Attack on Titan: A Blacksmith's Tale

Chapter 65: Risk of Morality

The combined aroma of blood and gunpowder filled the air, growing heavier as the minutes passed on. Every strike of thunder resulted in dirt cascading off a newly-formed hole in the stone of the fallen castle, or a scream from an unlucky soldier whose only crime was being a couple of inches too far to the left. The lucky ones died from their wounds shortly after, welcoming the sweet release of death they were secretly wishing for. Others crawled over the corpses of their comrades like rats trying to find the nearest shelter before it was too late.

How many MPs were there lurking in the trees? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? Too many, as far as Gelgar was concerned. Any attempt on using the ODM gear was literally shot down thanks to the marksmanship of the enemy. Contacting Levi for reinforcements via that weird mental link wasn't working after all. So much for that advantage. To make matters worse, a couple of cannons were finally brought in to help dismantle the stone barriers that were erected from Utgard's ruins. It wouldn't be much longer before the Scouts were blown apart.

"Bryan, talk to me!" Gelgar shouted over the next volley of cannonfire.

The medical officer attempted to bandage a Scout's amputated leg, but the wound was bleeding too much. "Nine are dead, and three are gravely wounded," he responded with a shake of his head.

The man slammed his fist against the ground. That was half their forces cut down. "Is there anything we can do for the wounded?"

Bryan attempted to hold down his thrashing patient while his frustration spoke for him. "Unless we can find a way out of here, we'll all end up dead, sir!"

Gelgar winced at that remark, but he could do nothing to refute it. He and Nanaba were in charge of this collection of Scouts, and they had unintentionally led them to slaughter. The Scout Regiment wasn't meant for this. They were meant to soar into the sky and cut down the beasts that dared to devour them. Face down in the dirt while silently praying that the next volley of shots wouldn't strike home? Nothing compared to this kind of torture. Part of Gelgar wished that the Beast Titan did him in, too, just like his friends two weeks ago.

"I told you we should've run when we had the chance!" Nanaba snapped as she crawled to Gelgar's position.

"And look how well that turned out for them," he shot back, gesturing to a few corpses nearby. "They're sharpshooters, Nanaba. We won't stand a chance."

"If we stay here, we're all going to die," she told him, ducking her head as a shot impacted a brick wall behind her. "Some of us will make it, others won't, but that's better than nothing."

Gelgar gritted his teeth as he was forced to consider their options. How Erwin and the others operated under intense pressure was beyond him, but they weren't here. He and Nanaba were. The MPs took advantage of their panicking, and if they didn't do something fast, they would be corpses for the vultures to feed on.

Levi was not surprised to see that when he peered through the spyglass, he and his forces were at a disadvantage. He counted ten patrolling officers, some of them carrying the modified ODM gear he grew to despise so much. Cannons were strategically placed on rooftops and the two guard towers in case a certain Female Titan he knew and tolerated decided to make a grand entrance. Not to mention there was no telling how many MPs lurking inside each building.

"What do you think, Annie?" Hanji wondered quietly. "Think your Titan can handle all that?"

The Shifter shook her head. "If Reiner was here, he'd be able to handle this easily. At best, I'd be able to bring down one building before they took my head off even with my hardening ability."

Armin looked through his own spyglass, trying to come up with a good plan. "If the cannons were out of commission, you would have an easier time taking them out."