Chapter 14: The Gap
Roar!
The giant that Eren had transformed into let out a wild roar, swinging its fists wildly at Hanji Zoe, Mikasa, and the others.
Boom, boom.
Large sections of surrounding buildings collapsed, dust billowing everywhere.
It was clear that Eren didn't want to fight those surrounding him; his target was the ordinary giants in the distance.
"Find a way to trap him, and be careful not to tangle the cables of the 'Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear'."
Hanji Zoe shouted. As the leader of the Survey Corps' Second Squad, it wouldn't be too difficult for her to slice off the nape of Eren's neck. After all, Eren was transforming for the first time and wasn't familiar with controlling a giant.
However, Hanji Zoe wanted to capture Eren alive, and she didn't have any of her Survey Corps teammates nearby. New recruits like Armin clearly weren't much help in the fight.
The few of them were locked in a stalemate with Eren. They couldn't do much to him, and Eren couldn't catch them as they glided using their 'Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear'. So, Eren vented his rage on the surrounding buildings.
Su Xiao sidestepped to dodge a flying tile and leaped to a high vantage point, surveying the entire situation of Wall Rose from there.
Near the breach in District 1, figures were bustling, with occasional flashes of silver-white light. No giants were in sight, indicating the defense line in District 1 was stable.
District 2 was the same; the Brotherhood hadn't let a single giant through.
Looking at District 3, it had already become the main entry point for giants. Ordinary giants were gradually spreading inside Wall Rose, and they would likely fully occupy District 3 within a morning at most.
However, before District 3 was completely taken, Districts 1 and 2 would also be affected. Su Xiao didn't believe they would stand by and do nothing. If they intervened, it would delay the fall of District 3, giving him more time to act.
He checked the task options on his Reincarnation Paradise Mark. The attack-defense mission had now turned red.
[District 3 has been 13% occupied. Please establish a defense line as soon as possible.]
The situation was 'optimistic'; as long as the occupation rate of District 3 remained below 80%, there was still hope for recovery.
His gaze shifted to the group still entangled with Eren. Su Xiao frowned. It was too slow. To get Eren to initially control the giant, he would need to transform at least two or three times. Two was the minimum, and it was unlikely he would regain his sanity on the first transformation.
Moreover, judging by Eren's current vigorous state, he wouldn't be de-transforming anytime soon.
Confirming there were no contractors nearby, Su Xiao used his 'Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear' to quickly approach Eren.
Pfft.
The grappling hooks shot out, and gas propelled him. In just over ten seconds, Su Xiao arrived nearby.
"Hm? Bai Ye."
Seeing Su Xiao, Hanji Zoe temporarily stopped fighting Eren and used her 'Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear' to land beside him.
Her feet touched down on the rooftop. Hanji Zoe retracted her hooks and took two steps forward to steady herself.
"What are you doing here? Weren't you in prison? How was the prison food, haha?"
It seemed the identity Reincarnation Paradise had assigned to Su Xiao was an acquaintance of Hanji Zoe. She walked over and enthusiastically patted his shoulder, acting like a 'good buddy'.
"Not bad. Where's the Commander? And the other Survey Corps brothers?"
"Talking about that pisses me off. Those lackeys from the Military Police Brigade—they not only act as watchdogs themselves but also try to drag us into it."
Hanji Zoe's jaw muscles bulged as she expressed her strong dissatisfaction with the Military Police's actions.
"Forget that for now. See that abnormal giant? That abnormal giant is amazing—it attacks other giants. It might be a special type or infected with some virus. Anyway, let's catch it first and figure out why it attacks other giants.
If it's a special type, it won't be of much use. But if it's infected with some virus or bacteria, once we extract that stuff, we can use giants to fight giants."
Hanji Zoe was indeed an expert on giants. Upon seeing Eren, her first thought was his combat value.
"So, you want to capture it alive. Got it."
Su Xiao revealed himself to speed things up. The big rock two hundred meters away was still waiting for 'Eren Beast' to carry it.
But if Eren recognized him after de-transforming, he would immediately cut off Eren's head.
"Let's go. Finally, a reliable partner. These new recruits are talented but lack experience."
Pfft, pfft.
The 'Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear' hissed as Su Xiao and Hanji Zoe charged at high speed toward Eren.
"You few, fall back. Just watch from the sidelines."
Hanji Zoe shouted, confusing Armin and the others who had been struggling.
Mikasa's eyes were filled with anger when she saw Su Xiao rushing toward them, but the situation didn't allow her to charge at him and fight to the death.
Mikasa and Armin landed on a rooftop. Several members of the Training Corps were still entangled with Eren, including a female rookie standing near Mikasa.
The female rookie had her yellow hair tied up, with long bangs covering one side of her face and one eye. She had a tall figure and always wore an indifferent expression. She was Annie Leonhart, whose true form was the Female Giant. Her mission inside the walls was to destroy the 'Wall of God' and kill all humans within.
Annie wasn't a qualified spy. She always acted indifferent to everything, commonly known as aloof.
But this silly girl didn't know that to be a qualified spy, you had to blend in with the crowd, like her spy companion Reiner Braun. However, the Armored Giant: Reiner Braun blended in too well, eventually developing a split personality.
Annie had rushed over as soon as she noticed Eren's transformation. Both Eren's surname 'Yeager' and the power of the Attack Titan he now wielded made her very concerned.
"Could he be…"
Annie murmured, her eyes fixed on Eren, as if trying to find something on him.
"Are these two really okay? The eight of us couldn't handle this abnormal giant."
Jean Kirstein looked at Su Xiao and Hanji Zoe charging in rapidly.
"Not sure, but at least we can rest for a bit. I'm so hungry."
The glutton Sasha Blouse clutched her stomach. Compared to fighting giants, she'd rather go eat.
Pfft.
A large burst of gas propelled Su Xiao as he swooped through the air directly toward Eren.
"He's charging straight in. Is he looking for death?"
The Training Corps members watched in shock, thinking Su Xiao was committing suicide.
Eren's massive arm swung at Su Xiao, who used his 'Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear' to change direction mid-air, narrowly dodging the blow.
"I'll draw its attention. You make it immobile."
Hanji Zoe shouted and rushed right in front of Eren, immediately drawing his focus.
Su Xiao anchored his 'Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear' hooks onto Eren's back, swinging his body in an arc through the air to land near the tendon of Eren's hind leg.
His right hand gripped the Dragon-Slaying Flash tightly, and the blade traced a semicircle through the air.
Pfft.
A gush of blood erupted as the blade sliced through the thigh tendon without any resistance.
The left thigh tendon severed, Eren immediately pitched forward.
Seeing this, Su Xiao quickly retracted his hooks and began free-falling.
With a loud crash, Eren fell, crushing a large section of houses. The wound on his thigh emitted smoke as it rapidly healed.
Su Xiao landed beside Eren's body, his Dragon-Slaying Flash slashing continuously. He quickly moved from Eren's feet toward his head, the strikes unceasing. In less than three seconds, Eren's half-body was covered in crisscrossing slash marks.
'Eren Beast' writhed on the ground, trying to stand, but with so much body tissue severed, it couldn't recover immediately.
Su Xiao casually severed Eren's entire left arm and then leaped onto Eren's back.
The Training Corps members on the rooftop were stunned. The giant they had no way to deal with had been brought down by the Survey Corps in less than a minute.
"So this is the Survey Corps."
Annie's expression darkened as she slowly stepped back behind the others.