Chapter 44: Danger, Mikasa!

Sikong Xu gradually slowed his horse, drawing the attention of the pursuing titan entirely onto himself.

Bang—

Suddenly, Sikong Xu yanked on the reins, causing his mount to veer sharply, narrowly evading the titan’s sweeping blow.

“Hey!” With a mocking expression, Sikong Xu immediately jerked the reins again and dashed off in the opposite direction.

The titan, now entirely focused on Sikong Xu, lumbered after him in its clumsy yet surprisingly swift manner. With each stride spanning ten meters, the giant’s massive steps made it a fearsome pursuer. If not for the horse’s agility and Sikong Xu’s deft maneuvering, which gradually wore down the titan’s stamina, he might have already been caught.

Exploiting the titan’s sluggish reflexes, Sikong Xu lured it toward a sturdy, towering tree. Unable to stop in time, the titan crashed headlong into the trunk.

Bang—

A thunderous sound echoed; the tree, thick enough for ten men to encircle with their arms, shuddered violently. Even its robust trunk bent under the impact, a testament to the titan’s terrifying force.

Taking a final glance at the disoriented titan, momentarily stunned by its collision, Sikong Xu turned his horse and sped off in the direction his companions had taken.

In truth, Sikong Xu could have dealt with the titan directly, given his strength—it would have been easier to simply slay it. But concerns weighed on his mind, prompting this elaborate strategy.

His worry was, of course, the limited supply of gas in the canisters of his omnidirectional mobility gear. Familiar with the plot, Sikong Xu knew that the Survey Corps would soon face a massive assault by ordinary titans drawn by the Female Titan. If he didn't conserve gas now, he’d be in real trouble when it ran out.

Moreover, to complete Main Quest Three, Sikong Xu still needed to have a major confrontation with the Female Titan. So, even if it meant a little more hassle, any avoidable fight was worth sidestepping.

Having shaken off the titan, Sikong Xu urged his horse to greater speed. With Mikasa and the others intentionally slowing to wait for him, he caught up within minutes.

“Are you alright?” Mikasa asked as soon as she saw him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I managed to shake off the titan.”

“Shake it off?”

“I’m conserving gas. If we can avoid a fight, we should—if our gas runs out, we’re in trouble.”

Sikong Xu understood Mikasa’s confusion—she wondered why he didn’t just kill the titan outright. He patiently explained, making sure the rest of the squad heard as well, so they would avoid unnecessary combat.

Whoosh—Bang—

Just as the groups rejoined and Sikong Xu barely exchanged a few words with Mikasa, a new development arose.

In the distance, a thick plume of black smoke rose into the sky—a signal flare fired by the Survey Team.

Black smoke was rarely used; it signaled a special situation, reserved for encounters with Abnormals.

“Black? An Abnormal?” Sikong Xu muttered under his breath.

To Sikong Xu, Abnormals were undoubtedly a more advanced evolution than regular titans. Though not yet sentient, Abnormals possessed abilities that surpassed those of ordinary titans—such as powerful limbs and bizarre movement patterns—making them much more formidable and unpredictable.

“Disregard the outer ranks—charge straight for the center! An Abnormal!”

Already, the silhouette of the Abnormal could be seen in the distance, sprinting at full speed. In moments, it would “pass by” their position, and Armin was so startled he nearly fell off his horse.

The rest of the squad grew tense, unconsciously gripping the hilts of the dual steel blades at their waists.

It wasn’t simply the Abnormal’s superior physical power that made it so dangerous, but its confounding behavior. Ordinary titans were predictable—they’d always head where people were. Abnormals, by contrast, were utterly erratic.

Sometimes an Abnormal would fixate on a single target, ignoring everyone else. Sometimes it would simply stand in place, neither attacking nor moving. This unpredictability was what made them such a headache. The current Abnormal, for example, ignored everyone and barreled straight toward the heart of the main formation.

“What a pain…” Sikong Xu muttered darkly as he watched the Abnormal rapidly approach their squad. He drew his twin steel blades, their polished edges gleaming.

To avoid disrupting the main group, the best way to deal with such unpredictable Abnormals was to kill them outright. However, without tall buildings nearby, the mobility gear was far less effective, making it extremely difficult for ordinary soldiers to bring down a titan—especially an Abnormal.

But for Sikong Xu, a “pay-to-win” player, such difficulty was meaningless. The same went for Mikasa.

Just as Sikong Xu prepared to move in for the kill, a cool yet gentle voice whispered in his ear.

“Xu… let me handle this one…”

It was Mikasa.

“Mikasa?” Sikong Xu glanced at the beautiful girl before him and smiled. “Alright, I’ll leave it to you. Be careful!”

“Mm.” As soon as she spoke, Mikasa’s figure flashed away, leaving behind a lingering, intoxicating trace of her scent.

Sikong Xu understood her motives well. Due to his special training, his assigned role at school was that of Mikasa’s childhood friend—and the savior who rescued her when her entire family was murdered by traffickers. Since then, protecting Sikong Xu had become Mikasa’s creed. Now, as his strength surpassed hers, Mikasa was happy but also a little lost.

What does it feel like when the one you’ve always protected suddenly turns around and protects you instead? Like when a normally delicate, gentle girlfriend suddenly transforms and drives off a mugger with a few swift punches and kicks.

That was exactly how Mikasa felt now.

And so, this unfortunate titan became the victim of Mikasa’s conflicting emotions.

Swish—

The Abnormal was fast, but Mikasa and the others were also on horseback, keeping pace. Mikasa fired a steel cable, striking the Abnormal squarely in the tendon behind its heel.

Thwip—Shhh—

With a burst of gas, Mikasa rocketed toward her target. Her aim was simple: sever the titan’s Achilles tendon to immobilize it, then swiftly slice the nape of its neck.

Her purpose was clear, her actions even swifter. But just as Mikasa neared the titan’s heel, the Abnormal suddenly spun around, lifting the very foot she had targeted.

Sikong Xu had no idea how the Abnormal noticed Mikasa, nor did he care to speculate—because the next instant, the titan’s massive foot was arcing straight toward her!

Perhaps because it happened so abruptly, Mikasa—propelled forward by the recoil of her gas gear—had no time to react. In the blink of an eye, that enormous foot was upon her.

Mikasa was in grave danger!