Chapter 16

After Ymir severed the nape of the Titan, the four of them rested on the roof for a while before heading back to the headquarters.

In the distance, if they could just pass a few more Titans, they would reach the headquarters. Nike hoped fervently.

'Please let us arrive on time…!'

The area around the headquarters was quite chaotic.

Numerous Garrison Regiment and training corps soldiers were struggling against six Titans. While the soldiers outnumbered the Titans, the Titans were incredibly agile despite their size, preventing anyone from successfully cutting them down.

In the original story, Kitz couldn't handle the situation and chose to flee, taking the entire force with him under the pretext of reorganizing the central unit. Because of this, the headquarters was overrun by Titans.

What's the point of reorganizing the central unit when the headquarters is being attacked? The headquarters, after all, is the most critical position because it handles the most vital aspects during a war.

In Trost District, the headquarters plays a crucial role for the soldiers amidst the ongoing Titan invasion.

The headquarters' basic role is to supply blades and gas to the soldiers continuously being pushed back in the front lines, enabling them to fight again.

'The problem is that Kitz, in the original story, abandons the soldiers and runs. He leaves the training corps behind.'

Because of this, in the original story, the training corps ended up in a desperate situation without enough gas to escape. Many of them were helplessly devoured by Titans because they couldn't receive gas supplies in time.

Among those who perished were some trainees who, while not in the top 10 of the training corps, were evaluated as highly skilled.

Those soldiers, all devoured by Titans?

If that happens, Nike's femininity stat will spike. Ultimately, surpassing the limit, Nike would be fixed in a future where she undergoes 'mm.'

'To prevent femininity corruption, at least that issue must be resolved!'

So, Nike pointed towards the headquarters with fingers filled with determination to stop Kitz.

"Let's go inside the headquarters. The defense forces will handle the Titans outside!"

Not knowing when the retreat order might come, Nike decided not to help the soldiers fighting the Titans but instead went straight into the headquarters to deal with Kitz.

'Since I can't use maneuvering gear, I'll solve problems from behind like this, intervening in the original story to reduce casualties.'

Without strength, she used technology.

Without technology, she used knowledge.

All driven by the singular thought of not wanting to be victimized. With Christa's group, Nike arrived near the headquarters.

But they couldn't go further. Christa's group suddenly halted.

"We can't go through the main entrance! Nike, is there another way?"

Connie turned his head towards Nike as he spoke.

Just as Connie said, the entrance to the headquarters… that is, the main gate of the fortress, was being attacked by several small Titans. Through the hole created by the Titans' attack on the gate, soldiers inside were visible.

In this urgent situation, Christa, Ymir, and Connie deemed it impossible to proceed further. They believed that Titans would soon break in.

But Nike thought differently.

"What are you hesitating for? Let's go in quickly."

"How? Look at the main gate. How do you propose we get through that? Besides, even if we get in, it won't mean much. The Titans will break in soon after."

Ymir refuted Nike's words. Ymir was quite right. The main gate was blocked by Titans, and the surrounding soldiers were too occupied fighting larger Titans to look towards the gate.

Moreover, fighting Titans inside a restricted building space was impractical. It would eventually be breached.

Of course, Nike had considered all this. But she had simulated such situations in her mind many times over the past five years. Smiling confidently, Nike reassured them.

"It's okay. I have a plan."

Who said anything about using the main gate? Nike pointed towards a window where Kitz, the commander of the Garrison Regiment, was visible.

"We'll break in through that window. I have a way to deal with the Titans inside the building, so just trust me."

...

The situation was dire.

The Garrison Regiment, which had been at the front, was already decimated, and even the training corps at the middle lines were being wiped out.

As a result, the number of Titans gathering towards the headquarters was increasing.

"What should we do?"

Kitz, the commander of the Garrison Regiment assigned to defend the headquarters, was swept by fear.

No matter how many Titans they killed, they kept coming. Faced with these enormous predators, Kitz trembled all over, just like Hannes did in the past.

Moreover, small Titans were trying to break through the main gate. The number of soldiers defending against the large Titans was visibly decreasing.

In this hellish situation, where they could be breached any moment, Kitz made a decision in his panic.

'Yes. Reorganizing the central unit and focusing on the rear defense is better!'

With the frontline being helplessly pushed back, his plan was to take the forces at the headquarters and reorganize the central unit for rear defense.

That was Kitz's panic-induced plan.

"Call all the Garrison Regiment soldiers to retreat and reorganize the central unit at the rear!"

The soldiers around him welcomed this. They seemed to share Kitz's thoughts, showing signs of hope at the possibility of surviving this hell.

"Yes, sir! Understood!"

"As quickly as possible! We're running out of time!"

Kitz ordered the Garrison Regiment soldiers, which included some from the training corps, to regroup. This meant abandoning the training corps.

Following Kitz's order, the Garrison Regiment soldiers moved swiftly, calling for those fighting outside and preparing to retreat.

Kitz's order reached the ears of the elite squad leader defending the headquarters, prompting her to break into the strategy room through the window.

"Commander! What are you saying? Are you abandoning the trainees?!"

Rico, the leader in charge of defending the headquarters, protested to Kitz.

With Titan blood evaporating from her body, Rico's appearance showed all the soldiers how harsh the battlefield had been for her.

In stark contrast, Kitz's equipment was so clean it had dust on the gas nozzles of his maneuvering gear.

"We're not abandoning them! We're reorganizing the central unit and will push back from there!"

In reality, this meant using the trainees as bait to cover their retreat. Even if they held out until then, the area would be completely overrun by Titans, allowing Kitz to claim that there were too many Titans to handle.

"That's correct, Captain Rico. We must not act on emotions right now!"

"Let's follow Commander Kitz's orders. We'll be back here soon anyway!"

The soldiers around Kitz supported his decision. Their clothes were as clean as Kitz's. Rico, who had fought desperately outside, gritted her teeth at their cowardice.

'These scumbags call themselves soldiers…!'

Rico wanted to beat them senseless. If they were going to act like that, they should strip off their uniforms and run away in shame.

But there was nothing Rico could do. She could only follow her superior's order to retreat.

"Once everyone is gathered, we'll head to the rear to reorganize the central unit. Understood!"

Leaving Rico behind, Kitz repeated his order to the soldiers. As he checked his gas levels one more time, a noise interrupted him.

Clang—

The 36th squad, Christa's squad, broke the window and entered where Kitz and the other Garrison Regiment soldiers were.

"What, what's going on?! Who are you?!"

Kitz stammered, asking the intruding trainees.

Among the trainees, Nike stepped forward as their representative.

Unlike the others who were dizzy from breaking through the window, Nike quickly composed herself and approached Rico and Kitz.

"How's the situation, Rico?"

"...Not good. Commander Kitz has decided to retreat and reorganize the central unit at the rear."

"Is that so? Understood."

Hearing Rico's words, Nike was convinced.

This man before her, Kitz Weilman, the commander of the Garrison Regiment.

He was planning to flee.

"For someone built like a mountain, you act like a scared deer."

"What?!"

Nike decided to carry out the plan she had conceived long ago.

Since only a few, including Commander Pixis, could calm Kitz down, she decided to stage a mutiny here and take control of the headquarters.

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