Chapter 22: Back to beginning?

The deafening roar of the Female Titan echoed through the night, sending a cold shiver through the people of Shiganshina. Inside the inner walls, panic spread like wildfire. Carla clutched Eren and Mikasa tightly, her arms shaking as she tried to shield them from the horrors unfolding beyond.

"Where's Dad?" Eren's voice trembled, his eyes wide with fear.

Carla's throat tightened, and she shook her head, unable to answer. The truth was, she didn't know. All she had was the last, hurried message from Grisha: "Stay with the children. Watch them." She prayed to whatever god might still hear her, praying that her husband was safe.

Back in Shiganshina, the impact of Annie's scream was far more deadly than anyone anticipated. The Titans, those mindless beasts that had once been locked in a cycle of their insatiable hunger, suddenly snapped into a frenzy. Their movements became erratic, driven by some unseen force as they abnormally charged toward the fallen Female Titan. They were no longer just mindless creatures—they were predators, and Annie was their prey.

Captain Hange's voice cut through the commotion, her tone sharp with command. "Stop them! Don't let them devour the Female Titan!" she ordered, her eyes scanning the horizon.

But it was too late. Annie had already vanished.

Unbeknownst to the soldiers, Annie had managed to escape from her Titan form, slipping away into the shadows with Reiner. They had hidden themselves in one of the nearby houses, taking refuge for a brief moment. The sound of the Titans gnawing on the fallen Female Titan echoed through the streets like a macabre symphony.

Hange's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the scene, the realization dawning on her too late. She had seen this before—this was the plan. It was something from the moment she had signed the soul contract with Niikaz. With a sense of dread settling over her, Hange ordered the soldiers to hold their positions. "Stay back from the abnormal Titans," she commanded.

But it was as if time had slowed. The soldiers, paralyzed by fear and confusion, stood on the roofs, their gazes fixed on the writhing mass of Titans, all intent on tearing apart the Female Titan.

Hange didn't waste a second. Her eyes darted around frantically. There! A shadow flitted past the window of a nearby building. She wasn't sure if it was an illusion or reality, but she wasn't going to wait.

In a flash, Hange used her maneuver gear to propel herself forward, crashing through the window of the building. She landed inside, blades drawn, ready for a fight. What she saw, however, made her freeze.

Annie and Reiner stood there, faces grim, as if they knew they had been found. Before Hange could react, Annie's face twisted into a snarl. Without a moment's hesitation, she transformed once more into the Female Titan, her immense form rising up in a wave of fury.

"No!" Hange screamed, but it was too late. Annie was already charging toward the breach in the wall.

A soldier, desperate to halt the monstrous Titan, lunged forward, slashing at Annie's leg with his blades. But Annie was faster. She jumped, her powerful legs propelling her high into the air. With a single swift kick, she sent the soldier flying into the air, his body crashing against the rubble.

Petra's voice trembled with disbelief. "That Titan can jump?!" she shouted.

The Levi Squad and Captain Mike joined the fray, moving with precision and skill to block Annie's path. But Annie's agility was unmatched. Every move she made was calculated with using abnormal titan as advantages making the soldiers hard to get close of her, an elegant dance of destruction as she deftly avoided their attacks, slipping through their lines like a phantom.

Levi's eyes narrowed, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew the stakes. They had to stop her, or it will cost of the entire mission to be fail. He turned to Erwin and Niikaz, his voice gruff.

"We can't let her escape outside the wall. We have to stop her, or everything will collapse!"

Niikaz's eyes flared with determination, her fists clenched as she prepared for the inevitable. "Captain Levi, stop her. I'll deal with Bertholdt."

Levi hesitated, his gaze flickering toward Niikaz. "And what do you think you're doing?"

Niikaz smiled faintly, her expression unreadable. "I know my limits. Don't worry about me. We need to stop female titan at any cost. Let me take care of colossal titan. I have a plan" .Even thought its not very convincing to Erwin and Levi when they saw Niikaz situation is still in her weakened stage, but they don't have a luxury choice either.

Levi clicked his tongue, his impatience palpable. "Tch, don't be reckless." But it was clear that Niikaz had made up her mind.

With a sharp motion, Levi launched himself into the air, his maneuver gear whizzing as he aimed for Annie. But Niikaz was already in motion, soaring toward Bertholdt, who was rapidly closing in on the inner wall.

The Colossal Titan stood towering over the battlefield, his massive form looming ominously above the soldiers below. Bertholdt's hand reached out, grasping the edge of the wall as if preparing to tear it apart. Heat radiated from him, the air shimmering as steam poured from his body.

The soldiers below had no choice but to keep their distance, knowing that any attempt to get too close would result in being burned alive by the scorching heat. But Niikaz didn't hesitate. With a burst of speed, she ascended into the air, faster than any human could dream, and she was upon him in an instant.

As the Colossal Titan's hand clutched the wall, a collective gasp rippled through the people below. They stared up at the titan, wide-eyed and trembling.

Eren's voice cracked, barely audible as he stared up at the beast. "What... what is that..." he whispered, his heart gripped by terror.

The Colossal Titan's eyes bore down on them, a reminder of humanity's helplessness. The people of Shiganshina, once safe behind the walls, now found themselves once again at the mercy of the Titans. The very walls they had relied on for so long were nothing more than fragile barriers, incapable of stopping the oncoming storm.

And in that moment, all of humanity was reminded of the horror of being caged like animals—helpless, trapped, and at the mercy of creatures far beyond their control.