Correction, she wasn't gone.
From the sound of things, it appeared that the battle had officially kicked off in the wrong direction, the plan Erwin had set in place was washed down the drain with the appearance of the first squad. Just what the hell did these assholes think they were setting out to accomplish here? They were way out of their depth against Braun and Leonhart, and would only serve to be a thorn in the scouts' side if anything.
His expression became pinched at that last thought, of course, because why not?
Floch stopped struggling against the debris and simply released a deep sigh within the darkness, he knew this day was going to turn out shit. On the bright side, he was uninjured, actually, he wasn't sure about that, he couldn't feel anything, that's good right? Shit, he can't feel his left arm. When Mikasa pierced his throat he barely felt it, he wasn't going to die like this was he?! Floch shook his head, banishing those thoughts away as he focused, his eyes narrowed as he listened closely to the outside, he was well aware Ymir hasn't moved from the roof above him, he could feel her. Why wasn't she digging up the rubble to grab him? She didn't think he was dead did she?
On second thought, that would be great-
Floch's eyes widened, as he heard and felt the ground rumble around him. Somebody had just transformed into a titan, and were wrecking the nearby buildings, what the hell was happening out there?!
Seconds later, another transformation followed and then another. It was at that point that his heart skipped a beat and he felt a pit in his stomach, that was four transformations in total, Ymir, Annie, Reiner and Eren were now in their titan forms and their ranks were likely disorganized thanks to the first squad.
Shit.
Ymir suddenly moved away, leaping to another roof in the direction of those last three transformations. He breathed a sigh of relief and went back to attempting to free himself, his attempts, while largely futile, were better than to stay buried here. A short while later he heard the arrival of a few individuals, in ODM gear no less. He froze, thinking them to be Kenny's men.
"I can't find him anywhere! Is he still here?! Is he even alive?!" A voice suspiciously close to Connie's called out.
"Shut up and keep looking Connie!" Another voice belonging to Mikasa replied.
"Oh sweet lady founder thank you!" Floch quickly muttered under his breath in a sigh of relief before he called out to them. "Connie, Mikasa! Over here! I'm over here!"
"Ya hear that?!" Sasha being the closest to him, called out to the other two.
"Over here!"
Connie, Mikasa and Sasha shared looks amongst each other before hurriedly rushing towards the source. Floch kept calling out to them, as the three rushed to free him. It wasn't until they stumbled on the fallen support beam keeping him trapped that Connie and Sasha backed off, Mikasa stepped in, and with some effort, lifted the whole thing and pushed it away to the side like it was nothing. Floch was finally able to come out, his body covered in dust from head to toe, before quickly inspecting his arm to discover it was only asleep and still attached to his body.
"Woah, are ya okay?!" Sasha worriedly asked him as she saw the dust covered blood caked on his face and clothes.
"It's not my blood... I think. Anyway, thanks, I owe you guys." Floch spoke as he took Sasha's hand, briefly leaning on her for support.
"Don't worry about it, we've got to leave this dump quickly, this whole place is gonna become a titan battleground." Connie said, as he carefully stepped over the rubble and hugged the wall of the still standing building next to the wrecked shop, taking a peek out into the street ahead. "Shit man, this is bad. They're all transformed, and Eren is surrounded! If we don't figure this out quickly, this might be it for him!"
The trio joined him, huddling close and taking a look as well. Floch frowned, as he was greeted with Reiner's back way out in the distance, between his legs he could see Eren in the middle, Annie on the other side and Ymir right next to Reiner on top of a roof, nobody dared to make the first move yet. Sasha gave a sidelong glance at Floch. "W-what happened with Ymir? She ain't really on our side anymore is she?"
Floch furrowed his brow, a shadow passing over his features. "No, no she's not." he scanned the area around them, before turning to Mikasa. "What the hell happened to the guys that ambushed us?"
Mikasa shook her head. "No clue, they must have pulled out because of the titans."
Sasha's face darkened. "They've already killed a bunch of our people. The second this fight is over, they're gonna be back for sure."
"Then what's the move here?" Connie turned to Floch.
The redhead met their expectant gazes, he mulled it over for a moment before he spoke. "We can't leave Eren alone against them that's for damn sure..." He watched the unfolding scene before his eyes narrowed at Ymir's back. "We need to harass Ymir away from the main fight, two against one is still better than three. Sasha, Connie, just sit back for now and watch us in case the first squad are still loitering around. Mikasa and I will try to take her by surprise and lead her away from here."
"Then what? I mean don't get me wrong, It's not that I think you guys won't be able to make a difference but this is different right? Ymir isn't your average titan, not to mention that there's no guarantee she'll even be tricked that easily!" Connie argued, only to frown as Floch regarded him with a deadpan.
"Connie."
"Y-yeah?"
"It's Mikasa."
Connie's brow furrowed, as he gazed between Floch and Mikasa's blank expressions and then to Sasha's somewhat pitying look, before his expression reset and he looked away from them, nodding casually as if none of that happened.
"Good point."
"Besides, you won't have to worry about that, the second she sees me alive still she'll go nuts." Floch began, as the trio gave him questioning looks. "Anyway, that's the plan. We distract Ymir, and lead her away towards the main fallback route for an ambush. We leave the rest to Eren for now." Floch said, before he let go of Sasha and prepared to launch away, "Everybody ready?"
"Yes!" They all answered in unison.
"Then let's get goi-" He said only to stop dead in his tracks as he realized his ODM gear was damaged, the hook and gas release triggers were unresponsive to him. He frowned, freezing in his spot as the trio looked at him with intrigued expressions. "You've got to be kidding me..." He muttered under his breath.
He looked back over his shoulder towards the frowning Mikasa, as Sasha scratched the back of her head sheepishly and Connie faced away from him and quietly snickered into his sleeve.
"Change of plans..."
Mike and Nanaba scanned the area around them, the roof they stood on littered with a couple of bodies from the first squad. Nanaba walked over towards the edge and her gaze hardened as she saw Lynne's body splattered against the ground below before she tore her eyes away towards the four titans out in the distance with a hardened expression. Soon after that, the two went on high alert as they heard incoming ODM gear only to relax as the rest of Mike squad touched down behind them.
Nanaba's eyes widened as she saw Mylius carrying an injured Oluo on his back, the blood from his injuries staining the boy's shoulder. "Oluo!"
Oluo grinned at her weakly, waving away her concerns. "Don't worry, it's just a flesh wound, but damn those bastards got me good."
"Where's Levi?" Mike asked as he turned to Petra.
She shook her head, hand glued to her aching rib cage. "No idea, we got separated by the enemy while attempting to reorganize ourselves."
Mike's gaze hardened before his voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding. "Very well, the two of you are in no condition to fight, Zermuski, Carolina! Get them both out of here and head to the eastern quadrant and find the medics."
"B-but captain, what about Floch?" Mylius asked.
"He'll have to make it back on his own, our priorities have shifted right now, we're moving over to the next phase. Now go, and don't stop for anything!" Mike replied.
The two new members of squad Mike frowned but nodded regardless, with Mylius adjusting Oluo's weight on his back and Mina moving to support Petra, who was clutching her side. Mina looked a little pale but determined nonetheless, giving one last worried gaze in Eren's direction before turning around to head east.
"Captain," Petra called out over her shoulder. "Be careful, the man that was after Captain Levi was insanely fast and strong. He's still out there somewhere."
Mike nodded then turned to Nanaba and Henning, his expression grim. "We're heading over towards the north, the titans are Eren's problem for now."
Nanaba's gaze flickered toward the distant titans, her jaw tightening. "And if Eren falls?"
"Then we fall with him," Mike said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Move out."
Erwin stood atop the wall surrounded by his subordinates, his piercing blue eye fixed on the battlefield below through his telescope. Eren's Titan stood at the center, surrounded by Reiner, Annie, and Ymir. The odds seemed impossible, but Erwin's expression betrayed no fear, no doubt. Only resolve, even when most of the city was covered in red smoke flares, some even black.
"Commander!" Peer's voice broke through his thoughts as the scout landed beside him, breathless. "We've been ambushed by the first squad—they hit us hard, our forces are scattered and we've lost contact with several units!"
Erwin's gaze didn't waver. "Casualties?"
"Too many," Peer admitted, his voice tight. "The sixth have all been wiped out, and the Garrison troops attached to the eighth reported heavy casualties but have successfully held off the initial assault, we're stretched thin as it is right now."
Erwin's jaw tightened as he watched Eren's Titan roar defiantly, its fists raised against the encroaching enemies. "Rotate the troops stationed in the east to the northern edge of the western quadrant. We're disregarding the residential zone entirely, make sure the engineers are ready!"
Peer hesitated. "Commander, if we pull back from the east, we're leaving Eren exposed. He won't last long against all three of them."
"Eren knows the risks," Erwin said, his voice cold. "And so do we. Now go, damn it!"
Peer saluted and disappeared into the town below, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Erwin's hands clenched at his sides as he watched the titans clash below, before he pocketed the telescope and made his way down as well.
This was it, their first rematch after all this time.
Reiner knew that they were now beyond the point of no return, Eren jumped in like the reckless idiot he was and was now driven into a corner without any support. This stupid cat and mouse game they've been engaging in for the better part of a month ends today, and after that? They get Bertholdt back and finish this cursed mission they've started.
'Just hang on a little more... Bertholdt.' Reiner thought to himself, fully believing his fellow warrior to still be out there somewhere.
Reiner stood far across from Eren, his massive fists clenched and unclenched as he stared down Eren's Titan, its emerald eyes burning with defiance. Their struggle was utterly pointless, Reiner thought, his voice echoing in the hollow recesses of his mind. Did these people just not get how futile it was to resist? They should thank their lucky stars it was just them they had to deal with for the time being.
Then again, they had no idea, being forced behind these walls all these years.
The memory of Floch's words flickered in his thoughts—the Coordinate. If it was true, if Eren really had it, then they really had no choice but to rip it from him. Someone like him, a kid who barely understood the weight of the power he carried, shouldn't have been the one to hold it. Reiner's jaw tightened, he was the last person in the world who should have a power like that, it was somewhat of a miracle that he hadn't activated it yet, if he even knew how to.
Which was why they had to end this fight quickly, he rushed forward, his massive frame barreling toward Eren like a freight train. His fist swung in a wide arc, aimed straight for Eren's head.
But Eren was ready.
Ducking low, Eren moved with surprising speed, his movements fluid and precise. Reiner's fist sailed harmlessly over his head, and before he could react, Eren's hand shot out, grabbing Reiner's arm. With a grunt of effort, Eren twisted his body, using Reiner's momentum against him. The Armored Titan was yanked off its feet and over Eren's shoulders, its massive form crashing into the ground with a thunderous boom. Dust and debris erupted into the air, obscuring the battlefield.
Reiner groaned inside the nape, damn it, he was better than last time.
Before the dust could settle, Annie burst through the haze, she closed the distance in an instant, her fist driving straight for Eren's face. Eren barely managed to raise his arm in time, the impact sending a shockwave through his Titan's body. He skidded backward, his feet carving deep grooves into the ground. Annie didn't let up. She pressed the attack, her fists and feet a blur of motion as she rained down blows.
Eren blocked and dodged, but the sheer force of her strikes pushed him further and further back, up here in these titan shells, it was nothing like their training days, her hits were more brutal, more costly. Annie's knee shot up, aiming for his ribs. Eren twisted, narrowly avoiding the blow, but she followed up with a spinning kick that caught him in the shoulder.
His Titan staggered, the force of the impact sending him stumbling into a building behind him. Annie's eyes narrowed, her movements relentless, fighting to overwhelm just like the old days. Eren's mind raced as he struggled to keep up. He blocked another punch, the impact reverberating through his Titan's arms. But as he focused on Annie, he failed to notice Ymir until it was almost too late.
The Jaws lunged from the side, her claws extended as she aimed for Eren's nape. His eyes widened as he caught the movement in his periphery. Reacting on instinct, he swung his arm in a wide arc, his backhand connecting with Ymir's side, sending her hurtling sideways towards the side of a building with enough force to collapse the structure.
But the distraction cost him, Annie's fist connected with his jaw in a brutal uppercut, the force of the blow snapping his head back. His body lifted off the ground, suspended for a moment before crashing down with a deafening thud. The ground cracked beneath him, his jaw hanging grotesquely to the side, broken and mangled.
Eren groaned inside the nape as his Titan's healing factor kicked in, steam rising from the shattered bone and torn flesh. He tried to push himself up, but Annie was already on him, her foot slamming down on his chest, pinning him to the ground. Eren's Titan growled, swiping her legs from under her before she could straddle him. She hit the ground hard, and Eren didn't waste a second. He was on her in an instant right between her legs, his fists slamming into her face ferociously. Each blow landed with a sickening crunch, blood erupting from the impact points. Annie writhed beneath him, her arms flailing as she tried to block the onslaught.
The Jaw Titan lunged from the front, her claws extended as she aimed for Eren's arm. Her teeth sank into his flesh, tearing through muscle and bone. Eren roared, his free hand swinging in a wide arc. His fist connected with Ymir's face, the impact sending her flying. She crashed into the ground, her Titan's body rolling to a stop several meters away. But the damage was done, her jaw had torn through his arm, severing it at the elbow, blood spurting out in tandem with his heartbeats before eventually sealing off with a hiss of steam, his face also left deeply scratched, one eye partially obscured by the torn flesh.
In that moment, Annie closed her legs around his head, crossing them as she secured his remaining arm, sandwiching tightly it between her elbow and thigh so he couldn't pull it out. Much to his dismay, Eren found his face pressed against his locked arm and unable to move, her thighs tightening by the second and slowly crushing him in the process as he found himself trapped in a triangle choke.
He scowled at this and roared at her at the top of his lungs, before swiftly willing himself to regenerate the missing arm and grabbing hold of her. Annie's eyes went wide in shock, as he slowly stood up against all odds and lifted her high in the air, before roughly slamming her back on the ground. The Hold loosened, and Eren found himself free. The boy grabbed her by the forearm and throat to hold her in place in preparation for a punch, but the blonde retaliated by hardening her fist and landing a solid hook on him, effectively punching his lower jaw clean off.
This had the effect of enraging the boy above her, who had simply tanked the hit and drove a fist back down in return. The hand on her throat moved up and tightly gripped her face, then with both hands immediately squeezed until it began to shatter, fragments of bone splintering out as blood gushed from each orifice. The female titan let out a guttural roar, as the hand clamped down on her face until it was crushed into ruined sockets. Annie thrashed wildly, her foot lashing out and catching him in the chest. The force of the kick sent him stumbling back, skidding across the ground but quickly getting back on his feet.
He barely had time to recover before the Armored Titan charged from the side, his fist slamming into Eren's face with the force of a freight train. Eren was lifted off its feet again, crashing through the wall of a nearby cathedral. The structure groaned, as Eren's body plowed through the stone and wood, his head caved in.
Annie rose unsteadily, her head still steaming as her eyes began to reform. Reiner took notice of this and opted to guard her until she could see again, in case the scouts were nearby. Meanwhile, Eren struggled to rise inside the structure, his Titan's body battered and broken. He gripped the broken wall and used it to support himself back up, only to freeze and brace himself as a large figure came at him again up in the air, claws extended.
But before she could reach him, a blur of motion cut through the air.
Mikasa's blades flashed, severing Ymir's arm at the wrist. The limb fell to the ground in front of Eren, its claws still twitching. Ymir's trajectory was slightly altered, and she slammed into the side of the building before quickly pulling herself out of there and away from the recovering Eren. On the other side, Mikasa landed on a nearby roof, her ODM gear hissing as she adjusted her grip on her blades. Her expression was calm, but her eyes burned with intensity, as Connie joined her moments later.
'Nice work, Mikasa!' Eren cheered inwardly.
Ymir stumbled back, clutching the stump of her arm as Reiner and Annie turned to face Mikasa. Eren took the opportunity to rise back up, his Titan's body steaming as it healed. He glanced down at Ymir's severed hand, the claws still sharp and deadly. He grabbed it off the ground and palmed it, interlocking his fingers with hers to use them as a makeshift weapon, the razor sharp claws sicking out from between his fingers.
'This could work.' Eren thought to himself, though he could feel the limb growing weak by the second in his grip.
Reiner didn't like the implications of Mikasa joining the fight as he soon feared the worst, while he had nothing to worry about, the same couldn't be said for Ymir and Annie. And so, he disregarded Mikasa and charged again in the hopes of ending this fight quickly and pulling out of the town, his Titan's massive frame barreling toward Eren who was now running to match him directly. The two collided, their bodies slamming into the ground with a thunderous boom. Reiner's hands clamped down on Eren's shoulders, trying to pin him.
But Eren wasn't going down without a fight.
'To think that all this time I looked up to you like no other, I thought that all those years had meant something. But it was clear from the start that that wasn't the case... Reiner, I always envied your strength... But right now, I don't believe there's much for me to envy you for anymore.'
Eren planted his feet firmly into the ground, and Reiner was quick to take notice of that. 'Truth is, you're become too much of a burden for me ignore, a murderer like you deserves nothing less than what's coming for him, you and everybody that stands with you!'
With a roar, Eren drove the claws into Reiner's stomach. The sharp points pierced the Armored Titan's plates, cracking the hardened surface. Reiner's eyes widened in shock as Eren twisted the claws, driving them deeper. Blood poured from the wounds as Eren pulled the claws free and punched again, the second blow landing just above the first. Reiner staggered back, his grip on Eren loosening. Eren pressed the advantage, creating enough space to swing his arm in a wide arc. The claws connected with Reiner's face, the impact shattering part of his face armor.
'Reiner, for humanity's sake... Die!"
Reiner was sent flying, his body crashing into the ground near Annie. The blonde girl looked on in awe, her sole reformed eye lowering as she took in the damage. The armor had been pierced and cracked, his stomach and face steaming from the wounds. Eren stood, the claws still clutched in his hand, though gradually disintegrating.
He threw it off to the side, and once again, he approached them.
"Wait... I Made A Promise To Him... That I'd Kill You No Matter What. I Promised!" - Levi Ackerman 850 AD, to a retreating Zeke Yeager on the outskirts of Shiganshina following the suicide charge.
Moblit crouched behind the slope of the roof, his hands tight around ODM hand grips as he scanned the rooftops. The air thick with tension following the ambush, as the men around him were left reeling from the fight. The first squad had hit hard and fast, leaving chaos in their wake. But now, the street was eerily quiet, save for the distant battle of the titans.
His eyes narrowed as he spotted movement in the distance. A group of figures—three, maybe four—were retreating, their ODM gear carrying them swiftly across the rooftops. Moblit's breath hitched as he recognized the blonde woman leading them. The same woman who had been there that day. The same woman who had killed Hange.
His hands tightened around the hilt, his knuckles white and his vision red. "Hannah, Ruth," he said, his voice low but sharp. "Stay here. Hold the line."
"Sir, wait—" Ruth started, but he was already gone, his ODM gear hissing as he launched himself into the air. Ruth frowned as she watched his retreating back, before she turned to the confused Hannah who shook her head in response.
Moblit moved quickly, his movements precise and deliberate. He closed the gap in seconds, his eyes locked on the retreating figures.
The first man didn't even see him coming. Moblit hooked onto the man's side, yanking him backward and using his body as a shield. The man struggled, but Moblit was faster. He grabbed the man's free ODM gun, forcing his arm to aim at one of the others while preventing him from detaching the hook of the other gun. The gun fired, striking the second man with the scatter as the body jerked and he plummeted to the ground. Without hesitation, Moblit grabbed his single shot pistol and fired point blank into the man's ribs before he kicked him away. Moblit didn't look back. His eyes were fixed on Caven, who was now alone, her ODM gear carrying her further away.
Below, Floch and Sasha crouched in the shadow of a building. Floch was busy stripping a dead scout of his ODM gear, his movements hurried but methodical. Sasha stood guard, her bolt action rifle trained on the rooftops above.
"Hurry up," Sasha muttered, her eyes darting nervously. "We don't have all day."
"Almost there," Floch grunted, his fingers fumbling with the straps. "Just need to—"
A shot rang out, the bullet ricocheting off the wall beside them. Sasha ducked, her rifle snapping up as she scanned the rooftops. "Shit! They're onto us!"
Floch glanced up, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Caven and Moblit streaking across the sky. "That's Moblit," he said, his voice tight. "And that woman… judging by her gear she's part of the first squad."
Sasha's grip on her rifle tightened. "What do we do?!"
Floch secured the new ODM gear around his waist. "You go back him up. I'll catch up once I'm mobile."
Sasha hesitated, her eyes flicking between Floch and the rooftops. "Are you sure? You're still—"
"I'll be fine," Floch snapped, his tone leaving no room for argument as he fiddled with the gas canisters. "He might become outnumbered, just go!"
Sasha nodded. "Don't get yourself killed."
"Tsk, worry about yourself, Blouse." He scoffed.
Sasha launched herself into the air, her ODM gear hissing as she disappeared over the building ahead. Floch watched her go, his hands tightening around the triggers of his newly acquired gear. He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he resumed stripping the body for essential components.
"You should know that finding my own way was all I ever knew."
His features darkened as he thought back on that, brow furrowing as he finished installing the canisters.
"We'll see how far that gets you, Ymir."
The battlefield was silently tense for a moment, as Annie and Ymir stood guard with Reiner sprawled on the ground unmoving.
Ymir suddenly heard ODM gear hissing behind her, the Jaws turned just in time to find Mikasa coming straight for her nape. With no other alternative, she leapt away towards another roof to evade her, though Mikasa kept up the pursuit, joined by Connie. The two flew around the titan, narrowly avoiding her strikes while cutting her up easily thanks to the missing limb, Annie would have jumped in to help hadn't it been for Eren, thus the trio were effectively separated as Ymir focused on the Ackermann girl and the annoying baldy assisting her.
'I wonder what's going through your head, Annie. Do you still think it was a good idea to come here? To kill us all? Are you having any regrets right now, any doubts? Fears?' Eren thought to himself as he casually approached. 'No, It doesn't matter. What's done is done, what a treacherous murdering bitch like you needs to think about right now is which god to pray to before I send you down to their hell.'
Eren's Titan surged forward, its emerald eyes locked on Annie. She stood her ground, her Titan's battered form still steaming from the earlier blows. Eren swung his fist, aiming for her head. Annie attempted to strike with her leg, causing him to raise his knee up in response so she switched and raise her arm to block as he pressed the attack, his fists raining down in a relentless barrage. Each strike landed with a dull thud, the sound of flesh and bone colliding echoing across the street.
She attempted to counter by tackling him down to the floor like the old days, but he quickly put an end to that so she opted for a quick combo to the stomach and chest using her hardened knuckles. Eren recovered quickly and moved his head away before she could punch it clean off, and countered with an uppercut, taxing her for overextending.
Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed her shoulders and drove a knee into her stomach. Annie staggered, body doubling over. Eren raised his fist, ready to deliver the finishing blow. But before he could strike, Reiner was on him.
The Armored slammed into him from the side, his massive frame driving Eren into the ground. The impact sent rubble flying, the force of the collision carving a small crater into the street. Eren gritted his teeth as he turned around his titan to stand back up before he froze, glancing up at the sky to find green smoke rising in the distance.
It was time.
Reiner and Annie exchanged a glance, confusion flickering across their faces within their titans. But before they could react, Eren turned away from them and ran.
"What the hell? Where's he going?!" Reiner frowned in confusion inside his nape.
Annie was the first to sprint after him, bringing Reiner out of his stupor. The two titans gave chase, their massive forms shaking the ground with every step. Annie was faster, her Titan's lighter frame allowing her to close the gap quickly compared to the armored who was weighed down by his plating.
She was almost within reach when suddenly, her next step caused her leg to buckle and collapse as she tripped forward. Annie skidded across the street, before rising with her elbows and turning around to find her Achilles tendon severed.
"What just..." Annie froze as she trailed off, finally noticing him above her.
Levi Ackerman stepped forward from the top of a neighboring roof, now fully resupplied and back in the fight. In a calm and casual fashion, he turned his steely gaze towards Reiner.
Moments later, the armored ignored him and kept chasing after Eren so he looked back down at Annie.
"Guess it's just us."
Eren led him to a wide-open street in the less developed side of the town, the area surrounded by half-finished structures and even crumbling houses. Eren stopped in the middle of that clearing, his Titan's body turning to face him. Reiner slowed, his Titan's eyes narrowing as he took in the surroundings. "What are you playing at, Eren?"
Eren raised his fists, his Titan's body tensing as he prepared for the fight.
Reiner charged, his Titan's massive frame barreling toward Eren like a freight train. The two collided with a thunderous crash, their fists slamming into each other with bone-jarring force. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, the force of the blows shattering Eren's weaker, unprotected hand. But the boy didn't let up. He ducked low, wrapping his arms around Reiner's waist and momentarily holding him in place.
Reiner frowned, "What the hell are you doing?!" he growled, raining down blow after blow against Eren's back. Each strike landed with a dull thud, but Eren held firm, his grip tightening.
Reiner's eyes flicked to the surrounding rooftops, his movements faltering as he noticed something shifting in the shadows. His gaze narrowed, scanning the area. Then he froze.
Several pieces of artillery were now pointed directly at him.
Before he could react, Erwin Smith emerged from cover atop a nearby roof, his voice cutting through the street as he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"FIRE!"
A moment later, the air was filled with the sound of cannons firing. Cannonballs streaked through the air, slamming into Reiner's Titan with deafening booms. The concentrated fire pushed him back slightly, though the cannonballs did little more than scratch his armor.
"Is that all you've got?!" he growled, his voice dripping with contempt.
Still, the distraction was enough. Eren capitalized on the momentary lapse, sweeping Reiner's legs out from under him. The Armored Titan crashed to the ground with a thunderous crash, the impact sending a cloud of dust into the air.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Reiner roared inside the nape, his voice filled with frustration as he peered down at Eren. "What are those pointless weapons for?! You can't do anything to me!"
Erwin's eyes narrowed from his vantage point, his expression calm but his jaw tight. "We've got you now, you son of a bitch." He growled, as Eren hurriedly exited the nape of his titan and flew away from the scene with his ODM. The commander ducked behind the slope of the roof, his voice bellowing out once more.
"BLOW IT!"
Reiner pushed the decaying husk of Eren's Titan off his body, his movements sluggish as he attempted to sit up. But before he could, the ground beneath him began to rumble. His eyes widened as the street crumbled, the earth giving way beneath his feet. Explosive charges hidden within the tunnels of Stohess district detonated, sending Reiner plummeting into a massive pit seven meters deep.
The explosion itself was small, only serving to weaken the structure and allow the Armored's weight to do the rest, and that it did as it hit the bottom of the pit with a deafening crash, the impact sending debris flying in all directions. Reiner groaned, his Titan's body struggling to rise. But before he could move, Erwin's voice rang out again.
"FIRST WAVE, FIRE!"
Artillery pieces from below by the alleys roared to life, firing thick hook lines that crisscrossed over the newly exposed pit. The cables wrapped above Reiner, their reinforced fibers designed to trap even the strongest of titans. Reiner's muscles strained as he tried to break free, but the nets held firm, temporarily sealing him underneath.
"SECOND WAVE, FIIIIIIIRE!"
Every scout in the area immediately hid behind cover as barrels filled with explosives were launched toward the pit from the surrounding windows and rooftops, their hooks embedding into the ground around Reiner. At the same time, Eren transformed once more, his Titan's massive form emerging from the smoke. He grabbed a sizeable stash of the volatile gas they used to power their ODM gear off the ground and hurled it toward the pit where Reiner was trapped.
The barrels and gas collided in a deafening explosion, the force of the blast shaking the ground and crumbling the surrounding buildings, the heat of the explosion searing even from a distance. Erwin laid on his stomach, as he and every other man and woman laying prone around him were covered in a mixture of dust, smoke and ashes.
Annie and Levi, Ymir, Mikasa and Connie, Moblit and Caven, Sasha, Floch, Ruth and Hannah, Mylius, Mina, Petra and Oluo, all within Stohess looked up towards the source of the explosion, some staring at the small dark mushroom cloud rising up into the air.
As things began to settle, Reiner's Titan was slowly revealed. His armor was severely damaged, his mouth exposed and hanging open, cracks running through the once-impenetrable plates. Steam poured from the wounds, his Titan's body slowly began to heal as the armor reinforced itself at an agonizingly slow pace.
Erwin stood atop the roof, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the damage, several others peeked their heads from cover with bated breaths. "Good work, gentlemen" he said quietly, his voice carrying over the chaos. "But this isn't over yet."
As soon as Erwin finished speaking, Eren surged toward the obliterated pit, his Titan's massive fists slamming into what was left of Reiner with brutal force. The Armored Titan's once-impenetrable plates were now cracked and brittle, each blow from Eren shattering more of Reiner's defenses. Steam poured from his knuckles as Eren's fists hammered into Reiner's face, the sound of each impact echoing like thunder across the battlefield.
Eren's aggression mounted with every strike, his Titan's roars filled with raw fury. He used both hands now, pummeling Reiner's head into the ground with relentless force. The Armored Titan showed no signs of struggle, its body limp and unresponsive under the onslaught. Eren momentarily pulled back, as he prepared to flip Reiner over and rip him from his nape. The thought of devouring him, of ending this once and for all, burned in Eren's mind.
But before he could act, a massive chunk of rock hurtled through the air, colliding with Eren's head with a deafening crunch. The force of the impact sent him sprawling to the ground, his Titan's head obliterated in an instant. Steam hissed from the ruined remains as Eren's body twitched, incapacitated.
The scouts froze, their eyes wide with shock as they turned toward the source of the attack. Erwin's gaze snapped upward, his expression pinching as he stared at the walls of Stohess. His jaw tightened, a flicker of unease crossing his features.
Meanwhile, Floch Forster came to a sudden halt on a rooftop far from there, his body trembling violently. His breath came in short, ragged gasps, his hands clutching the hand grips of his ODM as his knuckles turned white. Fearful amber colored eyes were locked on the figure standing atop the wall, towering over the battlefield like a god of destruction.
The Beast Titan.
Chapter end!
The chapter title being "From me down to you" was kinda a spoiler but nobody picked up on it so we're cool!
How'd you like the fight scenes? This was the first shifter vs shifter fight I've written as the one in chapter 20 didn't count since it was skipped and Eren instantly got rekt by Zeke in chapter 29. I tried to keep the fight as balance as possible, He isn't as reckless as he used to be, and fights more cautiously to compensate for being outnumbered. He doesn't defeat the warriors in the 3 on 1, doesn't get beaten either but barely comes out of each round in tact and has a few close calls, still holds on just enough for Mikasa, Levi (and Connie) to provide a little support.
Anyway, I hope the sequences aren't confusing to follow in certain areas so do tell me what you think!
Lastly, I was stunlocked the other day while doom scrolling TikTok, I found a Floch edit and in the comments there was a reply of somebody recommending my story. It reminded me of that time two years back when my fic got screenshot'd on a post in r/10yearsatleast. Good times.
if I don't get the next chapter out in time I just wanted to say happy third anniversary to this story, thank you supporting this story and see you next time!