The failed capture
"Commander, the Giant Tree Forest is just ahead." Looking at the towering trees before him, Erwin calmly issued the order, "Combat squads and Wagon Guard Squad, proceed into the Forest. The rest of the troops, bypass the Giant Tree Forest."
"Yes!"
With the order issued, the original Survey Corps was immediately divided into three parts.
With a sizzle, Reiner off the nape of a 10-Meter-Class Titan, frowned, and returned to a tall tree.
"Squad Leader, I don't understand, why do we have to guard the Giant Tree Forest? The trees here are so tall, we can't conduct effective reconnaissance at all," Armin asked the Scout Squad Leader who was standing on the top of a giant tree.
He originally planned with Reiner, Bertholdt, and others to lure the Titan into the Giant Tree Forest and then escape.
Unexpectedly, they encountered many New Recruits here, Comrade Ymir, Christa, and Mina. Together with other combat units, they wiped out the dozen or so Titan.
Then they received orders to hold the outer perimeter of the Giant Tree Forest at all costs and not let a single Titan in.
He complained, "Damn it, why do we have to protect this tourist attraction? Wouldn't it be better to just bypass it?"
The Scout Squad Leader ignored Armin, leaving Armin to guess at the Commander's intentions.
Bang! A black Signal Flare rose from the Giant Tree Forest.
"What? The Female Titan has already entered the Giant Tree Forest? Commander Erwin must know that the Female Titan's target is Eren, but why did she choose the Giant Tree Forest, a place with severely limited visibility?" Armin's palms, gripping the knife, were already sweating.
Ymir stared at the rising black smoke, his expression gradually darkening. Subconsciously, he pulled Christa behind him.
"Ymir, what are you doing?" Christa looked at Ymir with a puzzled expression. Ymir returned a slight smile. There were some things she couldn't tell this lovely girl yet.
"Hey, is that Yago?" a New Recruits said, pointing to the approaching Scout on horseback.
Armin looked around and exclaimed in surprise, "It really is Yago! Isn't he in Captain Nile's Elite Combat Squad? How did he end up here?"
Yago also saw his comrades on the giant tree, so he activated his Omni-Directional Mobility Gear and flew up to the tree.
"Yago, what are you doing here?" Reiner asked, but Yago didn't answer. Instead, he coldly asked, "Has the Female Titan entered the Giant Tree Forest?"
"Huh? What?" Reiner was taken aback. This was the first time he had seen Yago so cold and aloof. In everyone's impression, Yago had always been easygoing and lazy.
"That Female Titan did indeed enter the Giant Tree Forest, but, Yago, what's wrong with you? You don't seem quite right." Jean answered Yago's question, while also noticing that Yago's unusual state.
Taking a deep breath, Yago's eyes sharpened. "Finally caught up! I'm alright, Armin, Marco?"
Armin: "Oh, of course you can, but that Female Titan's target is Eren. Yago, what do you want to do?"
Yago murmured to himself, "Eren? So they came for Eren?" Then he leaped down from the giant tree, mounted Armin's horse, and galloped into the depths of the Giant Tree Forest.
"New Recruits! What are you doing? Come back!" the Scout Squad Leader shouted at Yago's retreating figure, but Yago paid no heed.
Yago's only thought now is to catch up with that Female Titan and then, to make her perish with Annie!!
"Whoever you are, you'll pay with your life!" Yago chased after him with all his might.
"Captain! That thing is catching up!" Oluo shouted anxiously, seeing the Female Titan rushing closer in the distance.
Levi, however, remained calm. Juda gritted his teeth and said, "Captain, give the order! That Female Titan is too dangerous!"
Eren stared wide-eyed at the Female Titan chasing after him. The two Scout finally caught up with her, but the Female Titan seemed extremely impatient. She protected the back of her neck with one hand, and with the other hand, she swatted the two Scout away with incredible speed, like swatting flies.
The two Scout fell, coughing up blood; their fate was uncertain.
Petra watched as her Survey Corps comrades fell, and she couldn't help but cry out, "Captain!?"
"You need to understand, our mission now is to ensure this kid's safety and prevent Eren from getting hurt in any way," Levi finally spoke.
Eren was deeply shocked upon hearing this. Was this to protect him? Eren had always thought that Levi Squad was there to monitor him.
As the Female Titan drew closer, Eren couldn't resist any longer. Looking at his hand, Eren hesitated, wondering whether to bite it.
"Everyone, full speed ahead!" Levi suddenly roared, and the others instinctively obeyed the order, urging their horses to gallop at full speed.
Whoosh! As Eren suddenly rushed across a relatively wide intersection, his eyes met those of a pair of eyes on his left.
"Launch!!" The sudden shout startled everyone. "Commander Erwin?" Eren recognized the person he was looking at; it was none other than Commander Erwin, who was standing in the tree.
At the Commander's order, a thunderous explosion resounded through the Forest!
Hidden among the giant trees, the Scout launched countless steel cable hooks, which pierced the Female Titan's body as she chased after Levi Squad, instantly turning Female Titan into a beehive of holes. The sturdy steel cables rendered the Female Titan unable to move.
Levi Squad also stopped. Eren stared in shock at the scene before him. Commander Erwin remained calm and composed, having long anticipated that someone capable of transforming into Titan would target Eren.
Furthermore, Erwin was certain that those people were hidden among the New Recruits, which is why he deliberately revealed Eren's existence and the secret of the basement when recruiting New Recruits.
Now, after a long and meticulous plan, they've finally captured one of them. What secrets can they glean from him? Erwin suddenly felt a glimmer of anticipation.
As Erwin pondered, Levi flew to his side. "Did the plan succeed?" Erwin nodded.
Levi stared emotionlessly at the Female Titan's nape. "Well then, let's see who's hiding in the flesh of her nape."
"Roar!!!" Suddenly, the Female Titan began to struggle violently, shaking her body incessantly. Under the tough steel cables, the Female Titan's body was torn apart, as she consciously tried to break free of her restraints.
"Not good!" Levi's eyes narrowed, and he quickly activated his Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, rushing towards the back of the Female Titan's neck.
But whether it was pre-planned or not, the Female Titan's nape suddenly exploded, and a figure rushed out. The speed was so fast that no one could see the figure's face clearly.
Levi was fast, but he was still a step too slow and missed the figure.
The figure broke free from the back of the Titan's neck, bypassed everyone, and rushed straight towards the still bewildered Eren.
Erwin lost his composure; he hadn't expected the Female Titan to be able to break free. "Protect Eren!"
The next moment, in the eyes of Eren and everyone else, a dazzling yellow lightning bolt descended from the sky.