♚𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖊𝖎𝖙𝖞 𝕿𝖎𝖙𝖆𝖓...

HELLO EVERYONEEEE ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

WELCOME TO CHAPTER 49! ^^

𓆩♡𓆪 = pov changing

There's going to be a lot of pov changing from here on and to the next chapters. Well, shits about to go down ʘ⁠‿⁠ʘ

Since the next chapters are going on about fighting scenes, I'm gonna warn you, I suck at doing those scenes so please just bear with me (⁠*⁠・⁠～⁠・⁠*⁠)

I don't have anything to say so, enjoy reading!!!

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3RD POV:

[SOUTH INNER WALL, WALL MARIA]

(4:30am)

The clamor of hooves fell muted beneath a heavy blanket of darkness, muffled whispers carried through the air as the Scout Regiment made their way deeper into the forest, traveling towards Wall Maria under the cover of night to begin their operation to reclaim the territory they lost five years ago.

Shizu walked beside Levi, her hand adjusting the straps of the leather bag slung across her shoulder. It was filled with her medical supplies, an amalgamation of hope and resolve, indicative of the burden she carried-not just of equipment, but of a deep-rooted desire to save lives, come what may.

Levi held the reins of their horses in his hands, "You'll need your strength later," he had insisted taking Nozomi's reins and Midnight's reins while he walked alongside her.

"Always the considerate one, Levi" Shizu teased softly, her lips curling into a smile that belied the turmoil in her chest. The forest seemed to whisper secrets into the night, its shadows alive with the stories of those lost, and the darkness shrouded their mission with an unsettling weight.

"Isn't it romantic?" Shizu quipped with a teasing smile, attempting to lighten the mood that enveloped them like a fog, "Nighttime walk dates are one of the things I likes" she whispers, chuckling at the deadpan look she received from him. Levi understand her, she might not show it but he can tell that she's nervous.

As a gust of wind swept through, Shizu tightened her green cloak around her and the hood on her head, the fabric offering little comfort against the chill. But it was the coldness of anxiety that made her heart race.

But then, as the silence deepened, an unsettling sensation prickled at the back of Shizu's mind. She halted mid-step, violet eyes narrowing as her instincts kicked into high alert. Her violet eyes sharpened, shifting subtly as she scanned the darkness between the trees, confirming her unease; they were being watched.

Levi noticed her shift in demeanor and halted momentarily, directing a piercing gaze at her. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low but steady.

"Nothing, just... hearing ghosts, I guess," she replied with a lightness that felt forced. The smile in her eyes didn't reach the tension in her voice, a shadow of worry lingered just beneath the surface.

Levi's brows furrowed, but he chose not to press her further, staring at her, unconvinced. "You got a knack for scaring yourself. Focus on what's ahead, brat"

Shizu chuckles at this, nodding "Right. Sorry" she said. Levi's brow arched skeptically, eyes landing on her hands, noticing how it slightly trembles. Maybe from the coldness of the night or anxiety perhaps?

'I don't know where is should be when everything will went downhill....should I go with Levi or with our squad? Or should I just watch like I always do? No....that was not right' Shizu thought, her mind battling on what she have to do.

Seeing the slight tremble in her hands, his expression slightly softens. Levi knew what's going on inside her head right now without hearing it. He didn't like the thought of Shizu seeing someone's death today then blaming herself for it.

Shizu slightly flinch, thoughts disappearing when she felt a finger hooking on her own. She looks at Levi then down when he fully held her hand, giving it three squeezes, "Everything will be fine" he said.

Shizu blinks, smiling at him, "Thank you, Levi" she whispers, earning a nod from the ravenette. Though, she knew everything will not be fine, she still appreciate his comfort towards her. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, she lets go and they resumed their march through the forest.

They continued walking, but Shizu couldn't shake the feeling. She turned her gaze toward the direction that had caught her attention moments before, casting a glare into the seemingly innocuous shadows. Instinct told her there was something more, something lurking just beyond sight.

Thud!

"Hey! You've gotta light up the ground!" Levi said to the scout who tumbles and let go of the flashlight. "S-Sorry" the said scout said, picking it up. "We're not at the foot yet? It's almost dawn" Levi asked Harold.

Harold look at the map, "Once we're over this mountain, Shiganshina's right there" he said and they continue walking.

"Sorry you got stuck with my horse" Eren said to Mikasa who shook her head, "No, you need your strength" she said. From behind them, Connie agreed, "She's right, Eren" he said. "Don't say his name, idiot" Jean said.

"Assume this place is swarming with enemies..." Jean said, looking around before stopping. "Titan on the left! Everyone halt! Light up the area!" A scout exclaims as they stumble across a Titan.

The Titan remain unmoving, "It's alright. He's fast asleep" Hange said. "This lad must not be one of those new types that moves at night. That's too bad. Let him be" she said and they resume walking.

"I can't believe we didn't see it 'till that close up" Eren said. "Yeah, I'm with you there" Hange said and speculates that it could be inactive simply because they are traveling on a moonless night when the sun's light cannot reflect off the surface of the moon.

Hange's glasses glints and she grins maniacally, "Hope we capture one someday!" She giggles making Shizu looks over her shoulder, shaking her head in amusement.

Eren silently walks, his hand that's holding the light slightly trembles as he begins to feel the pressure of the operation, 'I'm shaking? Why? What am I scared of? Shit... If I screw up retaking Wall Maria because I'm like this, what then?!' he thought.

'I can't just pass all of this to Shizu. We're doing this together but if I continue to be like this, how many people will lose hope forever? There won't be a chance like this ever again! Am I not cut out for it after all? I understand if it is Shizu, she have more experience but...someone like me? How can I save humanity?' Eren frowns.

He mentally shook his head, 'I can't think like this! Shizu told me many times not to think so negatively' he thought yet he couldn't help and stop the self doubt creeping inside him, 'Someone like me....how?' he looks down, red sparks appears on his forehead.

'ᴇʀᴇɴ, ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ?' He almost jumps when he heard Shizu's voice in his head. He looks ahead and saw her looking at him over her shoulder. 'ꜱʜɪᴢᴜ? ʜᴏᴡ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ--ᴏʜ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ' Eren thought in realization.

'ʏᴇꜱ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴜʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴏᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴋɪʟʟɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ' Shizu playfully frowns, narrowing her eyes at him. Beside her was Levi who just silently watch the exchange.

'ꜱᴏʀʀʏ, ꜱʜɪᴢᴜ...' Eren apologies. 'ɪᴛ'ꜱ ꜰɪɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴏʀʀʏ, ᴇʀᴇɴ. ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ꜰɪɴᴇ. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ' She grins at him and he smiles a little, 'ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ, ꜱʜɪᴢᴜ' he nodded, watching Shizu gave him a small thumbs up and a nod before facing infront.

Eren sighs, 'I should stop thinking about those thoughts....' He then hold his shaking hand, stopping it. "Eren...?" Mikasa and Armin pick up on his nervousness.

"What are you shaking for? Are you scared?" Armin asked. He quickly looks at his friend, "Huh?! I'm not scared!" He exclaims. "Huh? You're kidding....look at your hand" the blonde pointed out.

"This is...it's cold! My hand's damn freezing!" Though Eren denies his fear, Armin tries to comfort him by showing him that he is shaking as well, and asks if Eren has ever been afraid of Titans.

Most people would be terrified of them, and Armin himself was almost eaten by one, but Eren was able to pull him out of a Titan's mouth with no regard for his own safety. Armin asks Eren how he was able to do that.

Eren replies that he remembered when Armin showed him the book about the outside world and he realized that they were trapped by the Titans. "I don't know why, but when it comes to taking back freedom...yes strength flows through me" Eren said, letting go of his hand that stopped shaking.

Feeling better, he thanks Armin, "I'm good now. I bet, by this time next year, we'll be looking at the sea" he said. At the mention of the sea, Armin smiles as he remembers Shizu's words, "Hmm" he nods with a smile.

Mikasa who's walking behind them stops, "I recognize this area" she said, making the others stops and looks at her. Shizu looks around and nodded in agreement, "Yeah" she said, recognizing the woods they are in as the place Mikasa and Eren used to gather firewood.

Ahead of them, "I can see the foot! There's a signs of trail!" one of the Scouts calls out. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin realize that they have finally come back to their hometown. Shizu looks at the trail, from the distance, she can see the outline of the walls. 'We're finally back....from where it all began' She thought.

TIMESKIP.....

(5:30am)

As day breaks, the Scouts charge on horseback for the Walls of Shiganshina District. "Eren, pull your hood further" Shizu ordered, pulling her own hood. Eren nodded, doing what he was told.

"Be on your guard for Titans hiding in the shadows!" Erwin orders as they near the wall, "Our operations begins now! All troops, switch to ODM gear!" He ordered as they get close, they switch to omni-directional mobility gear and scale the Wall.

Shizu watch the first batch of the scouts scale the walls, 'Erwin's plan involves sealing two gates; the inner and the outer of Shiganshina. This will isolate the town, allowing us Scouts to exterminate any Titans remaining inside' she thought.

Shizu grips her gear, slowly standing on her horse. Levi glance at her, doing the same. In unison, the other scouts followed their lead, maneuvering and starts scaling the walls.

'To avoid Bertolt, Reiner and the other enemies singling out Eren and I for an attack, all one hundred of the Scout Regiment soldiers are wearing hoods to cover their faces' Shizu thought as she made it at the top of the Walls with the others.

(🥑: This scene is so cooolll)

Shizu lands beside Erwin, mouth slightly agape as she stared at the broken town she once called home. Her mind randomly drifts on the very first time she arrived here. She faces Erwin when he approaches the female captain.

"Shizu, what do you think and opinions about the situation?" He asked. She stares at the city, "Nothing much. Everything's going the way it should be. But," she looks at him, "Just to remind you, Reiner and Bertolt wouldn't be the only ones we should be wary of. There will be other ones, too"

Erwin blinks in surprise but then nodded, "I see..." He then turns to other scout. Shizu calls Armin who just landed at the wall, "Yes, Captain Shizu?" He asked as he approaches her.

"Armin, you're going to be a big part of today's mission" Shizu started. Armin slightly flinches, remembering that Shizu knew what will happen. He looks at her with determination, "What do I need to do?"

"Armin, you're the smartest kid I've ever known. Keep using your brain, knowledge is one of the greatest weapons and think about the enemies who have more knowledge than all of you that could be used against us" She paused, "What I wanted to say is that, think outside the box, don't just look from what is infront of you, look beyond it"

'Don't just look from what is laid infront of you, look beyond it...?' Armin thought, he knows that Shizu was giving him some answers what should happen with her subtle guidance, beckoning him to consider the unseen possibilities lurking beyond the obvious choices.

Armin nodded at her, "I'll keep that in mind, Captain Shizu" Shizu smiles at him, "I'm trusting you, Armin" she give him a nod, patting his shoulder before facing the other way.

Shizu watch Eren who is briefly overcome with emotion after landing on the Wall and seeing the town inside, "Hey, Eren! Move your ass!" She exclaims, running pass him making him jumps a little.

"Don't stop!" Levi exclaims, running after Shizu, "Head for the outer gate!" "Roger!" Eren and their squad follow after their captains. However, Armin pauses, noticing a sooty residue on the top of the Wall, 'This is... the remains of a fire?' He flags Erwin's attention, 'They're here...and close! Bertolt and Reiner!'

𓆩♡𓆪

"This is all too strange....not a single Titan in sight?" Around the outer Wall, Hange notices that there are no Titans around. "But we have to keep going" Levi said. "Yeah, there's no reason to call it off" Hange agrees and fires a green signal flare to announce that they have arrived at their destination.

'I can do this! No....we can do this! Because we've all been special since the daw we were born! We're free!' Eren hurtles over the Wall and dives down to the breach below as he bites his hand to transform into a Titan.

(🥑: Ngl, using 3dm gear looks so fun (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

CRACK!

BOOM!

Nearby, inside unknown locations, 'Yellow lightning.... it's Eren who transformed....' Bertolt and Reiner thought as they're able to see the light from Eren's transformation.

Eren's attempt at hardening his Titan is successful in plugging the breach, and Mikasa retrieves him so he can rejoin the rest of their squad at the top of the wall.

"Don't let your guard down!" Hange exclaims, "Keep on the lookout!" "Roger!" Shizu and the others watch Mikasa placed Eren down as they made it to the top. Though Eren's ODM gear is fine, he lost his cloak so Mikasa gives him hers.

"Plugging the wall is success!" "It's plugged all right!" The Scouts signal their success on each other side of the said hole, firing a signal flare. "Eren, you good?" Shizu asked the brunette who turns to her.

He nodded, "I'm fine. I'm ready like we trained" he said and Shizu nodded, "Hange?" She called the female. "We'll head for the inner gate. While we're on the move, remember to hide your faces!" Hange orders and they go for the inner gate.

"I really plugged the hole?" Eren cannot believe he plugged the outer gate so easily. "Yeah, but...no matter how much you plug it, they'll break the wall as long as they live" Shizu said from beside him.

"Shizu's right," Levi said, "Until we kill Reiner, Bertolt and any other enemies, the operation to retake Wall Maria won't end" he said. Eren nodded, "Of course....I know that!"

𓆩♡𓆪

Erwin and Dirk look at the green flares signaling the sealing of the outer gate, "The outer gate was a success. Still, it's odd..." Dirk paused, "There's no attack coming. On the contrary, we've not seen a single Titan so far. Were they not prepared for our sudden assault?" He remarks.

Erwin glance at him, "We can only hope, but....considering what Arlert discovered..." but before he can fully reply, Armin arrives to elaborate on his discovery.

"I looked into it," Armin started, "I'm pretty sure someone was camping" he said, explaining the signs he found; cooking supplies and several lights were scattered on the ground below the Wall.

From the cups, he could tell the campers were drinking something like black tea. Since there were three cups along with the pot, there had to have been at least three people on top of the Wall.

"Th-Three, you say?!" Dirk exclaims on the other hand, Erwin is surprised that Armin said the pot felt cold, "I find that odd," Erwin commented that Armin agreed on. "We charged here at full speed using horses and ODM gear" Erwin said.

By Erwin's estimates, the campers should not have had more than two minutes to react if they had spotted or heard the Scouts from atop the Wall, which is too soon for the pot to have already cooled.

Armin concludes that there must have been more than the three on the Wall, "Th-There must be a scout in addition to the three on the wall....No, we have to assume there's many more enemies in hiding" he said.

'More enemies to expect....It's like what Shizu said earlier...' Erwin thought, "For now, locating the enemy is our priority" he said, before facing Armin. Recognizing Armin's gift for insight, "Arlert....with that brain of yours, you've saved us from disaster countless times. Right now is one of those times we need you"

"Huh?" Armin looks at him in confusion and shock. "Take as many soldiers as needed. Find out if enemies are hiding near the inner gate or not" Erwin said, calling for the nearby Scouts.

"As of now, you obey Armin Arlert's commands. Continue the search!" Erwin exclaims. "R-Roger!" The gathered soldiers acknowledge their new directive, facing an increasingly uneasy Armin for his orders.

"We searched the wall thoroughly!"

"What are your orders, Arlert?!"

"U-uhm.." Armin stiffly stood as they waited for his orders. He then remembers Shizu, "Armin, you're going to be a big part of today's mission" 'Shizu-san is counting on me!'

He pushed down the nervous feeling and faces them, "Send one group to each side of the wall! Search all the buildings near the inner gate! Report any findings with an acoustic shell! A-All right?" "Roger!"

After Armin and his impromptu squad depart, Dirk looks at Erwin, "Another big gamble of yours?" He asked. "No. He's proven himself. He's one of our greatest weapons" Erwin replied.

Dirk notices that Eren's group is approaching, "Eren's coming to plug the inner gate. What now? Pause the operation until we find the enemy?" He asks, but Erwin says they will continue.

"We'll lose a prolonged battle in enemy territory. Even if this is a part of our enemy's plan, we'll simply have to live with it. In any case, they're not the only ones hiding something" Erwin said.

𓆩♡𓆪

Meanwhile, 'What do I do? Eren's coming to seal the inner gate...' Armin agonizes over why their enemies have yet to show themselves and why the Scouts have been unable to find them.

'This is bad...what now? If we fail...that'll really be the end! It's over. Everything....they always attack us in unthinkable ways we always fail to predict. We're always at a disadvantage because...we simply don't have knowledge about Titans!' He thinks to himself, "Huh...? Wait...Shizu-san said..."

.

"Armin, you're the smartest kid I've ever known. Keep using your brain, knowledge is one of the greatest weapons and think about the enemies who have more knowledge than all of you that could be used against us"

.

'That's right....wait' Armin's eyes widens a little, 'Oh! Wait....she's giving a clue! I should put more thought about it! Come on, Armin What else did Shizu-san said?' He closed his eyes, trying to remember what Shizu had said.

.

"What I wanted to say is that, think outside the box, don't just look from what is infront of you, look beyond it"

.

"Hmm...think outside the box...look beyond it" His eyes snaps open, "Beyond it? Beyond.... beneath....what lies beyond it? What lies...beneath..." He slowly looks up in thought. While hanging from the Wall, he glances up and remembers the Wall Titan in Stohess District and has a flash of insight, "That's it! I get what Shizu-san meant!"

BANG!

RIIIIIIINNNnnnnNGGGGgggGg!

Armin fires an acoustic shell to recall the soldiers working with him. They gathered around him, "Did you find them, Arlert?!" "Have you found them?!" They asked. Armin shook his head, "Note yet! Everyone search the walls!"

"I told you, we already did!"

"There's nowhere to hide!"

"Inside the walls!" Armin exclaims, "There must be a spot where someone could stay inside for a long time!" He instructed. "How could you know that?" One of them asked. Armin looks down, "It's a hunch"

"Do you have any idea what sort of situation we're in?! We don't have time to waste on hunches!" A scout exclaims, shaking his shoulders.

"But think about it! The enemy always attacks us using Titan powers in ways we never imagined! If we constrain ourselves to common sense and reason, we'll never be able to gain the upper hand!" Armin stated.

BANG!

Hearing this and Armin's reasoning, Erwin fires a red signal flare to let Hange, Shizu and Levi's squads know to halt the operation.

𓆩♡𓆪

"The signal to halt the mission!" A scout exclaims as they look at the trail of red smoke in the sky. "All troops, scatter and stand by atop the wall!" Hange orders at the soldiers from the outer gate. "Roger!"

𓆩♡𓆪

"There are times to be strict and time to be flexible. Adhere to the principles you vowed while giving everything you've got" Erwin said, "Obey the chain of command. The reason we are here is to claim victory!"

Armin faces the scouts, "Break into two groups again and search the surface! Especially above the gate! Commence the search!" He orders. "Roger!" Those at the inner gate split into two groups to search either side of the Wall.

"Arlert, what makes you come to this idea?" Erwin questioned. The young blonde turn to him, "Shizu-san said something about that knowledge is one of the greatest weapons and it's a great disadvantage for us if the enemy uses it against us" He paused.

"She said about thinking outside the box and don't just look at what is laid infront of you, look beyond it. Shizu-san mentioned about looking beyond or beneath. And then I remembered that Titan inside the wall of Stohess" Armin explained.

Erwin nodded, "I see. Seems like somehow, Shizu's been giving us clues despite her shouldn't saying anything and helping us" he said and Armin nodded before jumping off the wall to help the search.

𓆩♡𓆪

As the search continues, "What are they doing? Should we really be waiting like this?" Connie said, wondering what the other soldiers are doing on the walls.

"Yeah, so much for our surprise attack...." Jean trailed off. Near them, 'Armin....Did you figure something out?' Eren wonders. Nearby, Shizu frowns a little, watching everything unfold.

'Any minute now....' She thought, looking down. 'Everything will starts....' Shizu looks at the horizon, eyebrows furrowed as she remembers those small pipes sticking up from the ground as they made their way in Shiganshina.

Her inside twisting as she recalls what will happen. "Hey" She snaps out of her thoughts when she felt someone poking her cheek, "Eh?" She looks at Levi who deadpans at her, "Are you zoning out? Focus on the mission" he said, lowering his finger. "Right, sorry" She simply said making him frown, "Something's wrong?" He asked.

Shizu shook her head, "Yeah. But I'll be fine. Just nervous, I guess" she shrugs, taking her shoulder bag that contains her medical supplies and placed it on the ground. Levi stares at her for a little longer before nodding, deciding not to pry more.

𓆩♡𓆪

Thump!

Thump!

'A position to react, no matter when Eren appears....A position able to see everything...' Armin believes that if their enemies are keeping tabs on them and are able to watch everything that Eren or Shizu is doing, it has to be from a place within the Wall, particularly if their enemies have no idea that the Scouts are aware of the Wall Titans.

Armin goes lower, using his blades to tap the walls for any hollows. 'Like Shizu-san said. Without that knowledge, the enemies would not expect the us to consider an attack from within the Wall' He thought.

Thunk!

Thunk!

A scout near him paused, as he found a cavity. He pulls out the acoustic shell for a signal, "Here! There's a cavity here!" but the Wall quickly opens to reveal Reiner, who stabbed the soldier with a blade.

"Reiner!" Armin exclaims as Reiner emerges from the opening only for Levi to dive down at him, slicing into his neck. With his other blade, Levi stabs into Reiner's torso as the two of them hurtle towards the ground.

Surprised, Levi sees that Reiner is still alive. He pulls out the blade in Reiner's chest and lets Reiner hit the ground alone. "Shit!" Levi exclaims as he hangs on the side of the wall, "Captain Levi?" Armin calls.

"Is that another Titan power?!" Levi wonders if it is another Titan power keeping Reiner alive, "So close! But I couldn't finish him!" He said, watching Reiner. Though grievously wounded, Reiner's body contorts and he transforms into the Armored Titan.

CRACKS!

BOOM!

Shizu looks down to see the Armored Titan laying on the ground, unmoving, 'He moved his consciousness from his head to his body. It's one of the most desperate or last move when you're in a near death situation. If Reiner is any slower in doing that, he would have died' She thought.

"Keep on the lookout! Locate his allies!" Erwin calls out for the soldiers to look for Reiner's allies when a countless flash of a Titan transformation thunders behind him.

CRACKS

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Everyone turns around and sees that the Beast Titan has appeared, along with a small army of Pure Titans. The Beast Titan hefts a boulder making Shizu clicks her tongue, looking down at the scouts who's still hanging on the walls.

"Get out of there! Boulder incoming!" She exclaims as the Beast Titan throws it in a perfect arc at the Wall.

SWIIIISSSSHHH!

BOOM!

"Did he miss?" Dirk asked, looking down. "No... That was a good aim" Erwin said, looking at the boulder that plugs the hole in the inner gate, preventing the Scout Regiment from bringing their horses through.

"They'll aim for the horses and surround us...in order to block our escape and annihilate us here" Erwin said. "We're both hoping for the same thing. To settle it here once and for all" he said, pulling out his blade, "Humanity or Titans?! Which side will live?! Which side will perish?!"

The Beast Titan and its companion Titans stand outside Shiganshina District as the Scout Regiment awaits them on top of the Wall. Everyone has their swords ready, with Shizu glaring at the Beast Titan.

She hears a movements from below, causing her to turn around and look down, "Oh. He's going up here" she mumbles while Levi stands beside her, "Erwin, he's gonna climb up" he said.

Behind the Scouts, below them, Reiner hardens the fingers and toes of his Armored Titan to begin climbing the Wall. "All troops! Avoid clashing with the Armored Titan! Stay away from him!" Erwin orders the Scouts, "Roger!"

𓆩♡𓆪

A little further down the Wall, "Hange-san, why didn't he signal to attack? What's he thinking?" Eren asked why Erwin does not give the order to attack as they watch Reiner climb up the Wall.

"He's watching the enemy's movements. Because Reiner and his friends prepared some sort of grand welcome for us" Hange replied.

𓆩♡𓆪

Meanwhile, Erwin notices that there is a quadruped type of Titan next to the Beast Titan, 'That Titan is carrying some sort of cargo on a makeshift saddle on its back. It wasn't one of those that just transformed. In which case, is that the enemy's scout?' he thought.

'If it took notice of our approach and informed Reiner, that must mean...' He turn to Shizu, "Is that quadruped type down there an intelligent Titan?" He asked.

Shizu glance at him and nodded, "Yes. That's the one who saw our approach earlier and reported it to Reiner and Bertolt" she said 'Or Zeke', making the others near the two look at them in shock.

"I see. So, there might even be others" Erwin does not want to discount the possibility that there could be even more. 'That Titan...has a luggage? What could it be?' Armin thought.

ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR

The Beast Titan roars, and the smaller two- to three-meter Titans to either side of it charge in towards the Wall. 'It's just like the raid at Utgard Castle....They'll go after the horses first. Their primary objective is to capture Eren and Shizu, but....to achieve that, they'll take away our only escape option' Erwin thought.

'With Wall Maria still being deep in Titan territory, we have no means to get back or resupply without horses. Just by killing our horses, it completely blocks our escape and severs our supply lines' Erwin thinks, while Shizu watches him.

'Whether it takes one week or a month, they can simply wait until there's nobody who can move. Without any of the risks of battle, they can waltz in and take Eren and Shizu once they're too weak to resist. Right now, the fact that all those larger Titans are staying in formation is proof that their only purpose is to cage us in' He thought.

THUD!

"Commander! The Armored Titan is close! And we still don't know where Bertolt is!" Armin informed Erwin. "Yeah, I know" Erwin acknowledges this, and concludes that at this point in time, his worst fear is that the Scouts will lose their horses.

"Are you finally read to say something?" Levi looks at Erwin, "We could've had breakfast during the wait" he plainly said. Shizu nods in agreement, "Should've brought a few bags of teas with me" she said.

Erwin faces his soldiers, "Dirk squad and Marlene squad! Protect the horses at the gate with Klaus squad! Hange Squad, Shizu and Levi squad! Take down the Armored Titan! Employ the Thunder spears at your own discretion! Achieve your objectives whatever it takes!" He ordered.

"This moment! This battle! The survival of humanity depends on it! Once more, for humanity....give your hearts!" He exclaims. "Yes sir!" The scouts jumps off the wall to their positions.

As the Scouts move to carry out their orders, "Wait! Levi, Armin!" Erwin calls back the two, also making Shizu stops. 'Wait. Only them? That means...' she thought, frowning. Hange saw this and waits for Shizu.

"I did said your squads, but I need you to stay, Levi" Erwin said. Levi frowns at this, "To protect the horses and not Eren and Shizu?" He glance at the female.

"That's right. And to strike him down when the chance comes" Erwin said, pointing at the Beast Titan. "You're the only one I can entrust to take on the Beast Titan" He said before turning to face Shizu.

"Shizu, you'll help them to take down the Armored Titan. I'm entrusting you with that" He said. Shizu clenches her fists before sighing, "Sure, commander" 'If I can't be with them, how will I protect the Scouts and... Erwin? I really thought he'll let me be with Levi' she thought.

"Oi Erwin. Even though I'll say to you not to do anything reckless, I'm sure you'll still do it but..." Shizu looks down, "I...you need to live. You still..." Her cheeks slightly heats up, "Need to walk me down the aisle. S-So! Don't die on me, alright?" She asked, her eyes held gentleness yet there's a small sadness in it.

Erwin blinks and chuckles, patting her head, "No, promises. But me walking you down the aisle? That would be an honor" he said. Shizu chuckles and turns to leave but Levi stopped her.

"I won't be able to keep my eye on you, so don't do anything stupid, alright?" He asked, "Also, keep Eren and those brats in your watch" he said and she chuckles, "Don't worry, I'll protect them" she said.

Shizu reach for his hand, holding it with hers. Levi looks down at their hands then back at her, "Be safe, alright?" He whispered, only for her to hear and squeezing her hand. Shizu softly smiles at him, nodding, "You too, alright?"

But Hange heard it, "Be sAfe" she said dramatically to Erwin who chuckles, "I'll be so safe" He goes along with her. "Shut the fuck up" Levi hissed, rolling his eyes while Shizu giggles at them.

"Come on, Shizu" Hange said, jumping off the wall. Shizu looks at Levi, "See you later?" She smiles. Levi give her a small nod, "See you later, brat" he said, watching her follows after Hange.

Levi faces Erwin, "She could've gone with me. I think we both know the scouts in inner wall needed her help more. Hange and the others can defeat that Armored Titan with themselves" he said.

Erwin chuckle as his obvious concern for Shizu, "I know what you're getting at, Levi. But, remember when Shizu encountered that Beast Titan before?" He looks at the ravenette who nodded.

"Look at him," Erwin gestures at the Beast Titan. Levi narrows his eyes as he looks at the Titan. "When we're discussing here at the top of the Wall, he keeps his eyes on Shizu and more interested in her unlike towards Eren" he paused.

"Seems like he's interested in her and I won't give him this opportunity to even take Shizu, especially on how he's showing so much attention on her. Not only that but I think it's better to keep Eren and Shizu together" Erwin said.

Hearing his reasons, Levi glares at the Beast Titan, not liking it already, "Creepy ugly ass" Levi mumbles before facing Erwin, "Understood. Since I failed to kill that armored brat earlier, I'll make up for it with the Beast Titan's head" He said and jumps down to join the other squads at the gate.

Erwin then turn to the young blonde, "Armin, I have a plan for the Armored Titan. There are two halves in this battle for humanity's fate. And one of them...I'm putting on Hange and your shoulders" he said.

A few moments later, the Armored Titan reaches the top of the Wall and oversees the smaller Titans fighting with the Scout Regiment. 'There they are....' Reiner notices that the horses are all tethered in one place.

'I'll kill the horses and make a break for it. That's good enough. No matter how strong Captain Levi is, he's still no match for our War Chief' Reiner thought.

Squelch...!

The flesh inside his Titan removes Levi's blade from his neck, 'That was close....if I had been any slower moving my consciousness to my body, I would have die instantly. How did they even think to look inside the walls? Is it because of Shizu-san or....Armin? Was it you?' he shook his head.

'No...it doesn't matter. With this, our long journey is finally coming to an end...Hm?' Reiner's eyes widens when he spots Erwin standing alone and vulnerable on the Wall.

'Erwin Smith....don't get distracted. I've got to kill the horses first' he thought. But then behind him, there is the sudden flash of a Titan transformation.

CRACKS!

BOOM!

He looks over his shoulder and he sees Eren's Titan standing in the streets below, 'Eren!' He squints his eyes seeing a hooded person standing on Eren's shoulders. The person pulled their hood down, 'Shizu-san, too?' he thought, looking at the silver haired female.

Reiner might not see it but he can tell Shizu was smirking. 'Why did they show up unprovoked? They should be painfully aware that those two are our main objective. What are they thinking?' he thought, feeling his body jolts a little, red sparks appears on his forehead.

'ʀᴇɪɴᴇʀ~ ᴇʀᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀʀᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ~ ᴋɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ʜᴏʀꜱᴇꜱ ᴏʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇᴛ ᴜꜱ? ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ, ʀᴇɪɴᴇʀ. ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴡ?' Reiner heard Shizu's taunting voice in his head and watch as Eren runs deeper into Shiganshina District with Shizu on his shoulder.

This forces Reiner to choose between Eren and Shizu possibly escaping or taking out the horses. 'To flee South and escape over the wall? If it's only them, they could escape as a Titan to Trost without a horse. And were that to happen, we'd have no reason to stay here and fight' Reiner thought.

'Even if we did manage to annihilate the Scouts, we can't let someone who mastered hardening in two months back inside the Walls along with someone who's the holder of the Deity Titan, not to mention, they are the coordinates' Reiner grits his teeth in worry.

'If Eren and Shizu-san learns how to harness their Coordinates' full power together, it'll be too late!' Reiner paused, 'No, wait. This is weird...if they were really escaping, Eren would've transformed after using ODM gear to scale the wall with Shizu-san' He thought.

'Why would he transform when Shiganshina is surrounded by walls? I get it! They're trying to.....change my target from the horses to Eren and Shizu-san!' Reiner thought, Shizu's taunting voice echoing in his head.

.

'ʀᴇɪɴᴇʀ~ ᴇʀᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀʀᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ~ ᴋɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ʜᴏʀꜱᴇꜱ ᴏʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇᴛ ᴜꜱ? ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ, ʀᴇɪɴᴇʀ. ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴡ?'

.

From inside his Titan, "Not giving me time to think, are we?" Reiner said, looking at Erwin in frustration, "Dammit, Commander. And I climbed all the way up here...." He then turns around and slides back down the Wall to go after Eren and Shizu.

Shizu looks at him then gently pats the side of Eren's head, "Alright, Eren. He took the bait!" Eren nods with a small grunt. "Now...onto the plan" she trails off, remembering Erwin's plan.

A FEW MINUTES BEFORE.....

Shizu and the others who's going to take down the Armored Titan watch Armin approaches their group. As soon as he landed, he told them what the plan is. "He wants to use Eren and Shizu as a bait?" Hange stated.

Armin nods, "Yes, those were Commander Erwin's orders" he claims. "He'd resort to using them as bait just to protect the horses?" Hange said. Mikasa was skeptical, "You're kidding....And what if Reiner chooses to kill horses anyways?" She asked.

"That's fine," Shizu faces them, "If Reiner happens to ignore me and Eren, both of us could circle around behind the enemy Titans and attack the Beast Titan, forming a pincer with Levi and the rest of the Scouts. But if Reiner took the bait, well....we have to face him" she said.

Hange hums, "Erwin must have said that, right?" She asked to Armin who nodded in confirmation. "Even if it doesn't go as planned, by having Eren and Shizu flee like that, it'll confuse the enemy enough to break their ranks. It all depends if Reiner can see that far ahead" Hange said.

"Knowing him, I bet that he will" Eren said. "All right! We'll take on the Armored Titan in Shiganshina!" Hange orders, but before the rest of them went to execute it, Armin stopped them, "Hold on!" They halts and looks at him.

"There's one more thing I'm worried about. Bertolt is still in hiding somewhere. The last time they fought, Eren had Reiner on the verge of defeat, but....Bertolt's attack caught Shizu-san and Eren off guard and ended up being their captive. It's a simple counter-strategy, but let's fight away from the walls" Armin said.

PRESENT....

"Alright, Eren. Here comes Reiner" Shizu said, "Remember the things I taught you. Always think about your next move" Eren nodded, glancing at her.

"I know you can defeat Reiner, you already did before even it was a fluke. Not only that but you managed to beat Annie before and she's so much better than Reiner when it comes to hand-to-hand combat," Shizu paused.

'Shizu's right. Annie was a tougher opponent by far' Eren couldn't help but to agree. "And when things happens, I'll step in and help you" she said. 'ɴᴏ ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇꜱ, ꜱʜɪᴢᴜ. ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ' Eren said on his head.

Shizu looks at him for a second before nodding, "Alright. Me and the others will be on standby. We'll wait for the moment to use the thunder spears" she said and Eren nodded.

Shizu pats the side of his head, "Well, I'll leave this big oaf to you. Kick his ass" She said, receiving a determine look from Eren. He watches Shizu jumps off from his shoulder to meet with the others then facing Reiner.

As Eren waits for Reiner to meet up with him in the middle of Shiganshina, 'She's right. It might've been a fluke, but....I've beaten you once already. I had it in the bag' Eren thought, both of them circling each other.

Eren hardens the backs of the fingers on his Titan's hands and Reiner charges towards him. Reiner swung a fist at him which Eren avoided easily. The two tussle and Eren draws strength from the fact they are fighting in the town he once called home.

ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!!

Eren manages to strike his hardned fist into the side of Reiner's head, cracking his armor and knocking him to the ground, 'I'm taking it all back. I'll slaughter you all...and take back what you stole! All of it!' Eren exclaims.

𓆩♡𓆪

Outside Shiganshina, "Recruits! Move the remaining horses west!", "Protect the recruits with Dirk Squad" the new recruits of Klaus Squad move the horses to better protect them.

"Where Marlo? Where do we tie the horses?!" Floch asked Marlo, visibly upset. "W-We were told not to put them all in one place. Not here. Farther" Marlo replies.

"Three- to four-meters coming from the east!" Overhead, the veteran Scouts move to fight off the Titans. Marlo stares at the two incoming Titans in shock, "That's...a Titan?" Marlo gets his first look at a Titan as Levi swings through to kill the two chasing the recruits.

"Captain Levi!" Marlo exclaims, "Now's our chance! Hurry!" Seeing that the recruits are safe, "Clean up the small ones already!" Levi yells at the veterans to clean up the small Titans before the Beast Titan makes another move, "And no casualties! Don't you dare die!"

"Yes sir!" They exclaimed. Levi then looks over the battlefield, "Shit, this is pathetic. The weak ones die so fast, tch" He clicked his tongue, looking up the wall, "Should've keep 'em up there"

𓆩♡𓆪

Up on the Wall above, Erwin is of a similar mind a he sees that the Scouts are struggling with three- to four-meter Titans, 'Casualties all over the place....the Scouts aren't nearly as strong as they once were' he thought as they have lost too many veteran soldiers,

'However, without all those sacrifices, we never would have made it this far' Erwin then thinks back when he was a cadet and told others about his father's theory.

He thought that once he was a Scout, he would prove it, but after he joined the Scouts he stopped talking about it. Unlike the other Scouts, who were fighting for a greater purpose, he realized that he was only fighting for himself, for his specific dream.

Before he knew it, he was in a leadership position where he had to give orders and inspire others, so he had to fool his comrades and fool himself into making sacrifices.

'And upon a mountain of their corpses....I now stand. And yet, the basement lingers at the back of my mind' Erwin thought, finding himself drawn to the basement.

The idea of humanity living outside the walls, and the fact that Shizu and Grisha being one of the proofs, with them from being outside the walls is only making himself more drawn towards the basement. To the truth.

'Even if this plan fails, I might be able to reach the basement before I die....the basement Grisha Yeager left behind...the truth or our world...' Erwin stares at the district.

𓆩♡𓆪

Eren and Reiner continue fighting, with Eren clearly holding the upper hand. 'Those experiments and trainings paid off! These fists are all I need to fight!' Eren thought as he give Reiner another punch. 'By focusing all the hardening on one spot, it gets even stronger!'

'Since his armor's spread across his whole body, I can smash it like thin ice! Too slow you big oaf!' But Eren gets overconfident and misjudges Reiner's counterattack. Reiner grabs Eren's Titan by the ankle, 'Shit!' he thought as Reiner swings him overhead into a building.

THUD!

BOOM!

Seeing that Eren appears to be in distress, Mikasa wants to help, "Eren!" But Shizu stops her, "Wait, Mikasa. Not yet! Everything rides on the first attack!" She said, making Mikasa looks at her, "But..."

"Wait and trust Eren will give us a good opening. To use this" Shizu said, showing her the thunder spears and Mikasa slowly nodded in understanding.

Eren and Reiner grapple with each other and Eren manages to throw Reiner off of him. "Hange" Shizu called the female who nodded. 'I guess biting Eren out of here isn't something I can do by myself. I've got to resort to that....' Reiner thought as he realizes that he cannot take Eren on by himself and slowly opens his mouth.

Zips!

Zips!

Hange and Shizu leads their squad to attack the Armored Titan, "Go now!" Hange exclaims, making Reiner's eyes widens, 'They're making a move?' he thought as he saw Shizu and Mikasa approaching him.

'I knew they've been gradually surrounding me, but...What can they even do to me with their blades? I've got hardened armor covering every inch of my body. They can't even scratch me!' Reiner thought.

"Mikasa!" Shizu called the female who nodded, "Roger!" She exclaims. The two female circles over each other, rushing towards Reiner, armed with their new Thunder Spears.

Swish!

Clink!

Simultaneously, both of them fires the spears at Reiner, the rod-like projectiles impales him in the eyes and then explode, blinding him.

BOOM!

ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!

Reiner's Titan roared in pain, 'Not yet...' Hange thought. 'The thunder spears are so destructive, that it can effect us too. If you anchor to the Titan as if to slash it like normal with your blade, you'll get caught up in the explosion' watching Reiner go down on his knees, hands on his face.

'Which means the only chance to use Thunder spears...is when the target is surrounded by multiple standing objects. We can only attack with Thunder spears in situations exactly like this. Right here and now, we've got to settle it!' Hange thought as she leads the rest to attack.

They fire their Thunder Spears into the Armored Titan's back and disengaging before they can get caught up in the explosion.

BOOM!

BOOM!

"W-We've got him!" Jean shouts that it worked, "The armor on his nape is peeling off!" He exclaims. Connie looks at Reiner, "R-Really?" Sasha stands beside him, "The spears worked!" She exclaims.

"Do it again!" Shizu exclaims and Hange calls for them to attack, "Finish him off with the Thunder spears!" She orders but Connie and Sasha hesitate at the idea of killing Reiner, their former friend.

"You guys!" Jean calls the two, "I thought you were ready if it ever came to this! Let's do it!" He rallies them and the three move in to attack with the rest of the Scouts.

Multiple Thunder Spears pierce the Armored Titan, "W-Wait!" Reiner panics just before they explode.

Clink!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

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HEYYYYYYYYYYY GUYYZZZ <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>

I know, it's a short chapter (⁠'⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠'⁠) but I hope you still enjoyed it!! 🤗

I ensure you, the next chapter will not be this short so yeahhh (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) but school is starting again on Aug 12 and I don't know when I'll be able to post a chapter, especially that I'm in college ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ but I'll try on posting if I have a spare time! (⁠*⁠'⁠ω⁠｀⁠*⁠)

Anywayssss thank you for 65k viewssss 😚💞

See yah next chapterrrr (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

(🥑: Rip Eren lmao💀)

[This chapter is consisted of 8160 words]

[Published: 08/04/24]

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𝐋𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫:
༊*·˚ 𝓐𝓿𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓸𝓻𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 *ೃ༄
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