A hero is someone who steps forward to save the world when people are in danger...
Standing at the edge of the giant forest, Nangou Haruya immediately rushed toward the direction of the Female Titan's roar, planning his next move along the way.
"If I want to change the current situation, I have to find a way to make everything progress according to my plan..."
Now, Haruya was no longer afraid of death, but he still hated it, 'Everyone probably felt the same way, right?ʼ
Even though the deaths of others might not affect him much, there was always a lingering thought... 'Death is such a terrible thing...ʼ
If he could prevent others from dying in front of him, Haruya would do everything in his power to stop it.
Perhaps this way of thinking seemed incredibly foolish to some, as risking one's life for others was seen as idiotic.
Indeed, in a society dominated by self-interest, the idea of self-sacrifice was often seen as self-mockery.
After all, Haruya wasn't some extraordinary person or a philanthropist. What reason did he have to save others?
Most importantly, Haruya no longer had the ability to start over infinitely. He only had five saves to complete his mission.
At first, he could let the plot progress as it was supposed to, but later on, that wouldn't be possible.
He absolutely couldn't let the humans capture the Female Titan, so it was necessary to take actions that would alter the plot.
"They should be in the center of the giant forest! Eren and the others are heading there too!"
"I really don't understand what's going on!"
Responding to Armin's words were Jean and the others, following closely behind.
Haruya used the ODM Gear to navigate through the massive forest. The moment his hooks pierced a branch, he retracted them and used the pulling force to propel himself forward.
Below, Abnormals and regular Titans were also moving at their fastest speed.
"You... seem to be in a hurry..."
"We're all the same, right?"
Though their goals were different...
The one who spoke to Haruya was Mikasa, who was moving even faster. Without a doubt, her goal was to find Eren from the Levi Squad and protect him.
Haruya's goal was also simple: to change the plot, to prevent it from progressing perfectly, and to buy time for his own plans.
Buying time, in this case, meant taking actions to alter the plot and prevent it from following the original script.
That said, changing the plot wasn't easy, as the world had a way of "self-correcting".
If someone wanted to go back in time and kill their father, before they could do so, they would be stopped by various reasons, thus unable to affect the future.
Therefore, small changes and influences weren't enough to shake the entire world.
"But..."
But what method could he use to change the course of the entire story?
Thinking this, Haruya realized that he needed to become a hero.
Of course, this "hero" was just Haruya's self-proclaimed title. The real judgment would come from others.
But if he could save some key characters who were destined to die, perhaps he could alter the events that were about to unfold.
In short, Haruya wasn't just facing the characters in the story, he was facing the entire world.
Among these events, the most important thing that would happen next was likely the deaths of the four members of the Levi Squad at the hands of the Female Titan.
Then, the Female Titan would defeat Eren, only to have him taken back by Levi and Mikasa.
Thinking this, Haruya chose to detour around a tree with many branches and continued to advance with the main force.
"I see it! So many Titans!"
Connie exclaimed. The Female Titan, captured in the center, was being torn apart by a swarm of Titans, her massive body instantly reduced to fragments.
Turning his head, Haruya looked in another direction, then stepped back and jumped down from the tree. Using the ODM Gear, he headed toward that direction.
As long as the plot hadn't changed, Annie would catch up to the Levi Squad again, transform into a Titan, and fight Eren.
"I have to hurry."
Haruya felt that he had arrived just in time...
The Female Titan's body was being devoured, and Annie, having escaped, used the ODM Gear to chase after Eren and the others.
However, Haruya still felt the need to speed up. If the plot progressed too quickly, he would have no reason to intervene.
But stopping Annie from killing the four members of the Levi Squad wasn't easy. She was incredibly strong.
So, it was necessary to use Titan powers...
Just as violence could be countered with violence, the best way to deal with Titans was with Titan powers.
"Hurry, hurry..."
Urging himself on, Haruya quickly distanced himself from the main force and soon saw a cloaked figure ahead... She was using the ODM Gear to move rapidly. Her target was the Levi Squad up ahead!
"Found her."
But...
She was fast, and with practiced ease, she closed in on one of the Levi Squad members, Gunther Schultz, slicing through his nape in an instant, killing him.
Nearby, the other three members of the Levi Squad, witnessing this, were filled with rage. Eren looked on in disbelief.
"Prepare for battle! It's her! They failed!"
Two of the remaining three Levi Squad members stopped and charged toward Annie.
Eren was taken away by Oluo...
As the two sides closed in, steam erupted violently...
Annie, having completed her Titan transformation mid-air, burst out of the steam and began pursuing Eren.
Ahead, after communicating with Eren, Oluo who had told him to keep moving joined the fight.
The three members of the Levi Squad began attacking the Female Titan.
Eld acted as the decoy, luring the Female Titan into attacking, creating an opening. Petra and Oluo used their ODM hooks to pierce the Female Titan's eyes, then worked together to destroy her vision.
They Succeeded...
With her vision destroyed, the Female Titan leaned against a giant tree trunk. The three began planning their next move.
With her eyes destroyed, the Female Titan would need about a minute to recover her vision. So, they had to kill her within that minute to avenge their comrades!
Watching the scene unfold, Haruya detoured from the side and began his plan...
On the other side, the three members of the Levi Squad had already begun their second round of attacks.
Two of them sliced through the muscles of the Female Titan's shoulders, preventing her from protecting her nape. Then, they cut the muscles of her neck, exposing her nape.
Eld was the first to attack, flying directly toward the Female Titan's neck.
Haruya saw this and, with his Titanized right hand, grabbed a large branch and hurled it toward Eld.
Flying at high speed, the branch struck the wire of Eld's ODM Gear, causing him to fall from the air and forcing him to retreat.
The next moment, the Female Titan opened her right eye.
"What's going on! Did the Titan prioritize healing one eye? Eld!" Watching from behind, Petra was shocked by what had happened.
"Petra! Adjust your stance!" Oluo shouted.
The Female Titan ignored Eld who had been affected by the branch, and charged at Petra at top speed.
She raised her right foot and kicked toward Petra.
The speed was incredible. Petra watched as death approached!
Then–
*Boom!*
Something hard collided with the Female Titan's foot...
Haruya in his Titan form grabbed Petra mid-air and ran to the side.
Crushing the ground, smashing through trees, and leaping with great force... Haruya, in his Titan form, jumped at least twenty meters into the air, reaching out to grab Oluo, who was also in mid-air.
"A black... Titan?!"
"Damn it, let go!!"
Ignoring Petra and Oluo's shouts, Haruya carried them as he ran in another direction.
He could feel the Female Titan's presence behind him, but she was more focused on Eren ahead than on Haruya, this unexpected variable.
Without paying attention to what was happening behind him, Haruya felt he had achieved his goal by saving the three doomed characters.
Assuming Eld who had retreated didn't do anything reckless of course...
Arriving at a secluded spot, Haruya set the two struggling individuals down. The armor on his body also disappeared, returning him to his normal Titan form.
By the way, Haruya had caught a glimpse of his Titan form in a small pond in the forest earlier. It wasn't too bad... a muscular, inverted triangle-shaped Titan. {T/N: I can't even begin to imagine how that looks...}
After setting the two down, they immediately used their ODM Gear to fly up into the trees, watching Haruya warily.
Raising his right hand in a peace sign, Haruya nodded and then headed in another direction.
Among the two confused individuals, Petra shouted, "Even though I'm not sure if this counts as you saving us, or if you saw through the Female Titan's trap, you... are human, right? So..."
Hearing Petra's question, Haruya turned around and nodded.
"Then can you tell me your name? Why are you hiding?" she asked.
Haruya shook his head.
"Hey Petra, this guy is dangerous. You saw it too, right? The Female Titan kicked him, and he was completely unharmed."
"I know."
As the two talked, Haruya left the scene. There was no need to waste any more time here.
In his Titan form, Haruya ran through the giant forest, each step covering a great distance.
By the way, aside from his inverted triangle-shaped body, Haruya's Titan form was also bald, with black lightning-like markings around his eyes.
Continuing to run, he stopped using his Titan form midway and switched to the ODM Gear to continue his journey.
After all, if he encountered Survey Corps members along the way, a fight would inevitably break out.
The plot should have been altered by now since he had saved the characters who were supposed to die.
Although many others hadn't been saved, Haruya could only do so much.
By choosing to save some, others would inevitably die...
As Haruya pondered this, he noticed the situation ahead.
There, the Female Titan who had been chasing Eren had stopped. On the tree trunk beside her, Levi stood.
Where was Mikasa?
Where was Eren?
On the ground, the Female Titan with her leg tendons severed waited for her recovery.
Haruya didn't stop. Instead, he positioned himself on a nearby tree trunk, waiting for the right moment.
At this moment, Eren and Mikasa appeared in his field of vision. The two were fleeing toward the exit of the giant forest.
The plot... had changed...
Now, Levi began his attack before the Female Titan could regain her mobility.
Piercing the tree trunk behind the Female Titan, Levi held a blade in his right hand and another in his left, spinning in the air.
To protect her nape, the Female Titan used her left arm to block while her right hand grabbed toward Levi.
Using two blades to spin and slash, Levi's incredible speed left multiple wounds on the Female Titan's right arm.
Haruya jumped down from the tree trunk and used the ODM Gear to close in on the Female Titan.
Both the Female Titan and Levi noticed Haruya.
As he flew through the air, Haruya shouted, "Watch out for her left hand!"
"——!!"
Levi used the ODM Gear to change direction.
As expected, the Female Titan swung her left arm which she had been using to defend, toward Levi.
"I can see it!"
Levi continuously used the ODM Gear to change direction, bypassing the Female Titan's left arm and closing in on her nape.
At the same time, Haruya flew in, his dual blades severing the tendons of the Female Titan's right arm, rendering it unable to attack.
*Boom!*
*Crack!*
Levi's blades struck the hardened skin on the Female Titan's nape and shattered. The attack had failed.
As the two passed each other, Levi's gaze fell on the Female Titan's feet.
'Is he indicating that my feet are about to recover?' Thinking this, the Female Titan suddenly stood up, her body swaying slightly.
Having prioritized healing one foot, the Female Titan swung her left arm. To avoid being hit, the two used their ODM Gears to change their trajectory.
The next moment.
*Roooaaaarrrrr!!!!!!!*
An ear-splitting roar signaled a major change in the plot!
Titans suddenly emerged from the shadows of the forest, including a large number of Abnormals.
Using one foot, the Female Titan leaped up, grabbed a tree trunk, and charged forward, attempting to catch up to Eren and the others who were about to leave the forest.
"Hey! You're the new recruit Erwin mentioned, right? Don't let her leave the giant forest! Otherwise, even I won't be able to suppress her on flat ground."
"Yes!" Receiving Levi's order, Haruya nodded, "I understand, Captain Levi!!"
"Huh?" Levi wanted to comment, but, "Never mind." He said.
Looking at the Female Titan ahead, Haruya and Levi charged forward together.
Haruya began his collaboration with humanity's strongest soldier.