Compared to the events that would unfold in the year 850, the current situation was relatively calm. Wall Maria had only recently fallen. Though Reiner and his companions had deliberately lured Titans into the breach, their numbers were still far fewer than what would plague the island five years later.
That was both a blessing and a curse.
Lock and his squad had fought fewer than ten skirmishes in total while advancing toward the entrance of the Shiganshina District — the southern edge of Wall Maria. Their mission wasn't to slay Titans, after all. Supplies were limited, and the gas tanks for their ODM gear could only carry so much. Every battle was a risk, every engagement a drain. So they avoided unnecessary confrontations and advanced with calculated precision.
"Petra… are we really going in there?"
Ymir's voice trembled as she looked toward the shattered gate and the towering figures shambling beyond.
Having grown up in Marley, Ymir knew exactly what those creatures were — and what horrors lay within them. Her instincts screamed at her to run. But Petra's hand tightened around the reins.
"Stay close. Don't run," Petra said firmly. "Lock and the others will handle the Titans ahead."
"Handle them?" Ymir's disbelief slipped through. Even knowing what Lock was capable of, facing so many Titans at once seemed suicidal. She couldn't even transform here — not without revealing her secret.
Petra misread the fear in Ymir's eyes as simple panic and offered a soft smile.
"Don't worry. If it's too much, we'll fall back. We won't take unnecessary risks."
It was true. If not for the dozen or so Titans clustered at the narrow entrance to Shiganshina, Lock would have chosen to bypass the fight entirely. But the path forward was blocked.
Before Ymir could respond, the sharp hiss of compressed gas cut through the air. Lock, Eld, Gunther, and Oluo shot upward, trailing steel cables and vapor. The sight of humans soaring effortlessly through the air froze Ymir where she sat — she had never seen ODM gear before.
Her mouth fell open in shock as the squad spun between rooftops, each movement precise and deadly.
Petra exhaled slowly, guiding her horse to a safer distance. If Ymir weren't with them, she would have joined the fight herself — but someone had to stay back and guard the lone survivor they'd rescued. Lock had agreed; revealing Ymir's identity now wasn't part of the plan.
"Focus on watching the perimeter," Petra told her gently.
Lock had no time for anything but the battle. Using the remnants of the city wall as his anchor, he propelled himself forward with unrelenting speed. Eld and the others coordinated seamlessly, creating diversions while Lock dove for the kill.
The air filled with the shriek of cables and the hiss of blades slicing flesh.
A Titan turned just as Lock's twin blades flashed.
The ultra-hard steel cut clean through its nape, bursting in a spray of steaming blood.
Lock landed against the side of a collapsed house, reloaded his gas canister with a sharp click, and launched again.
"Damn, he's fast!" Oluo muttered, his eyes wide even as he maneuvered through another turn.
"Fast? He's insane," Gunther shouted back, barely ducking under a Titan's reaching hand.
"More like a monster himself," Eld added under his breath, though there was unmistakable admiration in his tone.
The squad fought like an extension of Lock's rhythm — fluid, efficient, fearless. One by one, the Titans fell. Lock's movements were ruthless, but calculated — each strike a blur, each kill decisive. His blades glowed faintly in the sunlight, dripping Titan blood as he twisted through the air like a storm made flesh.
Encouraged by his momentum, the others pushed harder, their fear melting away.
For the first time in days, their movements carried confidence, even a hint of pride.
Within minutes, the entrance was cleared. More than a dozen Titans lay motionless, their steaming corpses marking the squad's deadly precision. Lock had slain six on his own. The rest were shared between Eld, Oluo, and Gunther.
When the last body hit the ground, Lock landed lightly near Petra and Ymir. His uniform was streaked in Titan blood, his breath steady despite the battle.
"Follow me," he ordered simply, mounting his horse.
Petra galloped up beside him, glancing at the crimson stains across his cloak.
"Lock, are you hurt?"
He flashed a quick, reassuring grin. "All Titan blood. I'm fine."
But to Ymir, that smile was far from comforting.
The steam rising from his gear and the cold precision in his eyes made him look more terrifying than the Titans themselves.
So this is humanity's power…
Her gaze shifted to Petra's waist — to the compact metal device, the coils of wire, the sharp blades. A glint of longing appeared in her eyes.
She couldn't transform here. But if she could master this gear… she wouldn't have to rely on Titan power to survive.
That thought burned in her mind as she silently followed the group into the outskirts of Shiganshina.
The once-proud district now lay in ruin. Houses collapsed upon each other like broken ribs, and the streets were filled with the remains of lives that had once thrived here. From the high ground near the inner gate, Lock surveyed the city below.
Hundreds of Titans wandered through the ruins — some small and sluggish, others towering, grotesque, their shadows stretching long across the debris.
"Damn…" Eld murmured. "It's worse than I imagined."
Gunther exhaled sharply beside him. "It's like a graveyard."
Oluo kept silent, his jaw tight. Even he, known for his cocky remarks, could find no words.
Lock said nothing. He watched the city for a long moment, eyes narrowing slightly. Every movement of the Titans, every path they took, he committed to memory. Recklessness had no place here. A single mistake could doom them all.
Petra guided her horse closer, her voice low.
"Are we… going in there?"
"Not yet," Lock replied. "We'll regroup at the old garrison outpost first. Refill our gas, sharpen our blades. If we move now, we're surrounded before we even reach the main street."
Petra nodded and turned to the others. "You heard him. Move out."
The squad followed Lock's lead, crossing the narrow bridge that connected to the outer wall. The faint stench of Titan steam clung to the air. Ymir's face was pale, her eyes darting to every shadow.
Lock glanced back briefly, meeting her gaze.
"You'll be fine," he said quietly — more statement than comfort. "Stay close to Petra. Don't fall behind."
Ymir quickly looked away, her heart pounding. Every time his eyes met hers, she felt stripped bare — as if he could see through her very bones.
Who exactly is this man?
He was young — younger than her, even — but he moved and spoke like someone who had seen countless deaths. There was something unnatural about his composure, as if he carried knowledge the rest of them didn't.
Petra noticed Ymir's troubled look and smiled faintly.
"Lock's… different. Stronger than anyone I've ever met," she said softly. "Even Captain Levi sees potential in him. One day, he'll surpass everyone. You'll see."
"The strongest soldier alive?" Ymir repeated under her breath, half in disbelief.
Petra's eyes shone with quiet conviction.
"During our first mission beyond the walls, he took down nearly twenty Titans by himself. He never hesitates. Never freezes. That's why we trust him with our lives."
Ymir felt her stomach twist.
The more she learned, the more uneasy she became. Someone like Lock — calm in the face of death, smiling through Titan blood — was far more terrifying than any monster she had ever seen.
No, she thought. Better not to get close to him.
But curiosity, like a seed, had already taken root.
Hours later, the squad reached the abandoned garrison outpost at the edge of the inner gate. The old supply crates were mostly intact. Lock directed Eld and Gunther to refill the gas tanks while Petra checked the remaining rations.
The setting sun bled orange light through the cracks in the walls. For a brief moment, the world seemed still.
Lock stood on the rooftop, staring out at the city. Steam rose faintly from where the Titans had fallen earlier. His mind was distant — running calculations, mapping potential routes, predicting where reinforcements might arrive.
Every second of quiet was a borrowed one.
He knew that beyond the next wall, the true enemy was already watching.
---
Author's Note
Advance chapters available on Patreon.
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San