Chapter 48: The Captain’s Signature Move—Spiral Slash!

"Are you alright?" Holding the delicate figure in his arms, Sikong Xu spoke gently.

"I'm fine." As if sensing Sikong Xu’s warmth, Mikasa instinctively leaned closer to his chest, a trace of tenderness flickering in her eyes.

At that moment, both Sikong Xu and Mikasa’s horses came galloping back. Sikong Xu couldn’t help but marvel at the difference between the Survey Corps and the other three military branches—even the cavalry were trained so well, returning to their masters on their own.

With the horses recovered, Sikong Xu released Mikasa. Truthfully, he wished he could ride with her in his arms, but the looming threat of the Female Titan forced him to abandon that thought.

"Mikasa, get on your horse quickly!" Seeing the Female Titan turn toward them, Sikong Xu urged urgently.

Mikasa was well aware of the danger. At his command, she mounted her horse at once.

"Head east, there’s a vast forest there—that’s where our battlefield lies." Once Mikasa was astride her horse, Sikong Xu gave her all the instructions she needed.

"What about you?" Mikasa retorted.

"I’ll sever the Female Titan’s Achilles tendon to restrict her movement. Otherwise, with her speed, escaping on horseback will be difficult."

"I’ll go with you." Mikasa spoke simply, but to Sikong Xu, her words carried a multitude of emotions.

"You go first." Sikong Xu was resolute. "If we both attack together, we’ll only get in each other’s way."

"But—"

"Trust me!" Under normal circumstances, Sikong Xu would yield to Mikasa, but now, with their lives at stake, he would not compromise.

The Female Titan was already closing in, time was running out. Mikasa glanced at Sikong Xu, knowing he wouldn’t back down. True to her character, she didn’t linger; she spurred her horse and rode away.

Sikong Xu didn’t look back at Mikasa. It wasn’t a parting of life and death—there was no need for sentimentality. With the Female Titan’s strength, killing him was impossible, even without the omnidirectional mobility gear.

He exhaled deeply.

Watching Mikasa ride away, the Female Titan made no move to intercept her; her sole target was Sikong Xu.

"You truly wish to kill me?" Sikong Xu gazed up at the towering Female Titan, nearly fourteen meters tall, seeking something in her eyes.

"I don’t know what I’ve done to provoke you, nor do I care to waste time pondering it. I’ll give you a chance—if you stop now, it’s not too late."

The Female Titan’s intelligent eyes flashed with a mocking smile, as if ridiculing Sikong Xu’s bravado.

"Hmph." With negotiations fruitless, Sikong Xu cast aside any lingering sense of camaraderie; after all, she struck first.

"You think you’ve hidden yourself perfectly, but you’ve underestimated me."

Anticipating his next words, the Female Titan’s raised hand suddenly froze in mid-air.

"Annie Leonhart—since you’ve disregarded our bond as classmates, you can’t blame me for what follows," Sikong Xu said coldly.

The Female Titan’s rigid face was instantly transformed by shock. She never imagined Sikong Xu could discern her true identity. She had hidden herself so well—how could he possibly know?

Reading the astonishment in her eyes, Sikong Xu continued, "It’s unfortunate. I’ve been suspicious of you ever since the operation to retake the Trost District. Not only you, but Reiner and Hoover as well. The three of you are full of holes."

He curled his lips into a wicked grin. "How did I become suspicious? Let’s just say you were careless. The murderous intent you directed at me wasn’t concealed at all…"

Of course, Sikong Xu was making this up. With his ‘Infinite Martial Training,’ he could indeed sense killing intent, but in truth, none of the trio had exposed such intent toward him. He only said this to cover up his knowledge of the plot and to mislead the Female Titan.

A gale swept over Sikong Xu’s head—their cover blown, the Female Titan no longer hesitated.

A palm the size of a door descended swiftly toward him. Sikong Xu, without a horse, had to rely solely on his own agility.

Fortunately, ‘Infinite Martial Training’ had heightened his reflexes. Though the Female Titan’s hand came down rapidly, Sikong Xu managed a clumsy dodge, though the gust from the impact left him disheveled.

"Damn it, if you disregard our bond as classmates, I won’t hold back!"

He barely finished his threat before the enormous palm came crashing down again.

With no other choice, Sikong Xu dodged once more, but a gigantic foot soon followed, showing the Female Titan’s ruthless resolve.

"Shit!" Seeing the massive foot, Sikong Xu tumbled to the side, barely keeping his balance. Thankfully, he was agile enough; anyone else would have been crushed to pulp.

Even the Captain would struggle to survive against the Female Titan under these constraints.

The Female Titan raised her foot again, this time even faster than before. Sikong Xu, still off balance, knew he couldn’t dodge another blow with a simple tumble.

Yet Sikong Xu remained unflustered; ‘Infinite Martial Training’ had transformed his heart, allowing him to face calamity with composure. Even if the sky were to collapse, Sikong Xu would remain calm.

"So what if you’re a titan? Daring to expose such a glaring weakness to me is courting death!"

Faced with the descending foot, Sikong Xu smiled instead of fearing. At the instant it landed, the gas canisters of his mobility gear fired.

Propelled by the powerful thrust, Sikong Xu shot out like the wind, escaping the range of the Female Titan’s foot. But he didn’t stop there; after clearing the danger zone, he spun around, launching two grappling hooks that struck the Female Titan’s calf.

"You’ve stomped enough—time for a rest!"

With a flick, two gleaming blades were drawn. The grappling hooks retracted, pulling Sikong Xu forward. With the gas jets at his back, he moved at lightning speed.

As he soared, an image flashed in his mind—the Captain cutting down titans. Sikong Xu’s lips curled into a smile, and he tucked his body, spinning rapidly.

The Spiral Slash! Anyone familiar with the Captain would recognize Sikong Xu’s move—the Captain’s signature spiral slash!

Thanks to ‘Infinite Martial Training,’ any physical technique Sikong Xu saw could be instantly mastered—including the Captain’s spiral slash.

In a blink, Sikong Xu became a whirling top, crashing into the Female Titan’s calf. Spinning downward, he sliced through the flesh between her calf and heel, severing her Achilles tendon.

A torrent of blood gushed forth, scarlet drops raining densely. The Survey Corps uniform Sikong Xu wore was instantly stained red.

With a thunderous crash, the Female Titan, her tendon sliced, lost her balance. Worse still, her injured foot was pressed to the ground.

With a deafening impact, she collapsed, raising clouds of dust.

Seizing his chance, Sikong Xu, blood-soaked, mounted his horse and sped toward the Giant Forest, leaving behind the fallen Female Titan, her eyes filled with unwillingness…