"Squad Leader Rico! Save me!" A Garrison soldier was clutched in a Titan's hand, shouting desperately at Rico.
Cold sweat dripped from Rico's forehead as she tightened her grip on the blades in her hands. She forced herself to turn around—right now, the most critical thing was to ensure Eren reached the breach safely.
"Ah!" Ignoring the screams behind her, Rico continued directing the remaining soldiers to protect Eren.
Mikasa's gaze was sharp. In an instant, she sliced through a Titan's nape and landed on a rooftop, watching with concern as Eren, carrying the massive boulder, moved step by step toward the breach.
Ian was extremely anxious. There were still many Titans around, but more than half of the soldiers tasked with protecting Eren had already fallen. If this continued, they might not be able to hold them back.
"Hey! You bastards! Come on! We're right here—if you've got the guts, come eat us!"
Ian looked down in shock. Several Garrison soldiers were running on foot through the streets, shouting to draw the Titans' attention. At their head was his comrade, Mitabi.
In a situation like this, moving on foot made it easier to attract Titans—but it was also far more dangerous. Drawing so many Titans at once was almost certainly a death sentence.
Mitabi's squad paid with their lives and successfully lured away a group of Titans. Even so, more than ten Titans were still charging toward Eren.
"All together! We absolutely cannot let these Titans interfere with Eren!" Rico activated her Vertical Maneuvering Equipment and rushed toward the Titans. The remaining soldiers followed, throwing themselves forward without hesitation.
Boom! Boom! Heavy footsteps thundered as the ground itself seemed to tremble.
"Th-that—that is!!" Ian's eyes went wide, his voice trembling.
At the end of the street, a Titan over seventeen meters tall was slowly approaching Eren.
Looking at this Titan—with its crimson eyes, rows of sharp teeth, and a body packed with solid muscle—everyone felt a trace of awe rise in their hearts.
"Is that… an abnormal?" Rico stared at it nervously. The pressure radiating from the Titan made the hand gripping her blade slick with sweat.
"That Titan is too dangerous! We can't let it get close to Eren!" Rico shouted to Ian beside her.
Ian's expression grew grave. He swallowed hard, then resolutely raised his twin blades.
"Ian Squad, all units—move out! Stop that red-eyed Titan!"
"ROAR!!" But in the next moment, the red-eyed Titan suddenly threw back its head and roared, the sound seeming to tear through the sky.
Within his chaotic consciousness, Eren felt as though his entire body was about to be crushed. Only one thought remained in his mind—move forward, move forward, fight! Fight!
Eren felt as though his body no longer belonged to him. Rage and unwillingness seemed to dominate him. A strange sensation—something indescribable felt as if it were trying to burrow into his mind.
"ROAR!!" The sudden roar startled Eren, and his previously muddled consciousness cleared.
"Eren, keep going—don't give up!"
A voice inexplicably echoed in his mind. Encouraged, Eren thought of his comrades, of those brave soldiers, of his mother, of his father, and of the secrets buried in the basement.
The pointed-eared Titan carrying the boulder suddenly let out a furious roar of its own. Its once-heavy steps became even more powerful!
But everyone's attention was drawn to the suddenly appearing red-eyed Titan. After it roared, the Titans that had been heading toward Eren all went mad and charged at the red-eyed Titan instead.
That red-eyed Titan was none other than Yago, who had just arrived. Seeing Eren lift the boulder, Yago let out a sigh of relief. But when he saw the many Titans surrounding Eren, Yago roared in fury, drawing the Titans' attacks toward himself. This ability seemed to be something Yago instinctively learned after becoming a Titan.
Then, before everyone's stunned eyes, Yago smashed a Titan's head to pieces with a single punch. Several fifteen-meter-class Titans were like lumps of dough in his hands.
Titans under ten meters couldn't withstand even a single move—Yago kicked them away and crushed their napes outright.
"What's going on? That Titan is killing Titans?" Ian stared at Yago's Titan in disbelief.
Armin reacted the fastest, instantly thinking of Eren. He spoke up,
"Could that Titan… be like Eren too?"
At his words, everyone fell silent, looking at Yago's Titan. Could this be another human who possessed Titan power? And just who was he?
"At a time like this! Don't worry about the identity of that red-eyed Titan yet!" Rico said firmly.
"Eren is already close to the breach—there are still a few Titans there. Protect Eren!"
She knew now wasn't the time to focus on that Titan. Protecting Eren and sealing the wall was the most urgent task. Since that Titan was drawing Titans away from Eren, it could be considered an ally for the moment.
Everyone snapped back to their senses. Mikasa was the first to rush to Eren's front, and the others immediately followed her.
"Die!" Rico roared as she cut down the last Titan blocking Eren's path.
There was nothing left ahead to stop him. Carrying the boulder, Eren drew ever closer to the breach.
"Go! Eren!" Armin shouted excitedly.
"Ah! Fight!" From within the Titan, Eren also let out a heartfelt cry.
BOOM!!! The massive boulder crashed down with overwhelming force, kicking up clouds of dust as it firmly sealed the entire breach.
"We did it!!" Tears welled up in Armin's eyes as he laughed and cried at the same time.
"At last… everyone's sacrifices weren't in vain." Rico's legs gave out as she collapsed to the ground. With trembling hands, she raised the signal gun—bang! A yellow flare, signifying success, shot into the sky.
On this day, humanity defeated the Titans for the first time.
Yago locked his arms around a Titan and saw that Eren had successfully sealed the breach. Inside his Titan body, Yago smiled faintly.
"Eren, you did it. Humanity… can be said to have won this victory."
Yago suddenly released his hold. That Titan immediately turned and bit into Yago's Titan body with its jaws. Several other Titans swarmed in as well. Yago offered no resistance, collapsing and allowing the Titans to tear into him. His wounds only emitted faint steam, no longer rapidly regenerating as before.
Ian was the first to notice something was wrong. "Hey! That Titan is about to be eaten!"
Only then did everyone react. The Titan that had helped them—yet moments later, the Titans scattered, leaving behind only remains that gradually evaporated.
"That Titan that looked so strong… got eaten just like that?" Armin couldn't quite believe it. They didn't even know whether that Titan was human, so how could—
"Armin! Hurry and help me—Eren's been trapped!" Mikasa said anxiously, holding the unconscious Eren in her arms. The muscles of a Titan had tightly wrapped around Eren's lower body.
Armin reacted immediately and rushed over to help.
"Watch out! Those Titans are coming!" Ian raised his blades as the Titans that had finished devouring Yago's Titan began moving toward Eren and the others.
...
On Wall Rose, Commander Pixis saw the yellow flare signaling success.
The soldiers around him cheered, but Commander Pixis remained calm and issued orders at once.
"All forces, rescue the elite squad, and prepare to eliminate all Titans in the Trost District!"
"Commander! The Survey Corps have returned!" A Garrison soldier rushed to report. Pixis twisted open a bottle and took a long swig of alcohol.
"Perfect timing! Excellent!"