"Even if they try to hide it," Erwin said, eyes narrowed as he watched the wagon roll away, "their training shows. That wasn't a hunter's trick. And that weapon… it isn't for hunting."
"They appeared the moment Shiganshina was lost…" Hanji started, curiosity bubbling.
"Hanji." Erwin's tone cut sharp, silencing her musing. "They've stood with us twice now. If not for them, Wall Maria would have fallen. That alone is reason enough to trust them."
Hanji blew out a long breath, turning back toward the burning district. Smoke coiled against the reddened sky. Her gaze lingered on the ruined walls. "That thing is taller than the wall… The Titans we've fought so far were like infants compared to it. That—" her eyes narrowed, "—that was a true Titan."
Erwin's jaw tightened. "Reports say it's not the only anomaly. One with skin like armor has appeared. No blade, no bullet, no cannon can pierce it. Soldiers said it was like striking stone—like tickling a boulder." His voice dropped into command. "Be wary. The enemy is changing faster than ever."
Hanji nodded grimly.
…
On the road beyond the inner gate
Reiner lowered his eyes, lips pressed into a line. "Fine. I understand. If we fight each other now, we're all dead anyway." His words were thick with grief, but they carried resignation too.
Zeke gave a subtle nod. At his signal, Annie and Bertolt loosened their grips. Reiner slumped back against the wagon wall, clutching his wound.
But Zeke wasn't about to let the silence linger. He leaned forward, gaze sharp. "Why the change? Why stop fighting me?"
Bertolt shifted uncomfortably, then spoke first. "I… I want to know. You said I get eaten—by some yellow-haired mushroom-headed kid. What does that mean?"
Zeke froze. His throat dried instantly.
Annie followed, her tone flat but her eyes restless. "My father resisted Marley's government. You said he was killed. What does that mean, Zeke? Is he… already dead?"
Damn it. Can't you people just let it go? Pretend I never said anything?
Reiner's voice cracked through the tension. "Don't tell me you believe him! Don't bow to his lies! He's protecting the people inside the walls—that makes him a traitor to Marley!"
His words hadn't even settled before Annie lashed out, her boot sinking straight into his bandaged side. Reiner cried out, curling up.
"I told you before!" Annie shouted, voice shaking with fury. "Marley, Eldia—it's all lies! Calling ordinary people demons? That's the biggest lie of all!"
Reiner gasped, clutching his ribs. "Ordinary? You think turning into a Titan is ordinary?"
Her boot struck him again, merciless. "I'm human! My father is human! The only difference is that we can become Titans. That's it. Like someone born with an extra finger—strange, yes, but still human!"
Silence crashed down. Reiner stared at her, wide-eyed, struggling to reconcile the girl he thought he knew with the defiance spilling out of her. Annie, the quiet one. Annie, the soldier who rarely spoke. Inside her silence, she'd been hiding this.
Treason. Pure treason, by Marley's law.
Reiner turned desperately to his last anchor. "Bertolt… you don't believe this too, do you?"
Bertolt's eyes darted between them. His mouth opened, closed, then finally, words slipped out like smoke. "…I don't care. As long as we finish the mission."
"…Spineless." Reiner let his head fall back against the wagon. "You've never had a temper." He drew in a shallow breath. "Then answer me this, Zeke. My sister. She's only three. You said she'd be a sharpshooter someday. How could you possibly know that?"
Zeke's jaw locked. Because I made it up. Because I thought you were going to die and nothing I said would matter.
But lies had a way of chaining themselves around your throat.
He forced a breath, shoulders stiff. No more dodging. No more half-truths. He would have to gamble everything.
"Enough. Cards on the table," he said, voice low and deliberate. His golden eyes met theirs, steady despite the storm in his chest. "I'm not like you. I'm not from here. I was reborn—from the year 854. The very day of Doomsday."
...
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