Paradis Island.
Inside Wall Maria, in the city of Maria.
The Scorpio Corps advanced at a pace that defied belief.
Because the Jaw–Armored Titan's presence drew in the power of three Titans, hordes upon hordes of mindless Titans charged straight at them.
At first, the Scorpio soldiers—most of whom had never seen so many Titans at once—were scared witless. But then their leader, Roger Eikam, swung that enormous crimson scythe through the Titan masses, reaping every one that came at them. The moment they saw that, their fear eased.
They stared at the mountains of Titan corpses piling up before them; they could even tie off their horses and chat about what to have for dinner.
Harvest after harvest—after roughly thirty minutes, almost no Titans dared approach.
Roger yawned.
He was tired.
Like camping out in the wild, with Titan steam rolling skyward, Roger ordered the Scorpio soldiers to deliver finishing strikes to the napes, while he used the War Hammer Titan's power to heave the ground upward and mold a crystal high ground.
He kept shaping from there, and, with some interest, used the War Hammer Titan's power to raise houses.
Everyone who witnessed it wore the same stunned expression—especially Krista Lenz.
Sent by the Survey Corps, she had seen Roger's Titan before, but watching this impossible force with her own eyes still left her uneasy and afraid.
What kind of power lifts a slab of earth so Titans can't easily approach?
What kind of power gives everyone a roof so they don't have to sleep under the open sky?
"Incredible…"
Krista was dazed; there was no calming down from this.
Even the Scorpio soldiers, who were mentally prepared for their boss's strength, were at a loss for words.
"Too strong!!"
"Boss, you're amazing!!"
"Long live Roger!!"
They cheered.
But the War Hammer's power burned through his stamina. He couldn't build a house for each soldier, so he compromised: he made his own quarters a bit luxurious, then dropped his Titan form and moved in.
Roger chose a campsite close to the river for easy water.
After setting the rest in order, he started tidying his house.
It was his first time living in something like this. The walls weren't exactly transparent; they were a pure white crystal, not very smooth—but livable.
He told Tours Beak to post lookouts for Titans and keep watch against surprise attacks, then to keep a few guards at his side. With that, Roger slept soundly.
The War Hammer Titan's strength was terrifying, but the stamina cost was no joke. Just raising that chunk of ground had almost drained him dry.
He wanted to sculpt more houses for everyone, but he simply didn't have the strength.
"I'm counting on you, Tours."
He gave the order before sleep took him.
Tours nodded. "Don't worry, boss. If anyone makes a move against you, I'll die first, then wake you up."
"Idiot. Wake me first so it doesn't come to that."
"Ah. Right."
Tours grinned, embarrassed.
Roger smiled too. Tours was thickheaded, sure—but for loyalty, no one could match a ten-thousandth of his. Not even Levi.
Roger knew Levi only agreed to remain with Scorpio because Roger had placed Levi's comrades well. Bound by his own conscience—and guilt toward Roger—Levi decided to stay.
Roger pinched the bridge of his nose and pushed the thoughts aside.
Right now, he needed rest.
Just as sleep was taking him—
[Have you ever eaten a person?]
He opened his eyes at the voice.
[I promise: eat one healthy adult, and I'll give you inexhaustible stamina for a week.]
"No need," Roger said, closing his eyes again.
[Shame.]
[Everything here is rotten—the people, even their ideas.]
[Boring.]
"Shut up."
Roger's words landed like a command, and the mysterious parasitic entity fell silent, too cowed to speak another word.
Because it was afraid.
For all its bluster about Roger, it truly feared him.
It had seen, and felt, Roger's resolve to kill it.
That blade he'd once pressed to his own heart—if it hadn't yielded, Roger would have driven it home.
Back then, when it clung to him, it watched him claw back from a bullet through the heart by sheer will and Titan power. Even so, it didn't dare gamble now.
Because Roger's stamina was spent. If he died now, it might die with him.
Quiet returned.
Roger slept.
On the second day, he transformed again and continued building the houses on the slope.
He split the Scorpio Corps into many detachments and sent them out to hunt Titans farther afield.
Well-drilled, and with Roger as their ace, their fear of Titans dwindled to almost nothing.
Without fear, they could fight at full strength.
With that, their Titan-slaying results were solid.
Days passed like this.
Using the War Hammer's power, Roger built houses for everyone—three rooms and a hall—so after each Titan-hunt, they could sleep in peace.
With that shelter, no one feared Titans anymore.
Compared to the Survey Corps' plight, they treated Titan-killing more like "work."
Titans seemed stupid and laughable.
Facing them, the soldiers felt like hunters; the Titans, oversized prey.
They realized Titans aren't invincible—humans can kill them.
But they stayed cautious toward Titans with intelligence.
As time went on, they finally reached the broken gate in Wall Maria where the Armored Titan had smashed through.
Standing by the gate, they felt it: they'd finally won one back for humanity!
And while they were still cheering—the Survey Corps arrived.
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