." The man uttered before sighing ad rubbing his head. "Just when I thought I could have a pleasant vacation." Then he turned to the others and spoke in a thick, stern voice.
"It seems we'll need to get to the bottom of this. Flynn, Newman, Find out if any of them survived. Do the needful if so."
"Got it."
The older man nodding, then turned to Saria. "You did well, Saria."
Behind her, the one who had closed the door approached her from her behind.
A hand clapped her shoulder.
Then—
Steel slid across her throat.
Saria's breath caught.
Her body slumped forward, her throat sliced cleanly open before she could even register the pain. A wet, gurgling sound escaped her lips as blood poured down her chest, staining her uniform a deep crimson. Her vision blurred, the world tilting as her legs gave way beneath her.
A firm hand caught her by the shoulder, preventing her from collapsing immediately.
The other men in the room had barely moved, none surprised at the turn of events.
The graying man leaned forward, pressing his fingers together in thought. "Contact our people in The Garrison. We proceed as planned. The nobles won't like this setback, but it changes little." He glanced at Saria's lifeless form, without a ripple in his expression. "Dispose of her body. And clean this mess before someone asks questions."
It would have been fine if the mission proceeded as planned. Now? It was a different case. As part of the group, Saria had her information tagged recorded like the others. As long as her corpse wasn't found, The Garrison wouldn't stop looking.
Leaving her alive was never an option.