SEASON 2 or Arc 3!!!!! (Very long chap, ENJOY!!!!)
"Do you really believe what this boy... Kiyotaka... says? That among these recruits... there are Annie Leonhardt's accomplices?"
"Well... I don't know, Nanaba... but we can't afford to ignore it..."
Calm. Pure and exaggerated.
Perhaps better described with the word boredom.
"Checkmate," I say after just a few moves, making Reiner and Bertholdt clutch their heads in frustration.
"I don't know who the hell taught you to play this game, but it's way too unfair..." Reiner groans, dropping his head onto the table, while Bertholdt keeps staring at the board, trembling slightly.
"It's not that big of a deal... it's just practice," I dismiss his words. They have talent, but I suppose chess theory isn't very developed in this world. Even Horikita and Hashimoto would have crushed them in the final selection exam.
After finally processing the result, Bertholdt slumps down next to Reiner, his brain fried. I shift my attention to the two people nearby.
"My village is close..." Connie says in a quiet tone, resting his head on his fist while gazing out the window.
"My home is close too..." Sasha responds in the exact same position. "We had to take the southern district route of Wall Rose."
"But we couldn't even visit our villages..." Connie continues Sasha's sentence. "It's not like we could've done anything anyway... We've just been lazing around because there's nothing to do... Maybe we should sneak out at night...?"
"Eh...?" Sasha reacts monotonously. "You want to go back to your village...? That's not a bad idea..." She takes a few seconds. "Kiyo... will you come with me...? I want to introduce you to my family... They told me not to come back until I became a decent person... so if we go together, maybe..."
I don't even bother responding to that.
"They told me there was no way a shorty could become a soldier..." Connie grins smugly. "But look at me... I'm a genius, I became a real soldier, even one of the top ten cadets." ... "That's why they'd look at me if I returned to my village... I'd like to go back, even for a little while... while I'm still alive."
...
...
"Connie..." Reiner calls out to him. "If you're serious about that... I'll help you get out."
"Eh...?" Connie looks surprised. "Why would you do that?"
...
"Doesn't this seem strange to you? That we were ordered to wear civilian clothes? They even specifically told us not to wear our uniforms. We're soldiers, for god's sake!! Then why would they order us to do something like this?"
It must be a rather suspicious order for them. Suspicious is the best word to describe it. Even I had to give up my gear to avoid drawing attention.
"But what worries me the most is that our superiors, unlike us, are fully equipped and ready for battle... AND WE'RE NOT EVEN ON THE FRONTLINES, WE'RE IN THE INNER WALL TERRITORIES!!!" Reiner grits his teeth. "Then what are they preparing for?!"
"Hnn... well... there are bears in this region..." Connie responds.
"Ah, yeah... bears..." Sasha.
"If it were just bears, firearms would be more than enough!!" Reiner snaps back. "Nobody understands what's going on, and everyone is anxious... You three are the only ones acting carefree..."
Ah... I suppose I'm included in that. Though I can't say I'm completely at ease... this is one of the most unpredictable moments of my life. It almost feels like when the last yogurt-making machine on sale was sold out...
"I'd like to see how our superiors react if we sneak out."
At the same time Sasha lets her head fall onto the table with a "Hnn..." I feel faint, almost imperceptible vibrations in the wood beneath my hands.
I see... so this is what's happening. There are only two possibilities...
Sasha's eyes widen in shock as she suddenly jumps to her feet.
"WHAT??!!! I HEARD A SOUND!!! REALLY LOUD FOOTSTEPS!!!!"
"Huh..?"
Reiner's eyes visibly darken. "What are you saying, Sasha...? Are you telling me that..."
"Titans are approaching... which means Wall Rose has fallen..."
"I'M SURE!!! WHAT I HEARD WERE LOUD FOOTSTEPS!!!!!"
At that moment, from outside, Nanaba steps up to the window and speaks to us.
"Is everyone here?!"
"Lady Nanaba..?" Krista asks.
"Several titans are approaching from the south, 500 meters away, heading this way."
"There's no time to put on your gear. Grab a horse, two per mount, and head to the nearby villages to evacuate the civilians immediately... Understood?"
"From the south..?" Connie's face fills with terror.
"Ah..." Sasha reacts the same way.
"That means... the wall was breached...?"
"Unfortunately, you'll have to postpone your midnight snacks until you've finished your mission!!" Nanaba interrupts. "NOW MOVE!!! IF YOU SLACK OFF, YOU'RE DEAD!!!"
For a long time, I wondered why the Colossal Titan attacked the gate specifically. A point that, while critical, could be repaired, instead of simply toppling the entire wall.
No matter how much I investigated, I never found a concrete answer. Even high-ranking officers like Erwin seemed unaware of the walls' true composition. However, I had seen multiple times that they required maintenance and could break like any other stone structure.
So... why?
Whatever the answer was, one thing was undeniable: the only possible access should have been through Trost. And if titans had entered through there, we would have received an alert.
Which meant only one thing.
These titans got here another way.
And I will get that answer, sooner or later.
The atmosphere was frantic but orderly. Within minutes, the horses were saddled and ready. Every soldier checked their equipment with the precision of experience—or fear.
Mike Zacharias, probably the fourth-in-command of the Scout Regiment, stepped forward. His presence was imposing. Not just because of his physique, but because of the calmness with which he faced chaos. One of the strongest and most experienced soldiers of humanity, yet he spoke with an almost relaxed clarity.
"Once the titans pass through the forest, we will split up," he announced firmly. "But before that, we will organize into squads."
His gaze swept over the group, making sure everyone was paying attention.
"There will be squads in the four cardinal directions: east, west, north, and south. Each will be composed of 104th Cadet Corps members and armed scouts. Your priority will not be combat, but the dissemination of information. We need to understand the scale of this incursion and ensure that all settlements are warned."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"How you complete your task is up to you. Once you reach the settlements, split up and move forward. Additionally, the southern squad will have an additional task: locating destroyed villages and settlements. Therefore, it must have the most members."
His gaze hardened.
"Is anyone here familiar with this area?"
There was a brief silence before a trembling voice broke the tension.
"Y-Yes!"
Sasha, who had remained completely silent until now, raised her hand nervously.
"I was born north of the forest... I know this area very well." She cleared her throat and, controlling her fear, quickly added: "Ah... and Connie too."
Beside her, Connie seemed to be in a trance, lost in his own thoughts.
"Connie?"
...
"My village... is south of here. Where the titans are coming from."
Connie's voice is low but firm. His face remains expressionless, a shadow darkening his expression.
Silence takes hold of the group.
"I can guide you to the villages." He pauses briefly, as if gathering the next words requires a titanic effort. "After that... please, let me go to my village."
His gaze remains lost in the distance, but his determination is palpable.
"Most likely... they've already passed through it. There's probably nothing I can do, but..."
I absolutely have to go anyway.
Mike watches him in silence for a few seconds that feel eternal, his expression serious and unreadable. Then, he nods slightly.
"Alright. I'll let you lead the southern squad."
Mike's words are not a suggestion; they are a statement. Connie closes his eyes for a moment, as if mentally preparing for what's coming.
A few steps away, Sasha shifts restlessly before taking a breath, so I reassure her: "I'm going with you." I say, and at the same time, Reiner also turns to Connie with the exact same words.
"I'll take care of the northern squad." My eyes lock onto Sasha's for a moment before I slightly incline my head.
Her eyes reflect a mix of relief and gratitude. They visibly soften upon hearing my words. "Thank you, Kiyo."
There's no need to respond with words. A simple nod suffices.
Finally, my gaze shifts to Mike, who holds it for an instant. It's a subtle gesture, but within it lies a clear message.
If things spiral out of control... escape.
...
...
...
The tension is palpable. The moment has arrived.
Nanaba steps forward, her voice filled with determination.
"You surely understand this without me having to say it... but today is the worst day in humanity's history."
Every word carries a heavy weight.
"Right now, speed is everything. So, for the sake of humanity... be fast!"
The rumbling of the ground interrupts any other thought.
"NOW!" One of the soldiers shouts. "THE TITANS HAVE REACHED THE FOREST!"
The order strikes us like lightning.
"SPLIT UP! GO AS FAST AS YOU CAN!"
The sound of hooves pounding against the earth intensifies as the horses gallop in different directions. Each squad disperses within seconds, following their assigned route.
I take the lead position in my squad, speeding up without hesitation. But almost at the same time we move... the titans begin to run too.
The last thing I see of the southern squad is Mike's figure, riding straight toward them without a moment's doubt.
And for the first time, I wonder if I'll ever see him alive again.
—-----------------------------
Three hours after the titans were discovered.
Northern Squad
"Do you see it? This is the last village left!" Sasha shouted, her voice tense.
"Alright! Leave it to me!" responded a soldier behind me, his breath heavy from the ride. "Is it really the last one?"
"No..." Sasha lowered her voice, unable to conceal the unease in her tone. "Inside that forest... is my village."
Silence settled for a few seconds, heavy as the air itself.
"Understood," I interrupted, not needing any more words. "We'll handle this. Let's move as fast as possible, Sasha."
With a pull on the reins, we picked up speed. As the other soldier veered off towards the nearby village, we pressed forward, crossing an increasingly desolate landscape.
The wind was thick, carrying a rancid stench—an echo of death lingering in the air. The atmosphere pressed down on us with an invisible weight, and on Sasha's face, I saw the shadows of thoughts consuming her. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and her eyes—usually brimming with energy—were now locked ahead, filled with a mix of determination and something I could only describe as suppressed fear.
I wanted to say something. Some words that could ease the storm brewing in her mind.
But there's nothing to say. Not in moments like this.
Just a few minutes later, a change in the landscape forced us to stop.
Midway along the path, a small village appeared before us.
It wasn't a settlement Sasha recognized. Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled on the reins, and her horse stopped with a nervous whinny.
That's when we saw it.
Right below us, embedded in the ground—an enormous footprint.
The mark was fresh, the pressure in the dirt still soft, the edges slightly sunken. A titan, approximately four or five meters tall, had passed through here.
"No... they even made it here..." Sasha's voice broke on the edge of panic.
"It looks like it was a four-meter class. If they have horses, they should be able to avoid it without a problem," I said with measured calm.
She nodded, swallowing her fear, and pushed forward once more.
The minutes passed like a hushed whisper within the tense breeze. Finally, the forest opened up, revealing what remained of Sasha's village.
Silent ruins.
Houses with their doors wide open, gently creaking in the wind. No signs of struggle, no traces of blood. Just a ghost town—a hollow shell of what was once a home.
Sasha let out a faint sigh of relief.
Until we heard it.
"Hhhah... Hhngh..."
A muffled groan. Barely an audible murmur, like the echo of a lament buried within the walls.
Sasha tensed instantly.
The sound came from inside one of the houses. Within seconds, she dismounted and grabbed an axe from the ground. By the time I caught up to her, I found...
CRUNCH... CRUNCH...
Sasha lunged forward like an arrow, her axe tracing an arc through the air before sinking with all her strength into the titan's nape.
"UAAAAAAA!!" she screamed, pouring all her bottled-up fury into the attack.
The impact echoed with a sickening, wet crack as the titan's flesh split into a grotesque wound that began regenerating almost immediately.
But she didn't stop.
Less than a second later, she was already raising the axe for another strike, but as she stepped into the room, what she found made her freeze for a moment.
Just a few meters away, a little girl was sitting on the floor.
Her eyes... were empty. Completely shattered.
A hollow gaze that reflected neither fear, nor hope, nor even pain. Just an abyss of absolute despair.
Sasha clenched her teeth and lifted her weapon again.
Before she could strike a third time, I grabbed the axe handle with a firm grip.
"It's useless," I said in a low but cutting voice. "The axe's edge isn't enough. You won't stop it like this... We have to take the girl."
I looked into her eyes, with the same coldness I use to analyze any situation.
I could try striking it myself, but I know it won't work. There's a reason we use swords. The titan's structure makes conventional weapons practically useless against them. Besides... we can't waste the sacrifice of the girl's mother.
Sasha hesitated, her grip on the axe tightening.
"B-but...!"
I gave her one last look.
It wasn't an order, but it wasn't a request either.
Her face darkened completely, anger and helplessness intertwining in her expression before she finally let go of the axe and turned toward the girl.
She ran to her, grabbing her hand.
"Come on, we have to go!"
The girl didn't react. She showed no emotion at all. She just let herself be led, like a broken doll.
As Sasha reached the doorway, she stopped.
She looked back one last time at the girl's mother, still trapped in the titan's hands.
"Forgive me... please..." she whispered, her voice breaking before she ran outside.
I watched her go and stayed in place for a few more seconds.
The titan dropped the woman to the ground and slowly began to stand, its expression blank, not even aware of the tragedy it had just caused.
I turned my back and ran after Sasha.
Only to be met with the last thing we needed.
"W-WHAT... HEY, WAIT! PLEASE!"
In front of us, both horses had escaped, their hooves kicking up dust as they quickly vanished among the trees.
Sasha tried to whistle over and over, her breath unsteady, her hands trembling as she brought her fingers to her mouth.
But it was too late.
The animals were too scared, too far away.
For the first time in a long while, I clenched my teeth in irritation.
"It's coming after us," I said with forced calm, feeling the titan's shadow looming on the other side of the house. "We have to run... The horses will come back sooner or later."
"Oh God, this has to be a joke!" Sasha let out a desperate sob as she saw the titan slowly step through the doorway.
Its massive silhouette blocked the entrance, its deformed body moving with an unsettling clumsiness, as if barely aware of its own existence.
"So, three meters, huh...?" I murmured under my breath, analyzing its size and speed.
It's not fast.
Sasha swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the creature.
"That... that's a Scout Regiment horse..." she whispered, as if trying to convince herself. "It'll come back sooner or later, right?"
She took a deep breath. Clenched her fists. Finally made a decision.
With a swift movement, she grabbed a nearby bow and quiver of arrows.
"Come on, run, please!!" she pleaded with the girl, stepping back with the weapon ready.
She started running, pulling the girl by the hand.
But the little one didn't move.
She stayed still, frozen like a statue, her gaze lost in the ground.
"Why...?" her voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through the air like a knife. "Everyone ran away... Everyone knew Mom's leg was bad, but... no one came to help us."
Her tiny fists trembled.
"Even I didn't do anything... I just watched..."
Sasha stopped.
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
I know what she's thinking.
I see it in her expression, in the way her body tenses, in the shadow of guilt spreading across her face.
I can't allow this now.
Without hesitation, I stepped forward and gave the girl a hard slap.
The sound echoed in the air.
"I don't care how pathetic or sad you feel," I said coldly, keeping my gaze firm on her. "Your mother gave her life for you. The least you can do is value the sacrifice she made."
She stood in shock, her tiny hand slowly rising to her red cheek.
"M-mom..." she stammered, her voice breaking.
Sasha looked at me with a mix of surprise and something else... maybe understanding.
Finally, she nodded with determination and pulled the girl again.
"Let's go."
This time, the little one didn't resist.
I glanced at Sasha one last time before shifting my attention to the titan, still advancing toward us.
"Take her." My voice was low but firm. "Give me the bow... I'll buy some time. Come get me when you find a horse."
Sasha hesitated for a second, but after a moment of doubt, she gritted her teeth and nodded.
"Don't die."
"I won't."
And with those words, she turned and ran with the girl in tow.
...
...
...
The three-meter titan stared at me with a disgusting, expressionless, human-like face, hunched forward in a way that could instill terror in anyone.
I, on the other hand, slowly raised the bow.
Three arrows.
A dull axe.
No horses. No swords. No way to kill it.
Even so... I have no intention of dying here, nor of letting this titan live—at least, not until Sasha returns.
The titan took a clumsy step forward, its breath raspy, its movements heavy but inevitable.
I pulled the bowstring taut with an arrow and aimed at its right eye.
Shot.
The arrow struck with a dry snap, sinking easily into its eyeball.
The titan showed no reaction but staggered sideways, partially blinded. But it didn't stop.
I loosed a second arrow straight into its other eye.
Shot.
Fwhip!
The titan wavered, nearly falling, its arms swinging clumsily as its eyes slowly regenerated.
I have seconds before its vision returns.
Taking advantage of them, I ran toward the base of its neck.
If I had my swords, I would've finished it already...
But I don't.
And a dull axe won't cut through its toughened flesh.
I sensed the shift in the wind and leaped to the side, barely dodging its clumsy hand as I dropped to my knees on the dusty ground.
I nocked the last arrow.
I considered shooting its mouth, but... it would be pointless.
Instead, I aimed for its knee.
The titan crashed face-first into the ground with a dull thud.
I took my chance.
Grabbing the axe with both hands, I sprinted toward its nape.
I jumped onto its back, planting my feet on its shoulders.
I raised the axe. And brought it down with all my strength.
CRACK!
The blade strikes its nape... but doesn't pierce through.
The blow is strong. Strong enough to hurt it. But not enough to kill it.
The titan trembles. It writhes beneath my feet.
And then, moves.
With a sudden jerk of its body, it throws me forward.
I barely have time to recover in midair and avoid a direct crash.
I feel the impact ripple through my bones.
But I force myself to stand, exhaling sharply.
The titan also rises, though it staggers from its wounds.
The axe remains lodged in its nape, but its regeneration is already working.
I have no weapons.
I have nothing left.
It does.
And it's looking at me.
Its shadow looms over me.
I barely have time to react before its massive hand comes down on me like a guillotine.
But I'm no longer there.
My reflexes still belong to me.
I sidestep at the last second, feeling the sharp wind of the blow crash against the ground.
The impact kicks up dust and stones.
The axe is still stuck in its nape, though its regeneration is slowly pushing it out.
And then, the idea forms.
Perhaps it's madness.
But I have no other choice.
My legs react before doubt can creep in. I lunge forward, dodging another clumsy swipe from the titan.
Its fingers almost graze my back, but they don't stop me.
I pivot sharply and leap.
Adrenaline burns through my system as I grab onto the titan's hot flesh.
My hand finds the axe handle.
I rip it free.
The titan lets out a low growl of irritation, its arm moving toward me.
But I'm already gone.
I leap onto its shoulder and... drive the axe handle into its right eye.
The wood sinks in with a sickening squelch, displacing the eyeball.
The titan lets out an odd groan, thrashing like a rabid animal.
I don't have time to hold on.
I let myself fall.
But as I do, my hand latches onto something.
The arrow still embedded in its knee.
I rip it out mid-descent.
And in the last second, when my feet hit the ground, I drive it with all my strength into the base of its heel.
The beast drops to its knees.
The ground trembles with the impact.
But I'm already moving.
I push off with all my might and jump onto its back once more.
The axe handle is still wedged in its eye.
Without thinking, I grab it.
And I twist.
A deafening roar.
The creature thrashes wildly, but this time, I don't let go.
I use the distraction for what really matters.
I release the axe and plunge my hand into the empty eye socket.
My entire arm sinks up to the elbow inside its head, touching the hot, pulsing mass of its regenerating brain.
For a moment, everything stops.
The titan freezes.
Its body trembles.
Its spine arches.
And with one final effort, I grit my teeth and tear apart everything I can grasp.
The flesh gives way beneath my fingers.
The titan convulses.
And then, it collapses.
Its head completely destroyed.
That should give me at least ten minutes...
I fall along with it, panting.
My right arm is coated in thick, boiling titan blood, searing my skin.
But I did it.
I'm alive.
I hear hooves in the distance.
And then, Sasha's voice—"KIYOTAKA!"
My eyes remain fixed on the titan's corpse, my breathing ragged.
I look at my hand.
It's still trembling.
But not from fear.
That was a good fight... I think I enjoyed it.
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