Inside the inner wall's equipment room, soldiers were checking and replacing their gear. Gas canisters and blades were swapped for new ones. The operation to retake the wall would officially begin in one hour, following the joint briefing by Erwin and Pixis.
To encourage the troops, they also revealed Eren's role—carefully described as a "military secret weapon."
"I heard our training squads will be reorganized," Krista said, adjusting her gear with a tinge of sadness. "It's because we've lost too many of our peers."
"Mm."
It was natural for inexperienced trainees to suffer heavy casualties in such a brutal battlefield.
But Lillian suspected the reorganization was just a pretext. Erwin likely had already made detailed assessments.
Eren's appearance confirmed that the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan were intelligent. Locating their human forms was now Erwin's top priority. Combined with the Colossal Titan's delayed attack outside the wall and the chaos from the breach five years ago, it was reasonable to deduce that the intelligent Titans' human forms had infiltrated the wall—and could even be within the Survey Corps itself.
If so, the "reorganization" might simply be to count the remaining trainees.
---
On the wall, only Survey Corps soldiers remained stationed. Erwin and his trusted officers sat together, analyzing the situation.
"Currently, we can identify four intelligent Titans," Erwin said.
"Four?"
"The Colossal Titan, the Armored Titan, Eren, and… the Titan we saw running in the distance when we returned from outside the wall," Erwin recalled. "Although far away, its running posture was distinctly human. Just like Eren's 'straight punch.' Ordinary Titans wouldn't move like that."
Levi, Hange, and Mike frowned, recalling what they had seen. They had glanced at it, but not with the meticulousness of Erwin.
"Erwin, if that's also an intelligent Titan, why didn't it enter the city?" Mike asked.
"Entering would be pointless. Based on Eren's behavior, we know that intelligent Titans are targeted first by mindless Titans—even sometimes more than humans. So entering the city would be extremely dangerous, and they likely know it. Plus, it's unnecessary—once the gates are breached, mindless Titans alone are enough to destroy humans."
Erwin paused, pointing to the map laid out before them, marking the southern part of Wall Maria, the Shiganshina District.
"Five years ago, the Colossal Titan breached Shiganshina, then the Armored Titan destroyed the inner gate, causing Wall Maria to fall. Five years later, Trost District was attacked… can you see the connection?"
Hange studied the map. "Both are southern districts?"
"Exactly." Erwin drew a line connecting the two points. "Shiganshina and Trost are both in the south. If we make a bold assumption, these intelligent Titans came from outside the southern walls."
"This…"
"I know there's no concrete evidence to support this theory, but there's no time to dwell on that," Erwin said, his eyes not fixed on the map but seemingly simulating a scenario in his mind. "Five years ago, the three intelligent Titans divided their tasks. The Colossal Titan destroyed the outer wall, the Armored Titan destroyed the inner wall, and that running Titan… used the fact that mindless Titans prioritize attacking intelligent Titans. It drew the Titans wandering outside the wall together and led them to the breached wall."
Everyone shivered. If Erwin's deduction was correct, it meant humanity was facing a plan for complete annihilation.
"But why didn't the Colossal Titan destroy the inner wall?" Mike asked. "With its size, it should be easy enough."
"Too slow," Levi interjected. "According to intelligence, that bastard moves very slowly."
Erwin continued, "Exactly. If the Colossal Titan appeared inside the wall, even if it destroyed the inner gate, it would have no chance of escape. If, like Eren, there were humans inside its body, surrounded by soldiers, it couldn't get away. But the Armored Titan's defense and speed ignore such constraints—though elite soldiers like Levi are an exception."
A heavy silence fell.
Everyone felt the weight of the situation. If the enemy truly had three intelligent Titans, humanity was in grave danger. Intelligent Titans were far more formidable than even the largest cannons.
"Erwin, what should we do now?" Levi asked.
All eyes focused on Erwin. He bore the pressure without showing anxiety or tension, his face calm as always.
"Priority number one is to block the wall breach. As for the enemy, they may be hiding among us. Therefore, we must monitor every soldier—and this is done by rearranging the squad members."
"…You suspect the enemy is within the corps?"
"Perhaps not all, but at least one," Erwin replied decisively. "They need intelligence."
"Next is the motive," Erwin continued thoughtfully. "If the enemy is like Eren, they're human. If the wall is damaged and humanity falls, what benefit is there for them? Why would humans want to exterminate humans? Until we understand this, we cannot know who the real enemy is."
"Yes, we need to capture one alive and question them," someone added.
---
Before the operation began, the trainees and stationed soldiers were reorganized. The old squads were disrupted, and new groups formed, citing casualties as the reason.
This explanation wouldn't raise suspicion—even the warrior trio couldn't infer that Erwin suspected an internal enemy. Only someone like Lillian, already aware of the situation, could deduce it.
Without much rest, the operation began. Pixis and Erwin addressed the troops, presenting Eren as a secret military weapon and explaining the plan in detail.
The soldiers were skeptical, but the presence of the Survey Corps bolstered morale. No one caused trouble, and the operation officially commenced.
---
The operation was simple and divided into two tasks.
One group's job was to draw the Titans' attention. They didn't need to fight, only to distract them.
The other group, composed of elite soldiers, protected Eren. Titans continued to appear outside the walls, and Eren, blocking the breach, would face them first. Elite cover was crucial.
Naturally, the Survey Corps formed the elite units, led by Levi and Mike, while several hand-picked soldiers from the stationed corps provided additional support. Of the 104th trainees, only Mikasa was selected due to her exceptional performance.
Lillian's squad was stationed on a rooftop at the wall's edge, tasked with drawing Titans' attention.
'This works for me,' Lillian thought. He didn't particularly enjoy fighting, and his abilities were average—far from elite—so this role suited him perfectly.
With Levi and Mike guarding Eren, his safety was practically guaranteed. The warrior trio might act independently, but under these conditions, they wouldn't expose themselves recklessly.
On the rooftop, Lillian surveyed the broken outer gate. He admired the trio's cleverness—they damaged the gate, not the wall itself. Otherwise, if Titans escaped, who knew whether the "Vow of Renunciation" would still be effective?
However, Marley didn't know that Eren had seized the Founding Titan's power. Non-royals can't activate the Coordinate without contact with someone of royal blood, though they are free from the "Vow of Renunciation." Thus, Eren holding this power was a severe misfortune for Marley—and a boon for the Survey Corps.
"Roar—!"
A burst of light! Eren successfully transformed into a Titan. Lillian and his squad stared in awe, fear outweighing anticipation. Most people couldn't comprehend the idea of using Titan power in combat so quickly.
---
Three days later.
Underground district of Wall Sina.
Lillian approached a tavern, pausing at the entrance before pushing the door open.
Inside, it was noisy, but several people shot him curious and wary glances.
"Well, hello there, handsome stranger," a woman in her thirties, still elegant, approached and casually placed her hand on his shoulder, drawing a circle with her finger. "What'll it be?"
"No."
Lillian removed her hand and glanced around. At a table to the east, a man waved at him. "Over here!"
The room quieted slightly; some people seemed wary of the man.
The woman gave an awkward laugh. "Y-you know Klaus? Why didn't you say so?"
Ignoring her, Lillian walked over and sat.
"Three years… you've grown taller," the man said. He was around thirty, blond and blue-eyed, very handsome—if not for his missing ear.
"You haven't changed, Klaus."
"What's left to change at my age?"
Klaus waved at the bar. "Can't you see my friend's here? Bring the drinks!"
"Right away!"
A bartender hurried over with a bottle of rice wine, respectfully poured a cup for Lillian, smiled obsequiously at Klaus, and then retreated.
"Come, let's drink first!"
Clink.
They touched glasses and downed a cup together.
The alcohol wasn't very strong — the walls hadn't developed distillation techniques yet — so Lillian didn't feel much after drinking it. He set his cup down and glanced around.
"Three years without seeing you, and you've really made something of yourself."
"Hah, so-so." Klaus sighed. "Back then I was afraid of everything, just doing odd jobs for other people. But after going outside the walls and coming back alive… I realized there's nothing left to be scared of. You just do what you have to do."
He smiled faintly and held up three fingers. "I wiped out the three local gangs around here. How about that?"
"Impressive."
"It's not just me." He shook his head. "Mainly, it's because the group that came back with me all decided to follow me. Everyone who escaped the Titans' mouths once isn't afraid of dying anymore, so naturally those weaklings couldn't stand against us. Plus, a lot of the families of brothers who didn't make it back joined us too. They had nowhere else to go."
"..."
Klaus looked at Lillian seriously. "Speaking of which, I still don't understand why you went to become a soldier. Back then, everyone was willing to follow you… and honestly, that hasn't changed."
He leaned forward. "If you came here now, I'd give you my position without hesitation."
Lillian shook his head. "No. You earned all of this over three years. I didn't contribute anything."
"Bullshit!" Klaus glared and touched where his right ear should have been. "If it weren't for you back then, I wouldn't just have lost an ear — I'd be dead."
Lillian clearly remembered that day.
Klaus had been grabbed by a Titan and was about to be shoved whole into its mouth. In desperation, Lillian fired — a completely reckless shot, not even expecting to hit anything. By sheer luck, the bullet struck the Titan's eye, causing it to slip its grip, and Klaus survived.
Even so, in the end, only seven people from their group made it back alive.
That "seventy-plus" figure people sometimes quoted included many different scattered survivor groups — Lillian's party was just one tiny fragment among hundreds of thousands who went out.
Still… thinking about it made his chest ache.
He had promised to bring everyone home. Instead, they ran straight into a Titan swarm. He couldn't save anyone — he could barely even save himself, having been eaten once.
Lillian shook off the memory.
"I'm joining the Military Police."
"Military Police?"
Klaus raised an eyebrow, then laughed bitterly. "You know, we hate them the most down here."
He leaned back. "Last month we lifted a few things from some nobles. Next thing we knew, seventy or eighty MPs flooded the Underground. If we hadn't moved the goods fast, you'd be seeing me on the gallows right now."
"Is that so."
The Underground really couldn't stand against the MPs. No matter how corrupt or useless they were, they were still the official army — not street thugs.
Klaus smirked jokingly. "So what, future MP Lillian — you here to arrest me?"
"I'm not arresting you."
Lillian looked straight at him. "But I need you to give me people to arrest."
Klaus froze.
"I need to climb up — fast," Lillian said seriously. "That means I need real achievements. You know the Underground better than anyone. You can give me what I need."
Klaus stared for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Damn… I didn't take you for that kind of guy! So you want to be a big shot, huh? Military Police commander? Captain? Minister?"
Lillian said nothing.
Klaus's smile slowly sharpened into something sly. "Got it. No problem. You want merits? I've got plenty. In fact, I already know where a murderer is hiding. I'll have my men watch him — when you officially take your post, you come grab him. Deal?"
"Good." Lillian nodded slightly. "Once I have real authority, I'll also look after the families of your brothers."
"Of course you will."
Lillian stood up. "Then I'll be going."
"Wait," Klaus suddenly called out, curiosity written all over his face. "I read the newspaper today — they said the King is going to interrogate that guy who can turn into a Titan. Is that true? You were a trainee in Trost, right? You saw it with your own eyes?"
"It's true," Lillian smiled faintly. "Humanity's fate is basically in his hands now."
"That's really irritating… relying on a Titan bastard…"
"He's not quite like the ones outside."
Lillian didn't explain further. He waved and turned to leave.
Outside the tavern, he pulled his hat down and walked off.
Klaus Bloire — one of the veterans of the wall-recapture operation, and Lillian's closest acquaintance from back then. Intelligent, charismatic, and a natural leader, he had gone straight to the Underground after returning.
Survivors, along with families of the dead, had gathered around him. Over three years, they fought vicious turf wars with the established gangs of Wall Sina's Underground — and eventually carved out their own territory.
Now Klaus was one of its major figures.
That power was exactly what Lillian intended to make use of.
If he was joining the Military Police, he wasn't going to coast. If he was doing it, he would go all the way — and grasp real power in his hands.
{Do you want to be MP commander? Captain? Minister?}
Klaus's joke echoed in his mind.
This time, Lillian did have an answer.
He stopped walking, turned, and looked toward the massive, magnificent royal palace at the very center of Wall Sina.
The people living there… probably had no idea what "fear" truly meant.
"Central… huh."
He snorted softly.