NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 15: Chapter 14 The Deserters
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In the wastelands outside of Wall Rose, the survey corps, assisted by members of The Garrison Regiment, carried out the 35th Expedition beyond the walls.
Nearly a hundred and fifty men had been taken from The Garrison. When added with the survey corp's original numbers, the Expedition fielded a grand total of Two hundred and Forty Seven soldiers.
Now, four hours later, almost a third of that number had been wiped out. Worse still, it was counting downward.
"Damnit! It's a Titan horde …".
The heavy thundering of hooves pounded through the battlefield.
The Frontline squad, a mix of Survey Corps and Garrison soldiers, had their expressions changed drastically.
In the Long-Range Scouting Formation, the Frontline was said to have the highest casualty rate, as at times, they were the first to encounter Titans.
Today had been promising, going by without encountering multiple Titans at once. Now, however, lady luck has stopped smiling on them.
A Titan horde was classified as such when a minimum of Ten Titans were spotted in proximity.
Looking at the ten grotesque looking creatures running towards them, Survey corps unit captain Lance Baldwin sported a grim look.
"Listen up! Survey Corps, we distract and maneuver. Switch to ODM on my signal and draw attention. Garrison! You take the killing blow".
"... Remember! Aim for the nape". This was a stupid statement. Every military personnel, down to the freshest graduates, knew the basics of Titan killing.
The Nape was a Titan's only weak spot.
However, The Garrison soldiers, in essence, were wall sitters, not Titan killers. As a senior officer, Lance was sure that among his assigned troops, not one member of the Garrison had ever fought a Titan face to face.
Originally, Garrison soldiers were weaker than Survey corps soldiers in terms of skill, strength, and experience. What little skill they did have had basically deteriorated after spending a long time in non combat situations.
Not to mention mentality, willpower, and ability to keep calm, in such a high intensity situation, no matter how he looked at it, they were unreliable.
Lance's worries were Justifiable. The job of delivering the killing blow, which should belong to the scout soldiers with better skills, had to be given to these guys instead. If not, who knew whether they would freeze up from fear if asked to be bait.
The casualties would only increase faster.
A chorus of "Yes sir!" followed.
It was a simple tactic. A two on one confrontation where one would distract while the other would strike at the nape decisively.
Unfortunately, simple plans fall apart in the face of death.
"Now, switch to …". It happened then.
The squad barely had time to react before a Titan's massive hand emerged from a blind spot and smashed into their formation.
Before they could even begin, a Garrison soldier was yanked out of his horse, which stumbled and crashed into two more soldiers behind it.
Everyone barely had time to register the terrified shriek before it was cut short as the Titan bit into its Torso.
'Damn! One broke through the Formation'. Lance thought riding. There was nothing he could do. Heading back wasn't an option.
Now, he had more pressing concerns.
Just as he feared, The Garrison soldiers were almost paralyzed from fear. Their faces carrying terrified expressions as they rode on their horses.
"Stay Focused!" Lance roared, his voice cracking with urgency.
"Eyes forward! Execute your orders, regardless of what happens!"
It couldn't happen. Not here, not now. Lance could not allow fear to take over.
Unknown to him, however, it was too late.
"Now! Attack Teams, switch to Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear!"
The survey corps members engaged immediately. Maneuver gear cables attaching themselves to trees before pulling them into the air.
In flat terrains, ODM equipment had a natural disadvantage as the trees were widely spread apart. Without much to grapple on, fighting Titans became perilous, which was why the casualties were so high.
Perfect, textbook skill and cooperation was needed to achieve a kill out here. In this case, a basic yet highly efficient two on one maneuver.
A perfect opening was established as the Survey corps distracted the Titans. Their napes unguarded.
"Garrison! Now!" Lance bellowed as he swung through the air, narrowly dodging a Titan's palm.
But …. The Garrison soldiers didn't react. Their hands shook, their minds race with panic. The horrifying smiles on most of the Titan faces.
At that moment, they were haunted by the images of their comrades getting devoured a few seconds ago.
Time slowed …
Their horses galloped past the Titans. Right through the opening that had been created due to the distraction made, but not one of them switched to Maneuver Gear.
Not one of them attacked. Just kept on riding.
Instantly, the formation collapsed.
The survey corps soldiers, still fighting as bait never saw the follow-up that came with the formation attack.
"Wait … Why aren't they? …".
Unfortunately, it was too late. The maneuver had left the soldiers exposed. Hence, the Titans turned their heads.
Undoubtedly, they took full advantage. Screams of agony resounded through the battlefield as the abandoned soldiers were snatched, crushed and devoured.
"No!"
"Please … please, No …".
Blood painted the sky.
"... You damn Garrison bastards! You'll pay for this!"
Lance roared in fury, fighting to the bitter end. Nevertheless, the captain was soon surrounded. Slicing into a Titan's eye before it caught him midair and ate him.
In the same time, from a distance, Levi saw everything.
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Two minutes earlier … Lower front of The Formation.
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"I can't believe it. We encountered a Titan horde".
"It means the Front has probably been wiped out".
"Commander, what do we do?"
Erwin was stunned. However, that expression faded quickly.
He remained calm and ordered, "Maintain formation. We'll force our way through. All soldiers! Prepare for battle!"
Following this, he turned to Levi.
"Not you Levi. Your objective is to take Ilse Langnar out of here".
Hearing this, Levi frowned.
"What?"
"Until we find Seiji Uchiha, Ilse Langnar is of great importance. The Northern Forest Grove is just up ahead. Use your skills to clear a path for her horse immediately".
Ilse who was listening was stunned. In her one year of being a scout regiment soldier, she had never received such preferential treatment.
"Sir, you can't …".
"Quiet! That's an order. We can't have her die". Erwin rebuked sternly before she could finish.
"Levi, get her out of here".
"Tch, whatever you say".
Looking at the Titans approaching, the man's frown faded.
"... Try to keep up. I can't have you being eaten on my watch".
Letting go of the reins, he reached for his maneuver gear holders and pushed. The cables shot forward, him shooting out with them two seconds later.
"Ilse! Follow."
Erwin shouted.
"Uh … Yes …". The girl replied with a stutter, following Levi's actions and abandoning her horse for Omni directional mobility.
The sound of thundering hooves was quickly swallowed by the deafening roars of Titans.
Levi shot forward, his ODM gear propelling him into the chaos. He twisted midair, dodging a massive hand as a four-meter Titan lunged at him, its maw snapping shut just inches from his leg.
"Annoying."
With a flick of his wrist, Levi's blades glinted in the sunlight before slicing through the Titan's eyes in a single, fluid motion. The creature staggered, roaring in blind agony as he maneuvered past.
Behind him, Ilse struggled to keep up.
Her breath was ragged, hands trembling slightly as she fired her hooks.
The battlefield was unlike anything she had faced before.
Too many Titans.
Too little room to maneuver.
Too much death.
She forced herself forward, just barely dodging a swinging arm from a seven-meter Titan that nearly tore her in half.
"Focus—focus—FOCUS!" she screamed internally.
Up ahead, Levi was already three steps ahead.
In a blur, he reversed direction, shooting down toward a Titan blocking their path.
His blades flashed.
The Titan's nape split apart before it even realized it was dead.
Levi barely slowed down, firing another set of cables and flipping away as the creature collapsed, leaving Ilse an opening.
"Move it, Langnar!" he barked.
She gritted her teeth and shot forward, weaving through the carnage as best as she could.
But then—
A massive shadow loomed overhead.
Ilse looked up just in time to see a 15-meter Titan falling toward her, its massive frame having been knocked off balance by a dying Titan.
Her body froze.
There's no way—
Then suddenly—
A streak of black.
Ilse felt herself being yanked away, her body weightless as something wrapped around her waist and pulled her midair.
The next thing she knew, she was soaring.
Below her, the Titan crashed into the earth, missing her by inches.
Her breath caught as she realized Levi had grabbed her.
"Tch. Don't freeze up."
He released her midair, forcing her to reorient and fire her cables instinctively.
Ilse barely caught a tree trunk, swinging herself forward just in time.
"I—I'm fine!" she called, though her heart was still hammering.
Levi, however, didn't even glance back.
They weren't safe yet.
More Titans poured into their path, drawn by the commotion.
'We're wasting time'.
He adjusted his trajectory and shot forward.
But this time, he wasn't just avoiding them—
He was eliminating everything in their path.
Levi spun through the air, weaving between massive arms and snapping jaws.
One step, one flick, one strike.
Every move lethal.
Every motion calculated.
A Titan lunged—its nape was gone a moment later.
Another reached for Ilse—its arm was severed before it could touch her.
She could barely keep up, watching in awe as Levi carved a bloody path through the horde, single-handedly thinning their numbers.
At that moment, she finally understood.
"This is why he's humanity's strongest soldier."
Within seconds, the battlefield was clear.
A small window—enough to escape.
It was then.
'Lance?'
The Special Operations squad captain noticed a Survey Corps soldier about to be eaten by Titans.
He knew him, a veteran on the Frontline with apparently more than six years of service. An old fritter who had survived in the survey corps for a long time.
Levi had met him there when he was brought in by Erwin. Now, the man was about to die. Just like they thought, the Front team had been wiped out.
"... You damn Garrison bastards! You'll pay for this!"
'Oh'.
Those last words made Levi raise an eyebrow. In a split second, his eyes scanned the battlefield.
Titan, Titan, blood, half a human body, Titan more Titans …. He saw it then.
Up ahead in the distance. A group of soldiers almost reaching the Forest Grove.
'I see …'.
In an instant, he understood what had happened. The Garrison soldiers had deserted.
'Tch … More work'. He thought as he clicked his tongue, his face remaining emotionless.
He didn't try to save Lance. The old guy was too far away and took close to a Titan's mouth. Even he wouldn't be able to deliver him from the jaws of death.
Of course, proper vengeance couldn't be avoided.
Levi turned his gaze to Ilse, locking eyes with her.
"Move."
Ilse who didn't notice a thing, didn't hesitate.
She fired her cables, launching past the Titan corpses and following Levi toward the treeline.
---
The Northern Forest Grove – Temporary Safety
The moment they reached the forest's perimeter, Levi landed on a thick tree branch 40 meters above the ground, Ilse following just behind.
She was panting, hands on her knees, her entire body shaking from exertion.
Levi barely looked winded.
He scanned the area before nodding to himself.
"Here we are. Just a little further."
Ilse finally found her breath, looking at him with wide eyes.
"How… how did you do that? It was incredible."
Levi barely spared her a glance.
"Less talking. Unless you want to die, wait here."
"Where … Where are you going?"
In response to her question, Levi fired his cables again, disappearing into the trees.
".... I'll be right back".
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End Of Chapter 14 The Deserters
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Next Chapter: Chapter 15 Seiji's Vs Levi
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