Appearing before everyone was a young girl wearing a long dress, looking about the same age as Yago. She had long dark-blond hair tied behind her head and a pretty face. Seeing everyone, the girl politely performed a bow, a perfectly standard noble's etiquette.
"Miss Lisa, it's a relief that you're safe. Since that's the case, we'll depart immediately!" Yomen let out a sigh of relief when he saw their objective for this mission. The longer they delayed, the more dangerous it would become—they had to withdraw as soon as possible.
"Miss! You must have been terribly frightened!" Rosen, the Chief Steward, hurried over obsequiously to support Lisa. Lisa, however, very earnestly went to thank each soldier in turn, extremely polite—far better than that steward, by who knew how many times.
When she came before Yago, Lisa paused for a moment. Perhaps it was because of the young man's age, or perhaps because of the trainee insignia on his uniform, but she still offered her thanks politely. "Thank you very much for coming to rescue us."
Yago waved his hand, the resentment in his heart easing a little. At least this Miss Lisa was courteous, unlike other nobles. Yago thought of the past Ilse had once spoken about.
Soon, Yago and the others gathered at the entrance at the base of the tower. Watching several attendants drive out two carriages, Yago frowned slightly.
The carriages were piled high with large chests, looking extremely heavy.
Yomen was also puzzled.
"Chief Steward Rosen, there are plenty of Titans outside. Bringing so many things along won't be very convenient, will it?"
Chief Steward Rosen said harshly, "These are all our lord's property. Your pay is in there too—it must be taken!"
Yago once again felt the urge to chop this guy to death. Their lives were on the line, and he was still thinking about money?
But Yomen couldn't refuse outright and could only grit his teeth and agree. Soon, Lisa came out as well, and her appearance surprised Yago. She was no longer wearing a long dress, but instead simple long-sleeved clothes and trousers. Her hair was tied into a neat ponytail, making her look very capable.
"There's no need to dress so nicely when you're fleeing for your life, right? You can't run in a long dress," Lisa said with a smile before getting into the carriage.
She also tried to persuade Chief Steward Rosen to abandon the property, but he refused to listen at all. To avoid wasting time, the group hurriedly withdrew, the carriages racing down the main road.
The garrison soldiers split into two teams, moving along the buildings on both sides of the street, keeping watch on the surroundings.
Yago stayed at the very back of the formation, responsible for the rear guard. This was also Yomen's arrangement—if they let a trainee take the vanguard position for them, where would their elite vanguard squad put their reputation?
Yago ran swiftly across the rooftops with dual blades raised, but unease grew in his heart. It was a little too quiet around them.
"Squad Leader! Two Titans ahead on the left—one fifteen-meter class and one ten-meter class—approaching!" a female garrison soldier reported.
Yomen thought for a moment, then shouted, "Niki, take three people and deal with those two Titans!"
Niki replied, "Yes! South unit, Wick, Anna—come with me!" The four of them changed direction and charged toward the two rapidly approaching Titans.
They were already close to an intersection. Once they passed through it, they would soon link up with the central guard unit, and then they would be safe. The tightness in Yomen's brow eased slightly.
The next instant—bang!! A massive impact blasted Yomen away, slamming him hard into the rooftop of a building. Yago immediately stopped as well, and the carriages below were startled to a halt.
As the smoke from the impact dispersed, everyone stared wide-eyed at the enormous figure within. A Titan with loose hair, its body twisted, arms absurdly long, its mouth split all the way to its ears—and it was still chewing on a leg and half a body.
On closer look, that half a body—wasn't it Niki, who had just gone to kill the Titans?
Niki spat blood, her consciousness slowly slipping into darkness. They had miscalculated. Beside those two ordinary Titans, a terrifying abnormal Titan had been lying in wait. The four of them had been wiped out almost instantly.
Ignoring the blood streaming from his forehead, Yomen's face was filled with disbelief.
"Ab… abnormal Titan. It's over."
"Ah—no! No!" Before anyone could react, another Titan that had appeared at some unknown moment suddenly grabbed the female garrison soldier standing on the rooftop and, amid her desperate gaze, stuffed her into its huge mouth. With a crunch, it bit her in half.
Only Yago, Yomen, and one male garrison soldier remained on the field.
The Titan that had eaten the female soldier suddenly leaped, actually jumping more than ten meters high, lunging toward the carriages.
"Another abnormal Titan?!" Yomen was utterly despairing. He turned to the surviving Yago and the other garrison soldier and shouted,
"Mission failed! Run!" With that, he turned and activated his Vertical Maneuvering Equipment to flee. The other garrison soldier followed his Squad Leader in a panic.
Yago, however, hesitated, looking down at the carriages below. Being told to abandon these people was hard for him to accept, but abnormal Titans were countless times stronger than ordinary Titans.
At that moment, the jumping Titan had already reached the carriages. The attendants on the carriages were long since scared into scattering in all directions, but the abnormal Titan was incredibly fast. Aside from a few who managed to run into buildings, the rest were all swallowed.
The carriages were crushed into splinters under the abnormal Titan's weight. Coins and jewels scattered all over the ground. Lisa struggled to drag the terrified, frozen Rosen, taking advantage of the abnormal Titan's inattention to hide in a building by the roadside.
Unfortunately, they were still discovered. A gigantic hand slapped toward them. Suddenly, the previously paralyzed Rosen seemed to be injected with adrenaline. He stood up, grabbed Lisa, and with all his remaining strength threw her toward the building behind them.
"Miss! Run!" Chief Steward Rosen roared. The next instant, the Titan's palm slammed down, and blood blossomed.
"Uncle Rosen!" Tears streamed down Lisa's face. Chief Steward Rosen had accompanied Lisa through almost her entire upbringing. Though he was usually harsh toward others, he treated Lisa exceptionally well. The property he had insisted on taking was also wealth he had earned for her. He treated Lisa as if she were his own daughter.
Though grief-stricken, Lisa couldn't let Rosen's sacrifice be in vain. She clenched her teeth, stood up, and ran toward the back.
But the next instant, Lisa's feet left the ground. A huge hand grabbed her—she still hadn't managed to escape.
The abnormal Titan raised its arm, preparing to stuff this human into its mouth.
Lisa closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Uncle Rosen. I'm sorry, Father. I'll never see you again."
Suddenly, the abnormal Titan let out a horrifying howl. Lisa felt her body lighten, losing control as she fell downward. Before she could react, someone caught her in their arms.
Yago held Lisa, his expression grave. Using the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, he quickly landed on a rooftop and set Lisa down, instructing her,
"Be careful!" Then he turned to face the abnormal Titan.
Crack—he snapped off the broken blade in his left hand and drew another sharp blade. Yago looked at the abnormal Titan not far away whose hand he had severed. Steam rose from the Titan's hand as it rapidly regenerated, its gaze locking onto Yago.
Yago crouched, then with two swift motions inserted both blades into the devices on his calves, securing them. After steadying himself slightly, he fixed a stern stare on the abnormal Titan.
The battle was about to erupt.
...
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