But Titans were still Titans—the natural enemy of humankind!
Dozens of elite veterans of the Survey Corps stood no chance before the Armored Titan's charge.
Even Erwin, who led from the front, managed only to anchor his cables to an unarmored joint and slash with his blades at the nape—only for his steel to snap apart, leaving nothing but a shallow mark on the plating.
Many were flung aside, trampled underfoot. The Armored Titan plowed forward without slowing, his speed undiminished.
"It's useless, Commander! His armor can break Wall Maria itself—we can't hurt him!"
"There's no way, Commander!"
"Commander!!"
Surrounded by shouts, Erwin stood atop a roof, thinking hard.
The Armored Titan's plating was impenetrable—even the blades that could slice through Titan napes couldn't bite in.
But what if there was something that *could*?
His gaze shifted—to the Titan patching the Wall. To the claws. To the teeth.
"That's enough. Leave the battlefield to him," Erwin said calmly. "We've already shown our resolve."
"Commander—"
From above, Hange swooped in, leading the rest of the Corps.
All eyes turned to her, while Erwin's face betrayed only disappointment.
"It's about Roger, isn't it, Hange?"
"Yeah… Roger's gone."
"I see."
"You knew already, Commander?"
Erwin looked silently at the Jaw Titan.
"Humans can't cage Titans. Without this incident, perhaps we could have kept him confined. But that chance is gone now—and it won't come again."
---
The Armored Titan thundered faster and faster.
From his nape, Reiner watched the Jaw Titan stacking corpses to seal the breach—darting with inhuman speed, his blackened, blazing body leaping up and down.
Reiner thought back to what they once were.
Those days were gone.
Roger had become a demon. He had injured Captain Magath, who treated them like a stern father, and killed Marcel, indirectly causing Porco's disappearance.
"All because you couldn't have the Jaw Titan," Reiner snarled. "Roger—you coward. You bastard. I despise you!"
Fury blazing, the Armored Titan roared, adjusted his stance, and charged.
BOOM!!
But at the last moment, Roger spun the Jaw Titan, leapt, and slipped past the reckless tackle as if he had eyes behind him.
CRASH!!
Reiner smashed into the makeshift barricade, blasting Titan corpses aside, tumbling with them into the dirt.
"Even with the Armored Titan, you're still this stupid, Reiner," Roger mocked in his mind. "I told you—never fight with emotion. That's why you always lose. You've never learned."
The Jaw Titan stood, gesturing with his claws. Come again.
Just like training back in Marley.
Reiner, who never grasped the techniques, always begged Roger for help. Roger, unwilling, had thrown every spar, letting him win. Reiner thought himself superior—while Roger simply hid his strength, keeping his scores carefully measured.
Except for Porco, whose erratic grades never reflected his real skill.
The Armored Titan hauled himself up, Reiner's pride stinging.
He thought the Armored's power would make him strong. But he was still weak.
"You've got to be kidding me!!"
He set his stance. He would not accept it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annie moving behind the Jaw Titan.
She, too, had been a prodigy.
"Can you take the two of us, Roger?"
Reiner thought grimly. They still had a final trump card as well. Roger couldn't escape.
"ROAR!!"
Unable to stand the provocation, the Armored Titan lunged, swinging his right fist.
CRACK!
Roger knew—the Jaw Titan was too small to trade blows. As the strike came, he slipped aside.
Another miss. Reiner's fury grew.
"All you can do is run?!"
He swung again and again, fists hammering, blows relentless.
But the Jaw Titan dodged them all.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
One missed punch after another smashed into the Wall, leaving cratered fist-marks.
Roger was being driven into a dead corner, the Wall behind him, buildings at his side.
Then—
The Jaw Titan ducked low, claws anchoring into the Wall, braced himself, and lashed out with a vicious kick to Reiner's exposed underside.
CRACK!
The Armored Titan stumbled back, too heavy to be thrown but staggered nonetheless.
And that opening was all Roger needed.
"ROAR—!"
The Jaw Titan twisted, pounced, claws plunging into the Armored Titan's chest plating, pinning him.
Its jaws gaped wide, fangs gleaming—then slammed shut, shattering the armor on Reiner's arm, ripping his forearm clean away.
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