Shiganshina District, inner gate.
In a hidden house, trio peered through a window, eyeing everyone streaming toward the inner gate.
"The Founding Titan hasn't shown up!" Bertholdt said.
Annie nodded. "Just like the warrior chief predicted—this chaos isn't enough to draw it out. We need something bigger."
Reiner: "Break the inner gate too?"
"Hold on!" Annie cut in. "That doctor with the glasses hasn't appeared yet."
Bertholdt: "Annie, what's so special about that doctor?"
Reiner: "I say we forget him—our target's the Founding Titan."
Annie shot Reiner a glare. "You've got some nerve. If Marcel hadn't died, we wouldn't have lost the map."
Reiner: "…"
Bertholdt: "Reiner, let's wait a bit longer."
Fifteen minutes later…
Rein reached the inner gate area.
The air reeked of blood the whole way—screams and cries hammering his ears nonstop.
Even a stone-cold heart would soften. Rein? Even more so.
But he was powerless to change it.
Besides, humans fleeing to the inner gate wouldn't help. The Armored Titan was about to crush their last hope.
And the culprits behind this hell? Hiding nearby.
Rein hunched low, creeping house to house, hunting.
"Little Bertholdt, don't hide—I see you," he mumbled, his words a garbled mess.
No luck. Every spot he checked was either trashed by other Titans or collapsed. No sign of the trio.
"Where are they?"
He stood, gazing out at the nightmare unfolding.
"Hm?" He noticed something odd—near the inner gate, one area had almost no Titans.
"Could they be hiding there?"
People always pick the safest spots.
Rein edged closer.
"Here?"
He targeted a low house, bending down to peer through the window, eyes wide.
Maybe it was fate. This was exactly where the unlucky trio holed up.
They were focused on the crowd when Rein's massive head popped into view. The air stilled—both sides froze.
One second later—
"Found you!" Rein's inner cheer erupted.
"Titan! Danger!" The trio's instincts screamed.
Marcel's death flashed before them. Annie didn't hesitate, pulling her dagger to transform into the Female Titan.
But then the usual coward—Reiner—found courage he shouldn't have.
"I've got this!" He grabbed Annie's hand, biting hard into his own wrist.
Blood sprayed.
It happened in a flash. Rein barely got out a "What the—!" before a massive force blasted him back.
The sky darkened again. Thunder roared from the heavens, lighting up Shiganshina.
Marley's shield—the "mightiest" warrior in legend—the Armored Titan—took the stage.
"Damn it, give me a second to react…"
Rein scrambled up, staring at the figure towering half again his height, speechless.
A commanding presence, rippling muscles, gleaming armor catching the sunlight like stained glass.
It looked like a god descended.
After Marcel's death, Reiner had been reborn in fire. No more running. He wanted victory—bring the Founding Titan's power back to Marley, become Marley's light.
"Raaagh!!!" A chilling roar erupted from behind the icy armored mask. The Armored Titan swung a fist, coiled back, and leaped—aiming straight for Rein's head.
"Oh, crap—"
If that hit landed, Rein was done—trumpets blaring at his funeral.
In the nick of time, he rolled aside.
Wind howled past his ear. The Armored Titan's fist, trailing a gust, smashed where he'd stood.
Boom! A deafening blast, like an explosion.
"Close call!" Rein thought, bolting upright.
He didn't see it—amid the blast, a sweeping leg kick came flying.
Reiner knew combat. One miss, and he followed with a brutal strike.
Rein, just a college kid, had zero fighting skills. Beyond dodging on instinct, he was a sitting duck.
How could he predict the Armored Titan's switch-up would be that fast?
In a split second, the kick slammed into his gut.
His stomach churned, pain exploding like his insides were shredded. His huge frame flew back.
Boom!
He crashed dozens of meters away.
"I'm toast!" His only thought.
That blow had knocked the fight out of him. One more punch, and Reiner would beat him to death!
"My life's over!"
He stared in terror as the Armored Titan strode forward, exuding menace.
"System, save me!"
He yelled at the mission bar overhead. In this mess, only a cheat code could pull him out.
"Reiner!"
At the last second, the mission bar seemed to answer—the Armored Titan stopped.
But Rein saw it wasn't the system. It was Annie.
She'd called Reiner off, pointing behind them.
Rein got her gist: Forget that dumb Pure Titan—break the gate already!
True—killing a random Pure Titan did nothing for them.
The Armored Titan snapped back to the mission. He turned, charging off, the ground quaking under his steps.
Rein was saved. Watching the Armored Titan's back fade, he muttered, "Back when I watched the anime, I thought Reiner was weak—the Armored Titan just a punching bag, losing every fight. Didn't expect this!"
You only know an enemy's strength when you face them.
Rein clutched his stomach, standing. He watched the Armored Titan round a street corner, his 15-meter armored bulk zeroing in on Wall Maria's last barrier.
He heard the crowd's frantic shouts, the Titan's pounding run.
"Shut the gate! Shut it!"
"It's coming!"
"Forget the civilians!"
"Ahhh!!!"
Amid the chaos, the Armored Titan crashed into the wall.
Bang!
The gate's shattering echoed across the sky. Rein stood dazed, watching wind sweep from Paradis into Shiganshina, then through to Wall Maria.
Year 845—the Armored Titan breached Wall Maria's inner gate.
And Rein's task? Looked far off again.
He sighed, walking against the Titan flood, out of Shiganshina.