Chapter 11: Accusations

Chapter 11: Accusations

Facing the protagonist's roar, CLAY's response was very simple.

Bang! With a punch, he knocked Eren to the ground.

This action immediately caused a lot of tension, but Commander Pixis simply waved his hand, signaling everyone to watch quietly.

"Put away your ridiculous weakness. Do you really think I would risk a military tribunal to falsely accuse a colleague?"

With just one sentence, he left Eren speechless.

Indeed, he wasn't familiar with Jason, but the latter didn't seem like someone who would falsely accuse a comrade. What good would that do?

"No, that's not right." Eren shook his head vigorously, almost getting caught up in the other's narrative.

What needed to be proven now was not the false accusation, but why those three people would kill Marco.

If no specific motive could be provided, then there was a significant problem with the whole situation.

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, CLAY's tone suddenly became somber. He squatted down, staring intently at the protagonist: "Eren , you've seen the Colossal Titan more than once, haven't you? Haven't you ever doubted how the enemy appears?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"That strange golden lightning and the sudden disappearance ability, isn't it exactly like your Titan transformation?"

Implicitly, the Colossal Titan was also transformed from a human.

Many people present had similar thoughts, so there wasn't much surprise. A few perceptive individuals, like Commander Pixis sitting in his chair, had already guessed what he was about to say.

"Hey, kid." Levi stepped forward, his calm eyes hiding turbulent waves: "You're not saying..."

"Exactly." CLAY nodded affirmatively, every word teasing the nerves of the audience: "I hid and overheard their conversation, confirming that Bertolt is the Colossal Titan and Reiner is the Armored Titan."

Eren , overwhelmed by shock, could only stare dumbfoundedly in silence.

"I was about to leave when I discovered Marco had appeared and openly admitted to eavesdropping on the conversation."

"Then Reiner and Bertolt attacked Marco, and Annie, who arrived later, removed his vertical maneuvering equipment and threw him under the feet of a Titan."

This revelation plunged the room into dead silence. No one expected a third Titan to be hiding among the new recruits.

"Speaking of which, those three seem to be from the same hometown." A man resembling an instructor hesitantly spoke up, adding fuel to the fire.

The three had arrived together; if two of them were problematic, the remaining one couldn't possibly be innocent.

Even without direct evidence, they had to treat the other as a Titan.

Everyone's expressions revealed their excitement. After much hardship, they had finally identified several Titans. Now, all that was left was to organize a capture operation.

However, things wouldn't end so simply.

"Impossible!" Upon hearing that Annie was also a suspect, Eren couldn't sit still any longer and stood up, wanting to confront Jason.

The girl who taught him combat, the so-called ladylike violent maniac, whose cold exterior hid a tender heart.

Yes, Eren felt it, though he might not understand why.

Marco's death could be set aside for now; he couldn't accept Jason's malicious accusations.

Eren 's sudden outburst was unexpected, and the Captain almost instinctively raised his right leg, ready to kick him away the next second.

He didn't trust the boy much, not to mention kicking; if necessary, he wouldn't hesitate to draw his sword.

But Levi was a half-step slow this time. Just as he raised his leg, that guy named Jason had already drawn his sword and placed it against the boy's neck.

"I warn you, better understand your position." Under the threat of the blade, Eren 's defiance softened, but his eyes remained filled with anger.

Seeing this, CLAY's face suddenly broke into a radiant smile, devoid of any warmth, only undisguised malice.

"You're even more naive than I thought. Do you really understand who you're speaking for?"

"If Bertolt is the Colossal Titan, that means he destroyed the Shiganshina district. If I'm not mistaken, that's where your hometown is, right?"

Eren froze on the spot, the image of the Colossal Titan kicking the wall and the horrifying scene of his mother being devoured by a Titan flashing through his mind.

"That person, is he really..."

"We'll know soon enough." CLAY turned to look at a woman with a crazed demeanor.

Hanji Zoe, one of the Survey Corps' squad leaders, a renowned scientist, had made significant contributions to Titan research, holding the most advanced findings.

Having finally captured two Titans, she was determined to study them personally, hoping to uncover the truth hidden within the Titans.

"To prevent the secret from being exposed, those three will surely act, perhaps even secretly kill the captured Titans."

Indeed, Reiner and Annie were planning something that night, partly to prevent Hanji from discovering the truth about the Titans, and partly to test Annie's loyalty to Marley.

Annie had shown resistance when they killed Marco, so she needed to prove her stance through actions.

Among the trio, only Bertolt had not participated, but CLAY wouldn't let him off easily.

If he could sever the spinal cord with a single cut, the opponent would lose the ability to transform. It sounded simple enough.

Just find the nerve on the back of the neck, along the posterior root of the spinal nerve, and cut it.

In other words, a stab in the neck could almost instantly kill a Marleyan warrior in human form.

Moreover, dismembering limbs wouldn't kill them; it would only hasten their Titan transformation.

For other newcomers, even if they were lucky enough to overhear the trio's conversation, they would likely fail in their mission.

The probability of death was at least 70%, otherwise, the space wouldn't issue such a stern warning.

"Those who complete the mission are one in a thousand, not to mention the feat of killing Bertolt alone."

Considering his previous mission experiences, CLAY knew the reward would be proportional to his performance.

If he could kill the Colossal Titan alone, the reward would be astonishing.

It was worth the gamble.

In the next half hour, Commander Pixis began assigning specific tasks, considering Jason's background and identity, and agreed to his special request.

"It's finally starting."

(End of Chapter)