"Did you go see your father?" In the darkness of night, although Petra couldn't see Squad Leader Levi's face clearly, his magnetic voice was still highly recognizable.
"Yes, Squad Leader." Thinking of what her father had said that day, Petra's face flushed slightly, but Levi didn't notice. To him, it was just a rare moment of concern for his subordinate.
"Petra, what's with your face?" Jurgen, standing beside her with bandages still on his face, noticed something was off with Petra. Before he could finish speaking, Petra shot him a fierce glare, and he immediately fell silent.
In the battle of the Giant Tree Forest, Oluo and Eld were seriously injured and were still lying in hospital beds. Jurgen was relatively fine and had returned to the unit after recuperating. Petra hadn't been injured, but with two well-coordinated comrades missing, Levi Squad had effectively lost half its combat power.
And Eren, the special new recruit who had just joined Levi Squad, was also probably lying down now because of the last operation.
Although Levi Squad had lost part of its combat strength, as long as Squad Leader Levi was still there, Levi Squad remained the strongest fighting force of the Survey Corps.
The dense sound of horses' hooves striking the ground mixed with the creaking of wooden wheels from wagons transporting logistical supplies. The Survey Corps and the Military Police launched a joint operation, with hundreds of soldiers marching under cover of night.
The Garrison had also long since dispatched elite soldiers to investigate exactly which part of Wall Rose had been breached.
After saying a few words to his two subordinates, Levi rode his horse alone toward the very center of the formation. Commander Erwin and the Military Police's Commander Nile advanced side by side. Seeing Levi approach, Erwin signaled to Nile, slowed down, and let Levi catch up.
"What is it?"
"Erwin, what you're doing is risky. Why did you have someone notify Eren to head to Wall Rose, and even have other new recruits converge there? Are you using Eren as bait?" Levi didn't hesitate and questioned Erwin directly.
"..." Faced with Levi's questioning, Erwin fell silent.
Seeing Erwin's silence, Levi knew he had guessed correctly. Levi's expression darkened.
"Tch. Erwin, since when did you learn the tricks of those scumbags from the Underground?"
Hearing Levi compare him to scum, Erwin didn't get angry. He remained calm and even teased Levi.
"What? Levi, since when did you become so gentle and concerned about others?"
"You!" Levi choked, not knowing how to retort.
In truth, Levi had always been like this, silently caring for the people around him. Unfortunately, he had lost too much.
The days in the Underground left Levi with nothing but violence and stubbornness, and that scumbag who taught him all his skills.
It wasn't until Erwin appeared that Levi was led out of the darkness and truly came to understand what light was.
After so many years, though they were superior and subordinate, Levi and Erwin were more like old friends.
"Bringing Hange along is already enough of a headache. Why bring along a bunch of superstitious deadweights too?" Levi glanced at a covered wagon not far behind them. Inside sat several Wall Cult priests dressed in black clerical robes.
Erwin stared ahead and replied, "Times have changed. After the Titans broke through the walls, no one expected the once-obscure Wall Cult to rise. They've absorbed the faith of many ordinary citizens. People need faith, and as for them..."
Erwin didn't continue.
Levi frowned. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw Hange, wearing glasses, riding her horse and chatting animatedly beside the Wall Cult priests' wagon, seemingly exchanging something with them. Moblit from Hange Squad followed behind.
"Was this also within your expectations, Erwin?" Levi suddenly felt that he couldn't quite understand the Erwin beside him anymore.
...
"It's too late! Gruga, keep leading the South Squad forward. I'll deal with those Titans!" Mike issued his orders calmly.
After speaking, Mike immediately spurred his horse away from the South Squad and charged alone toward more than a dozen Titans.
The new recruits and the remaining combat soldiers of the Survey Corps were divided into four squads—east, south, west, and north—each responsible for evacuating civilians and spreading the news of the Titan invasion and the fall of Wall Rose.
Watching Mike's departing figure, someone couldn't help but worry.
"Can Captain Mike really handle that many Titans?"
The other new recruits shared the same concern. Facing more than a dozen Titans, it would normally take at least three times as many elite soldiers to wipe them out.
"Have faith in Mike. He's humanity's second-strongest soldier, second only to Squad Leader Levi. Right now, our task is just as important. We must deliver the message in time, or there will be horrific casualties. All units, speed up!" Gruga explained.
Mike, charging alone toward the Titans, wore an expression of steely resolve. Levi being called humanity's strongest soldier was actually somewhat inaccurate—Ackerman blood couldn't really be considered ordinary human. Mike was the strongest human in the truest sense.
"Come on!" Mike roared, activating his Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, abandoning his horse and using nearby trees to rapidly close in on the Titans.
Titans don't actively attack creatures other than humans, but with so many Titans, horses could easily be trampled to death. Mike decisively abandoned his mount and used the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment to approach.
The powerful thrust of the gas propelled Mike into the air. Midflight, he locked onto a Titan's nape, fired his grappling hooks, and his twin blades flashed coldly as he cleanly severed the nape.
After killing one Titan, Mike didn't hesitate in the slightest and charged toward another seven-meter-class Titan. Mike's figure successfully drew the attention of all the Titans. They stopped chasing the South Squad and surged toward Mike instead.
Scalding Titan blood soaked Mike's hands. As he saw the number of Titans increasing, Mike realized this couldn't continue. Blades and gas were limited. He fixed his gaze on a nearby residential area and formed a plan.
Not far from where Mike was fighting, a very strange Titan was steadily approaching. It stood seventeen meters tall, its entire body—except for its belly and hands and feet—almost completely covered in thick fur. Its arms were extraordinarily long, hanging down to its knees, like a gigantic ape.
A short distance behind it, another equally strange Titan followed faintly. This Titan moved on all fours, had a bizarrely shaped head, and an enormous mouth. Most striking of all was the huge wooden box strapped to its back. The scene was extremely eerie.
The Beast Titan advanced in Mike's direction. At the same time, Mike used the terrain, weaving and darting through the residential area with his Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, killing Titans one after another. In the Beast Titan's eyes, a hint of curiosity actually appeared.
And in a place even the Beast Titan failed to notice, a pair of crimson eyes had also locked onto it.
"The Beast Titan, huh? Heh."