NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The Crumbling Wall
Erwin's sharp eyes fixed on the wall as a deep rumble echoed through the district. Cracks widened, and debris tumbled to the ground with every passing second. "The wall," he muttered, his jaw tightening as his mind raced. "We need to close the breach immediately," he ordered, his voice firm, cutting through the rising panic around him. "Cover the hole with whatever we can find—cloth, debris, anything to block the Titans' view of the citizens. Eliminate any Titan that approaches. Don't let them advance further." The soldiers around him nodded sharply and launched into action, their movements precise but desperate.
Beside him, Niikaz swayed unsteadily, her pale face drenched in sweat, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Blood seeped between her fingers as she pressed one hand to her chest, trying to stem the flow. The other hand gripped Erwin's arm, her strength failing as she attempted to stand. "We can't let them breach the inner wall," she whispered hoarsely, determination burning through her pain. But her knees buckled, and Erwin caught her before she could collapse.
The wall had been breached on both sides—one from the outer district, and now this, a gaping wound threatening the inner wall where the shiganshina District's citizens located. The hole was small, barely one to two meters wide, but the damage was enough to let titan seep through once they was the citizens. Near to outer wall, Titans were pouring in, one after another, their towering forms throwing shadows over the Shiganshina District. Bertholdt, his Colossal Titan power drained by Niikaz in a desperate battle, lay unconscious, slung over a soldier's shoulder as they carried him away on Erwin's orders. Despite the successful extraction of his power, Bertholdt had already done his damage, leaving Shiganshina on the brink of ruin.
The battlefield at near the outer wall was a scene of carnage. Soldiers fought tirelessly against the advancing horde, their movements quick but strained. The red liquid they had consumed before the battle gave them temporary transparent barrier, a last line of defense against the Titans. It allowed them to withstand even Annie's berserk rampage, and it will explode pure titan hands or face to save them if they were caught. But after two relentless days of combat, its effects were almost running out fast.
Levi and his squad, alongside Captain Mike, clashed with the Female Titan, whose wild attacks threatened to tear the district apart. Despite her relative inexperience, Annie's Titan form was formidable, her frenzied strikes toppling buildings and forcing the soldiers to fight on unstable ground. "Keep her contained!" Levi barked, his blades flashing as he severed tendons and slowed her movements. Nearby, Hange and Mike led teams against the Abnormals drawn to Annie's shouts, cutting down as many as they could.
After the while, Hange's sharp gaze darted to the horizon, her expression darkening. "The Titans—they're moving toward the inner wall!" she shouted, her voice carrying over the chaos. Levi's head snapped up, his mind racing. If they couldn't stop the Titans here, they would flood the inner city, leaving nowhere to run. "Shit!" Levi curse out. He saw the female titan who is about to fall "oi shitty titan. Hurry up and fall already. I don't have time to play around with you" Levi staring at her with cold eyes. Annie in a female titan form was trembling in fear. Seeing that there's no hope to win makes her panic.
"I'm not sure why Bertholdt suddenly change to human form and not staying to his collosal form but hopefully he already done his job by now. We need to get out of here fast. Reiner is not going to hold out anymore as I keep fighting with these paradise soldiers." Annie monologue herself while saw Reiner worn out due to holding the female titan tight as she is running out fight with soldiers. Little did both of them know that the walls is not fully destroyed and bertholdt already got his power sucked out.
On the rooftop at the inner side area, Erwin landed gracefully with Niikaz in his arms, setting her down carefully before a soldier arrived with a grim report. "Commander, the Titans are converging on the inner wall. Our forces are doing their best, but we're losing ground, and the red liquid won't last much longer."
Niikaz clenched her fists, her mind racing despite the haze of pain clouding her senses. Her plan to capture all Titan shifters in one day was already in shambles. Ymir, in her Jaw Titan form, had appeared out of nowhere, throwing their strategy into disarray. Now, with the inner wall under threat, there was no room for error.
"It's because there are no citizens here," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "The Titans—they're drawn to the inner wall because it's the only source of movement now."
Meanwhile, inside the inner wall, Eren and his group were blindsided as a powerful gust of wind tore through the streets, throwing them off balance. Dust and debris swirled around them, forcing everyone to shield their faces. Eren gritted his teeth, trying to stay upright as the wind howled, only for it to vanish as quickly as it had appeared. When they opened their eyes, the Colossal Titan was gone, leaving only a faint echo of its presence.
A panicked shout drew their attention."Di-Did anyone sees that!!", and one of the women around 40 years old shout "The titan! Just now I saw the titan!!". And continue by one of the men near her "The wall—it's breached! What is going on inside? Did the scouts regiment fail!?" a citizen cried, pointing to a narrow hole high above the ground. The gap, barely 1-2 meters above the ground, it was small for the titan to get through but deadly, its fragile edges threatening to crumble further at any moment.
Armin's face went pale as he surveyed the damage. "This isn't good," he whispered, panic creeping into his voice.
"What do you mean?" Eren demanded, grabbing Armin by the shoulders.
"The Titans, I-if the big titan just now was causing the wall like this me-means the loud noise we heard a moment ago must be the wall that connects to the outside wall" Armin replied, his voice trembling.
" They will get inside. They will get inside. The scout regiments might be fighting with them as we speak but what if they can't hold out longer? What if the titan force inside here? We will be in danger" Armin murmured by himself and he held his head with both of his hands and cried.
Eren gripped Armin's shoulders tightly, his voice urgent. "Armin! Get a hold of yourself! Tell me what's going on!"
Armin blinked rapidly, trying to snap out of his spiraling thoughts. His chest rose and fell as he struggled to calm himself as his eyes shows panic and tear continued to flow out, but the panic in his voice was unmistakable. "It's the Titans, Eren! That hole in the wall—must be from that titan. If they make it inside, they'll head straight for us here and everyone inside wall maria will be in danger as well!"
Armin continue as he point his finger towards the hole "The wall's already on the verge of collapse. If another Titan puts pressure on it, the whole thing could come down!"
Around him, the tension was palpable. Everyone understood the grim reality—they were moments away from becoming Titan food. Panic surged through the crowd of citizens, spreading like wildfire. They screamed and began to scatter, running frantically away from the breached wall in a desperate attempt to escape.
Mothers clutched their children, dragging them through the chaos, while others shoved past, seeking safety anywhere but here. "Everyone away from the wall!" Captain Hannes and other garrison officer start guide the citizens away from wall.