"What's going on?" Mikasa and Levi, who had caught up to the Female Titan first, stared in shock at the scene before them.
The Female Titan guarded the back of her neck with one hand while the other kept sweeping wildly, and a figure darted constantly around her. The twin blades in that person's hands carved wound after wound into the Female Titan's body.
"That's… Yago?" Mikasa recognized him at a glance.
"Where's Eren? Why is Eren gone?" She looked at the Female Titan's hand that had been holding Eren—now completely empty.
"I don't know the situation, but that Female Titan doesn't seem to want to attack that new recruit,"
Levi saw through it. Although the Female Titan looked ferocious as she swept her arms, her speed wasn't fast; even ordinary soldiers could easily dodge.
Mikasa drew her blades and said,
"No matter what, we have to help Yago now and drag that bastard out! Make her tell us where she hid Eren!"
Levi tacitly agreed, drawing his blades as well, and the two charged together at the Female Titan.
...
On the other side, Yago also sensed that the Female Titan didn't want to attack him. But the moment he thought of Annie, his heart was instantly filled with rage.
"Bastard! What do you take me for?!" Yago roared, once again severing the Female Titan's hand and lunging straight for the back of her neck. Unfortunately, his remaining blade still failed to shatter the crystal at her nape.
His gas was nearly exhausted as well. Unwillingly, Yago dodged away from the Female Titan's grabbing hand.
But at this moment, Mikasa and Levi were almost upon them. This time, with so much stamina already consumed, the Female Titan definitely wouldn't be able to evade.
The Female Titan opened her mouth wide. Levi snorted coldly.
"Trying to lure other Titans over again? Too bad—before those disgusting Titans arrive, we'll pull you out from the back of your neck first!"
"Eren!" To their surprise, inside the Female Titan's gaping mouth was the unconscious Eren. It turned out she had stuffed Eren into her mouth earlier.
They saw the Female Titan grab Eren from her mouth, then let out that eerie, desolate howl once more and fling Eren away.
Mikasa's face changed drastically. They were charging toward the Female Titan and had no time to catch Eren.
Fortunately, Yago dashed forward, using his last bit of gas to catch the unconscious Eren.
Levi and Mikasa also reached Yago's side. Mikasa hugged the unconscious Eren tightly, looking at his severed legs with a face full of pain.
Levi, however, looked at Yago with some curiosity. Of course he recognized Yago—the child the Survey Corps had picked up beyond the Walls five years ago—and he had heard of Yago's deeds as well, said to be the standout among the new recruits.
Bang! Red and black signal flares rose in the distance. A Survey Corps soldier rushed over, drenched in sweat and breathing hard.
"Squad Leader! The Commander's orders—retrieve Eren and retreat immediately! There are too many Titans! And a large number of abnormal ones!"
Erwin and the others had been left far behind by Levi and Mikasa. Levi glanced at the Female Titan standing to the side, seemingly observing them.
"Returning Eren just to force us to withdraw?" Levi understood the Female Titan's intention, but there was nothing he could do. He had no confidence that he could subdue the one hiding in the Female Titan's nape before a large number of Titans arrived.
"Retreat!" Levi gave the order. Mikasa nodded, lifted Eren, and prepared to leave.
Levi frowned at the motionless Yago. "New recruit, it's time to retreat."
Yago clenched a blade broken halfway in his hand, Annie's image filling his mind.
"I'm not going. Mikasa, if I don't make it back, please take good care of my mom."
With that, Yago walked firmly toward the Female Titan. His gas was completely gone.
Levi grabbed Yago's arm. "Hey, you brat, don't do anything stupid! I said retreat! Don't be so impulsive!"
Feeling the tremendous strength on his arm, Yago couldn't help but think: the Ackermans really are strong—Mikasa's strength is no joke either.
"Squad Leader Levi, I'm not your subordinate. Besides, what's the Survey Corps' slogan? It's to offer up our hearts for humanity!" Yago pried Levi's hand away with equal force.
"I'm not that great, and I'm not as hot-blooded as Eren either. I don't really trust humanity. When I learned that Eren helped us win the battle to retake Trost District, yet was still put on trial and nearly sentenced to death, I trusted them even less." Yago spoke calmly as he slowly approached the Female Titan.
"At first, I wanted to fight for humanity. But I don't know why—the stronger the power I gained, the more cowardly I became. Heh, having power yet being unable to protect the one you love—how ridiculous." Yago mocked himself, feeling a ring in the palm of his hand.
Levi kept his eyes fixed on Yago, faintly on guard, as if he had guessed something.
"What did you say?"
Mikasa also frowned at Yago. Something about him now was very strange.
Looking at the tense pair, Yago smiled.
"Don't worry, Squad Leader. Watch closely—this is my offering of the heart!"
Yago suddenly aimed the broken blade at his own heart, then, before their shocked eyes, plunged it into his chest. Blood surged out.
Levi and Mikasa stared wide-eyed at this unbelievable scene.
Yago's body trembled slightly, but he still forced the blade deeper into his heart. Surging yellow arcs of lightning flickered into existence around him.
Levi's expression changed drastically as he roared at Mikasa, "Go! Now!"
Mikasa immediately activated her Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, carrying Eren away from the area.
As he retreated, Levi looked back in disbelief at Yago wrapped in yellow lightning. The child the Survey Corps had picked up five years ago—he too was a Titan?!
...
The Female Titan on the other side also stood frozen, staring at the yellow lightning that seemed to pierce heaven and earth. She only wanted to force the Survey Corps back and recover her stamina—how could this happen?
"Ah!!" The surging yellow lightning enveloped Yago. One bone after another appeared out of thin air behind him, while clumps of flesh writhed and wrapped around them.
Crimson eyes emerged from within the yellow lightning. A powerful body radiated faint steam; black hair streamed, a mouth full of sharp teeth bared. The towering 17-meter frame, larger than most Titans, exuded overwhelming pressure.
The Titan known as the Fate Titan enters the battlefield!
"Roar!!!" Yago controlled the Titan body and charged at the Female Titan like a mad demon.
"This Titan—I've seen it before. In Trost District, it helped Eren block more than a dozen Titans. We thought it had been eaten back then." Mikasa murmured as she watched Yago's transformed Titan. The scene of Yago transforming had struck her deeply—after five years together, her friend was also a Titan?
Now Mikasa couldn't help worrying whether Armin might suddenly transform into a Titan one day as well.
Levi gritted his teeth. What the hell is going on? Now even new recruits can turn into Titans? Damn it.
"This brat has plenty of secrets too! We have to tell Erwin!"
Levi couldn't be sure whether Yago was an enemy, but for now, he didn't seem like one. And Mikasa had said earlier that the Titan Yago became had helped them before.
Levi decided to take Eren back first, then immediately report to Erwin and let him make the decision.