Dedicate your heart
"What's going on?" Mikasa and Levi, who caught up with the Female Titan first, stared in astonishment at the scene before them.
The Female Titan protected the back of her neck with one hand while sweeping the other continuously, and a Female Titan, leaving wound after wound on her body with Female Titan Dual Blades.
"That's... Yago?" Mikasa recognized Yago at a glance. "Where's Eren? Where did Eren go?" Mikasa looked at the Female Titan's hand, which had been holding Eren's, now empty.
"I don't know the situation, but the Female Titan doesn't seem to want to attack this New Recruits." Levi noticed something was amiss. Although the Female Titan appeared to be sweeping fiercely, her speed wasn't fast, and ordinary Soldiers could easily dodge her attacks.
Mikasa drew her Blades and said, "No matter what, we have to help Yago now and find that guy! We have to make him tell us where he hid Eren!"
Levi tacitly agreed, drew his own Blades, and the two charged at the Female Titan together.
On the other side, Yago also sensed that the Female Titan did not want to attack him, but when he thought of Annie, Yago's heart was filled with anger.
"Damn it! What do you take me for!" Yago roared, severing the Female Titan's hand once more and lunging straight for the back of Female Titan neck. Unfortunately, Yago's last remaining Blades still failed to shatter the Crystal at the back of the Female Titan's neck.
The Gas was almost gone, Yago reluctantly dodged the Female Titan's grabbing hand.
But Mikasa and Levi were also rushing over at that moment. This time, the Female Titan, who had already exhausted a lot of energy, definitely couldn't dodge.
The Female Titan opened her massive maw, Levi sneered, "Trying to lure Titan here again? Too bad, before those disgusting Titan get here, we'll rip you out by the back of your neck first!"
"Eren!" To everyone's surprise, inside the Female Titan's gaping mouth was the unconscious Eren; it turned out the Female Titan had just stuffed Eren into her mouth.
The Female Titan snatched Eren from her mouth, letting out another eerie and mournful roar, before throwing Eren away.
Mikasa's expression changed drastically; they were rushing towards the Female Titan and couldn't catch Eren in time.
Fortunately, Yago made a dash and used the last of the Gas to catch the unconscious Eren.
Levi and Mikasa also arrived at Yago's side. Mikasa hugged the unconscious Eren tightly, her face full of heartache as she looked at Eren's broken legs.
Levi looked at Yago with some curiosity. Of course he knew Yago, the child they had picked up from outside the Survey Corps five years ago. He had also heard about Yago's exploits, and he was known as the best recruit among the New Recruits.
Bang! Red and black Signal Flare rose in the distance, and a Scout, sweating profusely, rushed over. "Captain! The Commander has ordered an immediate retreat after rescuing Eren! There are too many Titan! And a large number of Abnormal Titan!"
Erwin and his group were left far behind by Levi and Mikasa. Levi glanced at the Female Titan standing to the side, seemingly observing them.
"Did you return Eren to us just to force us to leave?" Levi understood the Female Titan's intentions, but he was helpless. He wasn't confident he could subdue the creature hiding behind the Female Titan's neck before a large number of Titan arrived.
"Let's retreat!" Levi ordered. Mikasa nodded, picked up Eren, and prepared to leave.
Levi frowned, looking at the motionless Yago. "New Recruits, it's time to retreat."
Yago gripped a broken razor Blades in his hand, his mind filled with Annie's image. "I won't leave, Mikasa. If I can't go back, please take good care of Mother for me."
Having said that, Yago walked resolutely toward the Female Titan, having exhausted his Gas.
Levi grabbed Yago's arm. "Hey, you brat, don't do anything reckless! I said we should retreat! Don't be so impulsive!"
Yago felt the immense force on his arm and marveled at Ackerman's strength, as did Mikasa's.
"Captain Levi, I'm not your subordinate. Besides, what's the Survey Corps' motto? It's to Dedicate Your Hearts to humanity!" Yago forcefully pried Levi's hands off as well.
"I'm not that great, nor as passionate as Eren. Actually, I don't really trust humans. When I learned that Eren helped us win the battle to retake Trost District, yet he was still put on trial and almost sentenced to death, I trusted him even less," Yago said calmly as he slowly approached the Female Titan.
"At first, I wanted to fight for humanity, but for some reason, the more powerful I became, the more cowardly I became. Hah, having power but not being able to protect the people I love, how ridiculous," Yago said self-deprecatingly, feeling a Ring in his palm.
Levi kept his eyes fixed on Yago, a hint of wariness in his gaze, as if he'd guessed something. "What did you say?"
Mikasa also frowned as she stared at Yago; Yago was acting very strangely.
Yago, seeing the two tense figures, smiled and said, "Don't worry, Captain, look closely, this is my Dedicate Your Hearts!"
Suddenly, Yago pointed the broken Blades at his heart, and then, to the astonishment of the two, plunged Blades into his heart, blood gushing out. (This pose is reminiscent of Captain Shikishima's transformation pose in the Attack on Titan movie; although the movie was terrible, I quite liked this move.)
Levi and Mikasa stared wide-eyed at this unbelievable scene.
Yago's body trembled slightly, but he still forcefully plunged the Blades deep into his heart, and surging Yellow Lightning flickered around Yago.
Levi's expression changed, and he yelled at Mikasa, "Run!"
Mikasa immediately grabbed Eren and activated the 3D Maneuver Gear to leave the area.
As Levi retreated, he stared incredulously at Yago, who was enveloped in yellow lightning. The child they had taken in by the Survey Corps five years ago was also Titan?!
The Female Titan on the other side stared blankly at the yellow lightning that seemed to pierce the heavens and earth. It had only intended to force back the Survey Corps and recover its strength, so how could this have happened?
"Ah!!" A surge of yellow lightning enveloped Yago, bones appeared out of thin air behind Yago, and clumps of flesh and blood wriggled and wrapped around him.
A crimson gaze emerged from the yellow lightning, a robust body emanating a faint steam, black hair flowing, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and a 17-meter-tall frame, taller than most Titan, exuding an aura of oppression.
The Fate Titan has arrived!
"Roar!!!" Yago, controlling the Titan's body, charged towards the Female Titan like a madman.
"I've seen this Titan before. It helped Eren hold off over a dozen Titan back in Trost District. We thought it had been eaten." Mikasa murmured, looking at the Titan that Yago had transformed into. The scene of Yago transforming into Titan had greatly shocked her. Her friend of five years was also Titan?
Mikasa is now very worried that Armin might suddenly turn into Titan too.
Levi gritted his teeth. What was going on? New Recruits these days could all transform into Titan? Damn it! "This kid has a lot of secrets too! I have to tell Erwin!"
Levi wasn't sure if Yago was an enemy, but based on the current situation, it didn't seem like it, and Mikasa had previously said that the Titan Yago transformed into had helped them.
Levi decided to bring Eren back first, and then immediately report to Erwin so that he could make the final decision.