The three cloaked figures in the alley were none other than Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie, who had already slipped inside the Walls.
"Why… why now?!" Bertolt whispered, his voice trembling with panic.
Reiner's jaw clenched, his expression grim. Annie, quiet as ever, chewed her bread slowly, her pale eyes calm though the tension in her posture betrayed her thoughts.
They were still young. Barely into their teens, soldiers only in name. Training and duty had been hammered into them since childhood, but in the end, they were still children, and their composure frayed under the weight of what they faced.
"Keep your voice down!" Reiner hissed, his tone sharp. "If we're overheard, it's over."
Annie finally spoke, her voice low and even. "…Marcel."
At the mention of their fallen comrade, both Reiner and Bertolt froze. The name cut like a blade.
Annie's expression didn't waver as she continued, "The Titan who killed Marcel was controlled by someone inside these Walls. That's the only explanation. That's why we've been exposed."
Reiner's face twisted. His hands balled into fists as he muttered, "Damn it… If that's true, then everything changes."
Bertolt's eyes darted anxiously. "Then… then what do we do? Our identities, our faces—they're out there for everyone to see. If we move around, we'll be caught. We can't keep this up!" He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a desperate whisper. "What if we go back to Marley?"
But the silence that followed crushed his fragile hope. Neither Reiner nor Annie gave the slightest sign of agreement. Annie's expression was cold, unreadable. Reiner only shook his head.
"The Jaw Titan's power is here, inside the Walls," Bertolt tried again, pleading. "That alone is reason enough to return with what we've learned! The mission's impossible—why should we throw ourselves away?"
Reiner let out a bitter sigh. "We can't go back."
"Why not?!" Bertolt's voice cracked with frustration. "We've failed—the mission is ruined!"
Annie's flat reply cut through the air: "Because there's no choice."
Bertolt swallowed, the words catching in his throat. "I…"
Reiner's tone hardened. "Bertolt, listen. Annie is right. We don't have the luxury of retreat. If we return now, what do you think Marley will do? We lost the Jaw Titan. That failure doesn't just fall on us—it falls on our families. Do you understand? Even if we returned, we'd be crushed under punishment."
His voice dropped, heavy with grim resolve. "So the only way forward… is to take back what we lost. We find the one who killed Marcel."
Bertolt's lips quivered. "You mean…"
Reiner's teeth ground together. "Yes. The bastard who stole the Jaw Titan."
The words left no room for doubt.
Bertolt's legs felt weak. "But… how? We don't even know who they are, or where to find them."
Annie stood, brushing crumbs from her cloak. She shoved the last bite of bread into her mouth, her gaze sharp with determination that cut through even her own hesitation. "Then we make them come to us."
Reiner rose to his feet, clapping a hand on Bertolt's trembling shoulder. "You heard her. Let's move."
Bertolt's hands clenched helplessly at his sides. "Damn it… this is all his fault. That bastard's fault!"
With that, the three of them slipped out of the alley, their shadows melting into the streets of Stohess.
Meanwhile, at the Survey Corps headquarters, the tension was suffocating. In the commander's office, Erwin, Levi, Lock, Hange, Ymir, and Petra had gathered to prepare for what was to come.
The air was thick with unease. Every gaze seemed to drift toward Ymir.
Feeling their stares, Ymir threw up her hands. "Don't look at me like that. Lock should've told you—I'm not fast, I'm not strong, my bite isn't anything special. My claws can tear through a Titan, sure, but against those Warriors? I'm nothing. I'll need you to handle it."
Lock's voice was steady, cutting through her excuses. "No one expects you to carry this fight. But when the time comes, I do expect you to act. Don't just stand aside—or worse, do something reckless."
Ymir stiffened, then gave a solemn nod. "Fine. I'll follow your orders."
Levi's piercing glare lingered on her, and Ymir felt her stomach twist. It was as if a blade hovered at her throat. Sweat beaded at her temple.
Erwin's voice broke the silence. Calm, but carrying weight. "This is a test for you, Ymir. If you prove useful, if you aid us, even with your identity revealed, we will protect you. But if you falter… Lock knows what to do."
Without hesitation, Lock answered, "I'll cut off her limbs first."
Erwin nodded once. "Good."
Ymir's mouth twitched into a bitter smile, muttering under her breath, "Cold-blooded…" But part of her chest eased. Limbs could heal. Death was final. Lock's ruthlessness was, in a twisted way, mercy.
No one dwelled on her. She was bait, nothing more. Erwin scanned the room, preparing to assign roles and contingencies.
But before he could continue, a sharp knock rattled the door.
"Report!" A soldier burst in, breathless. "The patrol has found clear climbing marks on the outer wall, more than ten kilometers east of Stohess District. They… they look like fingerprints!"
The words sent a ripple through the room.
Fingerprints. On the Wall.
The implications froze everyone in place. If a Titan could climb the Walls, then the centuries of safety they promised were nothing but a fragile lie. Humanity's sanctuary would mean nothing.
Erwin's chair scraped back as he shot to his feet, his voice commanding and fierce. "We've found them. Prepare to mobilize—Stohess District, at once!"
"Yes, Commander!" the room chorused.
The Survey Corps, already on edge, snapped into motion like a drawn bowstring loosed. Within minutes, orders rang through the halls. Horses were saddled, gear fastened, blades checked.
Less than half an hour later, the Corps thundered out from headquarters, heading for Stohess under the cover of night.
Lock tightened the straps of his vertical maneuvering gear as he rode, his thoughts sharp as steel. This time, we cannot let them slip away. Reiner, Bertolt, Annie—if they remain free, the danger to humanity is endless. Their Titan powers must be taken. Controlled.
But even as his resolve hardened, a shadow of doubt crept into his mind.
Would the hidden King of the Walls permit such a power shift? Would humanity itself survive the clash that was about to erupt?
The night wind howled as the Survey Corps advanced, unaware that the greatest test of their unity and strength loomed just ahead in Stohess.
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