The meaning of the retreat signal flare was clear to everyone...
However, facing the Female Titan's actions of luring more Titans, a forced retreat would result in even greater losses.
Additionally, the Survey Corps still needed to recover wagons, equipment, and firing devices, which would undoubtedly take more time.
Thus in Haruya's eyes, this retreat signal seemed reckless and hasty.
However, since only Erwin could issue the retreat signal, he must have had his own plan rather than giving orders arbitrarily.
"The main force is behind us, Eren and Mikasa are at the exit of the giant forest ahead, the Female Titan reverted to human form and entered the woods on the right, and Captain Levi chased after her. That's probably the current situation."
Sighing again, the now rested Haruya stood up on the tree trunk. He wondered if Levi had already caught up to Annie.
If Annie found herself in a dangerous situation, especially facing Levi, she would undoubtedly use her Titan powers.
Looking up at the sky, Haruya decided that once he confirmed the presence of steam, he would immediately head in that direction.
.....
The main force could leave, but Haruya wasn't willing to give up just yet. There had to be another opportunity, another choice.
In fact, there was one last desperate method, but if it failed, he would have to waste another save.
As he had thought before, it involved transforming into a Titan, taking Eren away, and luring the Female Titan to chase him.
"Maybe I should just forget it..."
While this plan could potentially complete the mission, the risks were too great. It would be easier to just wait and see.
"But it's strangely quiet now..."
The main force behind them was probably engaging the Titans. The reason it seemed so quiet was likely because they were all standing in the trees, not participating in the battle.
But if that were the case, they wouldn't be able to recover the deployed equipment. It all depended on Erwin's choices.
Removing his ODM Gear, Haruya knew it was now useless. He would have to wait for rescue.
Recalling the direction the signal flare had been fired (toward the left), the main force would likely head left and might not pass through here.
'This is troublesome...' Haruya set aside the ODM Gear.
If no one came to rescue him, he would have to find a way back on his own.
Traveling alone without a horse across the entire area was impossible... unless he used his Titan powers.
But if he transformed into a Titan, he would probably be discovered before reaching the walls, wasting all his time.
Praying that someone would pass by, Haruya sat back down on the tree trunk.
Right now, he didn't want Annie to be captured. In other words, his only chance was when Eren and the Titanized Annie were fighting. Haruya would suddenly appear, defeat the exhausted pair, and take Annie away.
Would that count as capturing the Female Titan?
The only drawback was that the initiative wasn't in Haruya's hands. Anything could happen.
Before long, a figure suddenly appeared in Haruya's field of vision, approaching rapidly.
Gripping his blades, Haruya prepared for battle, but the figure stopped on a tree trunk not far away.
It was Captain Levi, "Wait here. I'll send someone for you."
"Understood, Captain Levi. Um... did you capture the Female Titan?"
"She got away..."
Levi looked extremely serious, his expression as if he would devour any Titan he saw.
It seemed Annie was quite skilled with the ODM Gear, at least enough to escape from an injured Levi.
Watching Levi head back into the forest, Haruya sat down to wait for rescue.
When the sound of ODM gas spraying rang out again, several members of the Survey Corps' supply team appeared before Haruya, handing him a spare ODM set.
"The main force is heading to the left area. There are reserve horses and wagons there. New recruit! Hurry up!"
"Understood!"
Following the three supply team members ahead, Haruya recalled the upcoming plot as they moved.
Annie's identity as the Female Titan would be exposed by Armin, leading to a battle in the town. After a fierce fight, Eren would corner Annie, and as she tried to escape, Mikasa would sever her fingers, causing her to fall and be captured.
Changing this plot would be difficult. Thus, Haruya planned to make his move at the last moment.
Once Eren and Annie's battle ended, Haruya would find a way to take Annie away.
That said, he had always felt uneasy about the mission [Capture the Female Titan] because it wasn't clearly defined what counted as "capture" and what didn't.
To Haruya, "capture" meant 'the Female Titan being completely under his control, with no immediate threats around'. Only then would the mission be successful.
Otherwise, the moment he had pinned the Female Titan earlier should have counted as a capture, right?
"I see the main force! Stay alert! Watch for Titans!"
Hearing the main force's voices ahead, Haruya saw the assembled Survey Corps.
At the moment, the Survey Corps was preparing to head left, exiting the giant forest to retrieve their horses.
The whereabouts of Eren and Mikasa were currently unclear, but Erwin had probably already sent people after them.
Haruya still had four saves left. Though few, they should be enough... at least, that's what he thought for now.
Moving to the left area of the giant forest differed slightly from the original plot, so Haruya hadn't entirely failed.
Moreover, three members of the Levi Squad were still with Erwin, which was also a change, right?
Seeing them talking, Haruya assumed they were discussing him.
For example, how he had forcibly taken them away from the battle and hadn't attacked them...
"It's great that we can finally return."
"Yeah, but this time... did we fail again? Because of that Female Titan..."
The new recruits were happy to be alive, but were also deeply concerned about the Survey Corps' results and intelligence.
For these people, the Survey Corps was their only hope.
Only by deeply understanding the Titans could they learn how to defeat them.
As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.ʼ
After the main force reached the designated location and saw the wagons and horses stationed there, a team split off from the main force.
This team, led by members of the Levi Squad, headed in different directions to divert the Titans' attention before regrouping with the main force.
Like the other new recruits, Haruya sat on the last wagon. There weren't many Titans around... had they all entered the giant forest?
Looking up, the sky was clear, but the faces around him were pale.
Too many had died, and the gains were minimal.
The unequal contributions and rewards left many disheartened. This world was truly cruel...
...
A few days later...
'Wall Sina', Eastern District, Stohess District.
Due to the Survey Corps' failure; Eren, Erwin, and other key officers were summoned to the capital.
Their route was straightforward: they would take wagons via the central avenue to the capital, escorted by the Military Police who were permitted to use ODM Gear. Getting close wouldn't be easy.
However, their true route and objective weren't to reach the capital, but to lure out the Female Titan.
As a member of the Survey Corps, Haruya secretly made his way to the market in Stohess District after his daily training, and waited for the events to unfold.
"The weather's nice today." Haruya looked up at the sky.
Although the operation was led by Erwin, only the Survey Corps' elites would participate.
Shifting his gaze, he headed toward the nearest restaurant.
Unfortunately, many restaurants had already closed down, and the few remaining were likely exorbitantly priced.
Choosing to hide in a small alley, Haruya knew that without ODM Gear, his mobility would be severely limited later.
'I need to find a way to get my hands on an ODM set...ʼ
Thinking this, Haruya realized that the Military Police escorting the convoy had ODM Gear.
But stealing it would involve significant risks, leaving only one option... transforming into a Titan.
As time passed, the streets grew emptier, signaling that the final battle was approaching.
"Final" wasn't entirely accurate, but for this incident, it was the decisive showdown.
Haruya no longer planned to use convoluted tactics. His strategy was simple... the same one he had from the beginning.
A direct approach...
In the face of absolute power, all tricks would prove useless.
However, Haruya could only use his Armament Haki for five seconds with a ten-second cooldown, so he couldn't use it recklessly.
With this in mind, he outlined his steps for the direct approach.
Wait for Eren and Annie to fight, then have the Survey Corps suppress them. Next, he would make his entrance, deal with Eren, and escape the walls with Annie.
Outside the walls, the safest place would be the giant forest... Haruya's ultimate destination.
The idea of altering the plot no longer seemed effective. Now, Haruya almost wished the plot would proceed as originally intended.
It seemed his previous efforts had been in vain.
Wanting to change something, to challenge the world... it was an incredibly difficult endeavor.
Those who succeeded likely possessed genius intellects and rational thinking.
That said, there were many ways to change the world. For instance, many physicists had altered the world with their knowledge, a remarkable achievement.
Leaving aside physicists, Haruya's focus was now entirely on the upcoming events.
The streets grew emptier. To avoid detection, he hid in the alley, ready to act at any moment.
By now, Annie had probably joined Eren and the others, right?
"It's about to begin..."
Soon, the great battle in the city would commence...
"Once the fighting starts, I'll have to head over. I wonder if I'll have enough time..."
Haruya didn't want to make his entrance after Annie had encased herself in crystal using her hardening ability.
By then, it would be too late...
Just as he was contemplating his timing, the sound of a sonic bomb shattered the calm.
""Now!!!""
Hearing the shouts, Haruya realized that several people had suddenly appeared around him.
Several men rushed toward him, restraining him before he could react.
Huh?!
This was completely different from what he had imagined. Countless questions and exclamations filled Haruya's mind.
'Why me? What about Annie on the other side?!ʼ
*Boom!*
Like an explosion, thick smoke and steam erupted from a nearby district.
That was how it was supposed to be, so why was he being restrained?
"You...!?"
Before Haruya could speak, a cloth was stuffed into his mouth, and his hands were tightly bound with chains.
Two men pinned him to the ground.
"You..."
Emerging from the shadows were the three members of the Levi Squad.
The one who spoke was Petra, whom Haruya had "saved" in the giant forest.
"Nangou Haruya... you're the new recruit who recently joined the Survey Corps, right? Yet you ignored the support orders, left the main force to rush to the front lines, then joined Captain Levi in battle. Why did you do that? Why were you there?"
"Mmm..."
Beside Petra, Oluo who liked to mimic Levi's speech added, "That couldn't have been a coincidence. A new recruit appearing near the front lines is an anomaly, unless you're one of them. And now you've come here without authorization."
Oluo was likely referring to Eren and Mikasa...
Haruya struggled against the restraints, but the weight of the men kept him immobilized.
The people around him looked tense and serious.
Petra continued, "You're that... black Titan, aren't you?"
Haruya shook his head vigorously.
Even though he denied it, most of the people present swallowed hard.
The black Titan... that was how they saw him.
He was now one of the Survey Corps' top targets, alongside Eren and Annie.
But Haruya knew his struggles were meaningless.
To change this situation, he would have to go back to when he had transformed into a Titan to save the Levi Squad.
'Too troublesome...'
He had no choice but to gamble.
This time Haruya nodded, just as he had when he first encountered the Levi Squad.
Everyone present inhaled sharply.
Petra asked, "Your goal is..."
Before she could finish...
<< Checkpoint: Reload >>
< Remaining Saves: 3 >
This time, Haruya would become the enemy of humanity...