Chapter 32: Pisces’s Command

"Commander-in-Chief, let me handle this!"
Allen's voice echoed across the walls of Rose's Barrier, lingering for a long time.
Pixis smiled, patting Allen's shoulders with both hands. "Good, that's the spirit of a man!"
He then stepped to the edge of the wall and called down to the waiting troops below, "Bring the staff officer here!"
It was clear Pixis had made up his mind to carry out the plan; his call for the staff officer left no room for doubt.
"What?!" Armin, standing nearby, was taken aback by Pixis's decisiveness in executing the plan recounted by Sikong Xu.
"It's just an idea on paper, and now suddenly we're supposed to carry it out..."
"Perhaps Commander Pixis sees something we can't... He's accurately assessed the situation..." Allen replied weakly.
"That's right, the old man knows well that humanity can no longer afford to remain passive in defense." Sikong Xu smiled. "It's time to fight back."
"Xu, how can you call the commander an old man!" Armin corrected from the side.
"He's right, I am an old man after all." At that moment, Pixis had already ascended the wall with a group of soldiers.
He looked earnestly at the four of them.
"Young soldiers, show what you are capable of!"
...
"What is this Trost District Recapture Operation? Isn't it just sending us to our deaths?"
"With humanity's current situation, there's no technology to seal that massive breach. What is the commander thinking?"
"I don't want to return to that hell!"
"At this rate... some might desert..."
"Maybe we should..."
"You two! What are you doing?"
The captain overheard the two soldiers.
"Desertion is a grave crime—I could execute you on the spot!"

"No... Captain... We were just..."
The news spread quickly, and the soldiers grew restless. Pixis hadn't ordered the operation plan to be kept secret, nor could he have.
The previous defense of Trost District had ended in total defeat for humanity; the remaining soldiers were the lucky few who barely escaped that hellish place.
Now, being told to fight their way back, how could they not have thoughts, how could they not panic?
"Commander, the soldiers are panicking. Won't you intervene?" Sikong Xu sat listlessly atop the wall, speaking without much energy.
He had expected Pixis to execute the plan at once, but instead Pixis summoned a group of technical staff to discuss the details—something Sikong Xu had no interest in, so he left them to it.
"You proposed this plan—won't you take part?" Pixis said, his cheeks slightly flushed from the wine he sipped.
"Forget it, I'd rather exert myself physically. Thinking is too much trouble. Those soldiers, though..."
"Let the captains handle it for now. If that doesn't work, I'll step in."
"It's really tough for them..." Sikong Xu sat on the edge of the wall, legs stretched out; beside him sat Mikasa, while Allen and Armin had already been pulled into the planning discussion by the technical staff.
Watching Mikasa's slender calf swinging outside the wall, Sikong Xu was momentarily entranced—delicate yet curved, that leg could be admired for years!
"If things go on like this, there might be deserters," Sikong Xu remarked after gazing at Mikasa's beautiful legs for some time.
"Hmm... Looks like this old body will have to step in."
"Sikong Xu, have you ever heard this saying: 'When humanity engages in ceaseless struggle, as soon as there emerges a powerful enemy beyond humanity, people stop fighting each other and unite as one.'" Pixis stood, hands behind his back, pacing along the edge of the wall.
"What do you think, young man?"
"You ask me? Mikasa, what do you think?" Sikong Xu smiled, turning the question to Mikasa.
"That saying only holds if humanity puts confronting the enemy above all else." Mikasa leaned gently against Sikong Xu.
"In our current situation, these soldiers can hardly unite, they might not even have the courage to fight."
"Haha, your little girlfriend's opinion matches mine exactly!" Pixis took another sip, then tossed his metal flask aside.
"Girlfriend..." Sikong Xu's face twitched, and he glanced at Mikasa, who blushed but showed no sign of protest.
Commander-in-Chief, what a divine assist! I need teammates like this, haha!
Sikong Xu felt a surge of excitement; since Mikasa hadn't explained away Pixis's words, there was hope!

Pixis discarded his flask and stood at the edge of the wall. It seemed the situation below had reached the point where his intervention was needed—even the captains of the squads were entertaining thoughts of desertion.
"If you want to kill me, do it! I refuse to go back—dead either way, it doesn't matter anymore!"
"That's right, dead either way, it doesn't matter. Anyone who wants to leave, follow me!"
The soldiers stopped panicking and began to riot.
Pixis stood at the edge of the wall, expressionless as he watched. He didn't blame the soldiers—fear of death is only human.
He took a deep breath and shouted down, "Attention——————!"
"I will now explain the Trost District Recapture Operation!"
"The objective of this mission is to seal the breach in the damaged wall!"
The scene fell silent; it wasn't clear if Pixis's shout had stunned them or if the plan itself had frightened them.
"Before I explain the plan, let me introduce three outstanding trainees."
"First, standing to my left, is Allen Yeager, who has just graduated from the training corps!"
At some point, Allen had stepped to Pixis's left and saluted the soldiers below with the standard soldiers' right fist to chest.
Pixis continued, "He is the successful subject of our secret research into titan transformation; he can turn into a titan and control that form at will!"
"Once transformed, he will proceed to the main gate, lift the massive boulder, and carry it to the breach to seal it."
"Your task is to protect him along the way from attacks by other titans!"
Pixis cleared his throat before continuing, "Next, I introduce the two on my right, also newly graduated from the training corps: Sikong Xu and soldier Mikasa Ackerman."
"What?" Sikong Xu was surprised by Pixis's sudden announcement, but Mikasa reacted quickly, pulling him into a salute.
"They are both exceptional soldiers—each worth a hundred elites!" Pixis declared with exaggerated pride. "When you are fighting, the two of them will do their utmost to protect every one of you!"
"Don't doubt it—they have the ability. When the Trost District fell, it was they who protected most of the trainees. In that battle, the two killed dozens of titans, including at least ten aberrant types! They have the skill."
Pixis's words echoed for a long time beneath the wall.