"Are you adults always so unreliable?"
Zeke's voice echoed like thunder in his mind.
He had begged them to accompany him—just for a while—and they had agreed.
But when it mattered most, they betrayed their words again.
The anger of being deceived burned through him, twisting his reason into something feral.
His Titan body exploded outward in a flash of lightning, shaking the entire dock.
If you really dare touch my brother,
I'll kill you, Father.
Grisha Yeager—his father—was already running through the crowd with Eren in his arms.
"GRISHA!!!"
The Beast Titan roared, its long arms pounding the earth as it charged after him. Every thunderous step shattered the cobblestones beneath its weight.
He no longer cared about the people screaming, fleeing in every direction.
He no longer cared about anything.
He only knew this:
He had to stop his father.
Kill him.
Eat him.
Take his Titan.
Whatever it took—Eren must not be harmed.
"Don't let it get near the crowd!" Hange screamed, flying through the air on her ODM gear. "Lure it to a clear area!"
The first squad responded instantly, firing grapples and soaring between rooftops, trying to bait the Beast Titan away from the civilians. But no matter how many flares they launched or how close they flew, the monster ignored them completely.
"It's not reacting! It's going straight ahead!" one soldier shouted over the wind.
"What's that bastard chasing?" Hange muttered, eyes narrowing.
Below, the crowd surged toward the same direction—unintentionally leading the Titan deeper into the heart of town.
If this continued, hundreds would die.
Hange clenched her teeth. "Damn it! Those fools outside the cordon—if they hadn't ignored orders, we could've avoided this! Ugh—forget it!" She drew her blades. "Close in! Even if it costs you your lives, drag that monster away from the civilians!"
"B-but, Captain! If we get any closer—"
"Did you forget what the commander said when we joined?!" Hange's voice cut through the chaos.
"Once we became soldiers, life and death stopped being our own choice! We're humanity's bait! Give your hearts!"
"YES, MA'AM!"
The soldiers steeled their resolve and shot forward, weaving through the air around the Titan—
—only to be swatted aside like flies.
The Beast Titan's massive hand swept horizontally, smashing through two rooftops and sending soldiers tumbling through the sky.
From below, Erwin Smith raised his eyes, watching the silhouettes fall. His face showed no emotion, only calculation. Then, he raised a flare gun—
Pshhh!
A green flare burst into the sky.
"Green smoke—rescue signal!" someone shouted.
Instantly, the remaining soldiers changed course. Instead of continuing the lure, they fired their anchors to save the falling troops midair. Those with good reflexes managed to fire their hooks into nearby walls, stabilizing themselves in time.
Hange blinked, stunned. "He's saving them…? Not pressing the attack?"
It wasn't like Erwin. The commander who could sacrifice hundreds for a single strategic gain—now calling a rescue order?
For a second, even she hesitated mid-flight.
Meanwhile, on the ground, two restrained figures struggled under guard.
"Captain! These two brats tried to bite their tongues!"
The soldiers held Annie and Bertolt firmly, forcing their jaws open.
"Suicide? Typical trained warriors," Erwin said coldly. "But not this time."
He turned toward them, eyes sharp. "Gag them. Restrain them fully. After this battle, we'll interrogate them. I have a feeling these two hold the truth we've been searching for."
"Yes, sir!"
Cloth was stuffed into their mouths, ropes bound their arms and legs.
Annie: "…"
Bertolt: "…"
We weren't even trying to die, they both thought miserably.
Dragged away toward the Survey Corps' camp, Annie looked back once—toward the roaring Titan in the distance.
Something about its movements… was familiar.
"The captain," she whispered behind the gag, "he knows the flight paths of the ODM gear… He's fought them before."
Bertolt's eyes widened. What has he experienced?
Hange soon noticed the same thing.
"That Titan… it's reading our maneuvers!" she shouted. "How could it know our flight patterns? It's like it's seen us fight for years!"
Before anyone could respond, a voice answered her from the side—low, cold, and precise.
"Because I've fought that beast before."
"Levi?!"
Captain Levi Ackerman had appeared silently beside her, his gaze locked on the Titan's distant form. His eyes burned with something dangerous.
"It's him," Levi muttered. "The bastard who killed my squad at Shiganshina."
He adjusted his blades. "I'll finish it this time."
"Wait—Levi!" Hange shouted, but it was too late.
Levi shot forward like a silver bullet, grappling cables slicing the air. His speed dwarfed everyone else's.
Psshhh!
One perfect anchor—right into the back of the Beast Titan's neck.
"The back of the neck—direct hit!" a soldier cried. "That's Levi for you!"
Everyone knew the rule:
Anchor the back of the neck—approach—slice—victory.
The Beast Titan had been declared "unapproachable" after the Corps' last collective failure. No one could get near it.
But Levi had done it effortlessly.
"OH! OH! OH!" Hange shouted in delight—then froze. "Wait—no! We need him alive, you maniac!"
Levi raised his blades—ready to strike—
—but suddenly, his motion halted midair.
The Beast Titan had caught his cables.
Levi dangled, suspended, staring up in shock as the Titan's bloodshot eyes met his.
Then, in a voice that shook the air, the Beast Titan spoke:
"Don't stop me, Levi… You're no match for me right now."
For a heartbeat, the entire battlefield fell silent.
Levi's eyes narrowed.
The soldiers froze.
Even Hange forgot to breathe.
The Beast Titan—was speaking.
And the voice…
was human.