"Huge... Titan!!!"
"Another Titan is being brought in?!"
"The key is that it's still alive. Look—its head is still moving!"
"I remember the last time Captain Lock led the team to capture a Titan. It was incredible—truly incredible!"
"Why do I suddenly feel that Titans aren't so invincible anymore?"
"I think so too…"
Once could have been luck, but twice was proof. Lock showed everyone through action that Titans were not invincible. They could be killed—or even captured alive.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lock led his squad in transporting the restrained Titan back to the garrison. They paraded through the district almost deliberately, passing by lines of volunteers. The mood inside the Walls, tense and heavy until now, began to lift.
Those who hadn't been chosen to leave the Walls—or had been too afraid to volunteer—felt deep regret as they watched. The ten squad leaders who'd accompanied Lock held their heads high, walking with pride. Their confidence was contagious. The sight filled the others with envy.
If they had stepped forward earlier, this glory would have been theirs.
Regret turned into a silent resolve: next time, they wouldn't hold back.
Lock observed everything calmly. The first operation had gone smoothly. Now came the real challenge—the expedition itself. He didn't share the royal government's cruel strategy of using these people as fodder to ease population pressure and reduce Titan threats on the Walls. His goal was clear:
Take back Wall Maria.
Expand the front line outward.
Regain strategic depth and land to live on.
More than fifty thousand volunteers were unreliable in combat. Relying on them to defeat Titans would mean massive casualties—maybe less than half would return. The true strength of this campaign lay in his 100-man elite squad.
With this in mind, Lock instructed Oruo and the others to stockpile as many supplies as possible. This expedition would be long. If they could clear the Titans completely, it would already count as a quarter of the overall mission accomplished.
After several tense days, preparations were complete.
At the city gate, messengers arrived one after another.
"Report! No Titans detected outside the Walls. The gate can be opened!"
"Report! All troops are ready!"
"Report! Supply fleet is prepared!"
"Report—!"
Standing at the front, Lock listened to the steady stream of reports. Behind him, soldiers and civilians from Stohess District watched in silence. His expression was firm, his presence commanding—far beyond his age. He faced the slowly opening gate and gave the order in a clear, unwavering voice:
"Move out!"
Lock led the way beyond the Walls. As the massive gates closed behind them, he inhaled the open air deeply, feeling the vastness of the outside world. Then he refocused, scanning the surroundings with sharp attention.
Tens of thousands of people formed a long column. Progress was slow. As they marched north, unease and fear hung in the air like a mist.
That silence was shattered when the first Titan appeared—a five-meter-class.
Instead of relying on the volunteers, Lock exchanged a brief look with Oruo and two others. They instantly understood, spurred their horses, and charged. Before the watching crowd, the three of them struck with precision and brought the Titan down easily.
Cheers erupted. Seeing was believing. Witnessing a Titan's death with their own eyes eased many fears. Lock's elite squad grew eager for action, while the volunteers exhaled in relief. The atmosphere shifted from anxious to determined.
They continued north for several more kilometers. More Titans appeared. This time, instead of letting Oruo's team handle it alone, Lock ordered the squad leaders to engage in groups of ten per Titan. Their superior training and equipment paid off—the fights were quick and clean. Titans fell one by one.
With each victory, the elite squad's confidence solidified. They were becoming a true strike force.
As for the volunteers, Lock never expected them to fight Titans. But their numbers couldn't be wasted. When they reached a deserted village, Lock assigned them to rebuild—repairing houses, paving roads, and preparing for the area's eventual resettlement. They also began searching for usable resources.
Freed from combat and given tangible tasks, the volunteers worked with energy. Many recognized the terrain as their lost hometowns. Seeing the possibility of returning and rebuilding filled them with hope.
And all of this had been made possible by Lock.
In just one day, through sheer strength and leadership, he won them over completely.
That night, as campfires burned around the fortified encampment, Elder approached.
"Patrols have been arranged. Guards will rotate through the night."
Lock nodded. "Good work. Come and try Petra's cooking."
Elder accepted the bowl, took a sip of hot soup, and sighed with relief. The fatigue of the long day melted away instantly. Food had a strange magic in moments like this. Petra smiled as Ymir hurried to eat, worried others might take her share.
Lock simply watched the moonlit sky in silence. His thoughts drifted. I wonder how Captain Erwin's side is holding up… The western and southern fronts must be facing heavy fighting by now.
He felt a pang of guilt, but he had no time to dwell on it. His responsibility was here. He needed to liberate the northern region completely before he could support the other fronts.
He spread out a map on the table, studying the markings and plans. At our current pace, clearing the entire region will take over a month, he thought. But restoring buildings and roads… that's another matter entirely.
Understanding the reality, Lock decided not to split his forces. At this stage, concentrating strength was the wiser path.
---
A/N: New Fanfic Is Out " Naruto: I'm Boruto Uzumaki"
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San