Hello, Drinor here. I'm happy to publish a new Chapter of Attack on Titan: A Warrior of Devils
If you want to Read the Following TWO Chapters, Search 'Patreon.com/Drinor' on Websearch
Chapter 33, and Chapter 34 are already available for Patrons.
Erwin Smith
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Commander-in-Chief Darius Zackly said, his weathered hands clasped on the table before him. As the supreme commander of all three military branches, his authority in this room was absolute.
Commander Erwin Smith sat to Zackly's right, his broad frame straight-backed despite the exhaustion on his face. Behind him, Captain Levi stood with arms crossed, his expression as unreadable as ever.
Commander Dot Pixis of the Garrison occupied the seat across from Erwin, his bald head reflecting the morning sun like a second small sun. Beside him sat Rico Brzenska and Ian Dietrich, the Garrison's second-in-command.
Commander Nile Dok of the Military Police sat further down the table, flanked by two of his officers—Lieutenant Friedrich Wagner, a broad-shouldered man with a scar across his chin, and Sergeant Klaus Reinhardt, younger and looking a little uncomfortable.
But it was the other attendees that drew the most attention and whispered speculation.
Lord Gerald Rouven, one of the five nobles who served directly under King Fritz, sat near the far end of the table. His rich clothes made him stick out like snow in summer, rings on three fingers. Wealth practically radiated from every thread of his clothing.
Beside the noble sat three members of the Church of the Walls, their distinctive robes marking them as clergy of the sect devoted to the supposed sanctity of the Titans' barriers. The eldest among them, Pastor Nick, had a severe face.
"I must say," Commander Pixis broke the formal silence, a hint of amusement in his weathered voice, "I'm curious about our expanded attendance today. When did tactical briefings start requiring spiritual consultation?" His eyes fixed on the three priests with mirth. "Or have the wall fanatics finally decided to contribute something beyond prayers and doctrine?"
Pastor Nick's face flushed red, and he half-rose from his seat. "How dare you—"
"Pastor Nick." Lord Rouven's voice cut through the priest's outrage like a blade. "Remain silent."
The priest sat back down, thought he was clearly angry.
Lord Rouven turned to Pixis. "Pastor Nick and his brothers have every right to be present at matters concerning the walls and Titans. The Church has served as spiritual guardians of humanity for over a century. Their counsel is valuable."
"Of course, my lord," Pixis replied, though his tone suggested he believed nothing of the sort. "I merely wondered about the sudden interest in military operations."
"Gentlemen," Zackly interjected. "Let us proceed with the purpose of this meeting." He turned to Erwin. "Commander Smith, I wanted to postpone this briefing until today rather than immediately upon your return yesterday. You and your soldiers needed rest. But now I must ask: were you able to reach Wall Maria? Did you find Dr. Grisha Yeager's basement?"
"No, Commander. We did not reach Wall Maria." Erwin answered, though, the glint from his eyes did not disappear like they usually did after every failed expedition.
"What happened?" Zackly leaned forward. "Your formation was sound. You had Eren Yeager with you. The strategy should have given you the time needed to—"
"The mission proceeded according to plan for approximately one hour," Erwin said. "Our formation was intact, casualties were minimal, and we were making excellent progress toward our objective."
"And then?" Nile asked.
"Then we received emergency flares from multiple squads on our right flank." Erwin's hands clasped together on the table. "They were under attack. Not by normal Titans, but by what appeared to be an abnormal with unusual capabilities."
"Abnormals are hardly uncommon beyond the walls," one of the officers said, earning a look from Levi.
"This one was different." Erwin's gaze swept the room. "As the situation developed, this abnormal was able to move and attack like no other abnormal. It displayed tactical intelligence, and eventually made a direct assault on my Special Operations Squad."
"It was targeting Eren Yeager," Erwin continued. "Specifically hunting him."
"A Titan targeting a specific person?" Nile's voice was sharp. "That's impossible. Titans don't think. They don't plan."
"This one did." Erwin paused. "Because this was no ordinary abnormal, Nile. This Titan had distinctly female features—structured facial characteristics, feminine body proportions. And it demonstrated intelligence far exceeding anything we've encountered before."
Pixis leaned back in his chair, a strange smile playing at his lips. "A female Titan? I must admit, I wouldn't mind being crushed by something with a feminine shape for a change. Better than the ugly bastards we usually face."
"Commander Pixis," Rico said, sounding a little shocked, clearly embarrassed by her superior's comment.
"What?" Pixis spread his hands innocently. "I'm just saying, if I have to die, I'd prefer—"
"Commander Smith," Lord Rouven interrupted, looking a little anxious. "If this abnormal was not an abnormal, then what exactly was it?"
"Eventually, this Female Titan engaged in combat with one of our newest soldiers—Cadet Jaime. Despite the creature's size and capabilities, Jaime was able to defeat her. By himself."
Levi's head turned slightly toward Erwin, but the man asked no questions.
"By himself?" Pixis sat forward, genuine surprise in his voice. "A single soldier defeated a Titan that threatened your entire Special Operations Squad?"
"The same soldier who killed twenty Titans during the Battle of Trost," Ian Dietrich added, his voice carrying a note of awe. "I was there. I saw him. He saved my life. The boy moved like nothing I've ever seen—like he was born with ODM gear strapped to his back." He looked at Erwin. "But defeating an intelligent Titan alone? That's..."
"Extraordinary," Erwin finished. "Yes. Cadet Jaime possesses exceptional combat abilities and tactical instincts. His performance during the expedition was invaluable."
"But you still haven't answered Lord Rouven's question," Zackly said. "If this creature wasn't an abnormal, what was it?"
Erwin took a breath, and when he spoke, his words changed everything.
"It was a Titan shifter. Like Eren Yeager. A human being with the ability to transform into a Titan at will, maintaining intelligence and purpose." He paused, letting the shock settle. "Except this one was working against us."
The silence that followed was absolute.
"Are you certain?" Zackly's voice was deadly quiet.
"Completely." Erwin's voice carried no doubt. "After Cadet Jaime defeated the Female Titan and extracted the shifter from the nape, both he and Eren Yeager were able to confirm her identity."
"Her?" Nile asked. "You're saying you know who this traitor is?"
"Yes, Nile." Erwin's eyes met Nile's squarely. "Her name is Annie Leonhart. She's a soldier in the Military Police."
The explosion was immediate.
Nile Dok shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His face had gone from pale to crimson in an instant. "That's impossible! We always check the background information of every soldier that joins us—"
"And yet she is the Female Titan," Erwin said calmly. "There is no doubt, Commander. Both Eren Yeager and Cadet Jaime trained alongside her for three years. They knew her well. The identification is certain."
Nile's hands gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles went white. "A traitor. A fucking traitor to humanity was serving under my command." His voice shook with rage and shame. "In my branch. Wearing my uniform."
He spun toward Lieutenant Wagner. "Friedrich, I want every scrap of information we have on Annie Leonhart. Her quarters, her correspondence, her duty logs, her letters, her background checks—everything. I want her room torn apart. Check for hidden compartments, coded messages, anything out of the ordinary."
"Yes, sir!" Wagner saluted.
"And question her squadmates," Nile continued, his voice rising. "Find out who she associated with. Who her friends were. If there's even a possibility that someone else in my branch is a traitor working with her, I want to know about it. Check everyone she came into contact with. Everyone!"
"Sergeant Reinhardt, assist him," Nile barked. "I want this information within two hours. Move!"
Both Military Police officers hurried from the room, the door closing behind them.
Zackly's weathered face was grave. "Commander Smith, Commander Dok, this is an unprecedented situation. If what you're saying is true—"
"It is true, sir," Erwin said firmly.
"Then we must congratulate you on a significant victory," Pixis said, though his eyes were troubled. "Despite the losses, you've captured an enemy shifter. That's more than anyone has accomplished in many years."
"Indeed," Zackly agreed. "This is valuable beyond measure. If we can extract information from this prisoner..." He trailed off, the implications clear to everyone in the room.
"Commander Smith," Lord Rouven's voice cut through the brief moment of satisfaction. His face had gone pale, and his jeweled fingers trembled slightly where they gripped the table's edge. "Where is Annie Leonhart being held currently?"
Erwin turned his blue eyes on the noble. "She is in a secure location."
"Yes, but where specifically?" The noble tried to sound casual and failed spectacularly. "Surely with such a dangerous prisoner, we should all know—"
"I made sure to lock her in a very secure place," Erwin added. "Even if she were able to transform—which I doubt, given that we're providing her with minimal sustenance—she wouldn't be able to go anywhere. The location is designed to contain a Titan."
"But where exactly is this location?" Lord Rouven pressed, leaning forward.
"For security reasons, I will not disclose her exact location at this time."
Nile's head snapped toward Erwin, his earlier rage now directed at his fellow commander. "You don't trust us? She was one of my soldiers, Erwin! She should be in a Military Police facility! We have cells specifically designed for dangerous prisoners!"
"This isn't about trust, Nile," Erwin said. "It's about information security. If there are other enemy agents—and we must assume there are—then the fewer people who know Annie Leonhart's location, the better. We cannot risk a rescue attempt or, worse, an assassination to silence her before we extract vital intelligence."
"The Survey Corps captured her," Pixis added, nodding in agreement. "By rights, she's their prisoner until they've completed their interrogation."
"I concur," Zackly said, his authority settling the matter. "Commander Smith, you have one week to extract information from this prisoner. If you cannot produce results within that timeframe, custody will be transferred to another branch for... alternative methods of interrogation."
"Understood, Commander," Erwin said.
Nile's jaw worked in frustration, but he nodded stiffly. "Fine. One week. But I want to be informed of any intelligence she provides."
"Of course."
But Lord Rouven and the three priests looked far from satisfied. Pastor Nick leaned forward, his severe face twisted with concern.
"With all due respect, Commander Smith, the Military Police has far more experience with prisoner management than the Survey Corps. Wouldn't it be wiser to transfer custody immediately? For her safety and ours?"
"Her safety?" Levi's voice was cold as winter ice. "Funny how concerned you are about the safety of someone who murdered forty-nine soldiers yesterday."
Pastor Nick flushed. "I merely meant—"
"Annie Leonhart is a prisoner of war," Erwin said. "The Survey Corps captured her during active combat operations. We have the legal right to maintain custody of enemy combatants under military law. Unless someone can provide a compelling reason to transfer custody immediately—"
"The King's authority supersedes military law," Lord Rouven interjected. "I could speak with His Majesty. Request a royal decree mandating transfer of the prisoner to a more secure facility under joint supervision."
"You could attempt that, my lord," Erwin agreed mildly. "However, such a decree would require drafting, review, and implementation—a process that typically takes several days at minimum. By then, I will have already conducted my interrogation. I will be interrogating Annie Leonhart. The Survey Corps will handle this matter. That is final."
Lord Rouven's face flushed with anger. "You may not have a choice in this matter, Commander. I will be speaking with His Majesty today. I suggest you prepare to hand over the prisoner within the next few days."
"I look forward to receiving official orders through proper channels," Erwin replied, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. "Until then, this meeting is concluded unless there's other business?"
"None," Zackly said, his weathered face troubled. "You're all dismissed."
The hallway outside the conference room was empty. Erwin stopped a few paces from the door, his shoulders sagging slightly now that they were alone.
"They're hiding something significant, and they're terrible at it." Erwin said quietly as they resumed their walk downstairs.
"The noble." Levi agreed. "Did you see how he twitched every time you mentioned interrogating the Leonhart girl? Man looked like he was about to shit himself."
"Eloquent as always, Captain."
"Whatever they're hiding, it's connected to Annie or the Titans in general." Levi's eyes narrowed. "Which means we need to make her talk. Soon. Before those bastards find a way to take her from us or silence her permanently."
Levi then stopped walking and turned to face him. "Though I am curious about one thing."
"What's that?"
"Why did you tell them Jaime defeated the Female Titan by himself?"
Erwin was silent for a moment, his blue eyes measuring. Then he spoke carefully. "Jaime is a good soldier. An exceptional one, actually."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"There's something about him," Erwin continued, his voice thoughtful. "About his background. His capabilities." He paused for a moment, thinking on his words. "I'm not certain of it yet, but I'm playing a game, Levi. And sometimes in games, you need to create certain... narratives."
Levi's eyebrow rose. "What kind of game?"
"The kind where I want to see where the dice fall once Jaime's name becomes more well-known. More celebrated." Erwin's expression was unreadable. "There are people who might react in interesting ways to a young soldier with purple eyes becoming a hero of humanity. People who might reveal themselves if they think he's becoming too prominent."
"You're being cryptic as hell."
"I know." Erwin's lips curved slightly. "Because I'm not entirely sure of my theory yet. But trust me on this—making Jaime the sole hero of that battle serves a purpose beyond morale."
Levi studied his commander for a long moment, then shrugged. "Fine. Your game, your rules. I don't particularly care about getting credit anyway. But if this backfires and the kid's head gets too big—"
"I don't think it will." Erwin straightened. "Now, about the interrogation. How quickly can we begin?"
"I can have her ready within the hour." Levi's voice took on a harder edge. "And I can start making her wish she'd stayed wherever the hell she came from."
"Torture?"
"She killed forty-nine of our soldiers, Erwin." Levi's tone remained flat, but something cold flickered in his eyes. "Forty-nine. Elena, who had a six-year-old son waiting for her. Matthias, who was getting married next month. Thomas, who joined because his little sister was eaten at Shiganshina." His hands clenched into fists. "The bitch deserves far worse than losing a few fingers."
"Pain isn't always the most effective method of extraction," Erwin said carefully.
"We haven't tried yet." Levi's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Maybe her tongue will loosen up. Or maybe she'll lose it entirely and have to regrow a new one with those Titan powers before she can talk again. Either way works for me."
"I understand your method, Levi, but I know that sometimes, there are other ways to make someone talk, which brings me to Cadet Jaime."
"What about him?"
"I want him to interrogate Annie Leonhart."
Levi stared at him. "You want what?"
"You heard me."
"Erwin, the kid is emotionally compromised. He was fucking her." Levi's voice carried a note of exasperation. "Three days before the expedition, he came to me asking for a day off so he could go on a date with her. That's how I found out about them. Not that I cared much at the time—what soldiers do in their free time is their business. But now?" He shook his head. "You want to throw him into a room with the girl who betrayed him and expect him to... what? Get information?"
"Yes." Erwin turned to face Levi fully. "Because she cares about him."
"I think she was just using him for carnal release; that is not really 'caring' about him."
"Annie Leonhart has shown exactly one vulnerability since we've known her true nature." Erwin's voice took on the tone he used when explaining complex strategies. "According to Cadet Arlert's report, she froze in combat when she thought Jaime was dead. A soldier or whatever she is trained well enough to infiltrate our military, disciplined enough to hide her nature for years, and she stopped fighting because she thought her boyfriend died."
Levi processed this, his tactical mind working through the implications. "Emotional attachment."
"Exactly. She has some feelings for him. Real feelings, not manufactured ones for her cover. And that means he's the weak point in her armor." Erwin's eyes were cold like ice. "If anyone can get through to her, make her talk, it's Cadet Jaime."
"And if he can't handle it? If it breaks him?"
"Then we'll try your method." Erwin's tone was matter-of-fact. "But soldiers like Jaime need to face those demons head-on or they'll be consumed by them. This could destroy him, yes. Or it could forge him into something stronger."
Levi was quiet for a long moment. "You're asking a lot of a kid who just watched his first real love revealed as a monster."
"I'm asking him to be a soldier." Erwin straightened, his commander's bearing returning fully. "The same thing I ask of all of you. The same thing I ask of myself."
"Pretty speech." Levi's voice was dry again, but he nodded slowly. "I still think that pain can loosen her tongue eventually, but emotional manipulation?" He glanced at Erwin. "That might actually work."
"So you'll bring him?"
"I'll bring him." Levi said, sounding a little displeased, heading toward the exit. "Though I'm not making any promises about the condition of his room. Or his mental state."
"Just get him ready, Levi. We're running out of time." Erwin's voice followed him down the hall. "Those nobles will find a way to take her from us, legally or otherwise. We have a week at most, but I'd prefer to move faster than that."
Armin Arlert
The wooden bench was uncomfortable. Armin Arlert shifted his weight for the third time in as many minutes, his hands clasped tightly in his lap to stop them from shaking. The hallway outside the interrogation room was narrow, windowless, and lit by oil lamps.
Other soldiers had been filing in and out all morning, each one emerging looking more drained than the last. Some wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. Others looked relieved, as if they'd passed some test they hadn't known they were taking.
Armin's mind raced through possibilities and scenarios, each one more terrifying than the last. Did Command know about Annie? Had they captured her? Or was this routine questioning, and he was about to reveal suspicions that would sound insane without proof?
The Female Titan is Annie Leonhart. I'm certain. The way she reacted when I mentioned Jaime, the way she moved, her fighting style...
He rehearsed his words silently, trying different approaches. Start with facts. Describe what he saw without interpretation. Let them draw their own conclusions. Or should he be direct? State his suspicions clearly and let them investigate?
The door opened, and Armin's internal debate cut off sharply.
Bertholdt Hoover emerged, his tall frame hunched as if trying to make himself smaller. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool temperature of the hallway, and his hands—Armin noticed with growing concern—were trembling slightly.
"Bertholdt?" Armin stood. "Are you alright?"
Bertholdt's head snapped down, and for just a moment, Armin saw something in his friend's eyes that looked like panic. Then it was gone.
"A-Armin. Yeah. I'm fine." His voice cracked slightly on the last word.
"What did they ask you?"
"Just... just simple questions about the mission. Nothing unusual." Bertholdt glanced back at the door as if expecting someone to emerge. "Standard procedure. They're asking everyone the same things."
"What kind of questions?"
"Where you were positioned, what you saw, if you noticed anything unusual..." Bertholdt's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "Just stick to what happened, Armin. Tell them exactly what you saw. Nothing more."
The phrasing struck Armin as odd. Nothing more?
"Bertholdt, did something happen during the—"
"I have to go." Bertholdt moved past him quickly, almost fleeing down the hallway. "Good luck."
Armin watched him disappear around the corner, his mind trying to make sense of this: Bertholdt Hoover, usually calm and steady, had just emerged from a routine interrogation looking like he'd faced a Titan bare-handed.
Why?
Before he could pursue that thought further, the door opened again. A young soldier in Survey Corps uniform—probably one of Hange's assistants—looked out at him.
"Armin Arlert?"
Armin's mouth went dry. "Yes."
"Captain Hange is ready for you."
He stood on legs that felt like water, forcing himself to walk steadily despite the anxiety clawing at his chest. The assistant held the door open, and Armin stepped through into a small room lit by two lamps on either side of a simple wooden table.
The door closed behind him with a soft click that sounded, to Armin's heightened senses, like the locking of a prison cell.
Captain Hange Zoë sat on the opposite side of the table.
"Sit down, Cadet Armin," she said gently.
Armin sat, his hands folding automatically in his lap.
Hange studied him for a long moment, then she leaned forward slightly, her fingers steepled.
"Tell me everything you observed during the 57th Expedition-" "Squad Leader, Hange. I...Believe I know who might be the Female Titan that attacked us during the expedition," Armin burst out before he could stop himself, and Hange gave him a look.
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
Captain Levi
Levi walked down the corridor toward Jaime's quarters, already expecting the worst. The brat had been silent since they'd returned to base, and in Levi's experience, silence from soldiers after a mission like that meant one of two things: they were dead, or they were destroying something.
He pushed open the door without knocking.
The room was a disaster—bookshelf overturned, desk chair in splinters, bedpost snapped in half, mirror reduced to a galaxy of glass shards across the floor. But at least the kid wasn't wallowing in it. Jaime was placing things back in their place, well, trying to, since there was hardly any place to leave them right now except the floor. His knuckles were scraped raw, dried blood crusted on his hands.
Better than Levi had expected, honestly.
"Well," Levi said, leaning against the doorframe, "at least you're cleaning up your tantrum. That's more self-awareness than most soldiers manage."
Jaime's head turned towards him, those bright purple eyes meeting Levi's. For a split second, Levi was struck by how unusual that eye color was, like nothing he'd seen before, except maybe in the stained glass windows of some church he'd never cared to enter. The kid looked exhausted, but there was something steadier in his expression now. Less fractured.
"Captain," Jaime said, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward despite everything. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare toothbrush, would you? I think I'll need it for this mess."
Levi almost smiled. Almost. The fact that the brat could crack a joke about cleaning protocol after the day he'd had was... well, it was either a good sign or a sign he'd completely snapped. Hard to tell sometimes.
"The cleaning can wait," Levi said, not believing he was actually saying that. "You're needed."
The lightness drained from Jaime's face. He brushed glass dust from his knees, and Levi noticed the slight tremor in his hands. Not fear—at least, not just fear. Exhaustion, stress, and the aftermath of using too much gas and adrenaline in one day. Levi had seen it before.
"You need me to question Annie Leonhart," Jaime said. Not a question. A statement of fact.
"Yes."
Jaime was quiet for a moment, staring at the pile of broken glass at his feet. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, almost curious. "How is it possible that you're without fear, Captain?"
Levi raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'm not afraid?"
"You always seem..." Jaime gestured vaguely. "Steady. Like nothing rattles you."
"Every man and woman in this world is afraid of something," Levi said. He crossed his arms, considering his next words carefully. This wasn't the kind of conversation he usually had with subordinates, but something about the way Jaime asked made him continue. "The trick isn't being fearless. It's making sure your bravery is stronger than your fear when it matters."
Jaime absorbed that, his purple eyes distant. "I've known her for three years."
"I'm aware."
"Three years," Jaime repeated. "I thought I knew her. But I never looked at her shadow, Captain. I was too busy looking at the part of her illuminated by the sun. The light side. I missed everything hiding in the dark."
Levi studied him. The kid was the same height as him—not tall by most standards, but they stood eye to eye. Jaime's face had that sharp, almost aristocratic quality to it, the kind of looks that probably got him attention he didn't ask for. But right now, those features were drawn tight with guilt and confusion.
"You want to know what I think?" Levi said.
Jaime looked at him, waiting.
"I think everyone has a shadow," Levi continued. "Some darker than others. You spent three years looking at someone you cared about, and you saw what she let you see. That's not a failure on your part—that's what people do. They show you what they want you to see and hide the rest."
"But I should have—"
"Should have what? Read her mind? Followed her around like a paranoid bastard interrogating her every move?" Levi shook his head. "You're not a fortune teller, brat. You're a soldier. And yesterday, when it mattered, you did your job. You fought her. You helped capture her. That's what counts."
Jaime's jaw tightened. "It doesn't feel like enough."
"It never does." Levi's voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "You think I feel like I've done enough every time we lose soldiers? You think Erwin sleeps well after sending people to die? The feeling of not being enough—that's what keeps you moving forward. The moment you think you've done enough is the moment you become useless."
Jaime's hands stopped shaking.
"I don't believe she did this for fun," Jaime said suddenly.
Levi waited. Let the kid talk.
"Before the expedition started, three days ago, we..." Jaime's voice faltered. "We went on a date. She seemed off. Tense. And when we were leaving, she grabbed my arm and told me not to play hero. She was warning me, Captain. Warning me what she would do...in her own way."
"Or manipulating you," Levi pointed out.
"Maybe." Jaime didn't sound convinced. "But I think part of her didn't want to do this. I think it might have something to do with her father."
That caught Levi's attention. "What father?"
"Annie mentioned him a few times," Jaime explained. "She'd say he was waiting for her, that she needed to get back to him. But she never told me where he was. Never talked about him beyond that." Jaime's brow furrowed. "I always assumed he was somewhere in the interior, maybe in one of the outer districts. But now..."
Now it could mean anything. The father could be leverage, a handler, or just a convenient lie. Levi filed that information away. It was the first real lead they had on Annie's motivation, and motivations were important.
"Follow me," Levi said, turning toward the door.
Jaime moved to follow, then paused. "Captain?"
Levi glanced back.
"Thank you," Jaime said quietly. "For the talk."
Levi gave a slight nod, then stopped in the doorway. What he said next needed to be clear, needed to cut through whatever sentimentality the kid was clinging to.
"The person you're about to face isn't your girlfriend," Levi said, his voice hard. "She's not your friend. She's your enemy. This enemy killed forty-nine of our soldiers yesterday. Forty-nine people who had families, friends, futures. She took all of that away."
Jaime's expression darkened. A low growl emerged from his throat, almost like an animal, and for a brief moment, Levi could swear he saw his purple eyes glittering like gems. "I know that."
"Do you?" Levi held his gaze. "Because knowing it here—" he tapped his temple "—is different from knowing it here." He pressed a fist against his chest. "One will help you get answers. The other will make you vulnerable. And we can't afford that vulnerability right now."
"I understand," Jaime said, and this time his voice was steady. Resolved.
Levi studied him for another moment, looking for cracks, for signs the kid would break under pressure. He saw exhaustion, yes. Pain, certainly. But underneath it all was something harder—something that reminded Levi of the Underground, of lessons learned the brutal way.
The way Kenny taught.
Levi had suspected it for a while now. The kid's fighting style, that "learn or die" mentality he'd mentioned, the fact that he'd grown up in the Underground and somehow survived with skills far beyond what any street rat should have. Kenny's handiwork had a signature, and Jaime bore it like a brand.
But Levi didn't mention it. That conversation could wait for another day.
"Let's go," Levi said. "Erwin's waiting, and we don't have time to waste."
Jaime
The hallway seemed longer than Jaime remembered. Each step echoed against the stone walls. Levi walked beside him.
"You have a few hours," Levi said finally, his voice cutting through the silence. "After that, other methods will be employed."
Jaime understood what that meant. Torture. Pain. His stomach turned at the thought, but he kept his face neutral. Annie had killed forty-nine soldiers. She'd earned whatever came next.
But a few hours. That's all the time he had to get answers before someone else took over.
They stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. Jaime expected it to lead to the cells, to Annie's underground prison, but Levi pushed it open to reveal something else entirely—a meeting room.
Jaime blinked in surprise.
Inside, Commander Erwin sat at the head of a table. Hange stood beside him, her eyes bright with that manic curiosity she always wore like a second skin. And at the other end of the table—
"Armin? Jean?"
His friends looked up. Jean's expression was tight, uncomfortable. Armin's was thoughtful, sad.
"Why are the brats here?" Levi asked, closing the door behind them.
Hange's grin was sharp. "Because it seems Soldier Armin Arlert and Soldier Jean Kirstein have already figured out that the Female Titan is Annie Leonhart. I thought it would be useful to bring them in, see if they know something we don't."
Of course, they'd figured it out. Armin was brilliant, and Jean—Jean paid attention to people in ways others didn't.
"Jaime." Jean stood walking up to him. "How are you doing, man?"
"Fine," Jaime said automatically. He moved further into the room, his eyes finding Armin's. "How did you figure it out?"
Armin hesitated, his blue eyes troubled. "Because of Marco."
The world stopped.
Jaime froze mid-step, and beside him, Jean went completely still. Marco.
"Who is Marco?" Erwin asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Marco Bott. He was our friend. He died during the retaking of Trost...We found his body after the battle was already won. Half of it, anyway."
Jean had a dark look in his eyes. "What does Marco have to do with this?"
Armin's expression was pained, like he regretted bringing it up but knew he had to. "After Sawney and Bean were killed—Hange's captured Titans—we were told to bring our ODM gear for inspection. Annie brought Marco's gear, not her own."
The room went quiet.
"I think," Armin continued carefully, "that she used her own gear to kill the Titans, then switched to Marco's to fool the inspection. No recent wear, no gas usage. It was the perfect cover."
Jaime's mind raced. Marco's gear. Marco, who'd died alone, eaten by Titans while they fought elsewhere. Marco, whose death had gutted Jean for weeks. And Annie had—
"That's not all," Armin said. "During the expedition, the Female Titan checked my hood. No normal Titan would do that. She was looking for someone specific." He paused. "And when I shouted that Captain Shorty had been killed, she froze completely. That's when I knew."
Captain Shorty. The nickname they'd given Jaime during training, the one that always made Annie look amused..
"Why didn't you bring your suspicions to me before the expedition?" Erwin sounded calm.
"Because I didn't want to believe it," Armin admitted, his voice small. "I kept hoping I was wrong. That there was another explanation. By the time I was certain..." He trailed off.
Jaime closed his eyes. Immediately, he regretted it.
Marco's face appeared in the darkness—or what was left of it. Half a body, half a face, empty eye staring at nothing. They'd found him like that, discarded like broken equipment. And Annie had used his gear. Had she taken it before he died, or after? Had she watched him get eaten?
Marco's face changed. Arthur's face, pale and sunken, eyes closed in permanent sleep. The Underground. The starvation.
Jaime's eyes snapped open. His hands were shaking again, but this time it wasn't from exhaustion. He felt a deep, hot feeling beneath his chest like a beast.
"I'll get the truth from her," Jaime said, and his voice was cold, harder than he'd ever heard it. "No matter what."
Hange studied him. "And if she won't talk?"
Jaime met her gaze. "She'll talk."
As Jaime was led downstairs, he tried to focus only on his anger. Right now, he needed to be angry; his anger could give him the information he wanted. They all wanted.
Jaime opened the door of the cell, and there she was, sitting in that chair, looking exhausted, her face raised to look up at him once she heard the sound of the door opening, and their eyes met, and for a brief moment. Jaime wanted to hug her, he wanted to kiss her lips, he wanted to think this was all a mistake, he wanted to hold her close, but he knew that was foolish.
This was not his lover. This was not the Annie, he knew. This was The Female Titan.
"Annie, we need to talk."
Ragako Village
The village of Ragako sat quiet in the late afternoon sun, a collection of modest homes clustered together in the shadow of Wall Rose. It was a small place, unremarkable in every way—the kind of settlement where everyone knew everyone, where gossip traveled faster than carts, and where the most exciting event in recent memory had been when Martin Springer's prize cow gave birth to twins.
That was about to change.
The stranger appeared on the eastern road just as the sun began its descent. Hands in his pockets, as if he belonged there despite being clearly, obviously foreign. His clothes were unlike anything the villagers had seen—strange cut, unusual fabric, colors that seemed too vibrant for practical work. But it was his appearance that truly caught attention: yellow hair cropped short, a yellow beard neatly trimmed.
"Who's that?" Old man Jacob asked, squinting from his porch. His wife, Marta, leaned out the doorway beside him, her weathered face creasing with curiosity.
"Don't recognize him," she replied. "Not from any of the neighboring villages."
The stranger walked into the village center, where a small crowd had begun to gather. Children peeked from behind their mothers' skirts. Men set down tools and approached cautiously. In a place like Ragako, strangers were rare enough to warrant investigation.
"Excuse me, sir," called Connor Springer, Connie's uncle. "Can we help you? Are you lost?"
The stranger stopped. A slow smile spread across his face, friendly, but there was something wrong about it.
"Lost?" the stranger repeated, his voice carrying an accent none of them recognized. "No. I'm exactly where I need to be."
"Where are you from?" Marta Springer asked, moving closer. "Those clothes—I've never seen anything like them."
"From very far away," the stranger said. His smile widened. "Farther than you could possibly imagine."
The crowd had grown now. Nearly every villager in Ragako stood in the square or watched from windows and doorways. Over a hundred souls, gathered in confused curiosity. Children, elders, mothers, fathers—the entire community drawn like moths to an inexplicable flame.
"Do you need food? Water?" offered young Sarah Springer, Connie's cousin. "You must be tired from traveling."
The stranger looked at her, and there was pity in his eyes.
"Thank you," he said softly. "But I'm not here for food."
Before anyone could ask why he was here, the stranger opened his mouth.
And screamed.
The sky split open.
Yellow lightning struck down from cloudless heavens. Not once, not twice, but over and over and over. Martin Springer. His wife. Connor. Sarah. Marta. Old man and old woman. The blacksmith. The teacher. The children.
Every single person in Ragako.
The lightning consumed them. The transformation was instantaneous, flesh expanding, bones cracking and reforming.
Where villagers had stood, Titans now loomed.
Houses collapsed under sudden weight. The village center became a crater of destruction as dozens of massive bodies materialized in spaces too small to contain them. Some Titans were four meters tall, others seven, a few reaching ten. They moved with that distinctive, horrible shambling gait—aimless, empty, driven by instinct rather than thought.
The stranger stood alone in the center of carnage, untouched by the chaos surrounding him. Titans wandered past him, oblivious to his presence. He surveyed his work with satisfaction, watching as the village of Ragako ceased to exist in any meaningful way.
Then he raised his hand to his mouth.
Bit down.
Golden lightning engulfed him. When the light faded, a creature stood where the man had been—seventeen meters of fur-covered Titan with disturbingly intelligent eyes and an almost human face.
The Beast Titan tilted its head, regarding the newly made Titans with something approaching pride. Its mouth curved into a smile.
"Come with me."