In the Karanis District, a massive elevator slowly descended from the fifty-meter-high wall. Garrison soldiers at its base stood stiff and tense, sweat beading on brows, every hand near a weapon.
Their unease quickly drew the eyes of civilians nearby. Never before had they seen the garrison this on edge. A crowd gathered, murmurs swelling as they strained to see what was being lowered.
When the platform came into view, gasps erupted. Bound on the carriage below was a Titan—its grotesque form resembling a swollen, twisted human.
"What… what is that thing?!"
"It's a Titan! A Titan inside the Walls!"
"Why would the garrison bring one in here?!"
"Wait! Look—someone's standing beside it!"
"That insignia… the Wings of Freedom! That's a Survey Corps soldier!"
"Captured? They actually captured a Titan?!"
"Impossible… or… no, look for yourself! It's right there!"
The crowd rippled with fear and disbelief, voices colliding in shock.
"Bang—"
The elevator thudded onto solid ground. Soldiers stationed on the wall above let out shaky sighs, backs slick with cold sweat. Transporting a Titan inside the Walls was unthinkable—but today, it had been done.
"It seems Titans aren't as terrifying as we thought," one garrison soldier muttered.
Hannes, standing nearby, only shook his head. His eyes lingered on Lock, blade drawn as he kept watch beside the restrained Titan. In a low voice only he could hear, Hannes whispered, "It's not that Titans aren't terrifying… It's that Lock is too damn strong."
At first, the garrison command had flatly refused to allow the Titan's transport into Karanis. The risk was too great—if it broke free, the district would face disaster.
To prove his control, Lock had ridden out alone, slaying five Titans wandering near the Wall. Only then did the officers relent—on one condition: Lock himself had to remain by the captured Titan's side until it left the district.
He agreed without hesitation. All that mattered was getting it through.
When the Titan-laden carriage rolled forward, the murmuring crowd instinctively parted, leaving a clear path. Their fear saved Lock the trouble of shouting orders.
After Eld and Gunther rejoined with the horses, the squad prepared to depart.
Noticing the eyes on them, Eld swallowed nervously and leaned toward Lock. "Captain… maybe we should cover it? People are panicking. If this sparks a riot—"
Gunther nodded in agreement. "It's too conspicuous. A cloth would calm them down."
Oluo said nothing, his face pale from pain. His wound had reopened during the ride, blood soaking fresh bandages, yet he had refused to complain.
Lock's expression hardened. "No. We'll march it openly through Karanis. People need to see it." His voice carried, directed not just to his squad but to the crowd around them. "The Survey Corps has the strength to kill Titans—and even capture them. Let civilians, garrison soldiers, and the complacent cowards in the Military Police all see this truth: Titans are not invincible."
Eld hesitated. "But Captain, what if—"
"There's no problem," Lock cut him off. His eyes shifted to Oluo. "As for you, you're going to a doctor. Now. That's an order."
Oluo blinked, startled by the command, then saluted weakly. "Yes, Captain…" His pride made his face twist more than the pain.
"Don't get sentimental," Lock muttered, annoyed. "Gunther, Eld—take him."
With that, he climbed onto the carriage, sword drawn, and resumed guard at the Titan's side. Should its limbs heal, they would sever them again without hesitation.
As Eld and Gunther guided Oluo toward a clinic, the Titan was paraded openly through Karanis. Eyes followed it everywhere—fear, hatred, awe.
Locals who had never glimpsed a Titan shrank back in horror. Refugees from Wall Maria, however, glared with burning hatred.
When Oluo reemerged from treatment, bandaged and steadier, a small knot of refugees blocked the carriage's path. They were not content to simply watch.
"Sir!" cried a man in his thirties, his voice raw with anger. "What will you do with that Titan?!" His eyes blazed with the same hatred mirrored in those behind him.
Lock met his gaze evenly. "We will study it. Test it. Learn its secrets—so that in future battles, we can destroy them more effectively. Remember this…"
He turned toward the watching crowd, raising his voice so all could hear.
"Titans are not invincible! Humanity will walk beyond these Walls again. One day—we will reclaim our freedom!"
The street fell silent. Even the refugees, mouths half-open, could not speak.
With a sharp signal from Lock, Eld urged the horses forward. The crowd parted without resistance, their eyes locked on the departing soldiers until they vanished from sight.
Only then did voices rise again—not in despair, but in something long forgotten.
Hope.
Those who had fled from Wall Maria, once hollow-eyed and broken, now clenched fists with renewed fire.
The Titans could be defeated.
And freedom was not just a dream.
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