Chapter 22: Attack On Titans, Part 11

Crackle!

Lightning struck the earth.

Smoke billowed, and from within emerged the Armored Titan and the Female Titan.

“You’re determined to see this through, Reiner?”

As I spoke, the Armored and Female Titans reached for me.

I stopped their massive hands with my comparatively tiny human ones.

I hadn’t transformed into a Titan.

I didn’t need to. I was confident in my ability to subdue them in my human form.

“Weak.”

I pulled on their arms.

As their eyes widened in surprise, I ripped their arms clean off.

I tossed the severed limbs aside.

Their horrified expressions were clear.

I understood.

They expected me to fight them as the Attack Titan.

But they were too weak.

“I don’t need to transform to deal with you.”

Provoked by my words, the Armored Titan swung its remaining fist, and the Female Titan kicked at me with its undamaged leg.

I didn’t bother blocking. Their attacks were meaningless against me.

As expected, my body withstood their attacks without flinching.

“My turn.”

I grabbed the Female Titan’s leg, which had frozen in place.

It struggled, but my strength was superior. Its efforts were futile.

I spun the Female Titan around and around.

Its face slammed into the ground, and when I deemed it sufficient, I hurled it away.

The Female Titan crashed through several buildings before collapsing.

It wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. While Titans possessed regenerative abilities, it took time.

I turned my attention to Reiner, who stood there with one arm missing.

As my gaze settled on him, he charged, driven by a desperate frenzy.

The ground trembled beneath the Armored Titan’s weight as I spoke.

“Kneel.”

His fist, which had been about to strike me, froze in midair.

I had activated Demonic Overlord’s Stride.

Dissatisfied with him merely standing there, I increased the pressure, and Reiner crumpled to the ground.

I walked towards him and stopped before his face.

He was consumed by terror, facing an unknown power.

Looking into his fear-filled eyes, I said, “This is your level. Don’t look up at me without my permission.”

I gouged out the Armored Titan’s eyes.

“And don’t open your eyes without my permission either. It’s annoying.”

Reiner thought, ‘This bastard Eren is insane.’

After the battle, I extracted Reiner and Annie from their Titans.

“He’s a monster. How are we supposed to beat him?”

“My mother is waiting for me back home. Please, spare my life!”

I couldn’t understand. Where did this sudden plea for mercy come from? Did they think I would kill them?

I clarified the misunderstanding, “Reiner, do you think I would kill you?”

“Eren!”

Reiner’s eyes lit up with hope, and I continued, “After torturing you, of course.”

Reiner’s face paled. I laughed.

“Just kidding. Don’t take it so seriously. I know your circumstances.”

“You know my circumstances…?”

“Yes. Your mother is waiting for you.”

“How do you know that?”

“There are ways.”

Reiner was still curious about how I knew about his mother, but I said, “Is that important now? What matters is that you’re my prisoner.”

“I see… What are you going to do? Marley will find out we’ve been captured.”

“I’ll show them overwhelming power.”

“Like you just did?”

“Exactly.”

I approached Annie, with Reiner trailing behind me.

“What are you going to do? You can’t break through that hardened shell.”

Before me stood Annie, encased in crystal, just like in the original story.

‘Not this again, Annie. Trying to get out of facing the consequences.’

In the original story, Annie had crystallized herself after losing to Eren to avoid interrogation and torture.

The timing of her eventual release was impeccable. She emerged when everyone learned about her reasons for attacking Paradis Island, avoiding any consequences.

I activated the Demonic Divine Art.

[Demonic Divine Art Demonic Dragon Fist]

My fist shattered Annie’s crystal.

“Wake up, Annie.”

I punched her in the stomach to rouse her from her unconscious state.

“Gah!”

“Oh!”

She woke up immediately. The stomach punch was truly effective.

“Reiner, did you fail?”

“Yes.”

Slap

I slapped her.

“Why did you hit me…? Eren?”

“Uh… I don’t know.”

Perhaps it was an instinctive reaction to her attempt to escape through crystallization.

I smiled and replied, “Just because.”