Attack on Titan: The Strongest Newcomer

Mikasa scanned the faces of her fellow soldiers. Everyone's expressions were grim, filled with tension. The emergence of these events had caught even the most experienced among them off guard.

"Well, just stay close to us," Petra said, her voice steady but carrying an edge of unease.

Petra didn't fully grasp the scale of the threat they were facing, but as part of the elite squad, their first priority was to follow orders. Their next task was to regroup with the command squad, where Captain Levi and Commander Erwin would be better equipped to assess the situation.

The return to the massive forest began swiftly. The convoy, still relatively close to the tree line, made a sharp retreat, carrying their supplies back into the wooded area. Within minutes, the majority of the Survey Corps had repositioned themselves among the towering trees.

"This is unprecedented. Surrounded by giants... who would have thought?" a senior soldier muttered as he abandoned his horse and climbed into the trees, gear ready for combat.

Captain Levi was already perched on a branch, scanning the surrounding terrain. His expression betrayed no panic—only focused calculation.

"The situation is bad, yes," Levi said, breaking the tense silence. "But look at it this way: this is valuable intel. We now know giants are capable of coordinated attacks. If we hadn't encountered this today, it might've spelled disaster when the larger corps eventually launches the operation to reclaim Wall Maria."

The memory of the last attempt hung heavily over the group. Three years ago, humanity had suffered a devastating loss. The Survey Corps' outer wall expedition had resulted in a massacre: 250,000 lives lost. The weight of that tragedy lingered, a grim reminder of what failure could mean.

Levi tightened his grip on his blades. "But we have an advantage here. The forest gives us cover and tactical superiority. We fight if we have to. We retreat if it gets out of hand. Once night falls, the giants will lose their advantage, and we can withdraw more safely."

His words brought a flicker of hope. The forest provided solid ground to stand on—figuratively and literally.

"Move all food, water, and weapons into the trees," Levi commanded. "Start with essentials. The rest can wait."

The supply team worked with urgency, hauling crates into the canopy. They knew that whatever they left behind might be unreachable once the giants surrounded them.

---

Petra and her squad made their way toward Levi, weaving through the flurry of activity. She saluted him upon arrival. "Captain, what are our orders?"

"There are abnormal titans on the left wing. The soldiers there are in trouble. We're moving out to support them. We can't afford heavy losses before the battle's begun."

Levi's tone brooked no argument. His decision was calculated and efficient, driven by the need to stabilize the situation before the chaos consumed them all.

"Yes, sir!" Petra replied, signaling her team to ready themselves.

---

The left wing of the formation was in complete disarray. The giants there numbered more than twenty, including two abnormal titans whose unpredictable movements were wreaking havoc.

The soldiers on the left wing were in a desperate retreat, sprinting toward the forest with giants thundering behind them. The ground shook with every colossal step, the rhythmic pounding like the beat of a rotten war drum.

**Boom. Boom. Boom.**

"Look at that one—it's an abnormal!" someone shouted, pointing toward a towering titan that moved in an unnerving way.

The abnormal was immense, yet it moved with unnaturally quick, small strides. Its head bobbed erratically, as if its neck were broken, and its long legs kicked at anything in its path. Soldiers who couldn't keep up were batted away like insects, their ODM gear useless against the titan's sheer speed and reach.

"Why isn't it trying to eat anyone?" a soldier yelled.

"It's not about feeding," Ryo muttered, eyes narrowing. "It's trying to break our formation."

True enough, the abnormal's kicks weren't aimed to kill—it was disrupting the retreat, sowing chaos and splitting the ranks.

The second abnormal was even stranger.

Its body was grotesquely elongated, with arms that dragged along the ground. Unlike the other, this one didn't move quickly. Instead, it loomed behind, scooping up soldiers with its massive hands and tossing them into its cavernous maw with horrifying precision.

Its actions were deliberate, methodical, as if it were playing a cruel game.

"Keep moving!" Petra shouted. "Don't stop for anything!"

Ryo felt his jaw clench. The abnormalities weren't just a coincidence. Their timing, their coordination—it all pointed to something more sinister.

"The Beast Titan..." Ryo thought, his mind racing. If the Beast Titan was orchestrating this, then they were dealing with a far greater threat than they'd anticipated.

---

The squad pressed forward, closing the distance to the embattled left wing. But the chaos and the looming presence of the abnormalities made one thing abundantly clear: survival wouldn't come easy.

The forest might offer some protection, but the Survey Corps was far from safe. If anything, their struggle was just beginning.