The main force of the Survey Corps remained in the Erumiha District, while Hange led a team to rescue Krista and entrap Reiner and Bertholdt.
The entire group rode through the night, racing against time toward their destination.
Having rested enough, Lock had regained his confidence. Holding a torch while mounted on his horse, he even felt like looking back in the direction of his home.
This was the closest he had been; his father should still be sleeping at this hour.
His subconscious hadn't given him any instructions on how to handle this mission; in other words, he was quite free.
But Lock knew it would still be difficult for him to change anything.
Because he couldn't reveal the Power of the Titans yet, in that battle of betrayal, if he couldn't transform into a Titan, there was basically nothing he could do.
Lock recalled what Levi had said to him before they set out: "I don't care what your true purpose is, but since Erwin trusts you, I agree to let you follow Eren and the others on this mission."
"I hope you can live up to your words—for the victory of humanity!"
[For that ultimate goal]
Lock curled his lip in slight disgust.
"Tch..."
...The sky gradually brightened, and the group headed straight for Krista and the others' location based on intelligence received from ahead.
The ancient castle called Utgard was just ahead. Everyone could see the white mist rising into the sky, and Lock could even hear the howling of Titans.
Lock spurred his horse to accelerate out of the formation. He caught up to Mikasa at the front, turned his head, and smiled at her. "Mikasa, I won't lose to you this time."
Mikasa asked in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
Lock paused, offered no explanation, and simply lowered his head to accelerate past Mikasa.
The ruins of the castle had appeared in his field of vision. He drew the twin blades from his waist, braced himself with his hands, and stepped onto the horse's back.
Lock seized the moment and pulled the triggers. The hooks from his waist shot out and latched onto the top of a collapsed tower, and his entire body instantly soared into the air.
Lock swerved clockwise around the collapsed obstacles ahead and arrived in the middle of a cluster of Titans.
Hooking onto the rear shoulder of a Titan that had suddenly appeared in front of Krista, Lock used his blades to pull himself in and precisely sliced through the Titan's nape.
As the Titan collapsed, Lock landed in the area and greeted everyone. "Yo! Krista, Connie, Reiner, Bertholdt..."
Looking at their stunned expressions, he rested his right blade against his shoulder and said in a relaxed tone, "It's been a while!"
Connie stammered, "Lock! You... how did you..."
Lock pointed overhead as numerous figures happened to streak across the sky, charging toward the group of Titans gathered in the ruins to devour Ymir. He smiled at Connie and said, "I'm not the only one!"
Soon, all the Pure Titans in the area were completely wiped out by the elites of the Survey Corps who had arrived.
That kid Eren even defied orders and secretly added one Titan kill to his tally, but after succeeding, he was so excited that he took a nasty fall when he landed.
Lock stepped forward and reached out to pull Eren up.
"Thanks, Lock. That really hurt." Eren clutched his arm, grimacing.
Lock asked with a smile, "Was that your first Titan kill using the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear?"
Eren nodded, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Be more careful next time. Even though you'll be fine if you get hurt, it still hurts a lot after all."
"I understand."
...White mist drifted through the area as Hange and Moblit dug Ymir out from the mangled Titan flesh.
The heavily injured Ymir lay in Krista's arms.
Everyone watched this scene silently; their expressions varied.
Lock, however, felt a bit bored...
"My real name is... Historia."
Hearing the girl's familiar voice, Ymir closed her eyes in satisfaction...
Hange had someone give Ymir a basic bandage and secured her to a stretcher.
Hange fell silent for a moment after learning the news about the officers who had been guarding the four of them.
Although they were already used to the deaths of comrades, the total annihilation of Mike's squad still made the veterans sigh with sorrow.
That was Mike, the person in the Survey Corps second only to Levi.
The veterans all believed Mike would have been the next Commander.
Hange thought so too... but she quickly pushed aside her grief and ordered the troops to return to the nearest point on Wall Rose first.
After all, it was still possible to encounter Titans coming through the breach whose location was still unknown.
Krista, Connie, Reiner, and Bertholdt mounted the horses the Survey Corps had prepared in advance.
"Reiner, are you okay?" Lock asked thoughtfully, looking at Reiner's bandaged arm.
Reiner controlled the reins with one hand and said through gritted teeth, "I'm fine. I won't die yet."
He looked at Lock's clothes and asked, "Aren't you in the Interior Military Police? Why are you here?"
Bertholdt also turned to look over.
Lock found it amusing; ordinary Soldiers would only recognize his clothes as belonging to the Military Police.
The fact that Reiner could immediately identify it as the Interior Military Police was actually suspicious.
Annie must have told him, of course.
Lock explained with a smile, "It was too boring there, I didn't know anyone. The Survey Corps is much more interesting."
"Besides, Commander Erwin has already agreed to let me join. It's just that with this sudden incident, the Corps hasn't had time to prepare my uniform yet."
"Reiner, we're colleagues once again."
"Oh, so that's how it is..." Reiner nodded, accepting Lock's explanation.
At that moment, Bertholdt suddenly asked, "Does Annie know that you've come to the Survey Corps?"
Hearing the Female Titan's name, the nearby Soldiers all felt their hearts tighten, fearing that this Recruit who had joined under mysterious circumstances would blow his cover.
Lock put on a look of utter helplessness and said, "I mentioned it to her two days ago. She said I must have lost my mind."
He then added resentfully, "Tch, how could that short-sighted woman understand her man's ambitions?"
Bertholdt's expression was a bit complicated, but he just nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I see."
In the blink of an eye, Wall Rose drew near.
Lock looked at Bertholdt and Reiner and said, "I'll head up first, then. You guys wait at the base of the wall for a while."
After saying that, Lock followed the Soldiers ahead and used his Omni-Directional Mobility Gear to scale the wall.
Meanwhile, Reiner and Bertholdt, under the leadership of an officer, began to round up the Soldiers' horses.
When Lock reached the top of the wall, he saw Mikasa carrying Historia up.
Lock quickly stepped forward to lend a hand.
"Thank you, Lock." Historia thanked Lock from the bottom of her heart.
"If it wasn't for you back then, I might have died in a Titan's mouth, and I would never have had the chance to tell Ymir my real name."
Lock waved it off as if it were nothing, and then he said softly, "Historia... Reiss, right?"
Historia nodded, only to see Lock suddenly smile. "Our fathers might know each other!"
She replied somewhat awkwardly, "Maybe..."
Just then, Historia saw Hange coming this way. She gave Lock an apologetic smile and ran toward Hange.
Watching her petite back, Lock knew she was going to explain Ymir's position to Hange so that The Corps wouldn't be too hard on Ymir for her deception.
What a strong little girl...
At that moment, Mikasa suddenly walked up to Lock and said, "No wonder you said you wanted to compete with me earlier."
Lock looked at Mikasa with some confusion.
Mikasa stared at Lock expressionlessly and said, "Annie was right back then. You just like playing the hero in front of girls."
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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