Eren was stunned.
"That's a fifty-meter wall…"
He muttered, as dumbfounded as the rest of his classmates, staring at the scene before them.
A fifty-meter wall—if they wanted to climb it, they had to use the Rittai Kidō Sōchi (ODM gear), those tempered steel grapples forged and perfected by the arsenal.
But that Titan was scaling the sheer wall with claws and limbs alone. Unbelievable.
"It must be the same Titan that tried to repair the wall years ago," Armin said. "Refugees who were nearby back then said it had razor-sharp claws on its hands and feet, so climbing a wall like this was nothing to it."
"And they say it has intelligence," Marco added. "The lockdown of Wall Rose and the capital 'purge' all started because of this Titan. Rumor has it it's actually a human turned Titan."
"Really? Are there people inside all Titans—people like us?"
Christa wavered. Among them, she was the least combat-ready. She usually covered teammates. She had the resolve to fight Titans, but when she truly faced one—would resolve be enough?
"I don't know. Maybe only certain Titans are like that," Jean said with a shrug. "Either way, it doesn't matter whether they're 'smart' or not—we still have to fight them. Right, Eren?"
"…Yeah."
Eren hadn't expected those words from Jean. For a moment he was glad—maybe his preaching hadn't been for nothing.
"Let's move," Eren said. "The three regiments have massed in this sector. We haven't graduated yet, but killing Titans and protecting humanity is our duty as soldiers!"
"You're right!"
Connie nodded hard.
Behind him, Sasha sneaked a bite of a hidden potato, tears in her eyes, convinced this might be her last meal.
They fired up their Rittai Kidō Sōchi (ODM gear), looking like they feared nothing, and shot toward the hundred-meter-class Titan above.
But then—
The small, quick, clawed Jaw Titan had already sprang onto the giant's arm.
"ROAR!!"
With a snarl, the Jaw Titan scuttled along the hundred-meter Titan's arm, vaulted onto its shoulder, and bit down—hard.
"GRAAA—"
A deafening bellow shook the air. In pain, the hundred-meter giant thrashed, trying to fling the parasite off.
But the Jaw Titan wasn't ordinary. Its teeth were far tougher and keener than a common Titan's. It clamped into the Rod Reiss Titan's shoulder and wouldn't let go—no matter how violently it bucked.
Eren and the others watched it all, wide-eyed.
"Is… is it fighting for us?" Eren blurted, lost.
He had just lit the fire in his chest, blades ready for a charge with no return—only to find someone else had taken the fight, and looked to have a real chance?!
"Eren, back up."
Mikasa stepped in front of him, one hand out to bar his way.
They were all standing on the wall, watching Titans clash, with no angle to intervene.
The heat scorched their skin and made it hard to breathe.
"Maybe… we should get down first," Jean said, already wavering. He knew he was just human—he couldn't fight like a Titan.
And though they didn't understand why the small Titan on the giant's arm fought on their behalf, they clearly weren't helping by standing here.
"Looks like this Titan is about to win," Armin said, exhaling in relief.
Eren whipped his head toward him. "Don't get complacent. We still don't know if that Titan is friend or foe. If it kills the big one, then the next problem—the biggest one—might be it."
"But—"
Armin started, when someone came streaking in on Rittai Kidō Sōchi (ODM gear) from afar and landed beside them.
"Hey! You trainees—move! It's dangerous here!"
They turned at the shout and saw the unicorn on the man's uniform.
"Military Police," someone said.
"It's the MP Commander, Nile Dawk," Jean said at once—if anyone tracked the MPs, it was him.
They snapped salutes, but Nile waved them down.
His uniform was already in tatters; he'd ridden straight from the Interior.
"Go—now. There's no time."
"But Commander!" Armin pointed at the Jaw Titan darting around the hundred-meter giant. "Commander, what's the deal with that one?"
Nile followed his finger, took in the sight—and blinked.
"Who knows. In a mess like this, nothing should surprise you."
He gave a hollow laugh, drained.
That wasn't enough to convince the others. Clearly, unless they knew what was really going on, they wouldn't withdraw so easily.
Then the Jaw Titan roared again.
"ROAR!!"
With a thunderous cry, plates of hardened armor erupted across its frame—Kōka (Hardening)—and it went mad for the nape!
Shhk-shhk-shhk-shhk-shhk!
Claws carved down.
The hundred-meter Titan moved sluggishly, unable to shake it. When it finally reached for its neck, Roger was already driving the Jaw Titan's fangs through—snapping the spinal column, shredding it.
BOOM!
The sixty-ton head teetered, broke free, and collapsed, slamming into the wall and blasting the trainees off their feet.
"Aaah!!"
They screamed, snatching at anything they could grip, fighting not to roll off the parapet.
A gale tore past their faces, spitting gravel that split skin and drew blood—scattering red into the wind.
Below, the people saw something new. For the first time, they witnessed Titan versus Titan—and at such terrifying, overwhelming scale.
"What just happened? What is that Titan?!"
"Is this an answered prayer? Gods!"
"A savior! A savior Titan has appeared!!"
"Don't be stupid—they're Titans! Even if they fight each other, they're still our enemies!"
Voices clashed—shock and dread written on every face.
And then Roger, through the Jaw Titan, dealt the finishing blow to the monstrous form born of Rod Reiss.
With twin claws he dug into the severed stump—and ripped the mangled Rod Reiss out.
He had never devoured any of the Nine, so the instant Rod Reiss touched air and sunlight, his life ended.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810