Titans

A hundred years ago, humanity had lived peacefully upon the earth, until one day they appeared: humanity's natural enemies, the Titans. Immensely tall and powerful, they fed exclusively on humans, and humanity was soon driven to the brink of extinction.

The surviving humans built three towering walls-Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina-to defend against the Titans' attacks, and lived within them.

There were three military branches within the walls: the Military Police Brigade, the Garrison Regiment, and the Survey Corps. Vig and his comrades belonged to the Survey Corps. Unlike the other two branches, they had never aimed to cower behind the towering walls. They advocated venturing out to explore the world beyond, searching for humanity's future.

They sought to discover the Titans' origins, and even wipe them out to bring true peace. Sadly, despite the countless soldiers the Survey Corps had sacrificed, their achievements remained meager.

At that thought, Vig glanced at Yago. This child might just be the key to uncovering the Titans' secrets.

Vig took Yago toward the Survey Corps' main force.

Yago had eaten his fill and let out a burp. Just as he was about to ask something, he suddenly felt the ground trembling.

Even the enormous trees around them were shaking. Bewildered, Yago asked, "Uncle Vig, what's happening?"

Vig's gaze hardened, his expression grave. "This is bad! There might be Titans!"

Before he had finished speaking, several towering figures appeared before them. Yago's eyes widened in uncontrollable shock. Those Titans were huge.

The three Titans spotted Vig and the others too, and slowly approached.

Vig roared, "Giso! Retreat! Alert the main force!"

Giso snapped his whip, and the two horses pulled the wagon away from the Titans at a frantic pace. Vig spurred his own horse into a gallop, pulling a flare gun from his saddle as he rode.

He loaded a round and pulled the trigger without hesitation. The flare burst into purple smoke overhead. In the long-range scouting formation, purple meant support was needed. With a child like Yago in tow, Vig could not retreat easily.

And Yago undoubtedly held an important secret, so they urgently needed support.

Giso drove the wagon anxiously, glancing back now and then to check on the Titans. The bodies of his comrades were on his wagon, and he could never let them fall into the Titans' hands. But he failed to notice the shadow lurking in the woods beside him.

Vig noticed before Giso did and shouted urgently, "Giso! Look out!"

But he was a moment too late. A grotesque Titan with a jaw as large as its head burst out, smashing the wagon to pieces. It caught Giso's body between its teeth like a rag doll. Then its jaws snapped shut. With a ripping sound, bright red blood sprayed out.

Yago stared blankly, his mind unable to process what had happened. Only when the Titan swallowed Giso's body did he shudder, followed by an overwhelming rush of fear. D-dead?

Uncle Giso had been laughing and chatting with him just moments ago. Now he was just... d-dead?

By the time Yago had awakened, the Titan's corpse had already evaporated, and the bodies of Vig's squad members had been gathered up. He had never experienced the terror of the Titans. Even when Vig had explained the history of humanity's war against them, Yago had merely listened as though it were a story.

Now, though, Yago suddenly seemed to understand just how terrifying Titans were.

Debris from the shattered wagon knocked Vig's horse over. Vig scrambled to his feet, glanced at Yago, and said, "Yago! Hide!"

Then he raised his flare gun and fired a black flare into the sky. Black meant they had encountered an Abnormal Titan.

Abnormal Titans were more terrifying than ordinary Titans. They were faster and stronger, but more frightening still, they seemed to possess a degree of intelligence, knowing how to hide and lie in ambush.

After firing the flare, Vig drew two steel blades from the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear at his waist and squeezed the triggers on their handles. Two steel cables shot from the gear, carrying him toward the deformed Titan.

The cables shot out and retracted as Vig darted nimbly around the Abnormal Titan, slashing wounds into its body with his blades.

Yago sat slumped on the ground, gasping for breath, his heart racing. At the same time, his head hurt unbearably, as though something were trying to burrow out of his brain.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. Yago looked up and froze. An enormous Titan was bending its head to stare at him, drool dripping from the corners of its gaping mouth.

Vig saw it too. The three Titans from earlier had caught up.

"Yago! Run!"

Yago's brain screamed at him to flee, but instinctive terror left his body unable to move. Under extreme fear, a person's body could stiffen until movement became impossible. It was simply too terrifying. An ordinary person without any training could not even muster the strength to run from a Titan like this.

As he watched the Titan's hand draw closer and closer, Yago's pupils contracted.

Bang! At the critical moment, Vig arrived just in time, scooping Yago up and flying aside. Suddenly, the Abnormal Titan appeared before them and seized the cable Vig had fired. Horrified, Vig reacted as quickly as he could, flinging Yago into a patch of soft grass. He himself was swung like a yo-yo and slammed into a large tree.

Vig spat out a mouthful of blood. Several of his ribs had broken, leaving him unable to fight.

The other Titans seized the opportunity to close in. One bit down on Vig's hand and tore viciously at it, while another grabbed one of his legs.

Yago stood up. At the cruel scene before him, endless grief and rage surged through his heart. His eyes grew wet, and tears fell. He was anguished and furious that his own helplessness had brought this upon Uncle Vig, and furious at the cruel Titans.

Ever since Yago had awakened, Vig had treated him gently, as though filling something that had been missing in Yago's heart. And there had been the funny Uncle Giso...

Yago roared, "Stop!!!"

He clenched his fists, his somewhat sharp nails digging deep into his tender palms.

With a thunderous crash, a bolt of yellow lightning erupted. The tremendous impact sent a ten-meter Titan near Yago flying.

A great cloud of steam rose, and through it, strands of red flesh could faintly be seen intertwining with pale bones.

"Roar!!!" A deafening bellow tore through the steam!

An enormous figure emerged, fifteen meters tall, its entire body covered in tough muscles. Its eyes were scarlet, and its mouth was filled with teeth as sharp as knives.

Barely clinging to life, Vig looked at this new Titan with both surprise and acceptance. So it was true. Little Yago really could turn into a Titan. He was willing to help me, which proved that this Titan, at least, could help humanity. Perhaps this was hope.

At the sight of the Titan Yago had become, the Abnormal Titan and the other three Titans grew agitated. Abandoning Vig, they charged at Yago's Titan with howls. Yago's Titan roared as well, driving a fist straight through the head of a Titan that had just climbed to its feet.

The Abnormal Titan moved fast, lunging behind Yago's Titan and biting viciously into him. Yago's Titan cried out in pain, every muscle in his body tightening. He reached behind himself with both hands and actually performed an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming the Abnormal Titan into the ground.