The wooden watchtower couldn't withstand the Titans' assault. With just one swing, the supposedly sturdy structure was smashed to splinters.
The horns ceased, replaced by screams.
The omni-directional mobility gear saved the men inside, hauling them away.
Trained as they were, Roger saw how orderly their retreat was. The moment the horns blew, everyone had snapped into readiness, and under Commander Keith's orders, they quickly pulled back, leaving the outpost empty.
But out here in the wild, with no tall structures to anchor to, ODM gear couldn't carry them far. To retreat fully, they needed the horses.
Keith and the rest of the Corps regrouped at the edge of the forest, perched in the trees, gazing anxiously at the outpost.
Two towers were already down, several Titans loitered near the stables. The base was completely overrun.
"Erwin, count the men. See if anyone's missing."
"Yes, sir."
Erwin fired his hooks, moving swiftly, taking a headcount.
"Other than Adams and Cecil's squads, who haven't returned, the remaining twenty-seven are all here."
"Good. Order the soldiers to stay alert."
"Yes, sir."
At that moment, Hange swung in, landing beside Keith.
"Commander, Roger hasn't withdrawn!"
"What?!" Keith suddenly remembered—Roger wasn't a soldier. "Where is he? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on him?!"
"He wouldn't listen. He… insisted on fighting the Titans."
"Damn fool!" Keith ground his teeth. "Erwin's squad, Hange's squad—come with me! Do everything you can to bring that idiot Roger back alive!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Wait, Commander."
Erwin's voice cut through.
"What is it? What's on your mind, Erwin?"
Keith paused. He trusted Erwin's judgment.
Erwin's face was calm. He looked into the distance and spoke slowly.
"He's already killed two."
"?!!"
Everyone's heads whipped around, stunned.
Sure enough—though four Titans still pressed him, two corpses already sprawled across the ground.
"No way!!"
"This is…"
"God above!"
"Freak."
"What is he?"
A chorus of disbelief rose as they watched Roger dispatch one Titan after another as if it were nothing but performance.
"That's the third?!"
"The fourth!"
"Only two left!"
"Commander, this—"
Even Hange, beside Keith, gaped in awe.
"Unbelievable…" she muttered.
At that moment, Roger was still fighting—the ten-meter Titan he'd first targeted. He hadn't been able to finish it off quickly, forced to cut down the smaller ones first.
Gas hissed as he shot forward, cleverly using structures, even the momentum of falling Titans, to whip his cables and spring himself back up.
Strange black markings crept along his skin, crawling up his neck, reaching his ear, spreading outward.
Roger didn't notice—he was lost in the thrill of killing Titans.
"Perfect. This gear was made for me!"
He loved the device. Since childhood he'd dreamed of inventing ingenious mechanisms, poring over blueprints and principles.
But Marley cared nothing for science. There were no proper research facilities.
And as a despised Eldian, his dream had been shelved.
Now, finally, he wore a device of brilliance. Though crafted by others, using it felt like chasing freedom, chasing his dream.
The black markings reached his eyes, spreading into his sclera.
In the center of the pattern, crimson etchings flared.
And Roger only grew more exhilarated.
—Slash!
He found an opening and sliced the nape of the ten-meter Titan.
"Woohoo!!"
Roger shouted in triumph.
Only one four-meter Titan remained.
"Easy."
But suddenly, the left half of his vision went dark.
What?!
He tried to blink, but his eye was already open.
Blindness?
Roger froze.
And just then, the gas in his gear ran out. He had no idea how to read the gauges, thought the gear had malfunctioned. The bursts sputtered erratically.
Without thrust, stunned by sudden blindness, he fell backwards.
Boom!
The others watched in shock.
They had debated whether to support him. But after he downed the ten-meter Titan, they thought better of it.
If they rushed in with their clumsy skills, they'd only drag him down.
Then someone noticed his gear sputtering.
"He's out of gas."
"Right, it was a spare unit… maybe…"
Hearing this, Keith's expression hardened. They couldn't just stand by. He wasn't about to lose someone like Roger.
"There's only one Titan left. Everyone, with me! We won't let that kid look down on us!"
"Yes, sir!"
They fired their hooks, closing in.
Erwin followed at a steady pace, as if preparing to speak.
"Commander, I have a proposal."
"Speak, Erwin. If it's from you, I'll hear it." Keith turned.
Erwin hesitated, then said it.
"When we get there, I hope you'll have Roger seized and locked in the basement."
"Hm?" Keith frowned. "Why? What are you suggesting?"
"Commander, if he was a civilian lost outside the Walls, then why does he know Titans' weakness lies in the nape?"
"That… isn't exactly a secret, is it…" Keith paused, then asked, "Erwin, be straight. What are you thinking?"
Erwin's face stayed calm.
He spoke evenly:
"I believe…
…
…
Roger comes from outside the Walls."
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