He Told Me to Live

13 | The Female Titan

I watched the Titan struggle a bit before pausing and accepting defeat.

Soldiers all came at it with their blades but to no avail. Her hardened skin was unbreakable. I had never fought a Titan with any supernatural ability other than their beyond-human strength and speed. Abnormal titans might vary a bit, but never by this much.

She also didn't seem to eat anyone she killed. She simply tossed them aside.

"Y/N, try it." Erwin said to me.

I raised my blades and pushed off the tree. My ODM gear clung to her arm and I sped towards her hands, both placed over the nape of her neck. When my blades made contact, all I heard was a clang, and nothing else.

Nothing cracked or ripped or tore.

"It reminds me of the Armoured-Titan you told me about." Erwin observed. "But she can't seem to maintain that hardness for as long as it can."

I nodded in agreement.

Erwin raised his hand and everyone stopped. "Ready explosives around her wrists and legs so the body inside isn't blown up. Upon my signal, plant all the bombs simultaneously and detonate them a short distance away."

Levi landed on the Female Titan's head. "Hey, why don't you get out of there already? We have better things to do than this, you know. So what do you think is going to come next? You really believe you can escape from us?"

I wanted to tell Levi to be careful, but I had no instruction to do so, so I stayed quiet. Levi, however, did not.

"I'd really like for you to put yourself in our shoes and think about how much trouble you're causing us. We had to come up with a way to drag you out and keep repeating our attempts time and time again. You have killed a lot of my subordinates in many ways, haven't you? Was it fun?" Levi sent his famous glare down to her. "I personally am having fun right now. And you're just like me, aren't you?"

I saw the slight trembling in the Female Titan's arms. She wasn't in a comfortable position after all. Of course, I doubt the person inside wouldn't be in the same position.

"One more thing." Levi continued. At this point, I had my blade ready to attack in case she tried to lay a finger on Levi. "If your hands and feet were cut off, they'd grow back, right? I mean your real hands and feet. We can't have you dying on us."

I saw a slight change in the muscle around the Titan's neck and I immediately knew she was about to screech from the way she drew in a breath.

And she did.

It echoed through the forest and out to the plains outside of it, echoing through my ears like a mocking bird's call. I clamped my hands over my ears, though it did little to muffle the ear piercing noise.

Then she stopped. And I was able to hear it.

I let out a quiet gasp and I pulled my ODM gear so I'd be on the same level as Erwin.

"Y/N? What's the matter?"

"I hear their footsteps." I see the shift in the wind as the leaves blow. The gentle vibrations pounding through the ground and through the trees.

"Which direction?"

I only know one thing: Titans are coming.

Mike came to backup my statement. "Erwin. Their stench. It's coming from every direction and it's getting stronger."

I gripped the bark of the tree. I recognized this. It was a final cry, a desperate scream, in a being's supposed last moments, using that last sliver of hope to power their voice.