Chapter 1
January 5th, Year 845
Deep within the dense forest, where rays of sunlight filtered through the tall branches, narrow dirt paths stretched across the ground, stained with fallen leaves.
Riding a black horse galloping with strength and urgency, the commander of the Scout Regiment, Vig Ackerman, leapt with agility and skill.
His official uniform, bearing the emblem of the regiment, fluttered with the horse's movement. Accompanying him were seven of his comrades, all dressed in the same military attire, exuding a combat-ready stance mixed with a hidden tension.
Behind Vig rode his deputy, Takashi, whose firm voice pierced the silence of the forest as he said:
"Commander, I've received reports from the nearby squad — over twenty Titans have gathered in this area in a strange formation."
A wave of unease rippled through the group. The seven soldiers exchanged glances filled with fear and concern. The number of Titans was far too large to face with just the few of them.
The tension slightly faded in Vig's eyes. He nodded reassuringly and spoke in a calm, steady tone that revealed not even a trace of fear:
"Do not panic. Trust me. This mission has been entrusted to us, and we'll complete it to the best of our abilities. This region is vital to the government — if we succeed in eliminating these Titans, we'll secure an essential source of food supplies."
Suddenly, the horse jumped, as if the earth itself could feel the pulse of the battle approaching. The squad launched forward again, galloping swiftly through the forest.
As they neared their target, a massive Titan suddenly emerged from between the towering shrubs. With its enormous hand, it grabbed one of the soldiers, lifting him off the ground. The man's screams of pain and fear echoed through the forest, his arms flailing, pleading for help.
The squad held their breath for a brief moment, but Deputy Takashi's eyes tensed with deeper worry — he knew that facing such a Titan alone would be nearly impossible. Help was essential.
This Titan stood at an unusual height — 20 meters tall — a rare sight even for veterans.
But Vig Ackerman didn't hesitate. With incredible grace, he leapt from his horse, still running at high speed, landing on a low-hanging branch as if he were part of the forest itself.
In one fluid and masterful motion, he released the iron wire of his ODM gear, flinging it around the Titan's neck — the very one holding his comrade.
With a lightning-fast strike, Vig soared toward the Titan and, in one clean move, sliced through the flesh at the nape of its neck with unmatched precision.
The Titan fell to the ground with a thundering crash, followed by a brief flash of light as it began to evaporate, leaving behind only silence and an eerie void.
Vig landed lightly on the ground, dust rising around him from the force of his descent. Behind him, the Titan's body continued to evaporate slowly, filling the air with the choking scent of steam and blood soaking into the soil.
Beside him sat the soldier he had saved, gasping for breath, his face pale and his eyes wide like someone who had just escaped the jaws of death.
Vig knelt beside him and asked in a steady voice, "Are you alright?"
The soldier lifted his head, eyes trembling with shock. He stammered in a shaky voice, "I... I'm fine… Commander… if it weren't for you… I wouldn't have made it… I thought it was over."
The soldier's name was Harut, a young man who had been with the regiment for less than a year but had already proven his courage multiple times.
Yet nothing in training prepares you for the moment when a Titan wraps its enormous hand around you — when you stare death in the face.
"Hold it together," Vig said, patting him on the shoulder. But before he could continue, the ground beneath them began to tremble.
A sound… like the earth itself had begun to run.
Heavy footsteps… increasing… terrifying…
Everyone turned, Harut among them, their eyes widening in horror:
"Titan footsteps… not just one… they're synchronized… many… and close!"
They looked up, their ears now tuned more clearly. Every heartbeat echoed the sound of hell's approach.
Vig's face — usually as unshakable as a mountain — changed.
The usual smirk he wore in the face of danger had vanished.
His expression hardened… his eyes widened slightly…
For the first time, he wore the face of a man uncertain if he would survive.
Harut whispered in a trembling voice, "Commander… what's happening?"
Vig didn't respond immediately. His eyes scanned the trees, counting shadows, assessing the ground… then suddenly he shouted in a voice no one had heard from him before:
"Everyone!! Leave this place immediately!!!"
He drove his knee into the ground, turning toward the rest of the squad who stared at him in stunned silence, before realizing the grim truth.
From between the trees, from every direction, enormous figures began to emerge…
One… two… five… ten… fifteen… twenty…
Then more.
They surrounded them like a tightening arc. There was no escape.
The remaining five soldiers felt their hearts freeze.
It wasn't just the number — it was the scale of the nightmare.
These Titans weren't moving like usual…
It was as if they knew exactly where to find them.
One soldier, body trembling, muttered:
"This is impossible… there's no way… we won't survive…"
He collapsed to his knees, weeping, staring at the ground…
As if hoping the earth might spare him.
But Vig, amidst all of it, didn't falter.
He fired his grappling hook at a nearby tree trunk and launched himself upward with force.
"You will not fight… listen to me closely!!"
His voice cut through the panic like a blade.
"If we face them together, we'll all die. But if you run now — at full speed — some of you may survive. One of us has to stay and face them… and that will be me."
The squad was stunned.
"No… you can't…" one muttered, eyes filled with tears.
"We won't leave you!" another shouted.
But Vig turned to them, his voice sharp:
"That's an order!! We swore to protect humanity. If we're not ready to die for others, our existence means nothing."
Then he added in a calmer tone — with a hint of farewell:
"I know I may not make it out. But I accept that fate… with pride."
Silence fell.
One soldier began crying loudly, another bit his lips to hold back tears.
But he was the commander… and they were soldiers…
So they obeyed.
Vig knew this truth well, but he made his decision swiftly:
It was better for him to fight alone than for the regiment to lose all those lives.
He could be replaced… they could not.
That's what he believed.
One by one, they launched themselves into the trees — eyes wet — knowing that what they left behind…
…was their last hero.
After confirming that all his comrades had fled the battlefield, Vig stood alone in the thick forest, surrounded by more than twenty Titans from all directions.
Their thunderous footsteps shook the ground beneath him. Their heavy breathing filled the air with the stench of death.
And still… he did not flee.
He closed his eyes for a moment — a deep inhale followed by a calm exhale — as if surrendering himself to fate, then whispered quietly to himself:
"If this is my end… then let it be one worthy of me."
As he opened his eyes once more, he launched fo
rward with his ODM gear toward the first two approaching Titans — a phantom in the midst of death.
No fear.
No hesitation.
To be continued…