A light tremor was felt spreading throughout the city , occasionally explosions and rumblings were heard, indicating that the battle was still ongoing between the guard troops and the Colossal Titan.
Violet ran, avoiding the crowd that was pressing in from the opposite direction. Her steps slowed for a moment when the corner of her eye caught something flying in the sky. He turned his head slightly, without slowing his pace.
A soldier soars through the air using 3D maneuvering equipment. The hook is stuck firmly in the sturdy building around it. So precise, so controlled. He watched as the soldier fired another hook, then slid while maintaining his balance.
In a matter of seconds, Violet analyzed it all. Movement, system, direction of thrust. He had never seen technology like this, but he was beginning to understand the basic principles.
Shortly after...
Suddenly, a huge explosion shook the air, deafening the ears. Violet reflexively turned south. The south gate... was gone. All that remained was a gaping hole, surrounded by debris and thick smoke billowing into the sky. The explosion must have destroyed the south gate.
A tense silence fell for a moment, only the rustle of smoke slowly sweeping through the destruction. The Colossal Titan was no longer visible. But from behind the smoke , a shadow began to appear, a massive, humanoid figure, yet far more terrifying. Within seconds, the first Titan's figure emerged fully, stepping into the Trost District.
Each step the titan took shook the ground, creating tremors that were felt throughout every corner of the district. The Guardian Soldiers on duty looked nervous, although some of them had been trained to use 3D maneuvering equipment, but almost none of them had any real experience facing a Titan directly. Their bodies were trembling, their faces filled with fear.
One of the soldiers finally mustered up the courage. Breathing heavily, he used his maneuvering device and flew around the titan, trying to keep his distance from the giant's hand. Once he reached behind the titan, he drew his two swords, gripped them tightly, and prepared to slash.
But before he could slide towards the nape of the neck, suddenly from behind the smoke, another, larger titan's hand appeared. In an instant, the soldier's body was caught in its grip. He froze, his eyes wide with terror. From behind the cloud of smoke , the figure of a second titan appeared, taller, about fifteen meters. He then screamed.
"Ash–AAAAAAH!! HELP!! HELP ME!!!"
The other soldiers were just frozen, frozen, unable to move. Fear had paralyzed their courage.
The Titan began to devour the trapped soldier. His screams echoed, growing fainter and fainter as his body was now half-submerged in the terrifying maw.
A horrific sight unfolded before his eyes, his body split apart, the lower half falling to the ground, while the titan was still chewing on the remaining upper half with a heart-piercing crunching sound.
In the eerie silence, one by one the other titans began to emerge from behind the smoke and ruins.
The remaining soldiers no longer had the courage to fight. They could only retreat and run in despair.
The crowd in front of the Rose Gate had not yet subsided. Amidst the throng, Elias remained standing beside his cart, his gaze fixed south. His face was anxious, as he still hoped Violet would emerge from the fleeing crowd.
Suddenly, from nearby, a guard soldier shouted,
"Hey, Old Man! "Hurry up and move, your cart is blocking the way!"
Elias flinched slightly, then quickly replied,
"Ah, sorry, sorry! I'm waiting for someone," he said as he started pulling his cart to the side of the road.
The soldier approached, his tone firmer,
"We can't wait! This gate must be closed immediately. Our troops are risking their lives to save you!"
Elias just nodded slowly, his face still looking into the distance, harboring hope.
Violet, who had been running, finally found the grandmother the little child had pointed out.
The old woman bent down and pushed a small cart.
She turned his head and said softly,
"Why are you here? A young girl like you should be in a safe place."
As she prepared to carry him, Violet answered softly but firmly,
"Please don't say things like that... all lives are precious."
The grandmother smiled slightly,
"You're so selfish, young lady."
But before Violet could lift it, a heavy rumbling sound was heard. A four-meter-tall titan suddenly appeared at the intersection . Violet immediately turned and stood with her back to her grandmother, her body at attention.
She quickly analyzed his surroundings, searching for a foothold, gauging the distance, and estimating the angle of attack. She considered jumping and slashing at the back of the titan's neck.
But before she could act, another titan appeared, larger, about thirteen meters tall. Violet gasped. She knew this was not the time to fight.
Quickly, he picked up his grandmother and said firmly,
"Hold on tight."
Without wasting any time, Violet immediately ran as fast as she could. The two titans behind him immediately gave chase, their steps shaking the ground and making the air vibrate.
Assessing the situation, Violet decided to enter the narrow alleys and gaps between buildings. She hoped the confined space would slow down the titans, who were too large to pursue him freely. Meanwhile, the sound of heavy footsteps continued to haunt him from behind, relentless, without pause.
Unexpected moment , her footsteps carried her up to the roof of a building. From that height, Violet could see her surroundings more clearly. Her eyes quickly assessed the situation, around twenty titans had entered the Trost District.
Not far from where he stood, he saw a soldier flying through the air using a 3D maneuvering device with great skill. With swift movements and high precision, the soldier managed to take down two Titans in a short time. And she was Mikasa, a woman with a height of 170 cm with black hair always wearing a red scarf, despite having just graduated from training, she was the most talented rookie soldier with the highest score in her class.
After seeing how Mikasa fought, Violet tried to get closer hoping it would save her.
Escaping the alleys and spaces between buildings, Violet managed to widen the gap between her pursuers. But just then, a surprise happened, one titan was not standing but seemed to be stuck to the side of the building like a spider, lurking from above.
The titan's eyes immediately sharpened when he noticed Violet's presence. Without warning, the titan leaped towards him at terrifying speed.
Violet quickly secured her footing and leaped to the side with near-perfect reflexes. Only centimeters separated her hand from the titan's grip. The creature fell heavily, destroying the building behind where Violet had been standing.
Violet took a deep breath, then turned to look at the grandmother in her arms. "Is grandma okay?" he asked quickly, still on alert.
The grandmother replied in a cold but firm tone, "You should be more worried about yourself, child."
Realizing the two titans were still chasing her, Violet continued running, and when she turned the corner, she discovered that it was the path to the Rose Gate. Her steps faltered slightly, as right in front of the gate, a large cart laden with goods blocked almost the entire path, making it difficult for anyone to pass. Violet slowed down, looking around. There were still many residents who had not been evacuated, there he also saw Elias and his cart.
In her heart, Violet said,
"No... I shouldn't have led the titans here."
Meanwhile , Mikasa was also there, having a tense standoff with a group of villagers who were forcing the large cart through the gate. The atmosphere was getting increasingly heated and tense.
Suddenly, a violent vibration was felt from the ground. The thundering sound of the titan's footsteps began to be heard approaching. Everyone, including Mikasa, looked south. They saw it—two titans racing towards the gate.
Elias narrowed his eyes then realized, in his heart saying
"V-Violet!?"
Panic erupted in the crowd.
Mikasa immediately took a stance, ready to use her 3D maneuvering device. However, just as he was about to shoot the hook, he realized something.
"There's someone...that...who?" he muttered to himself.
Violet quickly put the grandmother down, looking at her gently but hurriedly.
"Calm down... everything will be fine. "I promise," he said softly, then turned and ran towards the titan.
Mikasa was surprised. " What is he doing?!"
The larger Titan was at the forefront . He threw out his massive hand to catch Violet. But with incredible agility, Violet jumped and used the hand as a foothold. She jumped towards the building canopy.
Other hand followed, swinging swiftly towards Violet.
But just before landing on the canopy, Violet had already grabbed the hilt of her sword. She concentrated her power on one of her legs to maneuver the air. With perfect momentum, she leaped and spun, both swords drawn from their sheaths, and in one deadly move, she slashed through the titan's eyes, temporarily blinding it. The giant hand's path shattered the building, and a massive rumble and tremors made the situation even more terrifying.
At that moment Violet's body slid past the titan's head, she stepped on it, pushed herself once again and flew into the air, this time heading towards the smaller titan.
With incredible speed, Violet dived towards the titan's nape. And in one double slash, she managed to destroy its nape, sending the titan crashing to the ground.
Mikasa froze, frozen. Her eyes widened, her chest rising and falling slowly, as if she couldn't believe what she had just seen. The 3D maneuvering device was still hanging from her waist, but it wasn't her mind that was moving. Without tools, without support, the girl, Violet was able to face two titans at once with nothing but amazing speed, reflexes, and precision.
Mikasa watched his every move closely. Violet's eyes were always alert, reading the titan's every move. He didn't just dodge, but moved in sync with the attack, using the titan's arms as footholds to jump higher. When he landed on the building's canopy, he knew which foot to use to maintain his momentum, as if it had all been calculated beforehand.
Before the titan's next hand could move, Violet had already positioned her body perfectly to perform an aerial maneuver. He even calculated how to slide right into the next titan's path, then slashed it at the right momentum.
In her heart, Mikasa asked "Who really is that girl...?"
Violet, who was concentrating on thinking about how to take down the taller titan, because there was no more foothold to jump from, was suddenly startled by a loud scream from the crowd.
"VIOLET!! BEHIND YOU!!"
The scream came from Elias.
At that moment, a Titan shot towards Violet at high speed. She realized it and tried to dodge, but it was too late. Although she managed to escape its primary grip, the Titan's fingertips still made contact with her, enough to send Violet flying hard against the building's wall.
"Ugh...!" A groan escaped his mouth along with a thin stream of blood that gushed from his lips. His body slowly slid down the wall, then hit the ground with a dull thud.
Violet tried to get up, her hands supporting the ground trembling. But the pain that spread made his body sway, unable to support his own weight. Her breath was ragged, her vision blurry. Even so, she tried to lift her head, staring hazily at the creature.
"That Titan... the one from earlier..." he whispered to himself, before his vision darkened.
Her eyelids slowly closed, Violet lost consciousness.
Vaguely in her memory, Violet opened her eyes slightly. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out Elias's figure sitting beside her, his face filled with worry. She couldn't hear anything he was saying clearly; everything sounded like a distant echo. All she could hear was the sound of wooden wheels turning slightly faster, indicating they were on their way. His eyelids closed again, drawn by a deep sense of exhaustion.
As her consciousness slowly returned, Violet found herself in a simple room. She lay on a fairly soft mattress, making her body feel a little more comfortable. There were no windows in the room, only a small candle burning dimly in the corner, casting a soft glow onto the stone wall. There was also a tightly closed wooden door. The atmosphere was calm, almost silent, and from the darkness of the sky that crept through the crack in the door, Violet could tell that night had fallen.
"Where am I ? " he muttered to himself.
A few hours earlier,
the sun had half set, and Sophie was tidying up the shed that afternoon when the sound of approaching wooden wheels caught her attention. She turned to find Elias hurrying towards her with his cart.
His eyes widened when he saw Violet's figure lying on the cart. In a worried tone, he exclaimed,
"Violet! What happened to him?"
"She's unconscious," Elias replied, "You'd better call Greta right away. I'll take her to the room. ",
Greta is Sophie's father, he is a former military doctor and Elias' business partner.
Elias immediately picked Violet up and took her to a rarely used room, while Sophie immediately ran to call her father.
After Sophie explained the situation to her father, the man simply nodded briefly, then quickly walked towards Violet's room. Sophie didn't immediately follow him but hurried to close the shop. She flipped the small sign at the entrance, changing it to "Closed ," closed the windows one by one, and locked the door.
When Greta entered the room, he was already carrying a first aid kit. His gaze immediately fell on Violet, who lay weakly, while Elias sat by the bedside, staring at her with a worried expression.
Stepping closer, Greta spoke up,
"Thank goodness you're okay at least, Elias. I also heard that the Trost District gate was breached."
Without taking his eyes off Violet, Elias answered quietly,
"Yeah… the situation is really chaotic. Fortunately, all residents were successfully evacuated."
Greta nodded slightly as he lowered her toolbox, then began to examine Violet's condition. In a slightly heavy tone, he said,
"But unfortunately, this girl is not lucky enough, right? ", Elias just kept quiet.
When Greta touched Violet's wrist to check her pulse, he flinched, but he chose to ignore it.
Greta in his heart was amazed,
"A fully mechanical hand, is something like that even possible?"
Silence enveloped the room for a few minutes. Elias remained silent. Only the soft sounds of medical equipment could be heard, along with Greta's slow but steady movements as she examined each part of Violet's body ,checking for any injuries, checking for any bruises or concerns.
After finishing Greta turned to Elias and said,
"I guess I was wrong," he muttered, sounding a little relieved this time.
"She's still pretty lucky. There are no signs of internal organ damage."
Greta sighed lightly, then added,
"A bit of bad news, maybe some of his bones are cracked. But it's light. If handled properly, he could recover completely in a few days."
Greta started tidying up her tools then
Looking relieved Elias said, "Thank goodness then ,"
Greta walked towards the door, but suddenly stopped.
"Greta, that girl—" Elias said, but he didn't finish his sentence.
"I know, Elias," Greta interrupted softly. He took a deep breath before continuing,
"Back then... I also had a great curiosity about this world. But the more I know, the more I feel this world is losing hope. Titan is just the beginning. Then came the abnormal titans, the colossal titans, the armored titans, all of which only brought us closer to destruction."
He turned his head slowly towards Violet's drooping hand, his gaze dim.
"But... this is the first time in my life I feel like I see something that resembles hope."
Greta looked down, silent for a few seconds. His voice then softened but firm,
"I'm tired of all the anomalies in this world. For now... I just want to live a peaceful life."
A clear signal to Elias that she was okay with Violet's situation, and wanted him to trust her.
They both fell silent for a moment. But Elias's expression changed slightly, a faint hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Thank you so much, Greta... but I didn't expect you to say something like that," Elias said quietly.
Greta smiled faintly, then looked at Elias calmly.
"I will take care of him until he recovers. And if he's willing, he can stay here."
He paused for a moment, then added in a light tone,
"If he wants, he can also help me at the shop. Such a beautiful girl will definitely attract the attention of customers, it could be the reason people come back here."
Greta chuckled at the end of her sentence, trying to lighten the previously heavy atmosphere.
Elias nodded and said,
"Regarding that, it is Violet's own decision. I have to go soon. If I stay up too late, I might get scolded by the gate guard. So, I entrust Violet to you."
Greta replied with a calm nod.
As Greta walked down the hall, he ran into Sophie.
"Dad, how is Violet?" Sophie asked in a worried tone.
"You happened to be here. "She's fine, just needs a lot of rest," Greta replied as she continued walking.
"I have to go out for a bit, buy some ingredients to mix some medicine. For the time being, I'll leave him in your care."
Sophie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..."
After only a few steps, Greta seemed to remember something. He turned around and said,
"And one more thing, please don't touch anything. I'm worried the wound might open again."
Sophie rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed.
"Yes yes yes, Dad... You don't have to remind me like a child."
Greta just smiled a little, then continued his steps out.
Rumors began to circulate about a mysterious girl who fought against the Titans fearlessly. Several eyewitnesses told of his prowess in handling two titans without 3d maneuvering equipment. However, the news did not resonate widely. That day, public attention was focused on a far more shocking event.
There's a Titan that hunts and kills its own kind. Even more shocking, that Titan is actually a human, a new soldier who hasn't even finished training for long. His name is Eren Yeager.