Another Ackerman - Ayanokoji x Snk

The thunderous pounding of hooves against the earth did not cease, but amidst the relentless rhythm of the gallop, the messenger's cry cut through the air like a sharp blade.

"MESSAGE INCOMING!"

Everyone turned their heads in his direction as his horse, panting from the exertion, approached our position.

"THE RIGHT FLANK DETECTION TEAM HAS BEEN MORTALLY HIT!"

The impact of those words immediately resonated throughout our formation.

"THEIR DETECTION CAPABILITIES ARE DISABLED! RELAY THE INFORMATION TO THE LEFT FLANK, PLEASE."

And with that order, the messenger pulled the reins and sped away at full speed, vanishing into the dust cloud raised by the galloping horses.

For a moment, no one said anything.

Only the sound of the wind and the pounding of hooves accompanied the tension that had settled in the air.

Finally, Levi's voice broke the silence.

"Petra, you heard him. Go."

"YES, SIR!"

Without wasting a second, Petra turned her horse and shot off to the left, her cape violently billowing behind her.

But no matter how fast she moved, distance was still an issue.

The message would take time to reach its destination.

And in that time... anything could happen.

My eyes drifted to Eren.

His jaw was clenched, the muscles in his face tense, but this time, it wasn't just confusion reflected in his eyes.

It was understanding.

He was finally grasping the gravity of the situation.

Jean, Armin, and Reiner were in that position.

If the formation collapsed there, if the Titans found an opening to break through...

The casualties would increase exponentially.

It didn't take long to happen.

The silence—broken only by the wind and the galloping horses—was shattered in an instant.

"WHAT?!" Eren's shout snapped me out of my thoughts.

My gaze followed his, and there it was:

A column of dark smoke rising into the air.

Black flare.

The soldiers' hearts clenched in their chests.

An Abnormal.

An abnormal Titan had breached the formation.

They were an unpredictable disaster.

And judging by the flare's direction, this one had managed to penetrate far too deep into our ranks.

"Eren, fire now!" Levi's voice was firm, emotionless, but no less commanding because of it.

Eren reacted immediately.

"YES, SIR!"

His green flare ascended, illuminating the sky with its emerald glow.

But just as the smoke began to disperse, another shot caught our attention.

From the right.

Not too far away.

My gaze automatically shifted to the sky as another black trail darkened the horizon.

Another black flare.

...

Levi's muscles tensed slightly. His gaze sharpened.

This was no longer just a problem.

The margin for error was shrinking dangerously.

The Titans weren't just entering the formation.

They were getting in too deep.

Our reaction time had been reduced to dangerously low levels.

"So they let one get too far into the formation..." Levi didn't waste words.

...

In the distance, the trees began to rise, towering over us.

Gigantic.

Taller than any human structure within the Walls.

The Forest of Giant Trees.

One of the few places where the omni-directional mobility gear provided a real advantage against the Titans.

The branches and trunks could be used as anchor points, allowing a level of movement impossible in open fields.

However...

It also meant a different kind of danger.

The Titans could hide among the vegetation.

Remain motionless, waiting for the formation to venture deep enough before attacking.

Visibility was limited.

Detection became practically useless.

It was a battlefield that was both perfect and lethal.

And the formation was about to enter it.

"CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN LEVI!!" Eren's voice rang out urgently, calling Levi over and over.

Levi didn't even glance at him.

"What do you want?" he asked with clear irritation.

"What do you mean 'what do I want'?! We're in the forest now, aren't we?! If only the center of the formation moves this deep in, we won't be able to tell if a Titan is approaching or not! And it seems like something is coming from the right..." His voice carried desperation.

"How are we supposed to evade them and protect the supply transport unit?"

Levi clicked his tongue.

"Stop whining about what is already obvious to everyone." His tone was dry, devoid of any emotion other than annoyance.

"It's clear we're no longer in a position to do anything about that."

Eren blinked, stunned.

"What...? Why would we—?" His confusion only deepened.

Levi sighed impatiently.

"Look around you. Look at these ridiculously huge trees. This is the perfect place to use omni-directional mobility gear."

Levi's voice remained calm, but the tension in the air was palpable.

"Now think. Use that little head of yours for once and think like your life depends on it."

Eren fell silent.

But his expression was that of someone who still didn't understand.

His eyes searched the faces of the more experienced soldiers, looking for any sign that at least they had figured it out.

All he found was nervousness.

Cold sweat.

Fear.

Some even muttered insults to themselves under their breath, furious for not being able to see what Levi saw.

Finally, his eyes landed on me.

Unlike the others, my expression remained completely indifferent.

And when our gazes met, I simply said,

"No matter what happens, you'll find out soon enough."

"BUT—" Eren tried to insist, but his voice was abruptly cut off.

A loud noise shattered the air.

The whistle of a shot.

BANG!

The unmistakable sound of a flare being fired into the sky.

...

Black.

A black flare.

Right behind us.

Gunther snapped his head around, his voice bursting into a warning.

"BEHIND US!!"

Erd, eyes wide in shock, spoke with a fear he didn't bother to hide.

"Don't tell me it's coming from the right rear...?"

...

...

No.

There was no silence.

Heartbeats, breathing—even at this speed, they were impossible to ignore.

Even for the elite, this was something entirely new.

This... was no longer a simple scouting mission.

This... was a hunt.

And we were the prey.

Levi's voice rang out like a sharpened blade slicing through the air.

"EVERYONE, DRAW YOUR BLADES!" His gaze darkened.

"By the time that thing shows itself... it'll only be in the blink of an eye."

A single moment. That was all we had left.

But I already knew that.

And I knew we couldn't afford even a second of hesitation.

So I raised my voice—louder than they had ever heard me.

"EVERYONE, PUT ON YOUR HOODS!"

...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THOOM THOOM THOOM THOOM!!!!!!!

A tremor.

The sound of something immense tearing through the earth.

The vibrations in the ground reverberated through our bones.

And then, in less than a blink—

A colossal figure emerged from our right.

A whirlwind of dust and leaves exploded in its wake, blinding our vision for an instant.

But even before we could make out its features, instinct screamed it at us.

A Titan.

No...

A person in a Titan's body.

"DAMN IT!" Gunther's furious shout tore through the air as our horses' hooves pounded the ground in a frantic rhythm.

"IN THIS PLACE, OUR ONLY OPTION IS TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD!"

"FASTER! IT'S CATCHING UP!" Erd practically spat the words, his voice laced with desperation.

Every second, every heartbeat, the Female Titan drew closer.

Its speed did not falter.

With monstrous precision, with a clear purpose.

We... were its target.

Eren was its target.

Petra, her voice teetering on the edge of panic, turned to Levi "CAPTAIN! LET'S SWITCH TO ODM GEAR!"

But before Levi could answer—

Two figures emerged from the periphery of our vision.

Two soldiers. Approaching from the rear.

Petra let out a breath of hope "REINFORCEMENTS BEHIND US!"

Both soldiers launched themselves into the air using their ODM gear, soaring between the trees, tracing a perfect trajectory toward the Titan's nape.

Their blades gleamed as they descended in a synchronized attack.

But it wasn't enough.

The Female Titan reacted too fast.

Its hand instinctively shot up to cover its nape, blocking the strikes before they could even graze its skin. And then— With a brutal motion, it swung its shoulder to the side, slamming one of the soldiers into a tree with overwhelming force.

The impact echoed through the forest.

The other tried to maneuver and escape, but his fate was already sealed.

The Titan spun sharply, stretched out its arm, and grabbed him.

CRACK.

His body was crushed with terrifying ease.

Then, as if he were nothing more than an obstacle in its path, it slammed him against another tree and let him drop lifelessly.

...

All of this happened in a matter of seconds.

And at no moment... did it stop running toward us.

...

Petra watched the scene, eyes wide with horror "CAPTAIN! YOUR ORDERS!"

"LET'S DO IT! THAT DAMN THING IS TOO DANGEROUS!" Aurou shouted, his voice raw with rage.

"WE HAVE TO FIGHT!" Gunther insisted.

But none of them moved.

Not until Levi gave the order.

And in the meantime, every group of soldiers that tried to intercept the Titan was massacred.

They emerged from the trees.

It didn't matter.

They died too fast.

Desperation escalated with every passing second.

Until...

Erd reached his limit.

His teeth clenched, his knuckles turning white around the hilt of his sword "I'LL TEAR HER TO PIECES!"

But just as he was about to launch himself forward, he stopped.

Because Levi had already moved ahead a few meters.

Everyone held their breath.

"CAPTAIN LEVI! PLEASE, ORDERS!" Eren shouted.

Levi... didn't respond immediately.

...

And then—

"All of you, cover your ears."

His voice was a blade of steel slicing through the tension.

...

...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The shot rang out like thunder trapped within the forest.

A deafening explosion.

...

The sound pierced through our eardrums, even with our hands covering them.

"W-what...? A sonic round...?" Eren murmured, dazed by the pain in his ears.

The echo of the gunshot faded.

But my voice replaced it immediately.

"Tell me..."

...

"What is your mission?" My tone remained unchanged.

Empty—yet somehow, angry.

...

"fight?"

My eyes traveled over each of their faces.

One by one.

...

"save?"

...

"think?"

...

They all stared at me.

Some with discomfort.

Others... with anger.

But it didn't matter.

Because I knew the answer.

And so did they.

"No."

I let the word linger in the air for a few seconds before continuing.

"Your job is protect Eren."

My gaze sharpened.

"With your lives."

Petra clenched her fists.

Gunther exhaled sharply.

Erd lowered his gaze, but his grip on his sword tightened.

Even Aurou, who had been shouting in desperation just moments ago, remained silent.

I said nothing more.

Because there was no need.

The determination in their eyes said everything.

The hunt was far from over.

But now... they knew their role.