A wave of nausea coursed through William J. Blazkowicz, a feeling he never felt before. His head ached with a dull throb that matched her pulse, and she felt something warm dripped down the side of his face. His ears rang with a perpetual, high-pitched sound. He prefers not to move… but he has to. Imbued with the little strength William had left, he carefully sits himself up. He looked around. Gone is the green grass that once blanketed the long mile field, as blood spread and discolored it.

Tilting his head up to the sky, William had to squint. Bright it was from the moon, but it was the sky that left him in horror…

William was met with a bloody sky. He also saw small dotted shapes flying in the sky, a large group of them soaring towards the city.

"Oh no…" William breathed in a hoarse voice, his ears faltering behind her head.

"—lliam. . . Will. . . ! . ."

William started to hear snippets of syllables. Pulling his attention away from the bloodied atmosphere, he turned his gaze towards the voice calling to him. Suddenly, as If someone poured a bucket of water on his face, William's sense of smell returned and his brain was assaulted with all kinds of information. There was burnt grass, dirt, smoke, and ozone. William recoiled immediately, pinching his nose as he picked up the distinct odor of burning flesh along with the stale scent of blood.

"—William!"

(ATTACK ON TITAN)

Reawakening II:

Alone Through The Forest

So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.

- Corrax Entry 7:17

(ATTACK ON TITAN)

The moon, resplendent in its fullness, cast a radiant silver glow upon the forest below. Its luminous light gracefully danced through the trees, as if preparing the stage for the forthcoming attraction. The sky was adorned with a multitude of stars from above, each one shimmering like a precious diamond. Some stars were so brilliantly clear that they seemed almost within reach, while others were veiled by a thick curtain of clouds, adding an air of mystery to the celestial spectacle.

The majestic trees swaying gently in the wind emitted a soft creaking sound, as if whispering secrets to one another. The breeze, ever-changing in direction, would occasionally sweep through the forest, causing the leaves on the branches to rustle and flutter. And then, just as quickly as it had arrived, the breeze would subside, leaving behind only a few scattered twigs as a subtle reminder of its presence.

Trees towered a hundred feet high, their overhanging branches stuck out from each side or the tree. The thick undergrowth created a wall of vegetation that swallowed the faint moonlight, casting a blue hue over everything in its path. It was all so peaceful and—

An abnormal titan emitted a tremendous bellow. Vigorously clawing at the ground with its hands before executing a massive leap into the air, propelling itself towards the Doom Slayer. With remarkable agility, the Doom Slayer evaded the behemoth by jumping over it, sprinting swiftly down its head, then gracefully leaped into the air, and landing firmly on the ground. Upon rising to his feet, he discovered that he was already encircled by five titans.

The titan positioned in the center was the first to initiate an action, emitting a growl and extending its hand in an attempt to seize the Doom Slayer. However, its world was abruptly turned upside down when it was struck with an uppercut from the hands of the clad hell-walker. Another titan had no time to react, as it witnessed in the blink of an eye, the Doom Slayer soaring through the air right before its very eyes.

As it met the Slayer's gaze up close, it somehow felt its terror increase like none it had ever experienced before. This armored creature's height was small compared to the titan's giant head, yet the behemoth felt like a small helpless baby. Before it could do anything, the Doom Slayer penetrated his fist through its head creating an explosion of red mist. Its body fell to the ground leaving all the other hydra's stunned by this brutal catastrophe. While in midair the Slayer reached behind his back pulling out his turret.

The barrels began to spin increasingly fast. Once fully charged he unleashed its fury by igniting the third titan's whole body, round after round piercing through its flesh with no end. It falls with a heavy thud causing a tremor in the forest, laying lifeless with its guts, organs, and blood oozing out from every hole of its body.

Using mobility from the boot thrusters he double jumps for a safer landing on the earth's floor. By reflex, he quickly moved to the side dodging four jaws of another titan that almost pounced on him. Replacing his turret with his rocket launcher, he brought the sights down and engaged the lock-on. The system took a moment to lock on all four. Then there was a faint beep, and the missiles went flying.

This time their roar was one of surprise, before being utterly obliterated. The force of the explosion tumbled him through the air, smashing through trees and overhanging branches with all the subtlety of a runaway train.

The Slayer landed on his feet, the launcher already locking on once more. He fired again barely feeling the kick of the projectiles against his shoulder over the pounding of his heart. The trio of rockets detonated on impact, exploding four titans that attempted to jump him from behind into a mist of red.

Within landing, he turned to his left seeing another titan, smaller one to his height, charging full speed towards him. He whipped out his assault rifle, hefting it gently, his hands swapping out the micro-missile launcher for a tactical scope and sliding it into place with a satisfying click.

He sighted the rifle, centering the crosshairs on the charging behemoth's forehead, and fired. The rifle let out several sharp barking cracks. The titan's body went limp, collapsing its face down to the ground as five rounds punctured right into the titan's forehead.

The Doom slayer stood with a profound sense of satisfaction as the behemoth lay there motionless. Suddenly, another one, by reflex, managed to snap its jaws at the Slayer, lifting him high into the air and shaking him vigorously from side to side. For a brief moment, the titan believed it had gained the upper hand, until it was struck by a bright blue grenade, causing its entire body to be transformed into ice.

Even while frozen, the titan remained alive long enough to witness the Slayer leaping towards them. With a powerful blow delivered midair, the Slayer clenched his hand into a fist, swung his right arm, and generated a shockwave of wind, shattering the frozen titan into fragments. Once again, the Slayer gracefully rotated his body, now facing the remaining titans, who all gazed at him with a rather foolish expression.

The Titans were not quite meeting his current level of bloodlust, if anything, these creatures only managed to further fuel his rage. It is rather astonishing to consider that such feeble beings pose a threat solely due to their immense size... The very notion that humanity is being terrorized by them is enough to cause his anger to surge.

These creatures lack intelligence, skill, finesse, and tactics. They do nothing more than stumble about until they locate a human to consume. Such pitiful creatures do not deserve to pose a threat to humanity. It is solely their size that renders them dangerous.

Time to end this, he thought.

In a flash, a massive object appeared in the Doom Slayer's hands. Every titan in the vicinity tilted their heads at said object. He smiled as he caressed the smooth metal of his beloved in his hands.

The BFG.

He takes careful aim, waiting to get all his targets in perfect position before taking the shot. A ball of crackling green energy shot from the end absorbing the kick it gave to the Slayer, as if passed into the group of titans. The ball struck them with tendrils of green lightning causing them to scream in excruciating pain.

The green sphere exploded filling up the Slayer's world around him. . .

"Guys, come on you gotta believe us!"

Hugo briskly traversed the room while the other soldiers remained seated. Hannes positioned himself against the wall, arms crossed and head lowered. The soldiers in their seats discreetly observed Hugo, their eyebrows slightly raised. Ian Dietrich stood behind the soldiers, his countenance devoid of emotion, also raising an eyebrow at Hugo.

"Seriously, Hugo? A jumping armored man? Really?"

One of the soldiers chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm sorry but I'm finding it hard to believe myself."

"I'm serious!" Hugo spat. "I know what I saw; a man clad in armor came out of nowhere and started slaughtering titans left and right, and they even sealed the breach the titans came out of. They were using weapons, weapons I've never seen before. Come on, Hannes was there with me god damn it he can tell you himself!"

Everyone shifted their gaze to Hannes.

"Is this true?" Ian inquired, looking at Hannes.

Hannes lifted his head and stared back at Ian.

"Yeah," Hannes replied. "Believe me, I wish I can tell you guys that Hugo's just spewing out nonsense and crap. But I saw them too; that guy came out of nowhere and took down a titan that was just about to eat Eren's mom. When they got her, I saw that her legs were broken. Probably due to the debris that fell on top of her."

"I'm not a man that believes in miracles, but this person, whoever they are, used something to heal her. It felt like I was staring at the sun except it didn't assault my eyes from gazing at the sight. And lo and behold, she was able to stand. And, well, you all know the rest."

One bearded soldier scratched his head. "I just can't believe it, Hannes. I mean this all sounds made up."

Another soldier chimed. "Yeah, I agree. And I think I know what the deal is: you guys didn't get much sleep. Which makes a lot more sense when you think about it, since the two of you take turns on keeping watch. Your eyes play tricks on you and you see things that aren't there. Hell, it could make anyone mad—"

"We're not crazy, damn it!" Hugo shouted. "If we were making it up, how the hell would you explain the breach being sealed by that damn boulder? Huh?! Can you explain that?"

"How the hell would I know? I wasn't there now was I, crazy uncle tom?"

"Why you—"

"That's enough!" Ian shouted at the two men then returned his gaze back to Hannes. "Let's say this really happened, where are they now?"

Hannes shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. Last we saw them, they were busy taking down titans one by one outside of the wall, all the way to nightfall, and chased after them to the woods." Hannes replied, shoving his hands in his pocket.

One of the soldiers snickered. "Well, I wouldn't put your hopes up of them coming back. Supposed they did kill some titans there's no way they can fight more than a hundred of 'em. They're just one guy. For all we know they're probably dead."

Hannes narrowed his eyes on the floor.

"From what I've seen, I highly doubt that." Hannes said under his breath.

The door swung open and a man entered the room.

He possessed a rather commendable height and a slender physique, accompanied by straight brown hair that was meticulously parted down the center. His eyes, a captivating shade of teal-green, were a sight to behold. Additionally, he sported a well-groomed thin beard and mustache. Adorning his countenance were circular spectacles, while his attire consisted of a brown suit, complemented by a white cravat and a shirt with elegantly ruffled sleeves. Completing his ensemble was a black hat, adorned with a subtle gray stripe.

Everyone in the room recognized him immediately. Specifically, Hannes.

"Dr. Yeager." Ian greeted with a nod.

Dr. Yeager twitched his head from side to side before his eyes landed on Hannes. He marched towards him until he stood five feet close to Hannes. His chest rose and fell, indicating he had to have been running.

"Hannes… my wife, my children," Grisha said, taking another step. "Are they.."

Hannes placed his hand down on Dr. Yeager's shoulder.

"They're alright, doc. Your wife and your kids are with the rest of the survivors at the homeless center." Hannes reassured him, forming a small smile.

Dr. Yeager retreated backwards a few feet. He placed his hand close to his chest and tried to get his thundering heart to slow down. Slowly bringing his respirations to a steady state.

"Thank god," Grisha said breathlessly. As he returned to his calm composure, he looked back at Hannes. "So, can anyone tell me what happened? I was told that the wall was breached by an enormous titan and all the other titans came through. But from what I saw when I arrived, the breach was sealed. There are no titans around."

Hannes approached the side of Dr. Yeager, politely gesturing with his head for the doctor to accompany him. Together, they departed from the room and proceeded down the lengthy mahogany hallway. A few minutes passed in silence until Hannes released a breath.

"Listen, Dr. Yeager," Hannes started. "What I'm about to tell you is gonna sound crazy and unbelievable. So just hear me out, okay?"

"I saw it with my own eyes, man. He was taking down those titans like they were nothing!"

"Yeah, I saw them too. They were fast, strong, and nearly impossible for the titans to stop."

"Somebody from the Garrison Regiment said that he was actually some kind of metal-man, a one man army!"

"Taylor told me he was actually there at the time! He said the guy just had to point at a Titan and the thing's head would explode!"

"No way! That can't be true!"

"A friend of mine was helping evacuate the survivors to the boats, and she said that the guy was even more of a monster than them!"

Armin Arlert endeavored to disregard the boisterous chatter transpiring in his immediate vicinity. Despite the fact that matters have ultimately calmed, there persisted an underlying apprehension and trepidation that the majority sought to conceal by engaging in idle talk regarding the events that unfolded during the breach. The present subject of discussion pertained to the individual hailed as the 'Titan Slayer', who materialized and halted the relentless massacre perpetrated by the titans.

Armin found it difficult to criticize the cadets for their vivid imaginations when it came to the savior of the people, for even he himself struggled to fully grasp the events that had unfolded. The concept of a man possessing the ability to overpower a Titan, towering over them at a height four times their own, was simply beyond comprehension. It defied all logical reasoning and left one perplexed.

Even after briefly witnessing the Titan Slayer summon weapons from seemingly nowhere and single-handedly defeat a fifteen-meter class Titan with nothing but his bare fists, Armin still harbored a sliver of doubt regarding the authenticity of what he had witnessed. The tension in the atmosphere was palpable as he vividly recalled the Slayer leaping over him, ruthlessly dispatching every titan that dared to cross their path. Armin's heart pounded within his chest, and he summoned every ounce of his resolve to refrain from seeking solace in Mikasa's embrace out of sheer trepidation.

"Are you alright Armin?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, the diminutive teen shifted his gaze towards his companion.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine Mikasa. Why do you ask?"

"Because you've been staring at your bread for the past five minutes." Eren supplied helpfully from across the mat.

Nervously chuckling out how obvious his worries were being displayed, Armin tried to dissuade their concern. "I'm just still a bit shaken about what happened, you know. I mean we almost lost our home to the titans."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Eren said, turning away from his friends and glanced at the ground. "I've actually been thinking about that Titan Slayer guy."

"You mean the one that saved your mom?" Armin inquired, looking at Eren curiously.

"Yeah," Eren replied. "I've never seen anyone like him before. He took down those titans like they were nothing. And he was just one guy."

Mikasa nodded in agreement. "It's thanks to the Slayer that we're alive. We should be grateful."

"I wanna go find him."

Armin and Mikasa's eyes open wide.

"Eren, you're not serious right?" Armin questioned, his tone laced with concern. "Come on, that's your stomach talking."

"No it's not!"

Eren abruptly stood upright.

"When I first saw him, he didn't have an ounce of cowardice in him at all. He was like, like, an embodiment of both courage and perseverance. He's everything that I want to be as a Scout! And that's all the more reason for me to go and find him."

Armin and Mikasa exchanged knowing glances then shifted their gazes back to Eren.

"But Eren, even so. Where are you going to find him?" Armin asked.

"I heard from one of the soldiers that he went over the wall," Eren replied. "I'm gonna get on one of the platforms, lower myself down and start from there."

Armin glanced down to the ground. "I don't think it would be wise."

Eren blinked in bewilderment. "Huh?"

Armin gazed back up at him.

"We're still kids, Eren. We barely know anything on how to defend ourselves against a titan. Even if you manage to get over the wall, how will you navigate through the valley without being caught by one of the titans," Armin said. "Not only that, put yourself in the Slayer's shoes. Would you really want some child to be in your way while trying to take down titans? It would be a struggle to focus on two things at once, and it would ultimately lead to, well, you know…"

Eren frowned and glanced at the ground. He hated to admit it but deep down, he knew that Armin was right. While the Slayer did save his mother, he also saved his, Mikasa, and everyone behind the wall. It would be foolish of him to waste his life after his savior went out of their way to save him.

But still, he never really got to thank him.

"Hey, it'll be alright Eren," Armin said. "I'm sure he'll come back—"

An exceedingly loud explosion was promptly succeeded by a substantial tremor that reverberated through the town, bouncing and echoing with great resonance. The entire populace instinctively directed their gaze towards the heavens, fixating on the precise location of the detonation. Eren narrowed his eyes as he discerned a distant anomaly situated beyond the protective barrier.

Gradually, his eyes widened in astonishment as the anomaly materialized in its entirety. Manifesting itself by phasing through the formidable wall, a colossal surge of vibrant, crackling green energy emerged. This ethereal force effortlessly traversed the barrier, subsequently colliding with the earth's surface, its impact accompanied by sinuous tendrils of emerald lightning. The precise point of impact promptly erupted into a billowing cloud of ashen gray.

The trio embraces one another, holding each other close, as they brace themselves for what is to come. The air is filled with the screams of the populace, and the ground beneath their feet shakes violently. Dust kicks up, wafting in front of their faces, causing them to cough and close their eyes. It feels like an eternity, but eventually, the ground stops quaking. The sounds of crackling energy fade away, along with the lightning. The trio stand frozen, waiting until they can no longer hear the claps of lightning, before letting out a collective sigh.

"What was that?" Armin asked, glancing at Eren and Mikasa.

Eren gazed off to where the anomaly once materialized from the wall.

Hope.

It is a word that is so simple and yet has such many meanings in so many cultures. It is a term that can be applied to the universe, to anything in fact. A universal truth that is never questioned or doubted. Hope for the future, hope for people, hope for change.

And that is what the Scout Regiment represents.

The Scout Regiment is the branch of the Eldian military that is most actively engaged in direct Titan combat, Titan study, human expansion, and outside exploration. Owing to their frequent expeditions and encounters with Titans, members of the Scout Regiment possess the highest level of skill. Despite having little success, they still symbolized "the hope of mankind" with their insignia being known as the "Wings of Freedom."

Located many miles away from the Scout's home base, and separated from the peaceful tranquility of Wall Maria, lies an ancient jungle valley that appears to have been left untouched by the titans.

A valley covered by an ocean of tree-top canopy, creating a serene and picturesque scene. A meandering river cuts through the floodplains of the basin, reflecting the moon's luminous glow on a night devoid of stars. The moon's gentle light illuminates the forest floor, while the hoot of an owl resonates throughout the woods.

Underneath this lush canopy, skillfully concealed atop the overhanging branches, awaits a proficient team known as the Levi squad. They patiently await the arrival of their targets.

Furlan Church was an unflinching statue behind the leaves. He held the hilt of his blade tightly from his side. After a month of stalking their target, Furlan and his squad were ready to rescue the prisoners.

Furlan used to be a delinquent who roamed the capital's Underground District. Now he was a member of his closest friend's squad, the most elite squadron, having a total kill record exceeding two-hundred and were capable of killing almost any Titan in their path. Due to their strong bond, they were able to synchronize with each other to coordinate their attacks without direct or verbal communication.

Furlan was very focused and able to make the distinction between when to have fun and when to be serious. He was a young man of average height with light gray eyes and dark blond hair. His bangs hung over his forehead in between his eyes.

Levi squad's first woman and Furlan's second closest friend, Isabel Magnolia, was crouched beside him. She was a young woman with green eyes and red-brown hair which she kept in two pigtails. Isabel was neither a woman nor a child; she was somewhere in transition. That meant she had to be kept on a short leash.

Standing behind the duo, Gunther Schultz stood with his hand placed against the tree to steady himself. He was a man of average height with a slightly darker skin tone. He wore a short crop of brown hair that was kept to a point on the back of his head.

Being a soldier of the Scout Regiment who survived multiple encounters with Titans significantly affected Gunther's personality. He was chosen to be part of the Special Operations Squad for his strength. Even though Gunther was able to live through because of his ability to always expect the worst in any situation, he did not allow himself to turn into a heartless beast.

Standing beside him was his best friend, Eld Gin. He had brown eyes and long blond hair which had a middle parting and a bun folded at the back to keep his hair tied. He also had a small beard.

Eld was a responsible and firm leader with a strong sense of duty. He did not talk much, but when he did, he spoke bluntly and in a straightforward manner. He also seemed to have been a veteran of sorts as he teased two of his comrades about having wet their pants on their first expedition, and sarcastically referred to them as "fine fearless soldiers." He also seemed to hold some sort of belief of what makes a true soldier.

At another tree, two other elite scouts hid crouched on an overhanging branch. Crouching to the right was Levi squad's obnoxious individual, Oruo Bozad. He had a much older appearance than his peers, having more pronounced wrinkles despite being implied to be around the same age as his team mates. He had slightly curly, light brown hair styled in an undercut and small hazel eyes.

Oruo was an individual of great self-confidence and a penchant for expressing his opinions. He took pleasure in sharing tales of his own accomplishments. Despite his occasionally grating demeanor, he held the distinction of being the most skilled member of Levi's Special Operations Squad.

With thirty-nine solo kills to his name, he boasted the highest tally among his peers, second only to Levi himself. While Oruo endeavored to present himself as a person of importance, his overconfidence was seldom taken seriously. Furthermore, he displayed a certain clumsiness, often unintentionally biting his own tongue while riding horses.

His comrade, Petra Rall, crouched beside him. She was a relatively short woman with shoulder-length light ginger hair that had bangs swept to the left side and amber-colored eyes.

Petra was a kind and caring woman. She greatly looked up to Levi as a captain and cared deeply for her team, but was notably at odds with Oruo Bozad, due to his tendency to imitate the captain. Despite her kind nature, Petra was a conditioned soldier with a quick reaction time against perceived danger. She displayed extreme loyalty to her leaders, superiors and their orders but has also been seen being protective over her captain.

Crouched alone on another tree, Captain Levi Ackerman, gazed coldly down at the campsite. He had short, straight black hair styled in an undercut curtain, as well as narrow, intimidating dull gray eyes with dark circles under them and a deceptively youthful face. He is quite short, but his physique is well-developed in musculature from extensive vertical maneuvering equipment usage. He is usually either frowning or expressionless; that, plus his extremely calm demeanor, often makes it difficult for others to guess what he is thinking.

Levi raised a hand for his squad's attention. He watched as two bandits slowly patrolled the edge of the forest. The two men walked while laughing and joking, their weapons hanging low and loose in their arms.

Levi lifted his head and darted his eyes at Ouro and Petra. He nodded at the duo for confirmation to take them out. He observed said duo quietly descend to the guards with their ODM gears, slowly stalking behind them, clasping their hands over the guard's foreheads then swiftly slash their necks.

Levi glanced at his other squad-mates and motioned them internally to kill the other guards. One by one the members of Levi squad descended to the campsite. Quietly killing any guard that were patrolling the area until there were none left.

"All clear, captain!" Petra announced, waving her hand at Levi.

Levi jumped from his position and flexed his fingers on the trigger. A hiss of steam shot out from the rear of his ODM, using the mobility of his thrusters, double jumping for an extra safe landing. Levi turned his gaze towards Isable and Farlen that were already approaching him.

"Find anything?" Inquired Levi.

The duo shook their heads.

"Nothing." Farlen replied.

"We've looked through the cages, no prisoners." Isable added, placing her hands on her hips.

Levi's eyes narrowed. "Guess they must've knew we were coming, and decided to move 'em to another spot. Hmph, clever."

Petra stepped up to Levi's side. The rest of the squad trailed after her as they all joined the gathering.

"What is our next move, Captain?" Petra asked, awaiting further orders.

Levi's lips parted but paused when he and everyone felt the ground shook. Levi and his squad instinctively directed their gaze from behind them. The sudden tremor quickly gave way to silence.

The Levi squad was perplexed.

The Doom Slayer proceeded at a leisurely pace. His steps cautious as he felt the soft, decomposing forest floor sink beneath his boots. As he continued his journey, he eventually stumbled upon a stream with muddy banks. He gazed over the undergrowth, past the trees, and observed the mist lingering in the space beyond. The air was heavy with the scent of mold and mildew, as well as the decay of plants. Traversing through the forest, the Slayer was greeted by the familiar sounds of birds, owls, and frogs.

As he cast his gaze downwards, he discovered a lifeless body adorned in a somber, charcoal-hued cloak. The blood-soaked garment appeared to be of suitable dimensions for the Slayer. With a swift motion, he removed it from the deceased and enveloped his entire figure, concealing both his armored physique and the array of weapons securely affixed to his person. Finally, he lowered the hood, which effectively concealed his helmet.

The Doom Slayer continued marching through the forest.

To be continued...

A/N: And that was chapter two, young readers! I must say I'm quite happy bringing Farlen and Isabel into the fold. I've always liked those two since the duo were introduced to us fans, but was ultimately sad after what happened to them. Which was all the more reason to bring them here, duo to the Slayer's intervening and alternating the timeline. But let's talk about Eren Yeager for a minute, shall we?

The seed has been planted and Eren is slowly growing a sense of admiration for the Doom Slayer; not only for saving his mother and healing her, but displaying his great skills in killing the titans and saving his home from falling. Although it'll be a little while for Eren to see his idol/hero again so in the meantime he'll have much to think about, and fix himself up from being a brat to his mother. He never got to say "I love you," to his mother, but now that she's alive in this alternate universe, now he has a chance.

Incase anyone ask of me, when and where will the demons arrive? That I will keep to myself, but I will establish again that it won't be any time soon. The Doom Slayer's main focus in this journey is eradicating the titans. I can definitely say though when the demons do show up somewhere in the future, no one, both Eldia and Marley, will be ready for the horror they'll reign upon them.

What are your thoughts, young readers? What do you think will happen next? How will the Slayer's presence effect both Eldia and Marley? With all of that said, I'll take my leave. See you all in the next chapter and have a nice day!