A few hours earlier.
Outside the walls.
A massive figure stood on a hillside beyond Wall Maria, leaning against a tree to rest.
A body of pure white, standing fifteen meters tall.
It was the War Hammer Titan, passed down through the Tybur family for generations.
The plan was to reach the walls in a week, but Lara Tybur hadn't expected that midway, on a foggy night, she would notice the flicker of firelight.
Out of curiosity, she drew closer and found four children huddled around a campfire for warmth.
Their innocent faces stirred warmth in her heart.
But soon suspicion followed.
"Could they… be the Warrior Unit sent by Marley?"
From her brother Willy Tybur, she had learned Marley would soon attempt to seize the Founding. He had ordered her not to interfere, not to be seen. Eliminate Roger Eikam, then return at once, leaving the rest to the family.
Thinking of this, Lara was ready to leave.
But then, sudden chaos.
A Titan burst from the ground, lunging for one of the children.
In a panic, Lara prepared to act—then hesitated.
Her brother had said, do not interfere.
But…
They were only children. To be sent here at such a young age to face such cruelty—how could she watch them die?
Worse, if a Pure Titan devoured one, inheriting their power, what if they sided with the walls and revealed secrets? These Pure Titans were all criminals and Eldian Restorationists, brimming with hatred for Marley.
After struggling, Lara could not let it happen. She pulled the pin from her hair, clenched it, and stabbed her palm.
Boom!
The War Hammer Titan appeared, conjuring a spike from the earth that skewered the Titan clean through.
To avoid being seen, she fled quickly.
Perhaps the children would suspect, but it didn't matter. They were alive, and that was enough.
Her mission was to eliminate Roger Eikam. That had nothing to do with seizing the Founding from these children. Helping them was only a side act.
So she continued on toward the walls.
The War Hammer's speed wasn't terrible when sprinting, but its power drain was immense.
Lara had been hidden since childhood, raised as a maid. She had been taught combat, but with the Tyburs avoiding conflict for generations, she grew lax. Though she had retrained, she remained out of practice.
She could handle the War Hammer's abilities, but her stamina was poor.
A maid had no need for great strength, and so she had not cultivated it.
And with the War Hammer's power—creating weapons and constructs—the toll on her body was even heavier.
So when she departed for Paradis, saying goodbye to her brother, she had already formed her plan.
Slip into the walls unseen, live among the people. Never reveal herself unless Roger Eikam stood before her.
Releasing the tree, the War Hammer straightened, gazing ahead.
In the distance, Wall Maria—built by the 145th King Fritz—now bore a gaping breach kicked open by the Colossal Titan. Countless Titans were flooding in.
"Too late…"
Lara's heart sank.
She had hoped to arrive before the Warriors, to use the breach as bait, draw out the Jaw Titan Roger had seized, and destroy him.
But even with her grueling pace, she had arrived too late.
Approaching the ruined breach, she saw the devastated homes, the blood scattered across the ground. Her regret deepened.
"As expected, the Cart Titan is unmatched in speed and endurance."
With a sigh, she resolved to slip in amidst the chaos.
She stepped forward—
"ROAR!!"
A swift shadow lunged from behind, pouncing at her!
"!"
Startled, she conjured a spear with the War Hammer's power, spun, and skewered the Titan.
But wary that such a strike might not kill it, she lifted and drove it upward, pinning it at the top of the breach.
The Titan bellowed and thrashed violently.
Breaking the spear, Lara absorbed the excess material back.
She sighed in relief.
"Luckily, only an abnormal. Not the Jaw."
And so she pressed on.
Inside the walls, everything amazed her.
She had never imagined the people lived so primitively.
From the crowded streets to the sparse interiors, she saw their poverty clearly.
But what could be done?
This was punishment.
Punishment the Eldians had brought upon themselves.
Passing two inner gates, Lara found a quiet corner, preparing to release her Titan form.
But then she felt something beneath her foot.
She lifted it, crouched, and her pupils shrank in shock.
She had crushed a girl, no older than herself.
Her body broken and bloodied, yet one hand still stretched outward, as if casting something away.
Lara followed the line of her hand—and there lay a crying infant, still swaddled.
But why hadn't there been a scream?
Had she silenced herself, fearing the sound would draw Titans?
A pang struck Lara's chest.
"Brother… are the people of the walls truly guilty?"
Dismissing her Titan form, she silently lifted the baby, slipping her finger into its mouth to soothe the cries, gently rocking him.
For a moment, her vision shifted—she was back in the Tybur gardens.
When she came to, she untied her maid's bun, letting her hair fall loose, then donned the dead girl's clothes. Cradling the baby, she made her way slowly toward the river by the gates.
In the distance, voices rose in argument near the boats.
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