I didn't hear anything, did you hear anything?

Observing the charred bodies of soldiers scattered across the ground, Reiner, now in his human form, broke the silence:

"None of them have one of the Nine Titans. If they did, they would have survived."

Annie and Bertolt exchanged worried glances, nodding in agreement. The doubt in their minds grew with each passing second: could Kazuya be lying about the location of the Jaw Titan?

*

Far from the headquarters, two figures were running on foot, without their horses. The silence between them was only broken by the hurried pounding of their feet.

"Ymir, we need to go back and help them!" Historia shouted, trying to free herself from Ymir's firm grip, who continued to pull her along with determination.

Ymir, however, remained silent, focused on her goal. Reiner is coming after me, she thought. She recalled the moment Armin arrived at the headquarters, exhausted and frantic, reporting the recent events. At first, Ymir was reluctant to believe him, but when Armin deduced that Reiner was after Eren, doubt crept in. Could I be next? After all, she possessed the Jaw Titan, and that alone made her a target.

"I just need to save her," Ymir thought, casting a quick glance at Historia, who was still struggling to break free.

Suddenly, a heavy sound reverberated through the ground, as if something colossal was approaching. Historia stopped struggling, alarmed.

"Ymir... what is that?" she murmured, the fear already evident in her eyes.

In the distance, two massive Titans appeared on the horizon — Annie and Reiner, both transformed. Close behind, Bertolt and Kazuya were quickly approaching.

"It's them... they've come for me," Ymir concluded, terror growing as she felt Historia's frightened gaze.

Without hesitation, Ymir transformed into the Jaw Titan. The shock of the transformation caused Historia to stumble and fall to the ground. Kazuya, watching from afar, smirked in satisfaction. It was obvious that Ymir would try to flee as soon as she learned of Armin's deduction. And of course, she wouldn't leave Historia behind.

The three Titans collided in a fierce battle. When Ymir was about to be captured by Reiner's powerful hands, Kazuya intervened.

"Wait, Reiner. Let me talk to her," he said, calmly dismounting his horse.

Reiner, still holding Ymir, obeyed and gently placed her on the ground. In her Titan form, Ymir tried to bite Kazuya, but he merely laughed.

"Don't be like that," Kazuya said, his tone disdainful. "Or would you prefer I kill that girl?" He pointed to Historia, lying on the ground, frozen in fear.

Ymir's gaze shifted instantly, focusing on Historia. Her eyes screamed a silent threat: If you touch her, you die.

Kazuya smiled, understanding the message clearly. "Don't worry, I have nothing against her. In fact, I can spare both of you."

Those words made Ymir hesitate, as Reiner and the others watched silently, already familiar with Kazuya's plans.

"You stole the Jaw Titan, Ymir. It belongs to Marley. All we ask is that you return it. We're not demanding anything that is rightfully yours. You took it by force, and because of that, you're a criminal. Surrender and hand over the Jaw Titan," Kazuya said, his eyes fixed on Ymir.

Ymir cast one last glance at Historia. She knew what giving back the Titan meant: she would be devoured, meeting her end. But at least, Historia would live.

With a heavy heart, Ymir nodded slowly.

"Release her," Kazuya ordered, mounting his horse again.

Reiner, obedient, let go of Ymir, who ran toward Historia. Her Titan form cast a massive shadow over the girl. Historia, trembling with fear, remained motionless on the ground.

"Ymir..." Historia whispered, her eyes filled with tears.

Ymir's monstrous hand gently slid through Historia's hair, a silent gesture of farewell. "I'm sorry," she thought.

Tears streamed down Historia's face as she sobbed Ymir's name.

Ymir turned and walked toward Kazuya, leaving Historia helpless, crying on the ground.

And so, the six figures headed toward the horizon, in the direction of Shiganshina.

They could return to Marley and be hailed as heroes, but Kazuya stopped them, claiming there was just one more thing needed to complete the mission.

Eren's basement. Inside, valuable information about the Nine Titans and Marley was kept, dangerous secrets that could never fall into the hands of the island's devils. Such knowledge would be a deadly weapon against Marley.

Kazuya justified: they needed to destroy all evidence left behind by Eren's father.

As they marched, Kazuya muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the path, but his mind wandering elsewhere. "Yes, yes... this is it. They can't find out... They need me... only I know what to do," he whispered, too low for the others to hear.

Bertolt, riding beside him, cast a suspicious glance but remained silent. Reiner, farther away, watched Kazuya's lips moving, even though no sound was coming out.

Damn, the voices are coming back, Kazuya thought, the familiar chill running down his spine. He tried to focus, but the words echoed in his mind, whispering like serpents.

"They know, Kazuya. Everyone knows you're a fraud."

He clenched his fists, trying to ignore it.

"They're waiting to expose you. To show that you're not the great Kazuya."

His heart raced. He noticed the subtle glances from the people around him.

"You're not special. You're not the chosen one."

"They follow you, waiting for you to make a mistake."

Cold sweat slid down Kazuya's neck. He forced a smile, but he felt the mask beginning to crack.

As the voices grew louder, a hand on his shoulder pulled him from his spiral.

"We've reached Wall Maria," the voice echoed, snapping Kazuya back to reality.

It was Bertolt. He had noticed that Kazuya hadn't spoken since the wall appeared on the horizon and decided to intervene.

With his face still damp with sweat, Kazuya merely smiled, as if he were in control.

"All right, everyone. We're here," he said, finally fixing his gaze on the wall.

"It's almost there. Soon I'll devour you all," he thought, as the group advanced toward the entrance.