I Became the Villain of Attack on Titan

Marley's commander, Magath, stared at the island as it slowly faded into the distance.

Could Marley's Warrior Unit really complete the crucial mission they had been given?

He had never voiced it aloud, but he had serious doubts about the Founding Titan retrieval operation conceived by the higher-ups. Sure, they had selected the most talented candidates, but they were still just children.

Was it really a good idea to send ten-year-old kids to infiltrate Paradis Island?

Forget about retrieving the Founding Titan—he'd be relieved if they even brought back any useful information.

But he couldn't disobey the orders handed down from above. All he could do over the past year was ensure the Warriors were rigorously trained.

"Commander Magath."

Lost in thought, Magath heard the voice of his adjutant.

"Oh, it's you."

"You haven't been sleeping well these past few days, sir. Maybe you should get some rest."

Magath shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep.

Every time he thought about the mission, on which Marley's fate rested, sleep evaded him.

"No need. I've had enough rest."

"...You seem to have a lot on your mind."

His adjutant, who had served at Magath's side for many years, could see through his thoughts.

Although Magath didn't show it openly, the adjutant knew he wasn't entirely comfortable with this mission.

"All we can do is wish them luck," Magath replied tersely.

The adjutant, familiar with Magath's attitude, didn't press the matter further. An awkward silence lingered over the deck for a while.

"...Adjutant, would you happen to have the personnel files on the Warriors?" Magath finally asked.

At Magath's question, the adjutant moved swiftly.

Magath took a stack of documents and pulled out the evaluation reports of the Warrior Unit. These were the comprehensive assessments of the Warriors who had been training over the past year.

Despite having reviewed them multiple times before, today he found himself poring over the papers once again.

-Reiner Braun

Born: Year 833

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Overall Evaluation:

-Has consistently maintained excellent performance since the start of Warrior training.

-Possesses strong physical and mental fortitude, fulfilling assigned duties reliably.

-Demonstrates leadership, initiative, and high willpower.

-Considered a highly suitable candidate for the Marleyan Warrior Unit.

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Bertolt Hoover

Overall Evaluation:

-Has consistently maintained excellent performance since the start of Warrior training.

-Shows outstanding physical ability and situational awareness.

-Although somewhat reserved, receives high marks overall.

-Considered a highly suitable candidate for the Marleyan Warrior Unit.

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Annie Leonhart

Overall Evaluation:

-Has consistently maintained excellent performance since the start of Warrior training.

-Excels in hand-to-hand combat and infiltration techniques.

-Lacks strong social skills and teamwork but not to a degree that hinders mission performance.

-Considered a highly suitable candidate for the Marleyan Warrior Unit.

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Shiniro Yang

Overall Evaluation:

-Initially showed low performance in the early stages of Warrior training but made a rapid improvement later on.

-Achieved high marks in both theoretical and practical aspects.

-Known for good interpersonal relationships and a cheerful demeanor, though can sometimes make excessively cold judgments during missions.

-Considered a valuable asset for the Marleyan Warrior Unit.

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"Displays cold judgment during missions, huh..." 

Magath quietly muttered to himself. 

Shiniro Yang had inherited the Jaw Titan, surpassing other outstanding Warriors.

He was the one Magath had been keeping an eye on the most.

Although his early performance had been mediocre, his scores had skyrocketed at some point.

Unlike his usual gentle demeanor, Shiniro became incredibly cold and calculating during missions.

For a ten-year-old, he possessed remarkable situational awareness, courage, and composure. 

"Shiniro Yang..." 

No one in the military command truly believed that sending ten-year-old Warriors on the mission to reclaim the Founding Titan would succeed.

Yet Magath held on to a sliver of hope.

That hope stemmed from the exceptional abilities he had witnessed in Shiniro.

Shiniro's skills were on par with, if not superior to, those of elite adult soldiers in many areas. 

Perhaps, if it were this child, he might lead the Marleyan Warrior Unit to achieve some meaningful results. 

"Sigh... Who knows how this will all turn out..." 

As the night deepened, Magath's thoughts grew heavier. 

***************

Out on the vast plains, a Titan lay collapsed.

From the nape of the fallen Titan, a young boy emerged. 

Hiss! 

Steam rose from Reiner's body as he exited the Titan. Exhausted from his prolonged transformation, he could barely stand.

I helped Reiner down, supporting him as he struggled to stay on his feet. 

"You did well, Reiner." 

The last two days had been grueling, with a relentless forced march. Even though the three kids took turns transforming into Titans, it was still undeniably tough. 

"How much farther do we have to go?" 

"We're almost there. Half a day, and we'll be at our destination." 

"That's not almost there..." Reiner let out a weary laugh. 

Well, I had said almost, but in reality, we wouldn't get there until tomorrow. 

"Anyway, let's rest for a bit before we move on." 

I looked past Reiner to check on Bertolt and Annie. Both of them were nodding off, heads drooping in exhaustion.

Riding on a Titan was nothing like traveling by horse or car. It was a taxing ordeal.

There was the constant nausea, not to mention the ever-present need to stay alert for mindless Titans that could attack at any moment.

The kids were physically and mentally at their limits. 

"Reiner, you should get some sleep too." 

"I'm fine. You should rest this time, Shiniro," Reiner said, waving me off. 

He must've noticed that I had been keeping watch and standing guard for days.

Despite being so young, he showed a strong sense of responsibility. Seeing that reliable side of him, I felt like I could finally take a moment to close my eyes. 

After a short but much-needed rest, I got up. 

"All right, let's get moving." 

I gently shook the others awake.

Bertolt and Annie rubbed their sleepy eyes as they got to their feet.

It was Annie's turn to transform. She shifted into her Titan form and started leading the way again, her massive footsteps echoing through the ground. 

Thud, thud, thud.

The sound of the Titan's footsteps echoed across the plains.

As we continued running, we began to see more and more mindless Titans scattered around. The closer we got to the walls, the more frequently we encountered them.

"Hey, Bertolt, be honest. Which Titan gives the best ride?" 

"Hmm, Reiner… I think Shiniro's Titan has the smoothest ride," Bertolt answered cautiously.

His voice was lowered, as if he was worried Annie might overhear, considering she was the one running at the moment. 

"Really? It's probably because I run on all fours," I responded with a small chuckle.

I had been deliberately going easy for their sake, but I didn't feel the need to mention that.

"Hey, Annie!" 

Just then, Reiner knocked on Annie's head and shouted, "Did you hear that? Bertolt said it's more comfortable if you run on all fours!" 

Reiner grinned mischievously as he turned back to look at us. Bertolt, flustered, didn't know where to put himself. I couldn't help but laugh at Reiner's sudden outburst.

Swish.

Annie glanced up at Reiner, who was perched on her shoulder. Reiner, still joking around, suggested she try walking on all fours, saying it wasn't too late to start now. 

Thud!

But the moment Annie made a move as if she was about to throw him off, Reiner immediately quieted down. 

"Yikes… she's scary. Can't even joke around anymore," Reiner muttered. 

"Reiner, why'd you have to say it out loud!" Bertolt scolded, still clearly nervous. 

"Anyway, now I'm curious about how the Colossal Titan feels as a ride… What do you think, Shiniro?" 

"Agreed," I said with a grin. "It might be incredibly slow, but I bet the ride is surprisingly comfortable."

As we continued our casual chatter, faint outlines of the walls began to appear in the distance. They were still small, like ants, but stretched out endlessly.

That was Wall Maria—the wall we had been aiming for.

Finally…

Now that we were so close to the real deal, the nerves were starting to set in. In just a few hours, we would reach that wall. And then, just as we had planned for years, we would breach it.

"Annie, let's switch," I called out.

Hearing my voice, Annie began to slow down, eventually coming to a stop. She gently set us down before collapsing, steam rising from the nape of her neck as she emerged from her Titan form.

Hisssss.

I helped her down. When a Titan form is maintained for too long, the body becomes so exhausted that it's hard to even stand without assistance.

"You did well, Annie."

"Thanks," she replied briefly, before sitting down heavily on the ground.

I immediately began preparing to transform into my Titan. The others took a few steps back to give me space for the transformation.

But then...

The ground behind us suddenly shot upward without warning.