Chapter 30: Taking Wilman Hostage

“This is what happened…” Amin recounted everything that had just transpired to Allen.

But from the disbelief in Allen’s eyes, it was clear he simply could not accept that he had turned into a Titan.

“In any case, now isn’t the time to discuss this. We should focus on convincing them to trust us,” Sikong Xu said, glancing at Allen.

“If things truly spiral out of control… Allen, you must escape beyond the Wall…” Sikong Xu’s grip tightened around his blade, his anxiety evident. The current situation was perilous even for him, and their opponents even had access to artillery.

This cannon was designed to deal with Titans. A single shot could blow half a regular Titan’s body away, and a well-placed hit to the head might kill one instantly.

“Eren Yeager! What is your true identity?” Willman’s voice thundered. Upon seeing Allen awake, he had already ordered the cannon to be loaded and readied to fire.

“I…” Allen hesitated, flashes of memory surfacing in his mind.

“I am human!” Allen suddenly shouted, fully aware that the wrong choice now would not only doom him, but also Sikong Xu, Mikasa, and Amin.

“Human, is that so…” Willman lowered his head, his gaze growing dark as he slowly raised his right hand.

“For the sake of humanity, I have no choice… No one can prove they aren’t a demon…”

The moment Willman’s hand lifted, the cannon behind him began to operate.

Sikong Xu’s hair stood on end—if that cannon fired, he would die without a doubt!

Even Mikasa and Amin felt the same. Facing death, they immediately pulled Allen back, preparing to use their maneuver gear to scale the Wall and escape the bombardment.

But Sikong Xu acted more directly.

“Damn it!” he cursed, then shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Whoosh—

He fired the grappling hooks from his maneuver gear, striking the wheels of the cannon carriage with precision. With a powerful tug, gas hissed from his gear, launching him to the front of the artillery.

Sikong Xu’s speed was astonishing—he launched himself the instant Willman raised his hand, reaching the artillery just as the gunner prepared to fire.

“Stop right there!”

Only two ordinary soldiers were stationed by the cannon, and they had no hope of stopping Sikong Xu in his rampage.

Bang! Bang!

With two simple punches, Sikong Xu subdued both cannoneers.

Fortunately, they were human—otherwise, they would have faced his anti-Titan blades and left two bloody corpses behind. Nevertheless, Sikong Xu’s actions were like igniting a powder keg; in a flash, countless soldiers swarmed to surround him.

“Send two men to continue firing! The rest, seize this traitor hiding a Titan!” Willman ordered. Standing behind the throng, he looked imposing as he commanded, though he had been the quickest to retreat when Sikong Xu charged.

“Captain, I doubt these men can stop him…” a female soldier said to Willman. “Though his scores were among the lowest in training, he just fought alongside the elites as a rear guard. His skills rival Mikasa Ackerman’s—he’s worth a hundred ordinary soldiers in combat.”

Sikong Xu vaguely recognized her; her name was Rico Brzenska.

“So, an elite among humans… Then stall him. You there, aim the cannon at Eren Yeager, that monster!”

When Sikong Xu saw Willman once again direct the artillery at Allen, his eyes narrowed—he always did that when angry.

“It seems you won’t learn your lesson until you realize some people are not to be provoked.”

More and more soldiers surrounded Sikong Xu. Though none could withstand more than a few moves, their sheer numbers kept him from breaking free.

“Allen… It’s up to you now…” The encirclement was annoying, and Sikong Xu couldn’t force his way to stop the cannon. Still, he trusted Allen’s abilities; he could temporarily summon the Titan’s skeleton for defense, protecting Mikasa and Amin. Whether he would succeed was uncertain—this wasn’t an anime, after all.

Boom—

The cannon roared, spewing thick smoke; the round exploded overhead with a force comparable to a small amount of TNT.

Zzzap!

Suddenly, a flash of yellow lightning appeared out of thin air—so bright that everyone instinctively shielded their eyes.

As they opened them again, they were confronted by a terrifying sight.

A massive skeleton had materialized, half-kneeling on the ground, one bony hand raised protectively, the other—covered with muscle—broken off halfway.

Mikasa and Amin were sheltered beneath the Titan’s ribs.

“This… What is…”

“It’s a Titan…”

The soldiers brandishing swords at Allen were stunned. The spectacle was overwhelming—even those who’d heard rumors of Allen’s transformation were left speechless upon seeing it firsthand.

“A Titan! It’s a Titan! It’s going to eat us—fire, fire!” Willman, commander of the Garrison, was in such panic he nearly lost control of his bowels.

“Hmph! I’d like to see you try!” After stewing for some time, Sikong Xu finally erupted. He flung off the two men restraining him and charged forward, bursting from the crowd.

This time, however, Sikong Xu’s target was not the cannon, but Willman himself, who had been hiding behind his troops.

“What are you doing? Someone, stop him!” Willman had realized Sikong Xu was coming for him, but no one could halt Sikong Xu’s advance.

Rico Brzenska, standing by Willman, stepped forward to intercept. Her skills surpassed those of ordinary soldiers, but to Sikong Xu, she was still only a brief obstacle.

“Soldier Sikong Xu! Stop! Assaulting a superior is a serious crime!” Rico blocked his path, launching a kick at him.

“Out of my way!” Sikong Xu, charging like a mad bull, twisted his body mid-stride, seemingly anticipating her attack before she even moved, and dodged with an awkward but effective motion.

Rico had expected, at the very least, to slow him down, but was caught off guard by how easily he evaded her blow.

Bang!

Sikong Xu responded with a sharp elbow to her abdomen.

“You… ugh…” Rico dropped to one knee, winded by the strike.

“Someone! Stop him!” Willman, seeing his last defense crumble, turned to flee, but Sikong Xu was faster.

Whoosh!

He caught up, kicked Willman’s calf, sending him sprawling, then hoisted him up by the collar.

“I dare any of you to fire again!” Sikong Xu bellowed, cowing all the soldiers present.

Even Allen and Amin, just emerging from the Titan remains, were stunned; only Mikasa remained composed.

“How did Xu become so strong…” Allen murmured. As a child, Sikong Xu had been tough, but never to this extent.

“Maybe he didn’t want to reveal his strength during training,” Amin said haltingly. “But now things are even messier… Taking a superior hostage…”

“Fire! Fire! Don’t mind me—just blast that monster!” Willman, still in Sikong Xu’s grip, yelled desperately at his men.

“Do you really think I won’t kill you?” Sikong Xu, enraged by Willman’s arrogance, drew his steel blade and pressed it to the captain’s throat.

“You…”

Feeling death so close, Willman’s words died in his throat as silence fell over the scene.

“All right… Everyone, stand down…” Suddenly, a bald old man emerged from behind Sikong Xu…