NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Chapter 15
Titan?
*Isn't this inside Wall Rose? How can there be Titans here?*
A massive question mark appeared in Ryo Akira's mind as he stared at the enormous creature before him.
This area was well within the walls—there shouldn't be any Titans unless the wall had been breached. But questioning how the Titan appeared wasn't going to help right now.
The immediate concern was simple: *How do we kill it?*
"Ah! It's a Titan! Why is there a Titan here?!"
"We're doomed!"
"It's so huge! How can we fight something like that?!"
The recruits around Ryo descended into chaos. Most of them had never seen a Titan before. Learning about them in a classroom was one thing, but facing one in the wild, where your life was on the line, was an entirely different experience.
From the books, they knew the classifications—3 meters, 4 meters, 8 meters, 12 meters, 15 meters, even 50 meters. But reading those numbers didn't prepare them for the sheer terror of seeing a 12-meter Titan in person.
The Titan was grotesque, its hideous features matching the descriptions in their textbooks. It grinned unnervingly as it spotted the panicking group, lunging forward and grabbing several recruits who were frozen in fear.
*Crunch!*
The Titan's instincts drove it to shove its prey into its mouth immediately.
"Ah! No, save me!"
The screams of those being devoured pierced the air. The gruesome sight drained the color from the faces of the remaining recruits. Any courage they might have had evaporated. Even those who tried to muster their strength to fight found their hands trembling and their hearts racing uncontrollably.
Many lost control of their ODM gear, crashing to the ground and suffering severe injuries—or worse.
Panic spread like wildfire. The recruits scattered, shouting incoherently as they fled.
Even Eren Yaeger, who had vowed countless times to kill Titans after seeing his mother devoured, stood frozen in fear.
*This isn't like the dreams... This is real.*
Eren's hands and legs trembled uncontrollably. He watched helplessly as the Titan grabbed more of his comrades, crushing their bodies before consuming them.
*Fight! You want to join the Survey Corps to kill them, don't you?* he thought desperately. *This is your chance!*
But no matter how much he willed himself, his body refused to move. Fear had taken root, paralyzing him.
"Ryo, it's too dangerous! Let's leave this to the instructors and retreat to safety!" Mikasa's urgent voice broke through the chaos.
Her focus wasn't on fighting but on getting everyone out alive, especially Eren.
"Krista, can you use your ODM gear? It's not safe here; we need to move!" Ryo asked, glancing at the blonde recruit nearby.
"I... I think so," Krista replied hesitantly. She tried to stand but winced in pain, her legs trembling. It was clear she was injured.
"Hold on, I'll get you out of here," Ryo said firmly.
Without hesitation, he scooped Krista up in his arms, his focus on escaping the battlefield.
Being so close to Ryo made Krista's heart race. She could feel his breath and the steady thumping of his heartbeat. Her cheeks flushed a deep red.
"Are you okay?" Ryo asked, noticing her flustered state.
"Y-Yes! I'm fine!" she stammered, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Ryo gave her a puzzled look but said nothing. Using his ODM gear, he swiftly carried her to safety.
---
When they reached a relatively secure spot, Ryo handed Krista over to Mikasa and Eren.
"Eren, Mikasa, she's injured. Watch over her for me," he instructed.
"What about you?" Mikasa asked, frowning.
"I'm going back. Someone has to hold that Titan off, or no one else will make it out alive," Ryo said resolutely.
Before they could argue, Ryo turned back toward the battlefield, his determination cutting through the chaos.