88 The Power of The Survey Corps

In a small abandoned village, three squads of elite Survey Corps began intercepting the female titan with determination. 

"Swoosh!" 

With a slash a bloodstain appeared on the female titan's arm, and she obviously discovered that these soldiers were more attentive than the previous ones, they usually didn't move so much to attack her directly, they always moved around her. 

After Takashi reminded the senior Survey Corps commanders he especially emphasized the danger a titan with intelligence could pose to the Survey Corps.

The old experience of dealing with abnormal titans may not work, and the main thing they should do is to delay or retreat as soon as contact was made with them and in accordance with Eren's loss of physical strength as he transformed into a titan, Erwin formulated the tactic of evasion and delay. 

Currently, there are fourteen people in the three squads that besieged the female titan in the deserted village and only after a while two of them have died. The one commanding the attack is Dirk, a veteran who joined the Survey Corps for many more years than anyone else. 

He was very cautious, he did not think of taking the head of the female titan, but he made sure to delay it as much as he could along with the other three squads, slowly they started to wound the female titan, according to the commander this could consume the physical strength of any intelligent titan. 

But even with such caution, the interception team of the three squads soon suffered casualties. It was more than obvious that they were dealing with an intelligent titan, there was no other way to explain their clever moves. 

Annie found it too difficult. Evasive tactics and quick cuts continually battered her body. Once she was exhausted, her next actions would expend all her physical strength. 

She could no longer defend her weak point! 

She deliberately left an opportunity for the others to attack the back of her neck. Indeed, two people seized the opportunity and cut the back of the titan's neck, but no one knew yet that the female titan could harden her skin. 

"Crack!" 

The sound of blades breaking was heard. 

"What's going on, why can't you cut its skin!" a soldier who took advantage of the gap and cut the back of the female titan's neck was full of astonishment. 

"Look out!" 

"Broke!" 

The female titan slapped the soldier on the ground with her backhand, and the ground was dyed red with blood. 

"Boom!" 

The female titan jumped straight up and threw a kick like a haughty one towards the two soldiers who were trying to cut her ankle tendons. 

"Boom! Boom!" 

Two more soldiers were kicked against the wall of the house, splattering blood. 

Seeing this, Dirk forced himself to calm down and fired another purple flare into the sky, "Stop, we completed our mission!" 

"But up ahead is the center of the formation!" Said one soldier sweating profusely. 

"I can't let any more soldiers die, the time we gave the main body will be enough." Thought Dirk to himself and shouted, "Trust the commander, he said earlier that if we encountered a smart titan let's not stop it, we can't hold the enemy anymore, retreat!" 

Without hesitation, the three squadrons retreated decisively, Annie was a little puzzled, but did not chase after them, or did not have time to chase after them. 

Thus, the female titan crossed the formation to the end. After seeing the purple signal, many people along the way opted to slow her down as long as there was suitable terrain. 

Although the soldiers knew what they were up against, many people continued to die while delaying the female titan's path. 

From wrecking the formation to chasing Levi's class, the female titan killed over 25 people along the way. This was discovered by Armin early on. He confirmed that the female titan was intelligent and kept sending the signal, otherwise, he thought that many others would not find out. 

"Plaf!" 

An ordinary titan fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust, Takashi put away his swords and jumped onto Babas' back. 

From now on, even after they fired the red flare, the regiment leader did not see the green flare change direction. 

Therefore, the squads in front had to fight against the approaching titans, and sometimes some titans sneaked into the formation. When Takashi realized that, it was to support the formation facing the titans. Fortunately, there was no trace of a smart titan so there were no casualties. 

Takashi rode forward and caught up to Sasha at the front, "Sasha, did you see the green signal flare that changed direction?" 

Sasha was also very confused, "It was always heading east before, but after changing direction once again, there were no more signs. We haven't changed direction for a while now!" 

Frowning, Takashi looked at Sasha's squadron leader, "Major, something seems to be wrong with the formation, so where shall we go?" 

The squadron leader was also sweating on his forehead, "Something seems to be wrong with the right wing. After firing the flare signal to the east not long ago, I don't understand why there is no sign of the center. We will soon reach the forest with giant trees. Let's make a decision by then." 

Takashi had done everything possible to improve the situation of this expedition, so now it only remained to see the result that had tended all that effort together with the intelligence of Commander Erwin. 

The forest of giant trees was already in sight and when he looked at Mikasa and Connie behind him, they had already gathered. 

Takashi asked, "Are they all right?" 

Connie, who was all the way to the back of the formation next to Thomas and Nelson nodded and said with concern, "Yeah, Thomas and Nelson took it upon themselves to divert some abnormal titans, they should be right next to us any minute." 

Mikasa seemed to be thinking of something, as long as Eren was not in danger, she would be very calm, "This would be the rendezvous point for the legion, we must stop the titans from entering the forest." 

Connie was puzzled, "What about the formation?" 

Mikasa said calmly, "There are no more formations." 

Before everyone could say anything else, Sasha's squad leader said, "Recruits, tie your horses and get up into the trees immediately." 

They all got off their horses and led them to a corner of the forest. They did not have to worry about them as the titans would not attack the horses. They usually don't attack animals, "Take care Babas, I'll be right back." 

A group of soldiers climbed up to the giant trees with the help of the three-dimensional maneuvering equipment. The soldiers stood on the branches of the trees more than thirty meters above the ground and stood aside. 

Just as Takashi was beginning to worry about his friends, a soldier came up to where they were settled and said, "Takashi Ackerman, Commander Erwin Smith is requesting you in the center of the forest, move immediately at full speed." 

Takashi frowned and nodded, "Okay, take care guys." 

After saying that, Takashi disappeared at high speed and went into the forest. Takashi didn't know what was going on, but he would make sure the female titan was captured. 　 

After a while, a group of normal titans were attracted to the dozen recruits in the tree and started trying to catch them. 

Normal titans are not very smart, but they are not wooden poles and some may even have learning instincts. 

Connie looked at the dozen titans under the tree in a cold sweat, "I think, what are we doing, shouldn't we go in next to Takashi?" 

After pondering for a moment, Miaksa said, "What could the higher-ups be thinking?" 

Sasha was very puzzled, "Why aren't they informing us of anything?" 

Because Commander Erwin does not allow information to leak out, he is right in his precautions, there really is more than one recruit who is a spy right now! After a spy told her the information of where Eren was, the female titan changed her course. 

Realizing something, Mikasa's expression froze slightly, "Maybe they are on guard against something, the commander must think we are untrustworthy." 

Connie went blank, "Can't we be trusted, what have we done?" 

Seeing the restlessness of the recruits, the soldier who came to report that Takashi was required in the center of the forest said, "It's not that you are untrustworthy, it's that very few people are trustworthy right now!" 

With a curious face, Sasha asked, "Sir, do you know something?" 

The soldier does not hide it, as the problem does not lie here. There is a high probability that there are no spies among the people in this place and said, "Eren can become a titan, which means that the armored and colossal titan can also be human, according to our suspicions there is a high probability that they have entered humanity for at least five years." 

Mikasa thought of Eren, she was a little uneasy, looking at the soldier she asked, "You mean there are traitors among us?" 

"You guys what do you think?" the soldier asked uncertainty. 

No one knew who the spies were, but these people in front of him were not. It was impossible that Mikasa and Sasha were suspenders. Connie was also born on the Rose wall.

"The situation must be very confusing..." 

"A horse..." Sasha muttered as she pointed off into the distance. 

"It's Thomas' horse... Is it him?" Connie was stunned, he thought they had detoured and entered the forest from somewhere else, but it seems that wasn't the case. 

"Looks like he's wounded, distracting the titans below us!" The soldier moved to the left side and Connie wanted to follow him. 

While the others distracted the titans, Connie along with the elite soldier landed and looked at all the blood pouring out of Thomas' body. 

"Thomas, what happened?" Connie asked tensely. 

"Cof! Cof! They must...know." Thomas coughed up blood and said, "A titan.... There is a titan... white, Nelson was...." 

"A white titan?" Connie couldn't understand what had happened. 

The elite soldier said, "He seems to have discovered something, we must treat him immediately and make sure he doesn't die." 

"Yes!" 

Connie held Thomas as he panicked, he didn't know where he was injured from but we can't let him die in this place. 

While the people here didn't know what was going on, everyone started to help the injured Thomas.　　 

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" 

There were constant noises in the forest of giant trees, as if a dozen cannons were constantly bombarding a target. 

Everyone didn't know why, but Reiner, on the other hand, was a little uneasy. He didn't know whether to help. As for who to help, it was hard to say now. 

Reiner and Berthold did not act in the end. Now the major's order is that the recruits are to wait in the tree. If they dare to leave now, there is a high probability that they will be suspected. Still, they did not understand why Takashi was called. 

In the forest, after sacrificing more than a dozen members of the support class that stopped the female titan, Levi's squad that Eren was in finally led the titan into the trap. 

On the weapon that Hange Zoe invented shone this day, countless steel spines penetrated the female titan's body and bound her tightly. 

"Levi, Mike, now!" shouted Hange Zoe as she saw that the female titan had been immobilized. 

But the female titan's hardening ability made the stronger soldiers and the others helpless. 

"It's like they said in the report, it's still amazing that even if several squads weakened her on the way, she can still protect herself with hardening." Commander Erwin said with an emotionless expression. 

"Prepare the explosives..." 

However, before they could make any more plans, a roar was heard coming out of the female titan's mouth. 

"Cut her mouth, she'll call the other titans!" 

"Cut!" 

Just as the female titan's roar was about to last longer, a shadow swiftly cut the female titan's mouth. 

Smoking from her body, Takashi's blades glowed dark blue. "I told you, you'd have no escape!" 

Takashi had arrived.