Paradis Island.
Thirty minutes before the Colossal Titan broke the Wall.
Reiner had slipped out of the wooden cart on his own, looking at the scenery outside and the distant Wall. Suddenly, sweat trickled down his temple.
"It's time, Reiner."
This time, it was Annie who reminded him.
"Yeah."
Reiner climbed back in, though his gaze had hardened.
Annie's face remained cold, but looking at Reiner's "eager" expression made her feel deeply uneasy—disgusted, even.
"Are we doing this, Reiner? Right now?!"
Bertholdt asked. He was always the most hesitant, but as long as his comrades pressed forward, he would never truly resist.
Pieck, controlling the Cart Titan, crouched low in the forest, occasionally lifting her head to scout.
"They've already entered the city. There are fewer Titans here now. We can move quickly to the Wall."
Reiner gave a slight nod.
"I know. But not yet."
"What do you mean, Reiner? We don't have a choice anymore."
Pieck reminded him. She knew full well that at this point, there was no retreat.
If they abandoned the mission and returned to Marley, they would be executed as deserters—stripped of their Titans, their powers consumed by the next successor, their families punished.
But Reiner's next words left them stunned.
"It's because there are too few Titans by the Wall that we can't move yet. If we want to test the Founding Titan, or infiltrate further inside, we'll need a massive swarm of Pure Titans for cover."
"You mean…"
"We need them to eat people. Only when they're occupied devouring humans will they ignore us, making it safer for us."
His words left everyone in silence.
Bertholdt stared at the ground.
Only Annie glared at Reiner with disgust, speaking what she truly thought.
"Reiner, you're the real devil here."
"What did you say?! Annie! Say it again!" Reiner snapped, humiliated memories surging back. Enraged, he lunged at her, pinning her down, fist drawn back to strike—only for Bertholdt to grab his arm in desperation.
Even on the ground, Annie's face remained twisted with contempt.
"Trash."
"You—!"
"Reiner!!"
Bertholdt used all his strength to shove Reiner away.
Reiner crashed to the floor, teeth clattering against the wood, two of them snapping off.
"Calm down!"
Bertholdt, rarely angered, couldn't bear seeing his teammates fall apart now.
He pulled Annie and Reiner up, then sighed heavily at their silence.
"Reiner, I know you still hold it against us. That night when you were grabbed by a Titan—we left you behind. That was our fault."
"No…"
"But!"
"…"
"We don't have time for this anymore, Reiner. Don't you still want to be the hero? Let's finish this mission together and return home in glory, okay?"
"…"
Reiner stayed silent.
Then Pieck's rasping voice cut through.
"Reiner, you're right. Luring the Titans first is best. And now isn't the time to argue about right or wrong—we need unity."
Hearing this, Reiner finally unclenched his fists.
"I understand. I lost control. Forgive me."
"We are all beyond forgiveness."
Annie was unyielding.
The Cart Titan broke into a run, quickly drawing a horde of Titans behind it.
They soon reached the Wall.
"There's no time. Do it, Bertholdt."
Pieck dismounted, standing on Annie's Female Titan as she urged him on.
Reiner clutched Annie's hair tightly from her left shoulder.
Annie, carrying Bertholdt, guided the Female Titan to a hiding spot.
Behind them, the horde of death they'd lured wore hideous grins.
"No time! Bertholdt!"
Reiner roared, as the swarm closed in on the Female Titan.
BOOM!!
The Colossal Titan appeared, one hand gripping the Wall.
It raised its foot and kicked, shattering Wall Maria.
The Female Titan moved fast. As the Colossal released its transformation, she dashed forward, scooping up Bertholdt and hardening her limbs, climbing up the Wall.
The flood of Titans poured into the interior, screams rising from the people within.
Setting them all atop the Wall, Annie dissolved her Titan, and the group sprinted along the top in search of cover.
"All we can do now is wait for the Founding Titan to act," Reiner said. But they'd heard the same thing from the Marleyan military—the Founding wouldn't show itself easily.
If it didn't, they'd have to break another Wall to draw it out.
They waited. Half an hour passed.
Nothing.
Another hour.
Still nothing.
"Reiner."
Pieck's eyes were on him.
He nodded.
"Leave the rest to me."
They climbed down while the number of Pure Titans diminished.
They had planned to transform closer to the second Wall.
But as they pushed through the desperate crowd of refugees—suddenly, a Titan's flash lit up behind them.
They turned in shock.
A Titan with armored jaws and sharp claws—the Jaw Titan!
"Roger…"
Reiner muttered. At once, he remembered Marcel's dying words, and the long-vanished Porco.
"Ah, Roger—you've returned to your land of devils?" Reiner's expression hardened. He took two steps forward, raising his hand to his mouth.
But Pieck grabbed him just in time.
"Don't be reckless, Reiner! The Wall comes first! Transforming here will expose us!"
Her words jolted him. She was right. He grit his teeth, deciding to ignore Roger.
But Roger's next move left them stunned.
Even as intelligent Titans, facing a swarm, all they could do was flee. But Roger's Jaw Titan was different—small, efficient, striking only at napes, cutting Titans down one after another with ease.
"As expected of the assault-type Jaw Titan," Reiner thought grimly. "He's baiting us to reveal ourselves. If he wipes them all out, the people inside will catch on. But…"
Biting into his hand, Reiner transformed in an instant into the fifteen-meter Armored Titan.
"Roger, don't think you're the only one who can play tricks!"
Turning away from the Jaw Titan, the Armored Titan launched into a full charge—straight for the gate!
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