Three hours later, across the plains behind the Giant Tree Forest, nearly fifty Mindless Titans of varying heights thundered across the land, chasing a single figure soaring through the air.
High above them, Lucien stepped lightly on Geppo, the technique allowing him to walk upon the sky. His sharp gaze swept across the horde below, and when the moment came, he snapped his fingers.
A shallow cut appeared as his thumbnail scraped his index finger. In an instant, golden lightning tore through the heavens, and a roar echoed like the wrath of a god descending.
Lucien transformed into the Armored Titan, crashing down from above.
The impact shook the earth. Cracks spread outward in a web of destruction, the ground splitting apart as dust and stones erupted skyward.
"Come on!"
Using the Female Titan's roar, Lucien's massive frame lunged forward, the sound echoing through the forest. He charged into the swarm of fifty Mindless Titans like a living locomotive, every step shaking the soil.
This was his training. The Titans before him weren't enemies—they were sparring partners.
Each lacked intelligence but made up for it with sheer numbers. Without Geppo as a fallback, even Lucien wouldn't dare to attempt such reckless training.
Too many ants can kill an elephant. Only the Armored and Colossal Titans could withstand such odds. The Female or Jaw Titan would be overwhelmed the moment they were dragged down.
"Hardening."
Lucien's Titan body shimmered as crystalline armor spread across half his form, glinting with pale light. Two months of relentless training had given him complete control over this ability.
Crash!
He slammed into the nearest Titans, his fists breaking through skulls, limbs flying. Flesh, blood, and bone exploded across the battlefield in a grotesque rain.
Lucien tore through them like a beast unleashed. His combat style fused precision and brutality—hooks, elbows, knees, and sweeps, all executed with perfect control.
The air reeked of iron and steam as Lucien rampaged through the horde, unstoppable and merciless.
But even monsters could be caught.
A fifteen-meter Titan suddenly lunged, wrapping its massive arms around him. Its abdomen was pierced through, yet it held firm, and others piled onto them, pushing forward in waves.
Though their teeth clamped down on his armor, none could pierce it. Lucien's Titan body was as hard as tempered steel. Unless his stamina drained completely, they could gnaw forever and never leave a mark.
He gripped one Titan's head and crushed it effortlessly—its skull burst like a melon, painting the ground with blood and brain matter. With a sweeping motion, he hurled the corpse into the others, the force scattering them like dolls.
Steam surged around him, and within minutes, the battlefield became a furnace.
When the last Mindless Titan fell, Lucien stood amidst the carnage, his armored form exhaling massive clouds of steam. His breathing was steady, his eyes calm.
In the distance, more Titans wandered toward him, drawn by the scent of battle.
This wasn't the first time Lucien had trained this way. For the past two months, he had used Mindless Titans as live combat dummies almost daily.
Still, this was the largest horde he'd ever faced at once.
Among all his Titan forms, he relied on the Armored Titan the most. The Female and Jaw Titans were used sparingly, while the Colossal Titan was reserved for special occasions.
He looked up at the sky—the sun was sinking. Evening would soon arrive, and there were still many exercises left for the day.
Training was endless. Only a solid foundation could strengthen his Titan powers. Lucien knew better than to rush progress.
As dusk settled, the sky burned crimson before giving way to night.
---
North of Wall Sina, Orvud District.
The ground suddenly convulsed. Cracks split through the earth as something massive crawled forward—a bloated Titan, larger than anything ever seen, dragging its enormous body like a living mountain.
It crept along the main avenue toward the north gate of Wall Sina.
"How… how can it be that big?" Connie gasped, his eyes wide.
The creature dwarfed even the Colossal Titan. And that was while crawling—if it stood, it would reach the clouds.
"Where are Eren and Historia?"
"They've been rescued!" another soldier shouted back.
"Who transformed into that thing?"
"It's Historia's father! He kidnapped Eren, tried to force her to transform and eat him—to reclaim the Founding Titan!"
"The Reiss family… they're the true royal bloodline," someone muttered grimly.
"There's no time for talk! If that monster reaches the wall, Wall Sina will be destroyed!"
Given its size, even the walls themselves couldn't contain it.
The chaos had begun three days earlier.
Rod Reiss, head of the true royal family, had taken Eren and his illegitimate daughter, Historia, intending for her to transform into a Titan and consume Eren, thereby reclaiming the Founding Titan.
Only royal blood could wield the Founding Titan's full power—controlling other Titans, erasing memories, even altering bloodlines. It was the most dominant of all Nine Titans.
With it, one could command the countless Colossal Titans hidden within the walls of Maria, Rose, and Sina—triggering the Rumbling and flattening the entire world.
But Historia chose differently. Refusing her father's will, she destroyed the syringe meant for her transformation and saved Eren instead.
Desperate, Rod Reiss licked the spilled spinal fluid from the floor. What followed was his grotesque transformation into the massive Titan now threatening Wall Sina.
Eren's contact with both Rod and Historia's royal blood awakened memories within the Attack Titan—fragments of his father, Grisha Yeager.
He saw the truth: how Grisha came from Marley across the sea, how he slaughtered the Reiss family to seize the Founding Titan, and how Eren himself had inherited both Titans.
In the days ahead, humanity's path was set. They would defeat Rod's monstrous Titan, overthrow the false king, and crown Historia as the rightful queen. Then, the Survey Corps would begin their operation to retake Wall Maria—and uncover the truth hidden in Eren's basement.
---
A month passed swiftly.
Since that battle, Wall Sina stood firm. Historia had ascended as queen, and preparations to reclaim Wall Maria were complete.
The Survey Corps gathered before the massive gates, their faces solemn. Every soldier knew the danger of what lay ahead.
"Depart," Erwin commanded, his hand rising high.
The gates opened, and the Survey Corps marched forth.
Their mission was twofold: reclaim Wall Maria and reveal the truth of the world. But they also had to remain wary—of the darkness Zhou Wei had warned about, of Reiner's possible survival, and of the Beast Titan still lurking somewhere beyond.
Every soldier had accepted death. They rode out, hearts burning for humanity.
Far away, atop the ruins near the outer gate of Wall Maria—where the Colossal Titan had first breached the wall five years ago—a new figure watched from above.
It was a four-meter Titan with a lean, quadrupedal body, long muzzle, and black hair. Various pieces of equipment and heavy weapons were mounted on its back.
The Cart Titan.
Unlike the others, this Titan specialized in speed and endurance, capable of remaining transformed for extended periods and transporting supplies across great distances.
Its current host was Pieck, a young woman with long black hair, half-lidded eyes, and a quiet, calculating mind. Her appearance was delicate, but her intellect and charm made her one of Marley's most dangerous agents.
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