Levi's POV
"Two 12 meter classes, inbound!"
I looked over. Two of the beasts had just appeared out of a nearby bunch of trees and were making a beeline for us. I growled and steered my horse towards them.
How had the situation gotten out of hand so quickly? The 58th Expedition had started like any other. Its goal was to scout out the fastest possible route to Wall Maria in anticipation for the expedition to reclaim her, and Erwin had also discussed the possibility of establishing hidden supply depots and updating the maps we had on the area.
But mere hours after we had left the wall, disaster struck. Dozens of titans began to simultaneously attack the Survey Corps from all sides.
The worst part was that the assault was organized. Whatever it was that was leading them, it was intelligent. The titan onslaught was arranged in a way that forced us to keep riding in a straight line, making maneuver impossible. Robbed of flight, the only thing the Survey Corps could do was fight, and the casualties we were incurring were horrific.
As i got within 10 meters of them, i engaged my gear and shot up. Somersaulting to dodge a swing by the first one, i swung around his neck and sliced his nape. As he fell, i headed for the second one. Firing my cable into his right forearm, i used the momentum to swing around and land above his head, cutting the nape, and diving off before he dissolved.
I heard a whistle. The other soldier with me was leading my horse by the reins and galloping towards me. He stopped and i mounted my horse. Nodding my thanks, i cracked the reins and we rushed to rejoin the formation.
I looked around me. Two more flares had just been fired into the air, joining the trails of the dozen or so that had already been fired. The losses were getting so severe that my Special Operations Squad had been broken up to plug gaps in the line.
"What are we going to do corporal? We can't just continue riding into an ambush."
"Just stay in formation soldier. If there is a change in plan Erwin will-" At that moment i heard thunderous footsteps coming from a nearby hill. Over the crest of the hill appeared another titan. This one was 15 meters tall, and covered from head to toe in amber colored armor, save a few small small gaps at his joints. He lowered himself into a running formation, and began sprinting directly towards us.
The Armored Titan. I had never personally faced off against him but i knew what it looked like from reading the reports of the breach of Wall five years ago, and this titan matched it perfectly. I grabbed a purple flare and fired it into the air. We had been provided these flares in the event of encountering an Aberrant.
I drew one of my swords. "Prepare for combat! Ride around his flank and-" But i never got to finish my sentence, as the Armored Titan raced past my group, and deeper into the interior.
The two of us stared as he disappeared over the crest of a hill, perplexed. My partner wondered out loud. "Why would he just ignore us?" before it hit me. He was heading towards the supply wagons. He was heading for Eren!
"Hold the formation!" I barked the order at my fellow soldier and started chasing after the titan. He was faster than my horse and had a huge head start, but he left behind a trail of easy to follow footprints. As i rode i heard a distant explosion and a yellow bolt of thunder shot down about half a kilometer away.
As i rode over a gentle slope I spotted three other horses, rapidly closing from the distance and converging upon the same spot. As they got closer, i could see that it was recruit Ackerman, Petra and a new recruit named Dietmar. Dietmar and Petra had been assigned to protect Eren so i wasn't surprised by their presence, but what irked me was that Ackerman had clearly abandoned her post to save her friend. Deep down however, i was relieved. I didn't know the extent of this aberrant's capabilities and having backup, especially backup as skilled as Ackerman, was a godsend.
Eren's Titan was facing off against the Armored Titan. Around them was littered the corpses of many Survey Corps Members, their horses and Titans of differing sizes.
Both of them were wounded, Eren's left forearm was missing and the armor on the Armored Titan's chest and face was partially shattered. As i watched, Eren grabbed a nearby rock and smashed it against his opponent's face. It didn't do any visible damage, but it stunned the Armored Titan, allowing Eren to tackle him to the ground and began tearing at the armor around his nape.
The Armored Titan roared and smashed his elbow into Eren's face, throwing him off. But Eren immediately lunged forward again, hardening his fist and punching his right elbow, which bent at an unnatural angle. By now Eren's left forearm had regenerated, and he grabbed the Armored Titan in a hold and began to tug at the armor around his opponent's nape.
With an earth shattering roar he tore out a huge chunk of the armor in one swift action. The Armored Titan roared in pain and struggled, but Eren managed to restrain him. I felt a surge of triumph. All Eren had to do was bite off the titan's nape and he would win. Even if Eren couldn't reach the nape it would only take one of us to finish off the Armored Titan while Eren held him.
A boulder flew in and smashed into Eren, tearing off chunks of flesh and throwing him off his opponent.
"Eren!" Ackerman yelled and spurred on her horse. The rest of us followed suit.
"Levi! Look!" I turned around to where Petra was frantically gesturing. Another Aberrant! This one looked more like an ape, with long arms and his entire body covered in fur. He was gripping a rock in each hand, and six 15 meter classes and ten 8 meter classes were arranged in the forest behind him. As i watched, he hurled another at Eren. Both he and his opponent was almost healed, but the rock impacted him and he went down again.
Ackerman's horse drew up beside mine. I looked over and saw that her face was tight with anxiety, "Just hang on Eren! We're on our way!"
But it was becoming obvious that Eren couldn't last that long. The Armored Titan leapt forward and tore off his entire right arm, and as he tried to counterattack with an armored left fist another rock smashed into his chest, and he fell to his knees. The Armored Titan pulled him forward and smashed his fist into the nape of Eren's titan.
That blow was hard enough to kill him. But as the Armored Titan tore Eren's limp body from his Titan form's nape, i could see that he was groaning and writhing in pain, hurt but alive The relief i felt immediately gave way to horror as the aberrant turned and ran.
"No!" I spurred my horse to gallop even faster. The accursed beast had already robbed so many of my comrades of their lives, he was not going to steal Eren away as well.
The ape-like aberrant smashed his fist into the ground. As if it was a signal, the six 15 meter classes and five of the 8 meter classes moved forward while the Armored Titan ran towards the forest.
All four of us simultaneously engaged our gears and shot towards them. I drew my blades and slashed out the eyes of one. Leaving him for Petra to finish, i dodged a blow from another and sliced out his nape, then fell several feet and sliced out the nape of two more 8 meter classes. I could see out of the corner of my eyes that my fellow soldiers had taken care of most of the other titans, and only a few more stood between us and Eren.
Just a little more. The ape-like titan was still watching us intently. As i watched, he reached behind him, grabbed one of the titans and crushed his head and neck, killing him. He turned around, looking at me straight in the eye,and hurled the Titan's lifeless form at me.
I hurriedly disengaged my gear and fell to the ground. The titan's body soared just feet above my head and collided with three others. They collapsed into a heap of naked forms, taking a screaming Dietmar with them, and a flailing arm from one knocked Petra aside. I hurriedly tried to re engage my gear, but it was too late and i hit the ground. I felt a searing pain in my left ankle and i knew that it was broken.
I heard someone run up to me. It was Petra, and judging from the way she held her side she had broken some ribs from the blow. Above me, Ackerman was still desperately trying to reach Eren. With a guttural cry she killed two more titans and shot towards the forest, but the Armored Titan grabbed her cable and twisted it, sending her to the ground.
I could only watch, helpless, as humanity's last hope was carried away and vanished into the forest.
