Bang! Porco slammed his fist into the wall, his heart filled with tangled emotions. Seeing Reiner's wretched state these past few days made Porco grind his teeth in hatred.
He hated that his brother Marcel had sacrificed himself to save this useless piece of trash. He hated Reiner's cowardice—how he couldn't even bring himself to look Porco in the eye.
But then Porco sat back down on the bed, clutching his head with both hands. The hand that had just struck the wall was still red and swollen. Earlier today, Captain Magath's adjutant, Colonel Koslow, had secretly sought him out in private. Clearly, Marley's high command had also noticed the recent downfall of Reiner, the holder of the Armored Titan.
The upper echelon was already considering whether to strip Reiner of the Armored Titan's power. As the most outstanding warrior candidate at present, Porco was naturally the first choice.
But when it truly came to this moment, Porco felt a trace of hesitation. Was he really going to eat Reiner? Then what would his brother's sacrifice amount to?
And so, for these past few days, Porco's heart had been trapped in constant inner conflict.
Until today.
"Porco Galliard!" Koslow's voice suddenly came from outside the door. Porco's body trembled involuntarily. He hurriedly stood up and rushed out.
"Colonel Koslow!" Porco snapped a salute, but Koslow showed no appreciation. He turned away arrogantly and walked off. "Follow me!"
"Yes!" Porco followed Koslow mechanically, his heart a swirl of mixed feelings. "Reiner? If I were the Armored Titan, would everything become better?"
But contrary to Porco's expectations, they did not head for the plaza where Marley's warriors transferred Titan powers. Instead, they walked toward a completely unfamiliar place. This made Porco uneasy, and he couldn't help asking,
"Colonel Koslow, where… are we going?"
"Hmph. Since when do Eldians have so many questions? Just carry out the order!" Koslow replied coldly.
Porco had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Soon, the two arrived at a camp guarded by many Marleyan soldiers. Porco noticed that the weapons in the soldiers' hands didn't quite resemble the standard Marleyan issue he had seen before—but he had no time to think about that.
After the guards checked their identities, they were allowed into the camp.
Once inside, Porco couldn't help feeling nervous. But within the camp, he saw familiar faces.
Standing straight-backed, hands clasped behind him, his face meticulous and severe, Captain Magath stood quietly, as if waiting specifically for the two of them.
Beside Magath stood a stranger. The man wore a white lab coat and black-rimmed glasses, his lips curled into a smile. His gaze was fixed on Porco, burning and eerie at the same time, making Porco's skin crawl.
"Captain Magath! Porco Galliard has been brought here."
"Captain Magath!"
Magath looked at Porco and nodded. Then he raised a hand and introduced the stranger beside him.
"This is Doctor Ebson Louis, a noble count as well. Porco, next you will need to cooperate with Doctor Ebson on an experiment. Remember—full cooperation is mandatory. Do you understand?"
Porco looked toward Ebson. The latter revealed what seemed like a kind smile.
Porco swallowed. "...Yes… Captain Magath. I understand."
Ebson clapped his hands, speaking in a light, cheerful tone.
"Very good, child. Come with me. Don't worry—this is a good thing. Captain Magath tells me you're an excellent warrior candidate."
Under the watchful eyes of Magath and Koslow, Ebson led the uneasy Porco toward the rear of the camp.
Magath raised his head and looked toward a watchtower not far away, his brows tightly furrowed. All of this had been ordered by the people in that tower. But why?
On the watchtower that Magath was staring at, there was another pair of tightly knit brows. Beneath a top hat, blond hair lay neat and clean. Short stubble covered the man's chin, and his finely tailored suit alone proved his extraordinary status. Behind him stood a woman in a maid's outfit, her head lowered, silent and still.
This was a secret military camp in Marley's capital, garrisoned by an elite division of the Marleyan army. Security was extremely tight. Yet today, the camp's commander issued a strange order: no matter what disturbance occurred inside the camp, all soldiers were to remain calm, not leave their posts without authorization, not wander around the camp, and strictly guard the perimeter so that no one could approach.
Although the soldiers were utterly confused, they still executed the order with rigid discipline. Checkpoints were densely arranged, completely locking down the area around the camp.
At dusk, a towering yellow arc of lightning erupted from within the camp, accompanied by an incomparably terrifying roar. The soldiers inside the camp were shocked, but they did not panic. Nor did any curious fool violate military orders.
Then a piercing shriek tore through the air. A curved object fell from the sky, slamming viciously into the ground at the camp's entrance, frightening the guards there to the point of almost losing control.
Under the horrified gazes of the Marleyan soldiers, the strange curved object continuously vented steam, then vanished completely, leaving behind only a small but extremely deep crater in the ground.
Ebson raised his head, his eyes blazing with fanatic fervor, an excited chuckle escaping his lips. Before him, a colossal figure gradually unfolded its body.
...
Mounted atop hundreds of warhorses were countless Survey Corps soldiers, cloaked in the Wings of Freedom. Not long ago, Queen Historia personally awarded medals in the capital to every Survey Corps soldier who had returned victorious after reclaiming Wall Maria.
The tale of the Survey Corps defeating Titans and reclaiming humanity's land spread throughout the walls. Their reputation reached its peak, and soldiers from training corps across all regions scrambled to join the Survey Corps.
For a time, the Survey Corps was flooded with fresh blood, including many top-ten elites from the various training corps.
Now, after long preparation, humanity raised its banner of war beyond Wall Maria for the first time, determined to drive out all Titans!
Yago and Annie were positioned on the left wing of the formation. Suddenly, Yago felt an inexplicable sense of unease—but it vanished in an instant. The faint sensation failed to draw his attention. Yet deep within Yago's subconscious, an additional strand of strange black lines had become entwined around the body of the Fate Titan.
(A/N: The curtain of the Fate Titan will slowly be lifted—please stay tuned, everyone)