"Why did it appear now?!"
Lock's mind raced. He had expected more time—enough to move the people he cared about to safety. But reality crushed that hope in an instant, leaving him momentarily frozen.
Eren and the others finally noticed the massive, steaming head rising above the wall. Their faces drained of color.
"T-That's… a Titan?! No way… impossible—no… It's possible!"
Fear surged through Armin, seizing his chest and freezing his breath.
Standing beside him, Mikasa whispered in disbelief, "The tallest Titan we know is only fifteen meters… So how—how can that one see over the wall?!"
"It's moving!" Eren shouted, voice cracking with panic.
Lock forced his thoughts to clear. There was no time to question anything.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the earth as debris from the wall blasted outward, enormous chunks of stone raining down like meteors. The shockwave tore through the air, shaking the very foundations of Shiganshina.
Lock instantly understood—this was the power of an intelligent Titan.
His heart pounded, but his resolve held.
He lunged forward, kicking Eren aside and grabbing Mikasa and Armin under each arm. With one explosive leap, he hurled them more than ten meters away.
Boom!
The ground where they'd stood shattered as a massive stone crushed it flat.
"The wall's been breached!" Lock shouted, his voice sharp as steel. "Pure Titans will pour into Shiganshina soon… and Reiner will breach Wall Maria before long! There's no time to hesitate—we have to evacuate Uncle Harry and the others immediately!"
Urgency burned through his veins.
"Stay here and don't move!" Lock barked.
He threw on his ODM gear, engaged the gas canisters, and shot toward the direction of Eren's home.
Behind him, Petra and the others burst from the workshop, alarmed by the explosions. Their faces went pale as they stared at the sight of a Titan towering over the wall.
"A Titan over fifty meters tall…!" Petra gasped.
"The wall's breached!" Lock shouted as he landed beside them. "It's an emergency! Everyone—gear up, now!"
Some of them stood frozen, stunned by the chaos. Lock clenched his jaw.
"What are you waiting for?! Prepare for battle!"
Since the day he'd awakened in this world, Lock had never lost control like this. But panic was useless. There was only action.
Petra's body jolted. Cold fear surged up her spine, but she forced herself to move—rushing to the armory to strap on her gear.
"Uncle Harry!" Lock turned sharply. "Take Aunt Martha inside and lock the doors. Your area's still safe for now!"
Harry's family lived farther from the breach, safe for the moment. But Eren's home was less than a thousand meters from the impact zone—right in the heart of the disaster.
Lock turned to warn Eren and the others—
But they were gone.
"Damn it!"
Without thinking, Lock fired his hooks and soared into the air, racing across rooftops toward Eren's neighborhood.
Behind him, Uncle Harry and the others finally broke free from their shock. Faces pale and trembling, they ran toward their homes, praying their loved ones were safe.
Why? Why did the wall fall? How could it happen?
The century-old illusion of safety was shattered.
Screams filled the streets—panic, curses, the cries of the dying. The first wave of pure Titans poured through the gaping hole in the wall, moving with terrifying hunger.
Lock ignored it all. His world had narrowed to one goal—to protect his family.
"Damn it! If Aunt Carla's in danger, I'll tear you apart myself!"
His words were half snarl, half vow.
Swoosh!
A ten-meter Titan lunged from an alley, its mouth wide. Lock met it head-on, firing his cables into a nearby roof, flipping forward midair, and severing its nape with a clean strike.
Civilians below stared up in awe and terror, watching as the Titan collapsed. To them, Lock might as well have been some vengeful god.
Almost there… just a little farther…
Meanwhile, the Garrison Regiment finally responded, scrambling to evacuate civilians and slow the Titans' advance.
But it was chaos.
Years of peace had dulled their edge. Most had never faced Titans before. Some froze, others fled, and too many were devoured before even drawing their blades.
The streets near the inner gate of Wall Maria became a sea of panic and blood.
In moments like these, humanity's weakness was laid bare.
Still, amid the collapse, one area stood firm—the section defended by Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther. The Survey Corps elites had joined the fight.
But even they were overwhelmed.
"There are too many!" Oluo shouted, eyes fixed on the approaching horde. "We can't stop them all!"
Petra's hands trembled on her blades. Eld and Gunther exchanged grim looks.
Without needing to speak, they all reached the same conclusion.
They couldn't save the district.
They turned their ODM gear toward the inner gate. Their only choice was to regroup and survive.
As they retreated, Petra's thoughts lingered on one person—Lock.
The fall of Shiganshina isn't a possibility anymore… It's inevitable.
Rookie… don't be too reckless.
---
A/N:
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