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051 The Titan of Fate
🕑 Added 2025-12-25 13:04:45 +0000 UTCThe pointy-eared Titan seemed to have exhausted all its strength. It collapsed onto the ground, allowing four or five Titans to gnaw at its body.
Armin looked toward the pointy-eared Titan with reluctance. After all, it had been his suggestion to lure this Titan over, and now, seeing its miserable state, Armin felt deeply uncomfortable.
Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie also arrived behind Yago. Aside from Annie, who seemed somewhat distracted, Reiner and Bertholdt both wore extremely grave expressions.
"That Titan is very special. Maybe… we should help it," Reiner said hesitantly.
Jean Kirstein and Marco walked over as well. Hearing Reiner's words, Jean frowned and said,
"Reiner, what are you talking about? That's a Titan! How could you think of helping a Titan?"
Reiner said, "But that Titan is helping us kill other Titans."
Armin nodded in agreement. He also didn't want to see the pointy-eared Titan die.
Bertholdt added, "Actually, Reiner's right. Maybe that Titan could become our companion."
Jean broke out in a cold sweat. "Hey, hey, are you kidding? How could a Titan possibly become a companion?"
Yago, meanwhile, stared fixedly at the pointy-eared Titan on the battlefield.
"Roar!" The Titan's terrifying roar startled everyone. They saw that the pointy-eared Titan's arms had already been torn off by other Titans, the broken ends releasing large amounts of white steam.
Unexpectedly, the pointy-eared Titan, which looked completely spent, suddenly sprang up. It flung away several seven-meter-class Titans clinging to its body, opened its massive jaws, and viciously bit into the nape of one Titan, tearing it open with a powerful pull.
"Roar!!" But before the pointy-eared Titan could stand, a fifteen-meter-class Titan suddenly appeared behind it and pounced, aiming straight for the pointy-eared Titan's neck.
"Not good!" Reiner and Bertholdt immediately prepared to act. Mikasa drew her blades, and even the dazed Annie instinctively readied herself for battle.
But Yago reacted faster. He had been guarding against this moment all along. This Titan—he was going to save it!
Bang! The grappling hook shot out at high speed.
Whoosh! With his speed fully unleashed, Yago's figure flashed like lightning. He swept past the Titan's nape—slash! The flesh of the Titan's nape spun as it fell.
Yago pressed the attack, his blades dancing. All the smaller Titans around the pointy-eared Titan fell one after another. With Titan blood splattered across his face, Yago landed in front of the pointy-eared Titan's nape.
"So fast!" Jean stared at Yago's clean, decisive movements in shock. The others were equally stunned, but Yago had no time to pay attention.
He looked solemnly at the Titan's nape at his feet. Through faint vibrations, Yago understood—someone was about to come out.
The next moment, the nape of the pointy-eared Titan seemed to bulge, as if something were struggling to break free.
Without hesitation, Yago swung his blade. The sharp edge sliced open the Titan's nape, massive steam billowing out, and a low, human growl reached everyone's ears.
As the steam gradually dispersed, everyone's eyes widened, their faces filled with disbelief, as if they were witnessing something utterly impossible.
Especially Mikasa and Armin. Armin said shakily, "Th-this is impossible. A Titan… there's a human inside the Titan's nape??"
As the steam cleared, a human figure roared and struggled its way out through the opening Yago had cut.
Strands of Titan flesh and nerves were still connected to that person's face. Yago looked at the face right in front of him—the overwhelmingly familiar features. Even though Yago had been mentally prepared, he still froze.
"E-Eren?!"
The one who emerged from the Titan's nape was Eren, whom everyone had believed had already perished inside a Titan's stomach. After crawling out, Eren closed his eyes and collapsed limply. Yago hurriedly caught him, his mind momentarily unable to process what was happening.
"Eren!!" Mikasa leaped down from the tower as if she'd gone mad. She ran and rushed to Eren's side, snatched him from Yago's arms, and gazed tearfully at the unconscious boy before her. She pressed her ear to Eren's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. Mikasa could no longer hold back—she hugged Eren and burst into tears.
Mikasa regarded Eren as her entire world. Losing Eren meant losing everything to her. At the moment Eren died, she had felt as though she had died with him, left with only instinct to move her body. And now, with Eren suddenly back in her arms, Mikasa held him tightly, as if holding the entire world. From this moment on, she would never let go again so easily!
Yago stood to the side, watching the scene with some awkwardness. Nearby, after confirming that the one who came out of the Titan's nape was indeed Eren, Armin also sat down with tears in his eyes. Knowing that his childhood friend had not been devoured by a Titan was an immense comfort to him.
Jean and Marco stared blankly at the Eren lying below them.
"Hey, Marco… I'm not dreaming, am I? That Titan… was Eren?"
Marco nodded with difficulty.
"Jean, you're not mistaken. That was Eren."
Jean looked around at the many Titan corpses that were already nearly evaporated.
"So… all these Titans were killed by Eren…"
Nearby, Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie all wore strange expressions as they stared at Eren—gloomy, yet also tinged with surprise.
"We didn't find the Founding Titan, but instead unexpectedly found the lost Titan power. What a surprise," Reiner murmured softly.
...
Yago and Mikasa carried the unconscious Eren back up to the tower. Yago frowned deeply as he looked at the expressions of the people around them. Aside from their group, several trainee soldiers and garrison soldiers were also watching with complicated looks.
They had seen clearly how Eren emerged from the Titan's body. The looks they cast toward Eren were filled with dense fear and intense killing intent.
A bad feeling welled up in Yago's heart. Eren was likely about to face real trouble. Human suspicion was something even more terrifying than Titans.
For a fleeting moment, Yago wanted to take Eren away. If Eren stayed here, he might very well die. If Eren didn't die at the hands of Titans but instead died at the hands of humans, what a bitter irony that would be.
In the end, however, Yago did not act on impulse. Deep down, he himself harbored a bit of selfishness. Through Eren, Yago could also test how people would treat humans who could transform into Titans.
Unless it was absolutely unavoidable, Yago didn't want to break with humanity. He didn't want to betray his original self. He should use this power to protect everything.
There was no time to think too much now. Quite a few Titans were still slowly gathering around them, so Yago and the others decisively withdrew with Eren to the top of the city wall.
Unfortunately, just as they reached the wall, several garrison soldiers armed with muskets blocked their path. Yago knew—what was coming would come eventually. How would humanity treat Eren now?
Yago took the initiative to go with Eren. Mikasa and Armin, of course, chose to follow as well. The other trainee soldiers who had seen Eren emerge from inside the Titan were also warned and forbidden from spreading the news. If panic were caused, they would not escape responsibility.
