'If we were to use the «Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon», could we annihilate all the Titans invading within the walls?ʼ
Although it's a somewhat crude cannon, it has left a significant mark in history and is not something easily forgotten.
However, in this world, humans primarily use Wall-mounted artillery with explosive shells as ammunition.
If humans possessed ultra-powerful artillery, one shot could reduce the Titans to dust, rendering their threat insignificant.
Haruya made a second assumption: what if modern weapons were used to fight the Titans? Things like fighter jets, tanks, and even nuclear bombs could easily handle them, right?
But obtaining such weapons is fundamentally impossible, unless that bastard Supreme Deity suddenly decides to experiment with such ideas...
"Ah, that's never going to happen..."
Haruya manipulated the ODM Gear, attacking from the right. The hooks pierced the left shoulder of the Colossal Titan, using the tension to pull Haruya closer to the nape of the Titan's neck.
For him, the Colossal Titan's movements were extremely slow. Despite its massive attack range, as long as he relied on the ODM Gear, he could easily dodge its attacks.
It was like humans trying to swat a cockroach... to the cockroach, human movements are also very slow.
That said, the high-temperature steam emitted by the Titan slightly obscured his vision, but he could still make out the muscles within the mist.
The wind howled in his ears, and the sunlight streaming down from above didn't feel warm at all. Instead, it sent a chill down his spine.
The surroundings rushed past as Haruya used the hooks to reach the Titan's right arm, then prepared for a second maneuver.
Not far away, Eren had already dodged the Colossal Titan's first attack and was ready to strike its nape with his blades.
"It's about time..."
Standing at a 90-degree angle on the Colossal Titan's arm, Haruya watched Eren's every move.
According to the plot, the moment Eren attacks, the Colossal Titan will disappear.
Although there might be some changes to the plot, Haruya didn't want that to happen.
He was a methodical person, just like how he planned to watch new anime episodes or attend conventions. Without a plan, he would lose his sense of direction.
"Die!!! I can do this!" Eren, wielding his dual blades, used the ODM Gear to close in on the Colossal Titan's nape.
He swung his blades, and a flash of light followed.
*Boom!*
Steam erupted instantly, and Eren's attack missed. Haruya also lost his footing.
Firing the hooks into the wall, Haruya stood on the outer side of the wall and heard voices from above.
"The Colossal Titan has disappeared! Did Eren defeat it?!"
"No!" Eren stared at the massive footprints on the ground, "It appeared suddenly and disappeared just as suddenly, just like five years ago."
"Hey! The wall has been breached! The Garrison is engaging the Titans that have broken through! Everyone, move to support!"
Several soldiers shouted, and Haruya nodded, retracting his hooks and returning to the top of the wall.
Inside the section of the wall kicked open by the Colossal Titan, the Garrison and Wall-mounted artillery were holding off the approaching Titans.
The warning bells rang, urging people to evacuate to the inner districts with minimal belongings.
"You there! Report to that area immediately! Anyone who has made contact with it, remember to report later!"
"Good luck to the vanguard!"
"Right!"
Haruya and the other trainees rushed toward the assembly point.
His goal was simple: achieve a good performance and join the Survey Corps.
Only by joining the Survey Corps could he get closer to their plans.
The Female Titan incident would be discovered later. For now, the most important thing was to wait.
Haruya didn't want to play the hero, as that would come at too great a cost.
"All trainees under the command of the Garrison will assist with resource supply, information relay, and Titan cleanup."
The officer on the platform spoke sternly.
"The vanguard will be led by the Garrison, the middle guard by the Trainee Corps, and the rear guard by the elite forces of the Garrison."
This was the simplest and most efficient arrangement.
Looking up at the sky, smoke was already spreading. Some houses crushed by falling debris were on fire, and Titans could invade at any moment.
"I... I'm so scared."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you..."
"Why is this happening?"
Desertion here was a capital offense...
But they also knew that fighting Titans often meant becoming their next meal.
"Everyone, remember: desertion equals death. Dedicate your hearts to victory!"
"Yes!!!"
After shouting in unison, Haruya finally had a moment to relax.
Having just witnessed the real Colossal Titan, he realized it was completely different from what he had imagined.
Without skin, stepping on it felt like stepping on boiled, skinless pork, and there was a strong smell of blood.
Not only that, but the excessive steam made the surface wet, and the expelled gas caused the muscles to shift.
This wasn't something virtual... it was real...
"Ugh...!!" Several trainees suddenly vomited.
For them, fighting Titans was akin to a death sentence.
"What a strange world this is." Haruya sighed, then felt a pat on his back.
"You, trainee! Don't even think about running away!"
"Yes!" Standing up, Haruya saluted.
Rather than running, he wanted to get closer to the main cast.
At that moment, Mikasa was called away by the rear guard officer. Despite wanting to stay, she ultimately couldn't.
Watching her retreating figure, Haruya muttered to himself, "I hope things develops as I imagine..."
"What do you mean?" Appearing beside him was Armin, "You said you hope things develop as you imagine. What do you mean by that?"
"Ahaha, forget that. Don't we have a mission?"
"Why are you so calm?"
'Should I act scared?'
Haruya thought that even if he didn't show fear, others might see it as bravado.
Being suspected by Armin wasn't a good start...
Eren was giving orders up ahead, "Squad 34, move out!"
"Right!"
Despite giving Haruya a suspicious look, Armin ultimately prioritized the current situation.
Following behind them, Haruya pondered how to clear up the misunderstanding.
He didn't need to load a Checkpoint for this, as he had thought of a way to solve the problem along the way.
Following Squad 35, Haruya used the ODM Gear to navigate the streets, spotting Titan shadows ahead.
"Has the vanguard collapsed already?"
"Even though they acted all high and mighty earlier."
A few people ahead were chatting when Eren suddenly looked to the side, "Abnormal Titan! Evade!"
*Boom!*
The charging 'Abnormal' crashed into a building.
The structure shook, and wooden debris scattered as the Titan pulled its head out, already chewing on someone.
It was Thomas, the trainee who had been talking to Eren earlier.
"Thomas!"
As Eren shouted, Haruya had already sprung into action.
Jumping off the roof, he used the ODM hooks to pierce the Titan's shoulder, then used the other hook to pull himself forward, maintaining a stable angle.
Spinning his body, Haruya took advantage of the opening and shouted, "What are you waiting for?!"
Retracting the hook from the Titan's shoulder, Haruya slashed the Titan's jaw muscles, forcing its mouth open.
Thomas, who had been bitten in the lower half, fell from the Abnormal's mouth, and Eren caught him.
Originally, Thomas would have died here.
Since Haruya didn't need to cut the Abnormal's nape, he used the ODM Gear to change angles and attack from another direction.
"Haruya!"
Though he didn't know who called his name, Haruya spotted another Titan...
'Another Abnormal!'
It wasn't particularly tall, but it was incredibly fast, capable of short-distance jumps.
The small Abnormal opened its mouth to bite Haruya, who quickly tried to change his initial direction but lost control, his body fell toward the ground, but he used the right hook to latch onto a nearby Titan.
"Ugh!"
He was too slow. The other Abnormal swung its arm at Haruya.
*Boom!*
He sliced the Abnormal's fingers as it grabbed him, but the impact sent him crashing into a wall.
The Titan attacking Haruya ran toward him, and one side of his ODM Gear was damaged from the collision.
'This is bad!ʼ
Just as he thought that, someone rushed over, "Grab my hand!"
"Huh? Oh!"
Armin jumped down from another rooftop, leaping over the Titan and extending his right hand.
Haruya retracted the ODM Gear and grabbed Armin's hand, safely returning to the rooftop.
"Stop the bleeding! He has a large wound on his abdomen, possibly damaging his organs."
Thomas, whom Haruya had saved, was pale and motionless from blood loss.
Armin started, "That was too reckless..."
Ignoring Armin's impending lecture, Haruya asked a question, "By the way, how do you know my name?"
Though he received an answer that wasn't exactly straightforward, "I remember everyone's name..."
Oh well, that was just Armin's style.
"Thanks for earlier."
"No problem."
Leaning against the rooftop chimney, Haruya took deep breaths.
After Eren thanked him, he looked toward the distant streets, "We need to keep moving! Hide Thomas somewhere safe. There's an attic below, right?"
After securing the injured, the group continued toward the front lines.
Perhaps due to Haruya's earlier actions, the others began to see the Titans in a slightly different light... they weren't entirely invincible.
However, the two Abnormals would become Squad 34's nightmare.
To advance further, they had to take them down.
"Split up and attack! If you can't cut them, try to cripple their movements!" Eren took the lead.
"Eren, wait!"
Before Armin's warning could reach him, a Titan appeared below Eren and opened its mouth.
"Wait!!"
The others followed, but the Abnormals wouldn't let anyone escape.
The Titan below Eren bit off his left foot...
The trainees trying to attack the Abnormal Titans were thrown off balance by the Titans' interference, losing control. Two were caught, and one fell to the ground.
Even if Haruya wanted to change the fated events, it seemed impossible.
That Thomas guy would probably die from blood loss too...
"No, no!!"
The trainees' screams echoed as blood splattered across the battlefield, marking the beginning of a nightmare.
Haruya tried to pull Armin into action, but he stood frozen.
"Why..."
"Armin, hey, Armin, ugh!" Haruya, trying to snap Armin out of it, was blown back by a shockwave.
The Titan that had crashed into the building was now chasing him.
"Damn it."
Using the ODM Gear to reach another rooftop, Haruya saw that Armin had already been thrown into the Titan's mouth.
"No, no!!"
Hearing Armin's screams, Haruya focused on another area.
'Should I flee?'
Since he couldn't stop or change anything, the only option was to maintain the status quo and ensure his own survival.
More Titans were appearing everywhere. On another rooftop, Eren used his blades to stand and then jumped into the Titan's mouth.
Pulling Armin out, Eren was then swallowed...
By the time Mikasa and the elite forces arrived, only Haruya and Armin remained from Squad 34.
Standing at a distance, Haruya listened to their conversation, "We're almost out of gas."
Just as he had imagined.
On the other side, Mikasa approached Armin, asking about Eren.
Just as hope could be shattered by despair, despair could also give birth to hope. The moment of hope was about to arrive.
But why was Mikasa walking toward him?
Haruya turned his head away, preparing to leave...
But before he could, he was grabbed.
Her grip was strong, and his arm hurt.
Haruya glanced at her, "What are you doing..."
"Armin told me what happened earlier. Why are you unharmed?"
"Skill issue..."
She ignored him and continued, "Letting others take the lead while you stayed back to avoid danger?"
"No way, I..." As Haruya spoke, the others who had arrived were now in dire straits.
Mikasa glanced at the situation behind her and released Haruya's arm.
"If we can take out the enemies gathered at headquarters, we can get everyone onto the wall for resupply, right?"
"Yes, but even with you here, that number is..." Marco Bott believed Mikasa couldn't succeed.
Even if everyone attacked together, it would be nearly impossible.
"If we don't fight, we can't win."
"Right."
Stretching his wrist, Haruya stepped forward, "Let me prove that I wasn't running away earlier."
As the vanguard, Haruya and Mikasa rushed toward the wall where the gas resupply was located.
~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~
Read ahead on my P@treon...
p@treon.com/MayaMatengele01