Chapter 97 Triumph Amid Despair

Captain Erwin watched the chaos unfold, his expression betraying a flicker of alarm. The abnormal Titan's erratic movements, combined with its sheer size and ferocity, presented an unprecedented challenge. This wasn't just brute force—it was tactical. If this Titan rolled through a formation on flat ground, the Survey Corps would face devastating losses.

But what truly unnerved him was the creature's apparent intelligence. Its tactics were unlike anything seen before. Were these evolved Titans? Or worse, were they being directed by something—or someone—with a higher level of strategy?

As the Titan rolled across the ground, the devastation was staggering. Churning up dirt and debris, it created a chaotic scene of destruction. The grooves left in its path stretched seventy or eighty meters, a grim testament to the havoc it could wreak if it reached their formation.

The mood among the Survey Corps grew tense. They scanned the ground, searching desperately for any sign of Ryo.

"He couldn't have…" Mikasa whispered, her voice trembling.

The sight of blood pools scattered on the ground deepened the dread. Mikasa's emotions spiraled from sadness to a vengeful fury. Her grip tightened around her blades, and her eyes glimmered with resolve. If Ryo had fallen, she would destroy every last Titan in his memory.

Just as despair threatened to overwhelm the group, a voice rang out.

"Phew, it's so hot up here! Feels like I could boil eggs!"

Gasps rippled through the ranks. Heads turned toward the source of the voice. Hanging precariously from the giant's neck was none other than Ryo, grinning despite the danger.

"He's alive!" someone shouted.

The air erupted with cheers, tension melting into relief. Even Erwin allowed himself a faint smile.

Mikasa's knees buckled momentarily, her sword arm dropping as her tears of despair turned to disbelief and joy. She wiped her face quickly, her expression softening into something warmer.

Ryo's survival wasn't a stroke of luck. He had read the Titan's intentions long before it began rolling. Anticipating the move, Ryo had taken calculated steps to ensure his safety. While hacking at the Titan's arm earlier, he created a smokescreen of steam that obscured its vision and disrupted the Beast Titan's control.

Under the cover of that steam, Ryo quietly secured the anchor of his ODM gear to the Titan's neck. When the rolling began, he avoided its crushing weight by clinging to its neck—a narrow safe zone where the Titan's bulk couldn't reach him.

Once the Titan stopped rolling and stood upright, it unknowingly presented Ryo with the perfect opportunity. Its vulnerable nape was fully exposed, and Ryo wasted no time. With a precise, powerful strike, he severed the critical area.

The Titan crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

From the vantage of the Survey Corps, the sequence of events had been obscured by the rising steam and the giant's erratic movements. What they had thought was a desperate and doomed Ryo was, in fact, a carefully orchestrated victory.

As the fallen Titan's body began to dissipate into smoke, the Corps rallied around their renewed hope.

Mikasa exhaled, her anger subsiding as she looked toward Ryo, now standing triumphant amidst the fading remnants of the battle.

Ryo dusted himself off and gave a cocky wave. "Wasn't too bad, was it?"

Erwin couldn't help but smile faintly. This was no ordinary soldier. Ryo wasn't just surviving—he was thriving in impossible situations.

And though the immediate threat had passed, Erwin's thoughts turned back to the implications. If Titans like these—intelligent, tactical, and devastating—were part of their future battles, the stakes were higher than ever.