The elite soldiers of the three military branches stood frozen in shock.
Byakuya's display of power had completely shattered their understanding of what was possible.
A sense of awe stirred in Eto as she glanced at their stunned faces. With abilities like his, who wouldn't be speechless? Especially in a world like Attack on Titan.
While the soldiers were still reeling from what they'd just witnessed, Byakuya spoke up,
"Now you should have some confidence, right? Lead the Pure Titans toward my location. Be sure to avoid Abnormals as much as possible — leave those and the rest of the Titans to Eto and me."
He added firmly, "And watch your backs out there. Stay safe."
His words snapped them out of their daze, and they all nodded in unison.
With a commander this powerful — someone they couldn't even comprehend — they were suddenly filled with hope.
Maybe, just maybe... humanity could really win this time. For the first time in history.
Reinvigorated, the elite troops moved out according to the original battle plan.
Byakuya and Eto made their way to the designated point, where the soldiers would lure the Titans for extermination.
Along the way, they took down any Titans they encountered.
Byakuya was especially vigilant when it came to Abnormals. Even if one appeared far in the distance, he would immediately take action.
Unlike Pure Titans, Abnormals posed a much greater threat. Their movements were quick — far from the sluggish pace of typical Titans — and they were dangerously unpredictable.
To avoid needless casualties, Byakuya prioritized eliminating any Abnormals he spotted.
[Ding! The host has defeated a Pure Titan. Reward: 5 Attribute Points!]
[Ding! The host has defeated an Abnormal Titan. Reward: 10 Attribute Points!]
Clearly, slaying Abnormals offered double the rewards.
Before long, Byakuya and Eto arrived at their designated location: a tall watchtower surrounded by open plains. There were no civilian settlements nearby.
The high vantage point allowed Byakuya to survey the entire area, while the open terrain made it easier for the soldiers to guide the Titans to them.
....
Meanwhile, in the eastern district of Wall Rose — Karanes District:
Another elite force, including Levi's squad, was deploying from that side.
After all, Levi's squad was the most renowned unit in the Survey Corps, led by none other than Corporal Levi Ackerman himself.
Although Levi had only joined the Survey Corps a little over a year ago, his battlefield reputation already echoed across the walls thanks to numerous expeditions outside.
"What the hell kind of plan is this?" one squad member grumbled.
"We're supposed to lure Titans and just drag them toward the Commander? That's insane."
Each of them had personal records of slaying multiple Pure Titans.
Yet now they were ordered not to fight—but to draw Titans away.
"Levi hasn't said anything. We should just follow orders," said Petra, the blonde with golden eyes.
"But Levi... are we really just supposed to go along with this plan?" the soldier asked.
"I trust Commander Erwin's instincts" Levi said coolly. "If he approved this strategy, we follow it."
Even though he found the plan odd, he had unwavering faith in Erwin's judgment.
Sometime later, Byakuya stood atop the watchtower, watching as one squad successfully lured a horde of Pure Titans toward him.
Not long after, another wave came in from the opposite direction— including two Abnormals hot on the heels of retreating soldiers.
Byakuya turned to Eto and said, "I'll take the side with the Abnormals. The other's yours."
"Got it" Eto nodded.
In an instant, Byakuya vanished.
At the same time, Eto transformed atop the tower into the monstrous One-Eyed Owl. Using her ukaku powers, she soared toward the incoming swarm of Titans.
Her flight speed was terrifyingly fast—an overwhelming force heading straight for the battlefield.
Down below, the soldiers leading the Titans looked up in shock as her massive form cut through the sky.
"A-A flying Titan?!"
"No — wait, that's the green-haired girl who's always beside the Commander! I heard she can transform into a Titan-like creature but keeps her mind intact. She only attacks Titans, not humans!"
"Good thing she's on our side... even a 50-meter wall wouldn't stop that thing otherwise!"
While still in midair, Eto unleashed a storm of razor-sharp ukaku projectiles from her wings.
Countless blades struck the napes of the approaching Titans. In a single barrage, nearly half of the horde collapsed to the ground.
The efficiency was so staggering, the soldiers could do nothing but stare in awe.
The dozens of Titans they'd painstakingly gathered were wiped out in mere seconds.
Now they finally understood the brilliance of the battle plan.
Meanwhile, Byakuya had already reached the Abnormals.
This time, he wielded the quinque Owl. With a simple swing, he decapitated the first Abnormal.
Then, with a ranged strike from the Owl, he launched a volley of blades and cleanly eliminated the second one.
Two Abnormals — gone in an instant.
To increase efficiency, Byakuya summoned Susanoo.
He activated its second form: a 20-meter tall armored warrior, fully equipped with flesh and a cloak of energy — and wielding its own colossal weapon.
The Owl transformed alongside it, enlarged to several dozen meters in length.
This made slaughtering the waves of Pure Titans far quicker.
One sweep of the massive blade cleaved through a dozen Titans in one strike, their heads crashing to the ground in unison.
The Owl's abilities were also amplified through Susanoo.
Byakuya drove the blade into the earth — instantly, a forest of towering, sharpened blades erupted from the ground in a hundred-meter radius.
Every Titan within the blast zone was skewered.