"No! I don't want to die! Let me go!"
For all his bravado, Reiner Braun only truly felt terror when death's shadow fell directly upon him. The Beast Titan's massive jaws loomed closer, hot breath pouring from between its yellowed teeth. For the first time, he finally understood the helplessness of Shiganshina's civilians in those final moments before they were devoured.
Who could willingly face this fate?
His heart screamed the answer: Not me. I don't want to die. I want to go home. I want to see my mother again. I want to fulfill her dream—to live with Father, to finally be a family…
Desperation clawed at his mind. With the little strength left in his mangled body, Reiner raised his remaining hand and beat against the Beast Titan's palm.
His fists pounded frantically, but the blows were like the stings of a gnat.
Am I really going to die here?
The Beast Titan's maw gaped wider—
Then, a sudden roar split the night sky.
"Where did this beast come from?!"
In a single instant, the impossible happened. Blades flashed. Steam hissed. The Beast Titan's massive hands and even its jaw were severed cleanly. Reiner fell—but not to the ground. Strong arms caught him midair.
The figure wasted no time. With swift, practiced motions, he fired his omni-directional mobility gear and hauled both himself and Reiner skyward. Reeling cables yanked them higher—twenty meters, then thirty, until they hovered at a height beyond the Titan's immediate reach.
Reiner, dizzy and half-conscious, blinked upward at his rescuer.
The man's short stature was masked by the lethal precision of his movements, his dual blades gleaming in the pale dawn.
His expression was as cold as steel.
Levi Ackerman.
"What kind of abnormal is this?" Levi muttered as he stared down at the Beast Titan. "First a wall-sized monster, now a furry one? Have the Titans started mutating into beasts?"
For all his grim composure, even Levi looked taken aback.
But Zeke, within the Beast Titan, was far more rattled. His eyes bulged with shock. Levi?! Here? At this time?
The Beast Titan's lips trembled. "You… you're that little hunter."
Levi narrowed his eyes, recognition flashing. "And you're no ordinary Titan shifter." His gaze flicked to Reiner's mangled torso, blood soaking through shredded armor plates. For just a heartbeat, the hardened captain allowed a trace of pity. "Half your body's gone. Pitiful. Still… compared to losing your life, this is nothing."
Reiner's head swam.
Pitiful? He wanted to scream, Uncle, I'm still alive, don't bury me yet!
Below, the Wall of Maria loomed. On its ramparts, soldiers stood silhouetted, wings of freedom emblazoned on their cloaks, fluttering like banners in the dawn wind.
A pair of familiar voices called out:
"It's that kid!" Isabel gasped, eyes wide. "He's the one who—he looks so broken…"
Farlan's expression softened with sympathy. "Don't think about it too much. Focus on the wounded, and protect the civilians during retreat. That's our duty, just as Commander Erwin ordered."
Levi didn't linger. He shoved the half-dead Reiner into Farlan's care. "Keep him alive. I've got work to do." Without waiting for a reply, he rocketed back into the sky, blades flashing.
"Poor kid," Farlan muttered as he steadied Reiner. "Already half-crippled… but don't worry. You're safe now. We'll protect you."
His tone was kind, steady—the voice of a true soldier. Reiner stared at him in disbelief. "Why… why would you protect me?"
Farlan landed gracefully on the top of the Wall. Setting Reiner carefully down among the garrison troops still stationed there, he smiled faintly. "What kind of question is that? Protecting people—that's what it means to be a soldier."
And with that, he left Reiner in the garrison's care and leapt back into battle.
Reiner's vision blurred with tears. Why did you save me? Why would anyone inside the Walls… save me? I'm the one who destroyed your gate. I let the Titans in. I slaughtered your people. I'm your enemy…
Yet still, they protected him.
…
Meanwhile, Levi was already streaking through the air, streaks of light trailing from his ODM gear. His sharp eyes locked onto the towering, fur-covered Titan.
"What kind of monster is this? First one taller than the Wall, now this hairy thing. Doesn't matter…" His lips curved into the ghost of a smirk. "I'll just cut it down like the rest."
He adjusted his gas output, accelerating until the world blurred. The twin blades in his hands poised for the decisive strike. In another second, the Beast Titan's nape would be split apart—
—but then, a choking fog erupted around him.
Dense, cloying steam blasted into Levi's face, stinging his eyes. He hissed in pain, blinking rapidly. His grip faltered for a split second, forcing him to veer away. Damn it. One slip in this fight means death.
Abandoning the kill, he shot his cables toward another Wall segment, pulling himself away from the smokescreen. Safely perched, he rubbed at his burning eyes.
"Captain!" A voice rang out—Isabel, swooping near on her own gear. "That was amazing! You killed the beast!"
Levi's brow furrowed. "…Killed it? No, I—" His words cut off as he glanced back.
The Beast Titan was gone. Vanished.
Not slain, not dismembered—simply gone, as if it had melted into thin air.
"That's impossible," Levi muttered.
"Over there!" Isabel suddenly pointed downward. "Look! That person—it looks like Zeke!"
Levi followed her gaze. Sure enough, a lone figure stumbled across the battlefield below, running with desperate speed.
His ragged back was turned to them, legs pumping furiously.
Commander Erwin dropped down beside Levi, cloak flaring.
"Listen carefully. That man—Zeke—he and his kin hold knowledge about the Titans. Knowledge we can't afford to lose. Their weapons may be the key to humanity's survival. Levi… you must protect him."
Levi's jaw clenched. Protect the same man who had just tried to devour a boy? It went against every instinct. But Erwin's words were law. With a scowl, he sheathed his blades and launched himself downward.
Below, Zeke Braun risked a glance over his shoulder. His eyes widened, and to Levi's astonishment, tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Stay away from me, you damned shorty!" Zeke wailed, sprinting harder, as though the hounds of hell were snapping at his heels.