Chapter XV: Crimson Horizon (Part II)

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The world exploded in a blinding flash of light, followed by a thunderous boom that shook the very foundations of Trost. Anja found herself airborne, her ODM cables snapping under the force of the shockwave. For a heart-stopping moment, she was in freefall.

She slammed into broken rubble, the impact driving the air from her lungs. Pain blossomed across her body as stitches tore loose, warm blood trickling down her back. Her ears rang, a high-pitched whine drowning out all other sound. Dust and debris choked the air, turning the world into a hazy, brown nightmare.

As her senses slowly returned, Anja pushed herself up, blinking away the grit in her eyes. Through the settling dust, the scene before her unfolded like a hellish painting.

"Help me! I don't want to die—" The desperate plea was abruptly silenced as a Garrison soldier, partially buried under debris, was snatched from the ground by a grinning Titan. The sound of crushing bones and wet tearing flesh drowned out his cries.

Nearby, another soldier hung from a frayed ODM cable, shrieking and thrashing wildly as a Titan's massive hand enclosed around his waist. A nauseating snap echoed through the air, followed by an eerie stillness.

But something was off. The Titans' dead eyes constantly darted towards the source of the explosion. At least two of them stumbled through the breach, while more could be seen coming from the city like a grotesque waterfall of flesh.

"Armin? Mikasa? Eren? Anyone?" Anja called out, her voice hoarse and shaky.

"It's the Armored Titan!" A soldier shouted, his face pale with terror as he pointed towards the breach.

Anja's eyes widened as she followed his gaze.

Suddenly, she was a child again, watching from afar as Wall Maria crumbled. Those same burning orange orbs that blazed with cruel intelligence as the world she knew came crashing down. Now, five years later, history seemed poised to repeat itself.

Anja's fists clenched so tightly that her nails bit into her palms, drawing blood. Her jaw ached from gritting her teeth, fighting to keep control. Not now.

"What---It's not possible," Armin's voice came from nearby. Anja scrambled to help him up, both of them staring in horror at the scene unfolding before them.

Eren, still in his Titan form, stood between the Armored Titan and them. For a moment, hope flared in Anja's chest. He dropped the boulder with a thunderous crash, a roar tore from his throat as he charged straight at the Armored Titan.

"Eren! Don't do it!" Armin cried out, but it was too late.

Their clash sounded like an explosion. Eren's fists flew in a blur of motion, each impact releasing bursts of steam. His fingers dug into the Armored Titan's plating, searching for purchase as he attempted to grapple his opponent. The ground shook beneath their feet, creaking and breaking under the force of their struggle.

"Look! He's pushing it back!" Anja exclaimed, a flicker of hope rekindling in her chest.

But as the steam cleared, that hope twisted into confusion. The two titans that had stumbled through the breach were now upon the battling giants. One sank its teeth into the Armored Titan's plating, while the other took a vicious bite out of Eren's shoulder. Eren roared with fury, his grip on the Armored Titan faltering.

"What the—" Armin’s eyes were wide.

In a blindingly fast motion, the Armored Titan seized the opportunity. It grabbed Eren, lifted him overhead, and with a powerful twist, hurled him away into a cluster of nearby buildings. The impact sent a tremor through the ground, dust and debris billowing outward in a choking cloud.

"No!" Anja’s anguished cry cut through the chaos.

Her heart sank as she watched the Armored Titan turn its attention to the Titans that had interrupted their fight, crushing them with ease. It stood unscathed, its plated body unmarred by the onslaught, while Eren lay motionless in the rubble.

Suddenly, like an avenging angel, Mikasa streaked past them, she was a blur of motion as she rocketed towards the Armored Titan. Her blades flashed in the light as she struck at its nape with all her might. But the swords shattered on impact, leaving not even a scratch on the plates.

The Armored Titan continued its relentless advance towards Eren's prone form, ignoring Mikasa as if she were no more than an insect. Around them, more Titans converged, drawn by some unseen force. One, then three, then more – a growing horde all moving towards them.

"It's going to kill him," She whispered, the words barely audible over the thunderous footsteps of approaching Titans.

Anja's breath caught in her throat, the taste of copper filling her mouth as she bit her cheek. The beast within her roared, demanding release, the bloodthirst almost maddening. She closed her eyes tightly.

Breathe. Focus. Don't listen.

Her hand clutched her brother's pendant, the metal digging into her bloodied palm. It was the only thing anchoring her to reality as the world crumbled around her once again.

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Atop Wall Rose, Commander Dot Pyxis stood like a weathered statue, his keen eyes scanning the chaos below. The ghost of the fall of Shiganshina seemed to loom over them, their chance of hope crushed as surely as Eren Jaeger's Titan form lay broken amidst the rubble.

"Sir," Anka’s trembling voice spoke up beside him. The aide's face was ashen, her eyes wide with horror. "Most of the Garrison elite... they've fallen. We can't even see if any survived down there. And Jaeger, he's not moving..."

Captain Woermann, turned to Pyxis with desperate hope in his eyes. "Commander, perhaps the Scouts will appear from the breach. They could bring the reinforcements we need—"

Pyxis cut him off, his voice heavy with grim certainty. "The Scouts should have returned by now. Something must have gone wrong with their expedition."

Pyxis's jaw tightened. He'd been counting on Erwin and his soldiers to provide crucial support. Their absence was a complication they could ill afford.

"We stand alone then," he muttered, more to himself than to the subordinates beside him. With a practiced motion, he pulled out his silver flask, uncorked it, and downed its contents in one long swallow.

"Commander!" the aide exclaimed, scandalized.

Pyxis raised a hand, savoring the burn. "Ah," he sighed contentedly, then gestured to the nearby soldier. "A spyglass, if you please."

As the soldier handed it over, Pyxis raised it to his eye. His razor-sharp gaze tracked the movements below, analyzing the battlefield with the precision of a seasoned tactician. Eren Jaeger's Titan form lay motionless amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings, steam rising from his battered body. The Armored Titan advanced steadily, its focus unnervingly fixed on the fallen soldier.

"Now isn't that curious," Pyxis mused, stroking his mustache. "Our armored friend seems more interested in young Jaeger than our lovely gate. I wonder why?"

Around him, the atmosphere was thick with despair. Soldiers whispered frantically, their faces ashen with fear.

"It's over..."

"We're all going to die..."

"Wall Rose will fall, just like Maria..."

Pyxis turned to address the assembled troops, his voice carrying across the wall. "Soldiers! Lend me your ears!"

The murmurs died down as all eyes turned to the commander.

"I see fear in your eyes. I hear despair in your whispers. And I understand. The enemy before us is the same who broke through Wall Maria, we have faced it before and failed..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the gathered soldiers.

"But let me ask you this: If we don’t face it here, where? If not now, when? If not us, who?"

Pyxis's voice grew stronger, filled with conviction. "This is the moment that will define us. The moment that will decide the fate of humanity. We stand here, not just as soldiers, but as the shield that protects everything we hold dear."

He gestured towards the ruined city below. "Our homes, our families, our very future hangs in the balance. And yes, the odds are against us. Yes, the enemy is formidable. But we have something they don't – we have the unbreakable spirit of humanity!"

A ripple of energy passed through the crowd as Pyxis continued, "If we fall here, if we give up now, then humanity is truly doomed. What will the history books say? That we decided to give in? That we cowered and ran in the face of adversity? Or that we fought, gave it everything we had. That we secured a chance to turn the tide. A chance to secure a future for those we love. The future of the human race itself!"

His voice rose to a crescendo, "So I ask you, soldiers of humanity: Will you resign yourselves to defeat? Or will you fight with every fiber of your being for this victory?"

A roar of determination rose from the assembled troops, the fear in their eyes replaced by a steely resolve.

Pyxis nodded, a fierce smile on his weathered face. "That's the spirit! Now, let's give our armored friend down there something to think about besides Jaeger, shall we?"

Turning to his aides, a gleam returned to Pyxis's eyes. "You know, I've always wondered what it would be like to arm wrestle a Titan."

Captain Woermann looked at him in disbelief, but Pyxis just chuckled.

"Now, now, Woermann, don't look so glum. If we're going to dance with death, we might as well enjoy the music, eh?"

"Captain," Pyxis said, his tone shifting to one of command, "I'm issuing new orders. Our priority is to extract Cadet Jaeger. We cannot allow that monstrosity to kill him."

Woermann's eyes widened. "But sir, the gate-"

"Will hold," Pyxis cut him off firmly. "For now, at least. That thing isn't interested in breaching it, not yet."

His face grew serious once more as he addressed the gathered soldiers. "Listen well! Continue baiting the Titans near the corner of the wall. I want all of our best soldiers left and any willing volunteers to join Captain Woermann to extract Cadet Eren Jaeger. You will create a diversion to buy time for a small team to retrieve him. Once he's secure, fall back to defend the inner gate. Understood?"

A chorus of "Yes, sir!" rang out, tinged with renewed determination.

As the chosen team ran along the wall, Pyxis watched them go, his face set in lines of determination. This was it – the moment that would decide the fate of humanity. And despite the overwhelming odds, despite the terror and chaos below, Dot Pyxis found himself grinning in the face of the storm.

"Well, my friends," he said to his aides, raising his empty flask in a mock toast, "here's to making history – or becoming it. Either way, it's bound to be one hell of a ride."

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The rubble-strewn streets of Trost lay silent, a deceptive calm before the storm. Behind a collapsed wall, the remaining survivors huddled, their faces etched with exhaustion and fear. Anja's eyes swept over the group: six Garrison elite soldiers, their uniforms caked with dust and blood, tending to wounds with trembling hands. Mikasa stood like a coiled spring, her gaze fixed on Eren's fallen Titan form in the distance. Armin crouched at the edge of their cover, his blue eyes darting between the Armored Titan and the surrounding chaos.

"It doesn't make sense," Armin muttered, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Why isn't it going for the inner gate? It's practically undefended...Unless... It's targeting Eren, why?"

"Now is not the time," Mikasa snapped her usual composure fracturing. "We have to save him!"

"Wait," Anja interjected, grabbing Mikasa's arm. "Look!"

She pointed at the Armored Titan. As they watched, three Titans ran towards it, pulled by some inexplicable magnetism. The smaller Titans began to claw at the armor or bite it, one even trying to scale its plated body. Their teeth shattered against the armor, yet they persisted with mindless determination.

"Just like before, they’re attacking it..."

Armin's eyes widened. "The Titans must be drawn to it, just like they are to Eren! We can use that to our advantage."

"So what?" A white-haired Garrison elite cut in, her voice sharp with despair. "They're not even scratching it! Captain, this is a waste of time and lives. We have to retreat."

Another soldier, his face a mask of grief, nodded. "All of my soldiers are dead... This is suicide."

Their Captain, a man with a stern face and grey eyes that burned with determination silenced them with a look. "We all agreed to this knowing the consequences if we failed. If there's still a chance we might win, I want to hear it."

Armin spoke quickly, his words tumbling out in a desperate rush. "If we lure more Titans to the Armored, we could slow it down, the bigger they are the better. With enough of them, we should be able to pin it down, or at least considerably slow it. That should buy us enough time to get Eren out of there..."

Ian nodded slowly, the weight of the decision visible in the set of his shoulders. "It's risky, but it might be our only shot against that thing." He turned to address the group, his voice ringing with authority. "Listen up! We'll split into two teams."

His gaze fell on Armin, Anja, and Mikasa. "You three, make a beeline for Jaeger. Protect him at all costs. If he's able to stand again, I want him to plug that hole. If not, get him the hell out of here." The three nodded grimly.

"Ian, this is not going to work—" the white-haired soldier began, her voice cracking.

"Rico, you will go with them," Ian ordered, cutting her off. "Cover their asses. That's an order."

"The rest of you on me. Don't let the Armored get anywhere near Jaeger! Draw as many Titans as you can towards it. There's no time to lose, move out!"

As they prepared to leave, Anja caught Armin's arm. "This plan," she said softly, the words barely audible over the constant, heavy footsteps of nearby Titans, "It's too dangerous... There's too many of them."

Armin's eyes were haunted, the weight of responsibility etched in every line of his face. "I know. But if it works, if we can save Eren and stop that thing... it has to..."

Anja nodded, not entirely sure, but her trust in Armin was absolute. He'd been right so many times before; this wouldn't be any different.

As they launched into action, Rico's voice voice carried over the commotion, thick with emotion. "Remember their faces well. These soldiers are laying down their lives to save your friend. I hope it's worth it."

The words hit Anja like a physical blow, guilt coiling in her gut. But there was no time to dwell on it. They were airborne, ODM gear whining as they raced towards Eren's prone form. Ahead, several Titans tried to get near him. They'd have no choice but to fight through.

Ian and his team sprang into action, their voices rising in a desperate chorus as they sought to draw the Titans' attention. "Over here, you bastards!" Ian roared, swooping low over a 7-meter class. The Titan's head snapped towards him.

For a heart-stopping moment, it seemed to be working. Five, then seven Titans chased after them, their attention quickly shifting towards the Armored behemoth once they were close enough. A spark of hope flared in Anja's chest. Maybe, just maybe, this insane plan would work.

Suddenly, a ragged scream tore through the air. Anja's head whipped around, just in time to see one of the elite soldiers disappear into a Titan's maw. There was a sickening crunch, and then silence. The Titan tossed his broken body aside like a discarded toy.

"Don't stop moving!" Rico shouted. "Don't let their sacrifices be in vain!"

Anja's team pressed on, Rico and Mikasa carving a path through any Titan that dared cross their path. But the screams from Ian's team were impossible to ignore. Each cry cut off mid-scream was another life lost, another sacrifice made.

They reached Eren's motionless Titan form, but he remained unresponsive. Mikasa and Rico fought like demons possessed, their blades flashing as they carved through Titan after Titan. Anja covered Armin as he desperately tried to reach Eren, to wake him somehow.

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A bone-shaking roar drew Anja's attention back to Ian's team. Only two soldiers remained, surrounded by six Titans that were grabbing and biting at the Armored. With one free hand, the Armored caught one mid-air.

"Mitabi!" Ian's desperate shout echoed through the air.

For a split second, Anja saw the terror in Mitabi's eyes before the Titan's fingers closed. Blood sprayed as the soldier was crushed, his body flung away with casual brutality.

"You son of a bitch!" Ian's scream was one of pure rage and anguish.

As Ian swooped around for another pass, the Armored hand shot out. He dodged, but it wasn't going after him; it grabbed his ODM cable. Anja watched in horror as it sent him hurtling through the air with a casual flick. The cable, wrapped around his arm and went taut. There was a spray of red, a scream that would haunt Anja's nightmares, Ian crashed into a nearby building, disappearing from sight.

The Armored began pushing away the Titans, hammering their heads with brutal efficiency. It was clearly growing tired of this game, being drawn back but steadily freeing itself. The unstoppable force advanced, its plated feet crushing debris and fallen bodies alike. With each step, it drew closer to Eren's prone form, its burning eyes fixed on its target with terrifying intensity.

"It's not working," Armin cried, despair etched on his face. His eyes, usually so bright with intelligence, were dull with hopelessness. He pounded on Eren's Titan form, desperately trying to reach his friend. "Eren! Please!"

Anja's heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out the chaos around her. Rico and Mikasa's battle cries seemed distant, muffled. The world narrowed to a pinpoint of focus: the Armored Titan's advance and Eren's unmoving form. Her gaze fixed on Eren's fallen shape, his Titan’s eyes blank, steam rising from his body. Armin was frantically cutting away flesh, trying to reach him.

"Get him out of there, now!" Mikasa shouted from above as she slayed another Titan.

"There’s not enough time! Fall back!" Rico's command pierced the air.

Anja's gaze locked onto the Armored Titan as it finally shook off the last Titan grabbing at it, steam billowing from its mouth as it advanced towards them. She closed her eyes.

Their plan had failed, how many died just to get here, all for nothing? Humanity's last hope lay motionless before them.

The beast within her roared. She had sworn to herself that she would not give in, but now there was no other choice. Now, that moment had arrived. It was this, or watching everyone she cared about die.

She turned to Armin, a silent apology in her eyes. Would she forget afterward? Perhaps it would be the last time she'd see him. See any of them again. But she had already made her choice.

"Take care of them for me."

Before he could respond, before the question in his eyes could form into words, Anja hurled herself towards the Armored Titan. Her body trembled with barely controlled bloodlust, a manic energy surging through her veins. The crimson haze descended over her vision, bringing with it a terrible clarity.

As Anja surrendered to that fury within. She let out a scream of defiance that echoed across the battlefield, a promise and a threat rolled into one:

"I will tear you apart!"

The behemoth regarded her with indifference, its massive arm swinging lazily in her direction. Anja twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the blow, but her momentum carried her straight into another Titan lurking behind the Armored.

The impact was jarring. Anja's blades sank deep into the Titan's flesh, tearing through skin like a knife through butter. Boiling blood sprayed, some of it splattering across her face and into her mouth. She barely registered the taste, her mind razor-sharp with focused rage, fixed solely on her true prey.

As the Titan she'd crashed into began to fall, Anja wrenched herself free, leaving a messy, gaping wound. Her movements were wild, uncontrolled, driven by pure reflex rather than skill. A guttural growl rumbled in her chest.

"Where are you going?!"

Her world had narrowed to a single point: the Armored Titan. Without hesitation, she launched herself at it once more.

She latched onto its back, fingers finding purchase in the gaps between its bone-like plates. The world reduced to a blur of motion and the thunderous pounding of her own heart. With reckless abandon, she plunged her blades into every exposed bit of flesh she could find. Each strike sent a jolt of savage pleasure through her arms.

Rend. Tear. Destroy.

To the Armored Titan, her attacks were mere pinpricks, a buzzing annoyance. Yet Anja's erratic movements and relentless assault made her difficult to dislodge. It twisted and turned, its massive hands swiping at her. The rush of air from each near-miss only fueled her frenzy.

Suddenly, the world spun. The Armored Titan's fingers closed around her, wrenching her from its back. For a breathless moment, Anja was airborne, then impact.

She lay there, the sweet taste of blood filling her mouth. Her body should have been screaming in agony, but all she felt was a burning need to continue the fight. Through blurred red vision, she saw the Armored Titan turn away, dismissing her.

No. Not done.

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Atop the wall, Annie watched the scene unfold with growing desperation. Her icy blue eyes were fixed on Anja's fallen form, her normally stoic expression fracturing under the weight of mounting panic and frustration.

"Damn it, this can't be happening…" she hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. Her nails dug crescents into her palms as she fought to maintain control. "This can't be happening."

"You idiot," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the chaos below. The words were tinged with a mix of anger and despair.

Everything was unraveling before her eyes. Anja's intervention, the increased Titan presence – it was all spiraling out of control. The weight of it all threatened to crush her.

Annie's mind raced. She had to do something, anything to stop this madness. But what? Every option seemed to lead to further disaster, to more death.

She took a step forward, her body tense with indecision. Before she could move further, Bertholdt's voice cut through her tumultuous thoughts.

"Annie," he pleaded nervously, sensing her growing agitation. "We need to stick to the plan…”

But Annie wasn't listening. Her gaze was locked on the battlefield below, on Anja rising once more to face the Armored Titan. In that moment, all thoughts of plans and missions faded away, replaced by a singular, desperate need to act.

Without a word, she turned and ran, ignoring Bertholdt's desperate call behind her.

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Anja staggered to her feet, blood roaring in her ears. The world sharpened to crystal clarity, every detail etched in stark relief. The Armored Titan's glowing eyes caught her attention, challenging her, drawing her in like a moth to a flame.

More. Need more. Destroy it.

For a moment, Anja stood motionless, her eyes locked on the Armored Titan. Her pupils dilated until they nearly swallowed the green of her irises, leaving them black and fathomless. Blood dripped from her fingers, her face a mask of primal fury. She bared her teeth in a feral grin, a low, inhuman growl rumbling from deep in her chest.

The Armored Titan paused, its burning gaze locking onto Anja once more. For a split second, something akin to hesitation flickered in those fiery depths. This small, blood-soaked creature before it radiated an aura of unbridled savagery that gave even the behemoth pause.

In that moment of hesitation, Anja moved without thought, without hesitation, a blur of motion and murderous intent. Her ODM gear propelled her forward at breakneck speed, far too fast for the Armored Titan's grasping hands. The distance closed in heartbeats. The Titan's eye grew larger, filling her vision. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed.

Impact.

The Armored Titan's head snapped back from the force. The sound of shattering crystal filled the air, a high-pitched shriek that set teeth on edge. The pale orange armor around the eye socket resisted for a split second before spider-web cracks spreading across its surface. Then it exploded outward in a shower of glittering shards.

Her blades sank deep, burying to the hilt in the Titan's eye. Steam and boiling blood billowed from the ruined eye socket. A roar of pain and rage erupted from the behemoth

The beast within her howled.

More.

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Armin's hands trembled as he struggled to drag Eren's limp form from the steaming carcass of his Titan. His mind reeled, trying to process the impossible scene before him. Anja, her small frame dwarfed by the Armored Titan, had somehow managed to wound the seemingly invulnerable behemoth.

The Armored Titan's agonized roar shook the very ground beneath them. Armin's breath caught in his throat as he watched it thrash, its massive hand moving erratically as if trying to swat an annoying insect. Something had changed. The behemoth's reactions seemed slower, less coordinated. As it twisted to avoid another of Anja's strikes, Armin caught a glimpse of something unexpected – a small piece of its armor crumbling away, falling to the ground in a shower of crystalline shards

"The armor..." he muttered, his mind racing. "It’s shedding it?"

So focused was he on watching the battle, he didn't notice a looming shadow until it was almost too late. A giant hand reached for them, and Armin's heart stopped—

The whistle of ODM gear cut through the air, followed by the wet thunk of blades meeting flesh. The Titan crumpled to the ground, spraying blood. Sasha landed beside them.

"S-Sasha?" Armin stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious, you suicidal idiots?" Jean's voice cut in as he and Marco touched down nearby. "We're saving your asses."

Marco immediately moved to help Armin with Eren. "We tried to stop them from coming, but there are too many," he explained, his voice strained with effort as they lifted Eren between them. "They didn't even come after us. Then we saw... that thing appear."

"Is that—Is that Anja?" Sasha's voice was filled with a mix of awe and horror as she watched the battle raging before them.

Armin's gaze snapped back to the fight. Anja was a blur of motion, darting around the Armored Titan with inhuman speed and ferocity. The Armored Titan's movements, while still devastatingly powerful, lacked the grace it had displayed earlier. Its attacks seemed more desperate, fueled by rage rather than calculated strength. The behemoth, fixated on Anja, seemed to have forgotten about the other Titans converging on it.

"It’s slowing down," Armin breathed, his mind racing. "The other Titans—they're not even trying to catch Anja. They're all focused on the Armored."

"Armin!" Mikasa's voice cut through the chaos as she landed next to them, her face etched with worry. "Is Eren—"

"He's alive," Armin assured her quickly. "Where’s Rico?”

“I lost track her. We need to leave, get him to safety while we can."

"Wait!" Sasha protested. "We can't just leave Anja, not again!"

Jean's voice cut through their exchange. “Two Titans coming from the wall!"

Armin's brow furrowed, the gears in his mind quickly turning. "It would be dangerous for anyone else to get close, but..."

He paused, the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. They could still win, he knew it, but not through brute force alone. It was a war of attrition. Hardly believing what he was about to suggest he spoke. "We need to lure more Titans here."

"Are you insane?" Jean exploded. "They'll kill her!"

Armin shook his head, his voice gaining strength as he explained. "No, look—the Titans aren't targeting her at all, it's like they don't even see her. They're all going for the Armored Titan instead. It's slowing down, it won't be able to keep it up forever. This might be our only chance to take it down."

His blue eyes blazed with determination as he continued. "If we can pin the Armored Titan down with enough Titans, it will give Anja a window to escape. She'll have to get out of there on her own, but it's her best chance."

A tense silence fell over the group as they weighed Armin's words. The sounds of battle raged around them—Anja's feral screams, the Armored Titan's roars of fury, the thunderous footsteps of approaching Titans.

Marco spoke up, his voice laced with uneasiness. "It makes sense, but how long can she keep it up? Can she really make it out on her own?"

"She has to," Armin said firmly. "We can't risk anyone else. Drawing the Titans in is the only way to give her a fighting chance while taking down the Armored Titan."

"I hope you're right about this, Armin," Jean muttered, his face set in grim resignation. "If you're wrong, we're all dead."

Suddenly, Eren stirred in their arms, his eyes fluttering open. “We have to... stop it..." he mumbled his voice weak but gaining strength.

"Eren, no," Mikasa pleaded, her voice tight with concern. "You're too weak. We need to get you out of here."

But Eren's eyes were already focusing, that familiar fire igniting within them. "No," he growled, struggling to stand despite his exhaustion. "We have to fight. We have to kill it... We can’t let it escape, not like the Colossal, this is our chance!“

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Merciless, I tear into my prey.

Its movements slow, armor cracking and peeling away. Each strike bites deeper, a symphony of rending flesh and splintering bone. Blood fountains, hot and sticky, coating my skin. I drink it in, reveling in the carnage.

Endless hunger consumes me.

Around me, more prey awaits slaughter. All seeking a piece of the prize. They claw at my quarry, but this one I've already claimed. Their desperation only fuels my frenzy.

Relentless, I circle it.

Steam billows from countless wounds as I strike again and again. My blades sing a song of destruction, carving ever deeper into exposed flesh. Its roars of pain like music to my ears.

Gnashing teeth and clawing hands can't stop me.

The behemoth grabs a smaller one, using it as a shield. I don't hesitate. I slice through both with equal ferocity, showering me in a spray of blood. Its growls cut off abruptly as its head separates from its body.

Endless hunger drives me forward.

I must destroy. It's desperate now, it hurls the mangled corpse at me. I plow past it, feeling bones snap and flesh as I scrape it. I land atop its head.

Blood and steam cloud my vision, but I don't need to see. I can smell its fear---

The red haze lifted slowly like a veil being drawn back. Anja blinked, her vision clearing. The world came into focus, piece by disorienting piece.

Steam. Blood. The stench of death.

A flash, like lightning, illuminated the corner of her eye for a split second. She barely registered it, her mind still reeling.

In the distance, a familiar voice cut through the chaos. Anja squinted, trying to make sense of the blurry figure shouting at her. "Armin?" she muttered, confusion etching deep lines in her face. "Why are you there?"

Anja found herself perched atop something massive, her fingers tangled in what felt like coarse blonde hair. The broken remnants of her blade were still clutched in her trembling hand. As her surroundings came into focus, horror dawned on her face. A sea of writhing flesh stretched as far as the eye could see. Titans, countless Titans, all reaching, grasping, tearing at whatever she was standing on.

A chill ran down Anja's spine as realization struck. This wasn't just any Titan. She was atop the Armored Titan itself. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was... Her thoughts scattered like leaves in a gale, refusing to coalesce into anything coherent.

Beneath her, the Titan shuddered and thrashed, its movements sluggish but desperate. Anja struggled to maintain her balance as it bucked and twisted, trying in vain to dislodge the horde of lesser Titans that clung to its form. Steam hissed from countless wounds, and the sound of cracking armor filled the air. The behemoth was pinned, overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers.

Through the chaos, near the wall, she caught a glimpse of another Titan. Smaller than she remembered, yet unmistakably Eren, pushing a boulder larger than houses. A flash of memory - fighting, blood, uncontrollable rage - but it slipped away as quickly as it came.

Something was deeply wrong. Anja's chest felt unnaturally tight, each breath came with a struggle. At the edge of her vision, a pale shape drew her attention downward. Her gaze drifted there, almost against her will.

Everything came rushing back in a sickening jolt. Anja's breath caught in her throat, terror clawing at her insides.

Impossible.

Yet there it stood – the very same Titan that almost got her, the one Mikasa had killed.

Its ashen skin now webbed with black veins, standing unnaturally still amidst the frenzy. Its massive form loomed directly below her, somehow more real, more present than all the others combined.

Its eyes bored into Anja, vacant yet impossibly aware. She felt naked, exposed, as if it could see straight through to her very soul. But it wasn't the eyes that truly unsettled her. It was what lay beyond them.

The Titan's maw gaped open, a yawning chasm of darkness. Anja's broken blade slipped from her nerveless fingers, clattering against armored scalp and fell away into the abyss below disappearing into nothingness itself.

She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Distantly, she heard screaming. Familiar voices called her name, but they seemed muffled, far away, unimportant.

All that mattered was the void within that Titan's mouth. Its hand reached for her, fingers stretching impossibly long. The mouth widened, wider, wider still, defying all logic and reason.

Anja stared into that impossible darkness. It stared back.

She felt herself leaning forward, drawn by an inexorable pull. The world around her began to blur, sounds fading, colors bleeding away. There was only the abyss, calling to her, promising... something. What was it promising? She took a small step forward, teetering on the edge of the Armored Titan's head.

The void grew, encompassing everything. Anja's awareness narrowed to a single point of absolute nothingness. And then...

A roar rent the air, high-pitched and deafening, shaking Anja from her trance. The sound vibrated in her bones, drowning out even the thunderous beating of her own heart.

In an instant, the world erupted into chaos. The sea of Titans, once fixated on the Armored behemoth, suddenly turned as one. Their eyes widened, heads snapping towards an unseen source.

The ground beneath Anja's feet trembled. She watched in horror as the pale, horrifying Titan that had held her mesmerized vanished beneath a tide of enormous bodies. Crushed to a pulp by the mindless horde surging towards the breach in the wall.

Even the Armored Titan swayed, its massive form buffeted by the surging mass of flesh. Anja's fingers dug deeper into its coarse hair, her knuckles white with the effort of maintaining her precarious perch.

Through billowing clouds of steam and dust, Anja's eyes widened at a new terror. A river of Titans, dozens strong, poured from the direction of the inner wall. Buildings crumbled like sandcastles in their wake, the unstoppable tide carving a path straight for the breach.

The boom of cannon fire cut through the din, followed by shouts from the direction of the wall. Anja's heart leapt – Reinforcements? A flicker of hope battled against the overwhelming dread in her chest.

"Anja!" A familiar voice called out, barely audible above the roar. She tried to pinpoint its origin, but the chaos swallowed everything.

Suddenly, the Armored Titan lurched. Anja's stomach dropped as she felt herself slipping. Pure instinct took over. She leapt, fingers fumbling for her ODM gear controls.

Anja scanned her surroundings, barely able to see through the haze of dust and steam.

There! A single building still standing amidst the destruction. Her cables shot out with a hiss, seeking purchase on the structure.

For a heart-stopping moment, Anja thought she was safe. Then the building began to crumble, its foundations giving way under the onslaught of the stampede. The cables went slack. Anja fell, the wind rushing past her ears as the ground approached rapidly.

She slammed into the cobblestones, pain erupting through her body battered body. The impact drove the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping. But there was no time to recover. Massive feet thundered past, threatening to crush her at any second. Gritting her teeth, Anja forced herself up.

Disoriented and desperate, Anja searched for an escape. Then she heard it - familiar voices shouting from the direction of the walls. Hope surged through her veins, giving her a burst of energy. She ran, stumbling between the Titans' legs, each step bringing her closer to the wall and the promise of safety.

Her legs shook, each step a battle against exhaustion and terror. Ruins toppled around her, debris rained down. Anja dodged and weaved, her world narrowing to the next obstacle, the next near miss, and the distant shouts guiding her forward.

A Titan's foot came down inches from where she'd been a heartbeat before. Anja stumbled, her legs finally giving out. She looked up, eyes wide with horror as a giant hand reached for her—

"Got you!"

A gust of wind, and suddenly Anja was airborne. She gasped, clinging desperately to her rescuer as they shot upwards. The whine of straining ODM gear filled her ears.

"Sasha?" Anja panted, her voice strained and faint with disbelief.

Sasha's face was a mask of concentration, her jaw clenched tight as she maneuvered them through the chaos. Sweat beaded on her brow, her muscles trembling with the effort of carrying them both.

Her ODM gear whirred as she propelled them upwards, hooking onto the edge of the wall. With a final burst of gas, she reeled them in, bringing them close to the ledge. Jean leaned over, grabbing Anja's arm and hauling her up and over the edge.

Anja tumbled onto the top of the wall, her body giving out as soon as she was on solid ground. She fell flat on her back, chest heaving. Her eyes stared up at the sky, unseeing, as she fought to catch her breath.

Sasha collapsed beside her, equally spent. Her ODM gear clattered against the stone, the sound oddly muted in the aftermath of the chaos.

"Thank goodness you made it," Armin breathed, relief etched on his face as he knelt beside them.

Anja could only nod, words beyond her. She let her eyes drift shut for a moment, the cool stone beneath her a blessed relief. They were alive. Safe.

Slowly, painfully, she pushed herself up to sitting. Her gaze swept over the assembled survivors, cataloging familiar faces.

Mikasa cradled an unconscious Eren, her eyes never leaving his face. Armin hovered nearby, his blue eyes wide with a mix of relief and lingering fear.

"I don’t even know what is going on anymore, why the hell are they leaving?” Jean demanded, his voice tight with tension.

"They're not even trying to attack the Armored Titan anymore..." Armin murmured, his brow furrowed.

Marco stood beside Jean, both of them staring down at the devastation with shell-shocked expressions.

Below, the Armored Titan stood defiant amidst the stampede. Its burning eyes fixed above on the survivors, a silent promise of retribution. But even as it prepared to advance, a barrage of cannon fire rained down. Steam billowed from its mouth and wounds as shell after shell found their mark.

With a final, furious bellow that shook the very stones of Trost, the Armored Titan followed the tide, shouldering its way towards the breach. In moments, it was gone, disappearing into the lands beyond Wall Rose.

Armin's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "We did it!"

"We... did it?" Anja whispered, her voice cracking. "We won?"

For a moment, there was only stunned silence. Then, a ragged cheer went up. It started small, but quickly swelled, the voices of her comrades rising in a chorus of disbelieving joy.

Anja's vision blurred as tears welled up. She looked at her friends—battered, bloodied, but alive. Sasha stared down at the remnants of Trost, her expression somber, the loss of Connie a fresh wound. Marco whooped, the sound tinged with hysteria. Armin shook Anja's shoulder, eyes wide with incredulous relief.

Even Mikasa's stoic mask cracked, a small smile tugging at her lips as she held Eren close.

As Anja returned Armin's smile through her tears, she felt something unfamiliar bloom in her chest. It was fragile, tentative, but undeniably there.

Hope.