Vol 1.3: Alone
Upon further inspection of the so-called 'gas' that ODM gear uses, I can conclude that it's highly flammable and prone to exploding if handled improperly. Its properties aren't like anything I've seen before. High amounts of energy, like coal, but able to be broken down into a gas-like form for use in ODM gear.
I wonder where this material comes from. There's a source somewhere. It's also most likely mined, the main question then remains—how does it get turned into gas? Technology here isn't the most advanced and Wall Maria itself doesn't appear to be rich in...anything besides cows.
Woosh!
I've spent a little over a week in this fantasy world and have only observed portions of Wall Maria, Shiganshina District and Trost District. Moving into the inner walls might prove a bit troublesome if I were to move my entire stock of supplies with me.
Perhaps I'd have to abandon a majority of it for the sake of mobility.
Woosh!
I let out a small burst of gas and then stopped, allowing inertia to propel me forward. It's the most cost-effective way of using ODM gear while on a limited supply of gas. Highly pressurized bursts, followed by skilled grapples allow for one to maintain top speed while conserving resources.
If there was any better method to using ODM gear that I hadn't seen or invented yet, I didn't know. The MPs don't use their ODM gear in the slightest, so I'd have to rely on the Scouts or Garrison to improve my technique.
However, I'm confident of my mastery. It only took a day, after all.
Woosh!
SLICE!
The blades that came with ODM gear weren't as weak as I expected. There were no chips or cracks in the blades, even after heavy use on the tree branches and other materials around here. I guess that can be excused, these are titan killers, after all.
Perhaps Titans have skin akin to leather or something harder.
I wonder what the weaknesses of the Titans are?
Would they die due to blood loss? Perhaps—living creatures need blood to survive. Losing an abundance of it would be detrimental to anything, supernatural or not.
Decapitation?
Landing on a nearby tree branch, I looked a the swords. They were double-sided, but were they long enough to decapitate a titan?
Maybe there was something else that I was missing in my assessment.
ODM gear is used to combat titans, and the swords on the sides are the weapon. Could that mean Titans have a weakness high up on their body that a normal human cannot reach? There's a possibility.
I scratched the back of my neck, feeling my nape...
Nape...
That's a plausible theory. Titans approach from the front, they are tall. Their weakness is the nape of the neck—and humans need ODM gear to outmaneuver and swiftly slice the nape. Cutting or breaking the spinal cord will effectively kill every animal, after all.
I wonder how someone found that out.
I poked my finger on the edge of the swords, drawing a bit of blood even from a simple touch.
"..."
That was a bad decision.
I wonder if Titans are intelligent enough to know their weaknesses. Or are they some sort of mindless creature that only cares about feeding on humans?
Why would they even feed on humans in the first place? There's no obvious nutritional value to feasting on humans. We're mostly bone with a thin layer of muscle covering it. Are they like Blue Whales, where they have to eat a bunch of smaller things to sustain themselves?
If that's the case, then why haven't they gone extinct yet if everyone here is behind a set of walls? Surely they should've all starved right about now unless they eat creatures other than humans. Certainly, there's a library somewhere in the inner walls where I can find more information.
Or perhaps I'd have to see a titan in person to fully grasp what they are.
My pants feel itchy...
Woosh!
Zip!
I landed safely at camp, my horse was nowhere to be seen. That was no matter, however. I didn't need it at the moment.
Rumble...
"Sigh..." I reached into one of the bags and took out a few pieces of salted meat—beef. They were still raw, so cooking it was in order.
I went out to gather some dried sticks for the fire. It reminded me of the Island Exam early in the year. That brought back memories.
I wonder what...Class D was doing now that I was gone? I wouldn't be able to observe their growth any longer that's for sure. Horikita, Class D, Ichinose, Class B, Ryuuen...Sakayanagi... Kei...All my plans for them have gone to waste now.
Will they miss me?
Most definitely.
Ichinose and her class will crumble to bits by the end of the second year. Not even Kanzaki could salvage their situation.
Ryuuen and Sakayanagi won't get their rematches. I'm unsure what Ryuuen would do, but his growth would probably start to stagnate as soon as my disappearance was announced. There wouldn't be much of a motivation anymore.
On the other hand, I don't think Sakayanagi stands a chance against the White Room student or Tsukishiro. My plans for her were barely in motion when I poofed out of existence. The one thing for certain is that everything will start to deteriorate quickly.
Kei will be left to rot without me...
Horikita's development had reached a sufficient enough stage where she could compete with the other class leaders, but not beat them in their entirety. And without me, her morale would take a massive hit unless she could become self-sustaining.
The conversation with Horikita Manabu and the events afterwards played in my head like rewinding back in time.
"Maybe so. But don't you want to leave something here while at this school? If that's the case, then I think the question Do you think that continuing like this will have any meaning in the future? Is something you should think about carefully."
"Leave something behind... that's something that only someone that stands out as much as you can do."
"If you can't imprint your legacy at the school itself, you just need to do it to the students. Let the student known as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka be carved into the minds of the students, and they will not forget your existence."
"I'm very grateful to you for helping my sister to grow. You have hidden your great power, and throughout the year, I have come to fully understand that. You are not a man who would stop at just this level. And that's why... don't disappoint me."
"If you are truly going to pursue yourself despite the restrictions, then in these three years, you will be an existence that will be remembered by others."
"Becoming an unforgettable existence? It's still possible for me to be expelled during the second and third years."
"Even if you were involved in several incidents these three years and face the fate of dropping out, you will remain in the memory of others. As long as students are looking back at the three years and thinking that 'The existence of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is truly great,' I think it can already be considered a success."
"Nii-san!"
A shout came from behind me. As for whose voice it was, there was no doubt it was that person.
After hearing this voice, the elder Horikita stopped walking.
It seems like at the very end, she was able to catch up.
Horikita Suzune hurriedly stood to my side as she panted.
But right now, to Horikita Suzune, there was no difference between me and the background.
I was not in her field of vision. She took a step towards her brother while catching her breath. "I'm sorry, I'm late...!"
She apologized to her brother with her head down.
"You've changed."
The elder Horikita, who after seeing his sister felt relieved, said softly.
"I've...changed?"
"Let me correct myself. You've returned to yourself, Suzune."
This wasn't a new beginning, but instead a return to one's roots.
"One year, No... many years have passed."
Horikita Suzune had only thought about her brother's affairs and therefore had only lived for her brother so far.
It was all about learning more and getting more athletic to gain approval from her brother.
"Then I ask you this, to you who has finally stopped chasing after me. How will you live in the future?" Her brother raised this question. Horikita got her breathing under control and chose her words carefully.
"I'll no longer chase the backs of others, so I'll have to find my path."
Horikita, who stopped and did not turn around, said this while standing still. Her face wasn't facing me. No, it was more accurate to say that she couldn't face me.
"What is it?"
Although I understood within, I pretended to ask anyway. If it were the usual calm and collected Horikita, she would have noticed that I was playing dumb.
But, today's Horikita couldn't see through my facade. "I... I want to walk around a bit before going back."
She had an expression that said she secretly wanted me to go back to myself without her first.
"Walk around?"
I caught up with Horikita in this state.
"Why... are you following me?"
Horikita didn't look back as she whispered that at me.
"Yeah, I wonder why."
"If there's no reason, don't follow me."
Despite the rejection from her, I wasn't planning on going back. Because during this one year, she's done some undesirable things to me many times.
"Then let me explain why. It's because I wanted to tease you."
"...What are you saying, I don't understand."
"Oh, so let me tell you then."
"You don't need to."
"No, I insist."
I opened my mouth slowly, to break that resolute defence of hers.
"When you're sad, you shouldn't suppress those feelings. Wouldn't it be better to just cry?"
"Don't... Don't want..."
Horikita's voice started to tremble slowly.
During these 2 long years, Horiikta would have no choice but to fight, here at this very school.
"But, isn't there no other way...!"
Within the unyielding Horikita's eyes, something that was held back for so long finally flowed out Now, she thought about her brother who had just left.
"But—!"
"I finally...finally realized the errors of my ways...!"
Horikita collapsed and fell to her knees. Both hands covered her face, trying to hold back the tears that kept flowing out.
"Yet I've been separated from my brother again...!"
If it was possible, Horikita would want to walk out of that entrance together with her brother. The sister solemnly saw her brother off silently.
"Yeah. You'll be alone now."
"Alone...Alone...!"
The loud weeping girl was like a child...
I returned to the camp in silence, the remnants of the previous fire dispersing in the gentle breeze. I remembered Horikita's crying, troubled features...
I kicked the ashes that remained to the side.
To think those memories were made less than 2 weeks ago, at a different time, with different people. I wonder what my expression was like at the moment.
I felt myself get colder.
Placing dried sticks on the ground, I arranged them meticulously, preparing to kindle a new flame. The flint and steel worked seamlessly as I struck them together.
Crack!
Crack!
Fwoosh!
Tiny sparks burst forth, embracing the tinder.
I would never see them again.
I was trapped in this mysterious place, my new goal seemed forever out of reach.
I merely existed within these confining walls, grappling hooks clunkily tethered to me, tools for killing man-eating giants usually wielded by an inept military.
I'll admit, I felt a pang of disappointment.
The fire cracked, shaking me from my contemplation. Placing a piece of meat on the ODM sword's sharp tip, I suspended it over the flames, watching as it slowly cooked. The sizzle of beef fat meeting the fire filled the air.
Reaching into one of the pouches, I retrieved some stale bread and cabbage, nibbling on them while waiting for the beef to cook.
There was no use dwelling on the past.
After a few minutes, the food was finished cooking. Biting into the beef proved to be easy as I purposefully left it on long enough to be medium-well in texture. Spending time grinding food between my molars wasn't the best option.
I wonder if they have ice cream or yogurt within the walls. Pudding, maybe.
I ate my meal in silence, and ambient sounds made my situation more bearable in the short term. I could identify the calls of several birds—making it into a sort of game while I waited to finish my food.
If I had been teleported here through supernatural means, could that mean some of my friends could come here through the same method? Would that even be possible? Who would come through then?
A White Room student could survive here with ease, most definitely—
!!!
The sound of horses galloping in the background filled my senses as I snapped my head towards the direction. They must've tracked me quickly...or this place is a common bandit ground and they quickly made the assumptions.
I estimate they're around around 700 meters away, and closing in quickly.
With haste, I grabbed a few necessities, refilled my gas, and blades, and grabbed some food for the trip.
I took one of the ignited sticks and threw it on the cart where the ODM gear and muskets were placed, near the gunpowder and muskets.
I quickly ascended up towards the trees, travelling at least 100 meters in less than 3 seconds and waited in a treetop, close to where the action was.
The gunpowder will go off in...
3...
2...
1...
Boom.
A deafening boom shattered the tranquillity of the forest, announcing the obliteration of all the ODM gear, weapons, and supplies I had acquired not even two days prior. The explosion resonated through the trees, its intensity accentuated by the volatile gas feeding the inferno.
Hopefully, there wouldn't be a forest fire.
"What was that!?"
"An explosion! Over there!"
"Quick! They must've heard us coming! Switch to ODM gear! Don't let them get away!"
"Sir! But what about the stolen gear!? We can still save it!"
A moment of hesitation hung in the commanding officer's voice.
"Shoot, you're right! Grab something and try to put the fire out!"
Four figures darted into action, the lead issuing orders. Tempting as it was, I refrained from ending their lives then and there. Instead, I became a spectator, my presence vanishing as I watched them futilely attempt to quell the flames. Their efforts proved useless; the stolen gear was consumed, and the elusive suspect—me—had slipped away.
Launching into the air, I connected with the horse I had strategically positioned at the forest's edge and swiftly rode off. The Military Police, presuming I remained within the confines of the forest, unequipped with ODM gear and oblivious to my mastery of it, commenced a frantic search.
Calls for reinforcements echoed through the area as I made my escape toward Karanes District on the East side of Wall Rose. By nightfall, I aimed to slip through the town unnoticed, progressing towards the interior of Wall Rose.
"This is going to be a pain..." I muttered.
A cup of coffee would be amazing right now...
||𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑: 𝐖𝐀𝐗 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒||
Keith Shadis fixed a steely gaze on the jittery messenger, his weathered eyes boring into the youth standing before him, a third his age. Though his exterior remained stoic, the fury simmered beneath the surface as he absorbed the disheartening news.
"So you're saying..."
The messenger snapped to attention.
"Yes! The stolen gear was found! B-but unfortunately the bandits blew it all up...ODM gear...gunpowder...r-rations..."
Their voice wavered into meek silence.
Keith rubbed his temples, burdened with stress. Securing funding for the impending 24th expedition beyond the walls, slated for two months hence, grew increasingly challenging. The nobility and higher-ups hesitated to invest, scarred by the outcomes of the previous endeavour.
He recalled the 23rd expedition, the one that yielded their strongest asset, Levi—at the heavy cost of Section Commander Flagon, his squad, and numerous others.
This shipment of equipment was earmarked for his men, freshly churned out from Wall Rose's factories. Even if it comprised only fragments of ODM equipment, losing four pieces meant four soldiers were denied crucial tools.
The revelation that bandits, disguised as Military Police Officers, had executed the theft left Keith incensed, deepening his disdain for the MPs who seemingly couldn't discern friend from foe.
At least, that's what the report asserted.
"Okay, you're dismissed. I need to think this over," he waved off the messenger, who saluted and exited.
Keith contemplated filing a formal complaint with Chief Zackly regarding the MPs' conduct and the pressing need for replacement ODM gear. Extracting any resources from the MPs was already a Herculean task, and now the stolen gear was reduced to ashes.
"Augh... I'm getting too old for this shit..."
Would he need to postpone the expedition? Such a decision would dampen his soldiers' spirits; they were eager for a clash with the Titans, particularly Moses, a young recruit brimming with fervour.
Keith sighed, massaging his eyebrow ridge.
Meanwhile, in the backdrop, a blonde figure with surprisingly bushy eyebrows sat silently, pondering the situation—a sense of unease lingering.
The conduct of these 'bandits' defied the typical pattern. When confronted for pilfering ODM gear in previous incidents, they resisted fiercely. This time, however, they obliterated valuable equipment that could have fetched a fortune on the black market. Erwin Smith found it confounding—if these supposed bandits went to the trouble of stealing, why destroy their spoils?
"This doesn't make sense..." he mumbled.
"Of course it doesn't. They destroy what they steal. Maybe they're trying to send a message? Or they're some sort of new terrorist group?"
"Maybe..."
They were wrong.
In a remote corner of the wall, within Karanes District, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka donned in stolen Military Police attire, ODM gear, and mounted on a horse, traversed the city under the concealment of evening's shadows.
"Count Bestuzhev... Like the Russian?"
There lingered a myriad of mysteries he couldn't fathom. Towering 50-meter walls, monstrous beings that devoured humans, the presence of Japanese scripture, German language, and now Russian noble family names.
It felt akin to being trapped within the pages of a manga created by a severely deranged mind.
"Cough..."