This should be Zenith's first time riding a real horse. It was so slow he could hardly believe it.
Expeditions outside the walls were never a safe endeavor. Over the years, every time the regiment left the safety of the walls to conduct a survey, it resulted in heavy casualties with very little to show for it.
But humanity inherently yearned for freedom. Where did the Titans come from? Why was humanity forced to cower behind walls? The so-called Scout Regiment existed to uncover the truth behind it all and serve as the wings of freedom for mankind.
Oluo rode a fast horse, following closely behind Levi. He was a member of the Scout Regiment's Special Operations Squad—the Levi Squad—and ranked among the most elite warriors in the entire military.
"Captain! Is it really okay to bring this guy out here? This is an expedition outside the walls, not playing house!"
Levi glanced at him but didn't reply. He wouldn't interfere with personal choices; as long as it didn't endanger the lives of his subordinates, Levi wouldn't say much.
Besides, Zenith tagging along had already received Erwin's approval.
A red signal flare shot into the sky—the sign that a Titan had been spotted. The elite squad naturally possessed flawless teamwork, not to mention that every single one of them had the ability to take down a Titan independently.
No one panicked. Oluo pulled the trigger on horseback, and two grappling hooks embedded into the massive trees ahead.
The retracting force of the cables launched him into the air. Using that momentum, he executed a graceful mid-air spin, fired his hooks a second time, and rapidly closed in on the Titan's back.
A single strike to slice off the nape of a Titan's neck was all it took to kill it. The blades of the ODM gear were forged from Iron Bamboo, a unique material so incredibly sharp that it could easily cleave through a Titan's flesh and bone.
Battles like this were merely minor interludes for the Scout Regiment. Only swarms of Titans and Abnormals could actually put pressure on them.
Zenith trailed at the back of the formation, keeping quiet. He clung tightly to his horse's back, looking exactly like a greenhorn rookie.
In his hand, however, he already held a crimson crystal.
It was a King Pandon summoning crystal, crafted from monster wraiths, plasma cores, plasma spirits, and Pandon skin. By using this crystal, he could directly summon a boss creature anywhere—the two-headed monster, King Pandon!
Chopping Titans every day was so boring. It was time for them to experience the sheer intensity the Ultra universe next door dealt with on a daily basis.
Monsters were not frail things like Titans. As a biological weapon, King Pandon stood a full 63 meters tall and weighed an astonishing 68,000 tons!
The red crystal quietly dissipated without a sound.
A trace of sweltering heat gradually began to spread through the air, followed immediately by the trembling of the earth.
"What's going on? An earthquake?"
The horses panicked, letting out long, frightened neighs. The soldiers scattered in all directions saw the signal to regroup and began an orderly retreat toward the assembly point.
Up until now, this expedition hadn't encountered any major crises—though it hadn't yielded any results either. However, an earthquake was a first for everyone.
And just when everyone thought this expedition would end like this, the vibrating earth suddenly split open, forming a massive fissure.
Rocks and dirt bulged high into the air. With an explosive boom, a monster with two bird-like heads and a body covered in spike-like protrusions crawled out from within.
"What... is that thing?!"
Even the battle-hardened soldiers of the Scout Regiment were bewildered in this moment. This was definitely not just a simple Abnormal. Setting aside its completely alien appearance, its sheer size could only be compared to the Colossal Titan that had breached the wall days ago.
Levi briefly weighed their respective combat strengths and unhesitatingly ordered them to scatter and retreat.
If the new gear had already been issued, he would have had the confidence to tangle with this monster for a bit. But as things stood, it was best not to clash with it head-on.
"Not good, this monster is heading toward the Wall!" In his panic, Oluo even bit his own tongue.
Following the direction of his finger, Levi's pupils shrank, and he immediately reined in his horse.
"Draw the giant beast's attention! Change its course!" This intense, oppressive presence stimulated the combat genes within Levi, but lacking intelligence on the creature, he wasn't sure if it shared the same weakness at the nape of the neck.
Attacking recklessly would only lead to unnecessary casualties.
Dozens of kilometers away, Hannes was shooting the breeze with his comrades when a sudden throb of anxiety flashed through his heart.
Ever since obtaining the Ultra Eye, Hannes had begun to notice changes. His aging muscles were slowly regaining their vitality, becoming even stronger than when he was young.
His marksmanship, jumping ability, and balance had all seen massive improvements.
"Hey, Hannes, why are you spacing out? Are you trying to get out of drinking this glass?"
A comrade walked over and slung an arm around his shoulder, but Hannes pushed him aside and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back."
"Oha, looks like you really are getting old. Can't even handle this little bit of booze?"
Hannes ignored him, hurriedly taking a detour to climb up the watchtower. His Ultra power passively took effect, allowing him to spot King Pandon's silhouette from dozens of kilometers away.
He absolutely could not let the tragedy of the Wall falling repeat itself. Previously, only the outlying district had been breached. If Wall Maria was broken through as well, humanity's living space would be directly slashed by a third.
"JIO—!"
Unlike his first battle, Hannes was full of energy this time, and his will to fight was much firmer. He transformed into a streak of red light and flew into the sky, crossing dozens of kilometers in an instant to land right in front of King Pandon.
Standing 40 meters tall and weighing 35,000 tons, Ultraseven stood upon the earth!
"An Abnormal? No, it looks like that special Titan that wiped out quite a few Titans during the breach. This guy actually has a 40-meter-class kin?"
Hannes briefly observed the surrounding situation. After confirming that no one was injured yet, he breathed a sigh of relief, assumed a fighting stance, and charged at King Pandon.
He had a deep appreciation for Seven's power; regular Titans were basically one-punch kills. He was confident he could end this battle in ten seconds and fly back to his teammates.
No one would notice anything unusual.
But the moment they clashed, he realized something was wrong.
The fist that could smash a Titan into a bloody mist only made this big guy take half a step back!
It was too late to react. King Pandon swung its claws left and right, striking him on the head. Immediately after, its twin bird beaks actually spat out a barrage of fireballs, directly knocking him to the ground.
Levi observed from a distance, taking in everyone's reactions—terror, panic, stupor. But Zenith... this guy was smiling?
Noticing Levi's gaze, Zenith urged his horse forward and approached him. "Captain, what do you think of that red giant?"
Levi stared into Zenith's eyes and said flatly, "What else is there to think? It's just two monsters fighting over food."
"Is that so?" Zenith raised an eyebrow, then slowly stretched his arms. "We're far enough away from them. We'll know if we just keep watching."
Power Stones, reviews, and comments— really helps a lot
Want to read ahead? Get access to 50+ extra chapters on my Patreon:
👉 patreon.com/Aragai_Sama