Love & War || Levi Ackerman

Chapter 23 | Historia Reiss

Sara's Point of View

I stood between Levi and Hanji around the meeting room, the rest of the cadets standing behind us. We were surrounding the strategy table, having a map and important documents laid out on its flat surface for Erwin's plan.

"You can punch him once you're queen." I heard Mikasa whisper behind us. She must be talking to Historia.

I chuckled, confusing both Hanji and Levi. I only waved a hand at them and looked ahead at Erwin.

"We determined the location of Rod Reiss' Titan. It's southwest, approaching Orvud. At this rate, it should reach Orvud District by dawn." A soldier reported.

There were representatives of the Garrison present with us tonight as well. It seems like we will be having their help on this strategy. Erwin must be thinking up of something that will involve the citizens of the targeted district. And no, it's not just for evacuation.

I folded my arms over my chest and shifted my weight on my right leg as I await Erwin's command.

"Commander Erwin, we'd all like to hear what your plan is." One of the Garrison said. "How do you intend to evacuate the citizens in time?"

"We won't evacuate." The blonde says.

"W-what?"

"We'll have the citizens remain in Orvud District just as they are."

The Garrison grasped Erwin's collar with both hands and forced him to face his way. "What the hell are you thinking, Erwin?! Keep the citizens in the city without evacuating?! By the time it's dawn, that Titan will be all over us!"

"That Titan is an abnormal." Hanji speaks up.

"What the hell does that even mean?!" The distressed soldier yells out of panic.

"The target Titan is strangely attracted to high concentrations of people. Hence, abnormal. It only means that it will turn a blind eye to a small village and ignore it in favor of reaching this fortified city." Hanji said. "If right now, you were to evacuate the citizens within Wall Sina, it would be drawn towards them, destroying the wall and all in its path."

I caught on to what she was thinking. She studied how the titan was behaving while she was out of commission earlier, and it was enough for her to know with full confidence that evacuating the village will only cause more damage to the walls.

"It would reach Mitras, with the greatest density of people..." I mumbled. "It will deliver a devastating blow to humanity if he were to reach there."

"Exactly. On our way back, we attempted to use Eren Jaeger's power to control titans, but the abnormal didn't even listen." Hanji says.

"If we are to stop that titan, we must do so outside the walls of Orvud District. For that to happen, we must have the citizens act as bait." Erwin told the Garrison. "However, this does not change the fact that our first duty as soldiers is to protect the citizens. Supposing that we're not able to halt the target, we will take measures so that not a single citizen is killed."

He explained how we will announce an emergency evacuation drill for the said district, so that the citizens will be prepared to evacuate at once if the plan were to fail. However, I don't think that would happen. Erwin's plans rarely don't work.

"Rest assured, Corporal Levi and Captain Sara will be there to fight alongside us. Chances of winning is high with their skills."

This is another bargain we will have to hope for the best outcome. There is no time to waste, and no time to think about anything else than to save humanity from Rod Reiss. His titan will be a tough one, considering that we can't get close to his neck, but our bargain will be on whether or not he has an open mouth.