ℬℯ𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝒟𝒾𝓈𝒶𝓈𝓉ℯ𝓇 ⤕[𝓐𝓽𝓽𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓞𝓷 𝓣𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓷 𝔁 𝓞𝓒]

Chapter 20

Mitabi, Ian and Rico diverted titans in seperate directions, clearing out a path as Eren, seemingly coming back to his senses, lugged the boulder on his back, slowly marching through the district toward the breach. Not using their gear, the soldiers ran on the floor to make sure they had fully gained the attention of the titans as they kill-hungrily chased them, awaiting for their chance to feast.

"Come get me you ugly bastard!" Mitabi shouted over to a small titan in the 5 metre range, its chocolate brown orbs excitedly glowing as it stared at him. Successfully gaining its attention, the soldier began to run across the floor, leading it away from Eren as it frantically chased him. 

Another Garrison soldier began to follow suit, "Hey, what's the matter? Can't catch me? You never will with that attitude!" He yelled, clearly nervous, as he ran in the opposite direction to Eren. Suddenly his body is swiped up by a nearby titan as he didn't notice its presence, causing him to run into it. Screams escaped his throat as the titan chomped down on his chest, swallowing him down. 

"God dammit, no!" Mitabi yelled as he witnessed it, forcing him to lose guard as he is immediatley crushed under a titan's foot. 

"Mitabi!" A soldier yelled as the man's body was flattened and unrecognisable, blood spewing over the floor in the region he was killed. 

As Akira, Miika and Armin ran in front of Eren, keeping paces ahead as to not get in his way, other soldiers behind were being devoured, one by one, their forces decreasing as their soldier count dramatically diminished as they continued to decoy as many titans away as possible, Miika and Akira slaughtering the ones who ignored them. The three turned to look to their left as they heard screams, witnessing Ian grab a soldier from within a titans mouth and throw him out onto a roof before suddenly having his body seperated from his head by the creatures teeth. At this, Miika's eyes went wide as his pupils shrunk, watching the titans gullet move as it swallowed his body. His jaw clenched as he pushed through to speed up his pace, running further ahead to take out one that was standing directly in front of the breach. Latching his grapples onto the titan, he swung around, sliding across the floor as he did so, quickly detaching his grapples to reposition them at its nape before swinging himself into the air, sliding across as he burrowed his blades into his nape, tearing it out. As its body dropped, he stayed stood on it, watching as Eren inched closer to the wall. Armin suddenly stopped, tears pricking his eyes as he screamed at Eren, "GO!" 

In response, Eren let out a roar as he threw his body weight forward, releasing the boulder from his hands and pushing it up against the hole, sealing it shut. Armin stared as wind blew his hair back, his eyes brimming heavier with tears. Miika stayed where he was stood, his eyes widening slightly as he stared at the scene. Rico collapsed to the floor, tears dripping from her silver orbs, "Your deaths were not in vain, your sacrifices will never be forgotten, this day belongs to Humanity." She smiles as she fires a yellow flare, signalling the mission a success. Akira couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of justice, she felt as if she had done a good service to Humanity, however at the same time that feeling of pride was drowned out by reality and realisation - and also the feeling that she was worthless that whole mission, that she hadn't actually helped anyone. Looking at her feet, disappointed in herself, she allowed Armin and Miika to attempt to pry Eren out as his titan form collapsed. 

"Stragglers!" Rico yelled as she caught sight of two titans heading in their direction, "Ackerman, pull back!" 

"With all do respect, I will not pull back until I have recovered Eren." He yelled back, running closer to the titan carcass as Armin struggled, his arms under Eren's shoulders as he tugged back on him to release him, "Armin, how is he?" 

"Unconscious and scorching to the touch." He winced, burning his hands on the brunette's skin, "We have to get him up the wall." Miika and Rico went to aid him, "Dammit, he's fused to the carcass, I can't work him free." He clamped his jaw down as he continued to wriggle about, tugging on Eren. 

Rico raised her blades, "Then we cut." Ignoring Miika's protests, she slashed the tendons which kept Eren attached to the titan body, causing Armin to wail out as he fell backwards, Eren in tow as they dropped to the floor. Noticing this, Akira had to intercept as the two titans were only steps away from them. She launched herself to the titan on the right, someone suddenly accompanying her as they took the titan to the left, both, with inhumane speed, throwing themselves into the air and then jolting themselves back down, spinning into the napes of the titans where they carved out the napes. The titans fell limp, both characters landing on each of their kills. Akira looked over her shoulder to see a short male with raven hair styled in an undercut, a green cape cloaking his body. 

Before saying anything, he couldn't help but give Akira an acknowledging look as she had beaten him to his kill, which nobody was ever able to do, "Pay attention kiddos." His deep voice addressed as he looked further over his shoulder, "This is the part where you explain to me what the hell it is i'm looking at." 

Eren's titan body slowly disintegrated as its skeleton came into view, its ribs completely devoid of skin or muscle, just pure white bone. Steam continued to pour out of it as the slow process continued to drag on as bits of muscle clung on disobediently. Its head still fully intact, its mouth hung open as its eyes were clamped shut, the open wound of its nape steaming up more than any other part of its body. The Cadets were at loss for words, unable to figure a way to explain the situation simply. 

More members of the Scouting Regiment arrived, combining their effort with the Garrison's Corps of Engineers to take back Wall Rose, taking a full days work to dispatch the remaining titans around Trost's perimeter, ceaseless cannon fire rolling throughout the entirety of that 24 hours. 

207 soldiers were counted either dead or missing, 897 were counted among the injured, and so despite the history made that day, celebration was not an option.