Eren coughed harshly as his eyes slowly opened. His body was still weak, and his consciousness had not fully returned. As his vision became clearer, he saw a familiar face—Adam.
"You're finally awake, Eren," Adam said with a slight smile.
Eren tried to sit up, but pain shot through his entire body. "I… what happened?"
"You were kidnapped by the Female Titan," Mikasa, who stood not far from him, replied. "But Adam and I managed to get you back."
Eren blinked, recalling flashes of his last memories. He remembered how the Female Titan wiped out almost all of Levi's Squad and how he was captured. Frustration immediately surged in his chest.
"I failed," Eren muttered. "I couldn't even defeat her…"
Adam patted his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. We all know that Titan isn't an ordinary opponent."
Eren clenched his fists. "But… I have the power of a Titan! I should have—"
"There's no 'should have' in battle," Adam interrupted. "You couldn't defeat the Female Titan in that situation. And besides, you're still alive. That's what matters most."
Mikasa remained silent.
"Now, we need to focus on our next move," Adam continued. "I doubt the Female Titan will stop here."
Erwin, who had been observing from a distance, stepped forward. "Adam is right. We've lost many soldiers in this expedition, but we still have a chance to capture her."
The remaining soldiers gathered to listen to their new strategy.
Adam stood at the strategy table with Erwin, Levi, and several other squad leaders.
"We know that the Female Titan possesses intelligence," Erwin said, pointing at the map. "She can think like a human, choose her opponents, and even protect her nape."
Levi crossed his arms. "And we also know she has a mission. If she only wanted to kill us, she wouldn't have gone through the trouble of kidnapping Eren."
Adam nodded, deep in thought. "But how is she so strong? Even Eren in his Titan form couldn't defeat her."
Hange, who had been listening, finally spoke up. "Based on my observations, the Female Titan has a unique hardening ability. That's why she can protect her nape from our attacks."
Adam tapped his finger on the table. "Then we can't kill her using conventional means."
Erwin smiled slightly. "Exactly. That's why we're not going to kill her."
Everyone turned toward the commander.
"We're going to capture her," Erwin continued. "This time, we'll trap her more effectively."
Adam pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you have a plan?"
Erwin nodded. "Of course. But I'd like to hear your thoughts first, Adam. You seem to have something in mind."
Adam took a deep breath. "The Female Titan has one clear weakness—she can't hold out if she's surrounded and outmaneuvered. If we can force her into a position where movement is difficult, we might be able to capture her."
Levi smirked. "Sounds like an interesting plan."
Erwin nodded. "Alright. We'll use Adam's strategy as the foundation and adjust it to fit our formation."
They immediately began refining the details of their plan.
The night passed, and the next day, they moved out again.
The troops were divided into several units. Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Conny, Sasha, and Adam were part of the main unit tasked with luring the Female Titan into the trap.
As they moved through the forest, Adam could feel the tension in the air.
"Are you sure this will work?" Jean asked.
"We have to try," Adam replied.
Suddenly, a scream echoed from behind.
"She's coming!"
The Female Titan emerged from the trees, sprinting with incredible speed. The soldiers behind her could do little more than dodge her attacks.
Adam gritted his teeth. "It's time."
They quickly spread out according to the plan. Mikasa and a few others cut off the Female Titan's path from the sides, while Adam and Jean advanced from the front.
The Female Titan seemed to realize something was off. She slowed down slightly, scanning her surroundings.
"She's getting suspicious," Armin said.
"No problem. As long as she steps into the trap."
Mikasa moved quickly, attacking from the side. The Female Titan blocked easily, but it was just a distraction.
At the same time, Levi and his squad appeared from above, launching thick steel nets at her.
The Female Titan tried to evade, but Adam had anticipated this. He shot his grappling hook to a tree and launched himself toward the Titan's legs, slashing at her Achilles tendons.
The Female Titan collapsed.
"Now!" Erwin shouted.
More nets were fired, entangling the Female Titan's body.
A furious roar erupted from her as she struggled to break free, but the iron restraints were strong enough to hold her down.
"We did it…" Jean could barely believe it.
However, before they could celebrate, something unexpected happened.
The Female Titan suddenly bit down on her own fingers.
"Damn it!" Adam instantly realized what was about to happen.
In seconds, the Titan's entire body began hardening, forming a crystalline layer over her.
"We can't touch her anymore," Mikasa muttered.
Erwin observed the phenomenon with a serious expression. "It seems she's smarter than we thought."
Adam clenched his fists. "We lost our chance to capture her… but at least, she can't move anymore."
Erwin nodded. "This isn't a complete victory, but at least we survived."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Even though they hadn't fully won, they had proven that the Female Titan was not an unbeatable force.